| What are your choices? |
| Plan of Action |
 |
Introduction
No Periods (Amenorrhoea)
Periods can be missed both at the beginning and end of our reproductive life. In the beginning, when we enter puberty, hormones can take a number of months to settle down into a proper rhythm. Much the same thing occurs as we move towards the menopause, and missing periods can be quite common. There are also natural reasons why we do not have periods - for example, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding . However, if you suffer from an absence of periods for more than six months, without any of these natural causes or at these normal times, you can be sure that what you are experiencing is not natural.
What is amenorrhoea?
The term 'amenorrhoea' literally means 'the absence
of periods'. It may seem like a fairly straightforward
diagnosis - either you have periods, or you don't.
However, amenorrhoea is not a diagnosed condition,
but a symptom of another problem. There are a wide
variety of reasons why you may not be having periods,
and you must always take steps to find out what is
causing your amenorrhoea.
It's not normal for women to have no periods, and there will be something at the root of the problem. I have come across many women whose periods have inexplicably stopped. When they visited their doctors, they were told that it was 'more convenient' to go without periods, and that there was no reason to look into it unless they wanted to conceive. Drugs could be then be offered at that time to stimulate ovulation.
There is no doubt that periods can be inconvenient, but the plain truth is that it is unnatural not to have them. Your body is designed to have menstrual cycles when you are not pregnant, and if you are not having periods there is something out of balance or unnatural happening in your body. This needs to be investigated and treated. For one thing, if you are not having periods, your risk of osteoporosis is greatly increased.
What are your choices?
If your periods stop for no apparent reason or you
have come off the pill and your periods have not come
back then you should ask to be referred to a gynaecologist.
Many of the reasons why periods stop are not serious,
but more serious health problems should always be
ruled out before you decide upon a form of treatment.
If medical tests indicate that there is nothing seriously wrong, this section is for you. You may have been told 'to wait and see' or to go on the Pill as a form of treatment. This is one of those situations where the natural approach really comes into its own. By looking at your diet, correcting any vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and using herbs, it is possible to correct the underlying imbalance that is causing the loss of periods.
It is also important to look at your weight, to ensure that it falls within the normal ranges regardless of whether you are overweight or underweight because the effects on your cycle can be dramatic.
If you have been dieting you are likely to be deficient in vital nutrients. The same goes if you have been under a lot of stress.
Previous use of the Pill will also have upset your
intake of nutrients. You may have low levels of the
B vitamins, especially B2, B6, B12 and also folic
acid. It is also well known that the Pill upsets the
balance of copper and zinc in your body. You can end
up with too much copper and not enough zinc. This
imbalance can still exist even if it has been some
time since you took the Pill regularly. Zinc is crucial
for healthy functioning of your reproductive system.
Supplements
The supplements recommended below have been studied
in clinical trials and have been found to be effective
in connection with amenorrhoea. For best results you
should take then over a period of three months, at
the end of which you should be reassessed in order
to monitor improvements and changes and then adjust
the supplement programme according to your new condition.
Multivitamin and Mineral
A good quality multivitamin and mineral should form
the foundation of your supplement programme to make
sure that you are getting a 'little bit of everything'.
You then add in those nutrients in slightly higher
amounts which are known to be helpful for PMS.
B Vitamins
A B-complex supplement needs to be added to your diet
on a daily basis. Choose one that contains good levels
of all the B vitamins, including folic acid. Folic
acid is absolutely crucial for your cells to multiply
normally. When working on getting your periods back,
it's important that your ovaries are able to produce
eggs, and that the cells in those eggs are able to
divide properly.
Zinc
Zinc is an important mineral for the normal functioning
of your hormones. It plays a major part in the part
in the normal function of many of our hormones, including
the sex hormones and insulin. It is needed for normal
egg production in the ovaries, and for your body to
attract and utilise your reproductive hormones, oestrogen
and progesterone. Zinc can be deficient if you have
been using the Pill for a while.
Magnesium
This mineral has been classed as 'nature's tranquilliser',
so it is essential that it is included an a good level
when treating no periods. Stress is often a major
factor in amenorrhoea, and this mineral will help
to redress the balance of a stressful lifestyle.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
Essential fatty acids are vital for normal reproductive
functioning. They are particularly important if you
have been on a low-fat or no-fat diet.
Herbs (see caution below)
Herbal treatment is aimed at literally 'kick starting' your reproductive system. This means that the right messages need to get to your brain so that the pituitary gland can send the correct message down to your ovaries to stimulate ovulation.
Agnus castus (Vitex/Chastetree berry)
Agnus castus is very much the herb of choice when
trying to bring back periods. It works on the pituitary
gland by balancing the levels of FSH (follicle stimulating
hormone) and LH (luteinising hormone), which then
sends a message to the ovaries. The result is that
progesterone levels go up and your cycle kicks back
into action. This can take between three and six months.
In one study, 10 out of 15 women's period had returned
after using Agnus castus for a six-month period.
You should not take any of the above herbs if you are taking, The Pill, Fertillity drugs, HRT or any other hormonal treatment or other medication unless they are recommended by a registered, experienced practitioner.
Tests are extremely useful, in that they can tell you what deficiencies you have at the moment and then for you to know what supplements would be useful to take to correct those deficiencies. You would then be re-tested after three to four months to monitor your progress and to adjust the supplement programme accordingly.Mineral Analysis Test
with Supplement and Nutritional Assessment Programme
This test measures the deficiency and excess levels
of 7 different minerals and 5 heavy toxic metals that
may be present in your body.
Online Personalised
Supplement Assessment Programme
The analysis of this comprehensive questionnaire will
give you a three monthly supplement programme to help
balance any vitamin and mineral deficiencies you may
have.
After three months you would then have a re-test in order to monitor your progress and adjust your supplement programme according to your new condition.
If you need help in obtaining any of the supplements, herbs or tests mentioned above, click, No Periods (Amenorrhoea) options at The Natural Health Practice. They can supply all of them for you online or if you prefer to talk to somebody first you can also order by mail order on the telephone. The products supplied by this company are always of the highest quality.
Plan of Action
Nutrition
Ensure you are getting the right nutrition:
Follow dietary recommendations outlined on the Foundation
of Health page.
And for more information on the special dietary recommendations
for no periods, see the rest of the chapter on No Periods (Amenorrhoea) e-book at The Natural Health Practice.
The supplement programme below should be taken for at least three months in order to achieve best results
Your supplement plan
- A good multivitamin and mineral tablet
- B complex (100mg of each B vitamin per day - including those supplied by your multivitamin tablet)
- Folic acid (800mcg per day - including those supplied by your B-complex supplement and your multivitamin)
- Zinc citrate (15mg per day)
- magnesium 300mg per day
- Linseed (flaxseed) oil (1000mg per day)
At the end of three months you should reassess your condition and adjust your supplement programme accordingly.
The tests below have been specially selected to be the most helpful if you are concerned about amenorrhoea.
Mineral Analysis Test with Supplement and Nutritional Assessment Programme
Online Personalised
Supplement Assessment Programme
After three months you would then have a re-test in order to monitor your progress and adjust your supplement programme according to your new condition.
If you need help in obtaining any of the supplements, herbs or tests mentioned above, click, The Natural Health Practice. They can supply all of them for you online or if you prefer to talk to somebody first you can also order by mail order on the telephone. The products supplied by this company are always of the highest quality.
The section above forms part of a larger 12 page chapter on No Periods taken from my book, . In the rest of the chapter you will learn what the medical approaches to amenorrhoea (no periods) are and how to combine them with the natural approach. This is called Integrated Medicine and is the way that healthier of the future is moving towards. You will also learn what medical tests will give you an accurate diagnosis of your condition. The medical treatments for no periods are then examined which can include looking at either drugs or surgery. Each treatment is then discussed and the pros and cons of the options explained. The Integrated Approach to amenorrhoea (no periods) is considered in some detail so that if appropriate you can know how to combine the best of both conventional and natural medicine.
At the end of the chapter is a practical step by step summary of what you can do to help yourself.
If you would like to read the rest of this chapter click, No Periods (Amenorrhoea) e-book at The Natural Health Practiceand you will be given details of how you can download the whole chapter.
Or if you would like even more in depth advice about No Periods (Amenorrhoea) you should read my New book "Getting Pregnant Faster".
| Introduction | What are your choices? | Plan of Action |
The contents of this site are for information only and are intended to assist readers in identifying symptoms and conditions they may be experiencing. This site is not intended to be a substitute for taking proper medical advice and should not be relied upon in this way. Always consult a qualified doctor or health practitioner, especially if you are pregnant, taking the pill or on any medication. Your situation will need to be looked at individually and you should not attempt to self treat. The author and publisher cannot accept responsibility for illness arising out of the failure to seek medical advice from a doctor.
The views expressed by third parties placing material on these pages are not representative of the views of the author or publisher. The Author and Publisher cannot monitor the content not produced by us and has not reviewed all the third party material published on this site and the Author and Publisher accept no liability whatsoever in relation to the content of third party material placed on these pages.
