Can you restart your menstrual cycle if it is disrupted by being underweight?
Question :I am a 28 year old woman. About four years ago I lost weight through a healthy diet and a lot of sports. But at some point I got lost in this. I continued to stick to the diet and exercise five or six times a week. I no longer dared to eat normally and sought help from an eating disorder clinic. Luckily I'm me again now. It was a battle but I conquered it! I can say that sports and food no longer rule my life; a wonderful feeling.
Almost two years ago I stopped taking the pill to see if my period was still natural. Unfortunately this was not the case. This was probably due to being underweight, too demanding of my body and stress. Now I feel much better. I am in better balance and am no longer underweight (I am 1.60 m and weigh 54 kg). But my period is still off. Is this a sign from my body that I am not yet the weight that suits me? Do I have to be patient or can I help it get started? Can it harm my fertility? Although I am not menstruating, am I fertile? H. VAN D., AMSTERDAM
Answer GP Ingrid Kuiper :'The absence of menstruation is also called amenorrhea. The most common cause is a combination of stress, low body weight and intensive sport. In addition, hormonal problems can cause amenorrhea (for example, polycystic ovarian syndrome or early menopause), and conditions such as diabetes and thyroid abnormalities. Missing your period does not necessarily mean that you cannot become pregnant or that you are infertile. If you want to have children, you could find out whether you are ovulating (because that is necessary for a pregnancy), for example by means of a basal temperature curve. If you have an amenorrhea that has existed for two years and you want to have children, you will usually be referred to a gynaecologist. Taking certain hormones can induce ovulation. The absence of menstruation due to sport/underweight/stress usually has a favorable prognosis!'
