Irregular periods to no periods

[Stacie08]

After having a c-section with my first child 3 years ago, I have been having NO periods. I'm only 23 and still want to grow my family, but i'm afraid that because of this i won't be able too. I went to the docs a few time and they said it was maybe because of the weight. I manage to loose 20 lbs. by exercising and eating healthy, but yet i haven't had a regular monthly routine yet. I have two questions, is this something that i can fix and will i still be able to have kids in the future if this keeps going on?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It could be due to secondary amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea is when a woman who has had normal menstrual cycles stops getting her monthly period for 3 or more months.

Causes of secondary amenorrhea include stress and anxiety, malnutrition, depression, overexercising, sudden weight loss or gain (obesity),thyroid disorders and hormonal imbalance due to polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS).Smoking is also associated with secondary amenorrhea. Sometimes tumors of the ovaries and brain may also cause absence of menstruation.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
I can understand your concerns. If you can conceive in future or not depends on whether you are ovulating or not. Also not having periods after a pregnancy could be due to secondary amenorrhea or absence of periods/menstruation due to some thing. The first thing to check for is pregnancy, so take a pregnancy test and see. You could have conceived any time in the three years post pregnancy if you are ovulating. If urine test is negative, go for blood HCG estimation. If this is not the case, then other causes will have to be looked into. Stress and anxiety is a major factor. Thyroid problems and abnormal levels of FSH, LH, prolactin, androgen hormones or male hormones and estrogen hormones too can be the cause. MRI of brain may be required to rule out pituitary tumors secreting prolactin. Another major contributor is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This can be diagnosed by a CT scan or abdominal ultrasound and tests for insulin resistance. Smoking is also often associated with secondary amenorrhea and can be worse in presence of stress. Severe anemia and malnutrition, excess weight gain or weight loss, hypothyroidism too can contribute. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. Treating the cause of amenorrhea will improve your chances of pregnancy in future (if you are not already pregnant). Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.