Recovering from Amenorrhea Naturally

Last week, after 4 1/2 years, I started my period again. My cycle is back baby…I’m BACK!

Many women get frustrated with their monthly cycles & they view their periods as pointless or as a nuisance. I view them as a sign of balanced hormones and good health. Having a period might be a hassle for one, but an answered prayer for another. It’s all in your perspective.

Whether you want to have kids (at any point of life) or not, having a monthly cycle is actually a very important marker of a woman’s health. Having a regular menstrual cycle, then having it stop for more than 3 months is known as (Secondary) Amenorrhea. 

There are many reasons why periods can be irregular or even stop, both genetic and lifestyle related. As I will share below, I experienced many different types of stressors starting 10 years ago. These have all played in role in my hormonal health and ultimately affecting my period.

I am a holistic health coach, but not a physician. It is critical that everyone seeks out a doctor who is well trained in women’s health and hormones for any issues regarding cycles. I am here to share my story, in order to educate and inspire others who are struggling like I was.

I grew up having pretty irregular and heavy cycles in my teens. I think I was about 20 or 21 (2007-2008) when I first started birth control to help with the cycles & to avoid getting pregnant. My periods did stabilize and were easier to manage after that; I stayed on birth control, with little to no break, for at least 6 years ( I stopped in September 2014).

In 2012, I competed in my first 2 fitness bikini competitions. Being a fitness trainer for 2 years, this was a huge “bucket list” goal for me. What an accomplishment! I trained for 16 weeks and got to the lowest weight and body fat percentage…ever. However, I didn’t know ahead of time that I had a poor coach who wanted me to do excessive amounts of cardio and follow a diet of basically 10 foods. I remember salsa wasn’t allowed…salsa (!?) But at that time, I had my mind stuck on my goal of being on that stage. I did most of her plan, but knew things were supposed to be hard, but not miserable.

Contest prep does NOT improve health, due it is extreme training and dieting. I decided to take a break in 2013 to work on my own training business and give my body a break. At this time, I kept getting my cycles, because I was still on birth control…

2014

I experienced a lot of changes in this year! My husband Brian had proposed Thanksgiving of 2013. We were long distance our whole relationship (I lived in San Diego and him in Cleveland). The plan was for me to move to Ohio in February. I was excited but also terrified. I grew up in SoCal and left all of my family, friends, job etc. to move across the country.

That winter was very hard on me mentally and emotionally. Everything was new & I really missed my “home”. I researched bikini competitions in Ohio as a way to meet people and to keep me occupied & busy. I found that there were shows in the same city, so I decided to prep for a show in May and later 2 more shows in the fall. I coached myself, researching a “flexible dieting” approach. I did not use extreme measures like in 2012, met lots of friends and had a great time.

It was the spring of 2014 when, on birth control, my period kept coming early. Every 20 days to be exact. I wasn’t sure what was wrong; I changed prescriptions in hope that would help. It did not and actually only made my cycles worse. Frustrated and with no help from the doctor, I decided to stop the pill altogether.

Looking back I can see that my stress affected my hormones, causing them to decrease & resulting in a shorter cycle (luteal phase due to low progesterone). I am glad I did stop BC then, but wish I had know the major side effects it brings, and wish I had stopped sooner.

2015

2015 continued to be a very challenging year for my health. I suffered from “Adrenal Fatigue”, extremely low hormones and borderline low Thyroid functioning. A horrible work environment, planning our wedding (in May) and the stress of still adjusting to life in Ohio threw my hormones completely out of whack.

I have a full article here about my Adrenal Dysfunction: Healing from Adrenal Fatigue

It was during the summer after the wedding that an Endocrinologist diagnosed me with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. This is when the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) Axis is disrupted by either a structural issue or lifestyle stressor(s).

The body is a complex machine with all of its systems and organs working together for our health. The Hypothalamus is part of your brain that is the “master controller”, which signals the Pituitary (also in the brain) to produce hormones. The Pituitary controls the function of the thyroid, sex organs and adrenals. The health of all of these organs play a role in sex hormones and menstrual cycles.

All types of stress, if not addressed, will impair this “feedback loop” that occurs from the brain down to the other organs. The signaling must be there AND have little/no interference (aka stress) for proper functioning.

Yes, part of of having a cycle is your body needing to feel “safe”. That occurs when you reduce/remove the stressors & address any underlying signaling or production issues.

Please refer to the Stress series of articles under the Health/Wellness tab I’ve written.

2016

Although I still didn’t have a cycle, I decided to start competition prep in January. I had done bloodwork and my thyroid levels looked normal (not optimal, but “in range”). I felt “recovered” from Adrenal Fatigue was really looking forward to competing again! I did 3 shows that spring and won several placings, included first and overall! I was super happy with my physique and how good I felt through the whole process. However, I stayed at too low of a weight and bodyfat % for too LONG after the show. Even though I had “reverse dieted” (increased calories/decreased exercise) I was still 108-110lbs at a 5’3″ frame & 10% bodyfat.

That year I decided I need to take a LONG break to really improve my hormone levels. My estrogen and progesterone were still in the “post-menopausal” range! Since then, I have stepped away from the Competition world all together and not sure if I will ever compete again.

Full post here: Why I’m Done Competing

I’ve seen multiple doctors and specialists, ranging from conventional Ob-Gyns, a Reproductive Endocrinologist, and M.D.s in the past 4 years.
I’ve been told:

“Sometimes we just don’t know what causes these issues”

“You could be depressed….you should try medication” (and then wrote me a Rx for Zoloft)

“You need to just gain some weight; eat more and quit exercise”

“There’s just nothing that we can do or know how to help you without medication”.

The specialists encouraged me to start birth control again, try a progesterone “bleed” or challenge, consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and prescriptions like Clomid, which “force” ovulation. All of these just “trick” the body and give us false hope. Sure I can “have a period” on BC, but that is just a “pill bleed” and not a true cycle with body producing the hormones by itself. None of these work to help the body produce hormones naturally. I was even told to consider IVF…even though I didn’t even have my cycle.

I left the appointments discouraged and saddened. None of the doctors knew or wanted to help me find the root cause of WHY I didn’t have my period. I knew deep down that my body wasn’t broken. I believe that my body was always working FOR me, not against. Not having a period was a sign to show me something was off & I need to dig to find out why.

I respected their recommendations, but I did none of them. Amenorrhea is not a diagnosis, but a symptom of a bigger problem. I refuse to just take medication or “force” my body to do something without trying all the natural conservative approaches first. It doesn’t need outside fake/synthetic chemicals to work. I was determined to find out the ROOT cause of my imbalances & gain my cycle back naturally.

Our body has the “innate intelligence” to heal from the above down, inside out. I trust if we give it the right tools & environment, it will heal & function the way it was designed to do.

2017/2018

I’ve done so much research on Hormone Imbalances, Amenorrhea & possible Root Causes. I’ve implemented as many natural/conservative means to healing possible in the last few years:

• Chiropractic adjustments (I am grateful to work for a D.C. and get adjustments 2-3x a week!)
• Acupuncture (was 1x week now about 1x month)
• Diet changes: gluten free, mostly dairy and grain free; I eat “clean” with emphasis of quality nutrient dense whole food choices
• Smart Exercise: A mix of strength training with cardio and flexibility, plus scheduled rest days
• Supplements: Omega 3 fatty acids, probiotic, Vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins, etc. plus Adaptogens and Herbal Complexes to support hormonal balance, and natural dessicated thyroid support (remember these are all specific to me/my body)
• 8-9 hours of sleep per night
• Chemical & Toxin free home: I use essential oils and non-toxic cleaning supplies, beauty products etc.
• Lowering/managing stress.: daily self care rituals, affirmations, prayer, journaling, reading, walking etc.

I won’t list all, but there’s many other ways and things I did do.Overall I have made many changes to my daily routine and lifestyle in order to reduce the stress load on my body and to support my body’s production of hormones.

June 2018

I was finally diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. My TSH had doubled in 6 months, going from 2.5 to 8.5 (optimal is under 2). All my active Thyroid markers (T4 and T3) are low or borderline low. I knew that something was not right, plus I had been having all the symptoms as well, on and off since 2015:

• Steadily gaining weight (10 pounds in 6 months with no lifestyle changes)
• After 8 hrs sleep I still wake up tired and groggy
• Cold body temperatures, esp feet and hands, poor circulation
• Very dry skin & thinning hair
• Sluggish digestion, prone to constipation
• Mood swings, including depressed anxious states

At this point, I realized why after a full year plus of controlling my stress, I still didn’t have a period. My thyroid health was directly affecting my sex hormones! The thyroid plays a MAJOR role in the HPA Axis. It too, communicates with the sex organs. It controls metabolism but also the production of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone) etc. The thyroid and adrenals also have a delicate relationship, in that cortisol (produced by adrenals) will affect the thyroid. If cortisol is too high, it down regulates the thyroid & sex organs.

As you can see, not one body system, but ALL of them together, make up our health! They are an “orchestra” in which the conductor (the brain) is in charge. But all of the individual “musical instruments” must play correctly….AND in sync to form the music and create the “symphony”.

I look back and realize it was MULTIPLE factors that have affected my fertility: The (overuse) of birth control medication, contest prep ( extreme dieting and exercise) major life stress moving to Ohio, chronic low-level stress/Adrenal Fatigue, low body weight and body fat percentage, and Hypothyroidism. My body was working SO hard for many years to find balance!

In June I started immediately on a dessicated thryoid formula and specific nutrients, herbs and supplements to help support my thyroid. Within a month I could feel the difference.

December 2018

After 3 months, I retested my labs and all my thyroid levels (my TSH, T4/T3 etc) had improved dramatically! My sex hormones ALL increased as well!! I had dropped the 10 pounds I gained, got my energy back and overall felt like me in my body again.

I now have cut my thyroid dose in half and still have been feeling great. I received more labs back in early December and had NEVER seen my estrogen and FSH, and LH so high. I was estatic!

The next day (Dec 6) Brian and I traveled to Chicago for a family wedding. That day, without any warning, my period started. I almost couldn’t believe it. After YEARS of waiting, working, praying…it finally happened! No medications or drugs ever used.

I am still over the moon; this is a HUGE step in the right direction for my health. Brian and I had talked about starting a family over 2 years ago. Now we can finally keep moving forward with our dream of being parents. 

I have had many tough moments in the last few years. I have cried many times, felt alone, discouraged, shame, guilt, scared, frustrated, mad. Why ME? Did I do something wrong? Is something wrong “with me”? Am I not supposed to be a mother? What if I never get my period? I just want to know why. I just want to be normal.

I was 31 and all I wanted was to have my period again.

And with faith and perseverance, I do.

I am so grateful for my naturopath/chiropractor, who has helped me uncover the root causes of my imbalances and get my thyroid back to a healthy state without medication. I also started working with a Functional Medicine Ob-Gyn who will continue to help with specialized testing, supplements, and a holistic (mind body) approach to my health.

My husband has been so supportive with any/all of my decisions. He has respected anything I’ve wanted to do and I am so blessed to have to him as my partner and support through this chapter. My family has been wonderful, with my mom listening to all concerns & encouraging me to not give up.

Glory to God in that He has been with me through this entire process & has provided me with this blessing. This is ALL Him. It was through faith, prayer and believing that He would provide…when the time was right. I am not sure why I had to wait so many years. But I believe it was for a purpose, whether I know that reason now or in the future.

This journey has just begun, as now I will be working to optimize my health and hormones to conceive! It is just so exciting that it is finally happening for me. I will continue to work diligently and have faith in God’s will.

I hope this can help another woman know that you are NOT alone. You CAN heal your hormones and gain your period back. Even when you feel like you are at rock bottom…have HOPE.

Believe in your body and know that it is always working FOR YOU. It wants to have a period, to be fertile, to have children…you CAN and will if you stay consistent, patient and loving to your body and health.

I am here to tell you to be your own health advocate. It’s OKAY if you follow your gut instincts and not follow the norm. My decisions to not use medication might seem silly to some, but it is what I WANT.

Do what feels best for you, your health and the health of your future family.

Believe that there is a way to gain your period back, naturally….Because I DID.

Your story will look different from mine…so your journey back to health will be as well. I know that there are other women who’s thyroid functioning is affecting their reproduction…but it is not the case for everyone. Some women are able to regain their period by managing their stress, maintaining a healthy weight or even gaining weight. For me, gaining weight did nothing, because that wasn’t MY root issue.

Find YOUR root cause to your health issue. It most likely will be a mix of multiple reasons. Address each one and work to unpeel the layers. Looking back, I now know my health concerns started years ago! You can’t change the past but you can change what you do now and in the future.

Get tested. It is better to know than to guess or worse, not know that something that could help you.

Ask questions. Do research. Find support, in a friend or loved one, but also a medical professional. Invest in your health and seek out a holistic practitioner or functional medicine doctor, as they will look at the body as a whole and find root causes, rather than only diagnose and treat.

Believe in yourself, your ability to heal and the intelligence of the body. Don’t give up. I am so glad I didn’t!

Feel free to email me for support or any guidance 🙂