After 6 years of being on birth control for hormone related reasons, I reached a breaking point and decided to go off the pill. I had been on the pill from age 14 for hormone imbalance, possible ovary issues and even for acne. I had tried once or twice to get off of it but was urged by doctors to stay on it. I once even heard "but prom is coming up and you know how your skin gets when you're not on the pill". Needless to say, I was done with the comments, backlash and especially the symptoms of birth control.
This was all well and good, until I went nearly 10 months without a normal cycle. As time went on my mom urged me to go to a doctor and talk about possible solutions. However, something inside of me knew that I could do this on my own. I decided to research options and possible remedies that were natural, not harmful, and realistic to help me get my period back.
Against all odds, I am now 3 months into a normal cycle and my menstrual cycle has come back for the most part. Enough of the discomfort around talking about periods... Let's instead start raising awareness for those who are struggling with amenorrhea, or loss of a menstrual cycle. Here are the supplements, lifestyle changes and remedies that helped me most.
1. Supplements
As a nutrition major, I am weary of supplements that are unnecessary. However, after some research, I found that there are four important vitamins and minerals helpful for getting your cycle back and maintaining menstrual health. They are B12, Calcium, Zinc and Magnesium. I take them a couple of times a week. Livestrong published this article on why B12 is important for menstruation and it is definitely worth the read.
2. Chilling Out
I know it seems like this tactic is common sense, but actually lowering stress is harder than it seems. Cortisol is a huge inhibitor of healthy hormone production. For me, it was more about not being "on guard" all the time. I am someone who always feels the need to know what's going on, but this unneeded stress was messing with my mind and body. I took the time to do more of what I liked, found time to decompress and let myself enjoy more down time. Whether this means letting go of a friend that doesn't make you feel good, or not going out every weekend if you don't truly want to, start living your life more for you. Not only will this help you get your period back but it will help you be a happier person. Here are some more ways stress affects your period and ways to stress less!
3. Less exercise
You might think I'm crazy that this next piece of advice is to exercise less, when most articles are telling us to exercise more! The reason for this also has to do with stress, and it is applicable for some but not all women. Unlike school stress and life stress, exercise rarely seems like a stressor for a lot of people. But while working out is a healthy activity, it can be harmful if you are working out too frequently or too intensely.
Overexercising is a common factor that leads to loss of menstruation for a lot of people. Fixing this takes a little bit of self evaluation. Do you dread the gym? Are you finding yourself so drained and overworked by the end of the week that you are constantly exhausted from your workouts? If your answer is yes, you may want to look into changing your ways. Physical activity is so personal, so of course this doesn't apply to everyone. But if this does apply to you, consider yoga, nature walks or even dance as opposed to high intensity cardio and strenuous weight lifting. These lower-impact exercise styles will lower overall stress and give your body a much needed break. This took a LONG time for me to realize but really helped in the end. PopSugar has a great article on the reason to keep exercise light for period health.
4. Diet
I am NOT a fan of the word diet at all, but when I say it in this context I mean how you eat, not what you eat. When striving for overall health, I do not believe in restricting food at all. I believe in eating whole foods that make you feel good and treats that you love all in moderation. One thing that I needed to focus on when getting my period back was putting down the calorie app, denying myself of foods I loved and learning to eat to make myself feel optimal. This meant relaxing with my diet in terms of obsessing over food, eating more socially and pleasurably (aka ice cream on the couch with mom while watching Real Housewives) and going out with friends. This also meant focusing on real foods most of the time and even easing up on meat and dairy consumption. Focusing on eating plant-based, wholesome foods and eating what I loved helped me not only feel better, but I believe it helped me get my period back. Robyn at the Real Life RD is a registered dietitian and nurse who uses an intuitive eating and mindfulness approach to help with amenorrhea struggles. She has tons of articles about how to stop fearing food and how to start living your (physically, mentally and emotionally) best life!
5. Sleep
As a college kid, talking about how little we sleep seems almost like a bragging right. However, sleep is a HUGE factor in our overall health. Finding the time to put everything away and focus on getting enough quality sleep is really helpful for getting your cycle back and for your overall well-being. For me, this meant listening to a meditation tape every night to ease me into rest, using an essential oil diffuser, and napping more! Sleep is so important for hormonal health and should be made a priority. Harvard Med published this article on assessing sleep needs and optimal sleep.
With all of this being said, be patient with this process. Your body is a vessel for love and care but some damage has been done so it needs time to be fixed.
Overtime, everything will even itself out and you will get back to a healthy and sustainable cycle. It should also be noted that medical issues may be the cause for amenorrhea, so sometimes medication and doctors are needed. This is not your fault and getting the help you need is more important; we are all different. From my heart to yours, the best of luck with your amenorrhea journey and don't EVER be embarrassed to talk about it all!
While I am educated in the topic, I am not a licensed health professional (yet) and you should always advise your doctor or health care professional before taking anything or making any changes to your lifestyle.