Women's Health Community

Dear justbigheadjen: The easy part first, OK? The most common reason missing a menstrual period(s) is not having an ovulation every month. In a normal cycle, estrogen is produced all month. Estrogen is responsible for building up the lining of your uterus so you have something to shed each month.

In a normal cycle, progesterone production increases following ovulation and release of an egg.. Progesterone "stabilizes" the uterine lining in preparation for a possible implantation of a new pregnancy. If you are not pregnant that month the levels of estrogen and progesterone fall, triggering the release of the uterine lining—your period.

So, if you do not ovulate, the estrogen build up of the lining continues, but without the usual ovulation associated progesterone. Thus, the hormone levels don't decline, and the lining stays up inside the uterus—your missed period. Alternatively, the built up lining can begin to shed on its own creating erratic bleeding patterns which are usually "too-light" or super heavy and prolonged.

There can be MANY causes for not ovulating:low thyroid, pituitary problems, ovarian cysts, physical stressors (eg sudden increases in exercise, crash dieting), emotional stressors (problems with boyfriends/girlfriends, money), increased body weight, anorexia, rotating shifts at work, etc. The ultrasound should have picked up an ovarian cyst as the cause of missed ovulations.

In terms of the bad abdominal pains it sounds like the CT scan and ultrasound ruled out some of the GYN causes (eg ovarian mass, ectopic miscarriage, fibroid, fluid in the Fallopian tube). Other body systems can cause abdominal pain. The number one non-GYN cause of pelvic pain is the bowel (eg diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome, infection). The bladder and kidney can also be the culprit (eg kidney stone, interstitial cystitis). There are also some rare conditions such as an an abdominal aortic aneurysm, blood clot in the large pelvic blood vessels, acute intermittent poryphyia. Because there are so many causes of pelvic pain it can take lots of testing to make the most exact diagnosis.

We are sorry that you are having to go through all of this to find out the cause of your abdominal pain.

In Support,
Jane

thank you very much! my dr put me on a low hormone birth control. it got things going thats for sure! pain has relieved ALOT i just started my period and had some very large blood clots but the dr. said it was from all the build up and may have been what caused the pain. im just happy everything is still working!!!!

Dear justbigheadjen: Wow, that's great. Thanks so much for your feedback. Your experience may benefit another women searching for answers to her similar symptoms.

Yours,
Jane