Why don’t I get my period? How many times have we wondered why the rule doesn’t come to us? Pregnancy, menopause, stress, medications… Amenorrhea is the situation of absence of menstruation and can be something temporary or permanent that can be caused by various causes that we are going to discuss in this article to clear up some doubts.
Why don’t I get my period? 18 most common reasons
- The woman’s age
This is a factor that can greatly influence the irregularities of the menstrual period. At puberty, when the woman is still very young and her first periods arrive, it is common for menstruation to present imbalances, both in quantity and regularity. If you are between the ages of 12 and 16, an irregular menstrual cycle is normal.
- Prolonged taking of contraceptives
This may have as a consequence, due to its suppressive effects, that when they stop taking it, menstruation does not appear. If, after stopping the contraceptive, more than three months pass without your period, see your doctor. If it is less than three months, it is called post-pill amenorrhea and does not matter.
- Pregnancy
If you are a woman with a sexually active life and of reproductive age, one of the most probable causes that may be preventing your period from coming is a possible pregnancy. You always have to think about a pregnancy as the first option if you are in this reproductive age.
- The sport
Especially jogging and walking influence the development of the menstrual cycle, there being a relationship between the degree of alteration and the number of kilometers per week. The mechanism is not well understood, but possibly the increased secretion of endorphins, the loss of weight and electrolytes may influence the fact that you do not get your period. In this sense, weight loss is related to less fat and less secretion of hormones, such as estrogen, which help us with our menstruation.
- Anxiety and stress
They are two of the most common psychological causes for which the rule is delayed. Emotional stress, nerves or the fact of having suffered a strong mental shock can affect the body by altering hormones and causing changes in the menstrual cycle. In fact, the very nerves caused by the delay in menstruation can contribute to delaying it even more. Therefore, it is very important not to anticipate events and remain calm in this situation. Probably, when you relax, the period will not take long to appear.
- After 45 years
As happens in puberty, after the quarantine periods begin to arrive again irregularly. This is usually an indication of the possible arrival of menopause. These irregular bleeding occur in the premenopausal period. Therefore, if you are over that age, possibly the delay in the appearance of your menstruation has its cause here.
- Menopause
In this case it is not a delay but the end of the menstrual periods and the reproductive age of the woman.
- Early menopause
Women stop having menstrual periods at a very early age. Generally, under 45 years of age.
- Sudden changes in body weight
Whether due to sudden losses or gains, changes in body weight can also cause changes in hormones and, therefore, in the menstrual cycle. In fact, one of the consequences of anorexia and bulimia is the reduction in the production of hormones, thus producing amenorrhea. In addition, too strict diets can also affect the period and cause delays.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
This can also be a cause of not getting your period. If your hormones are not working normally, your ovaries may make too many eggs. Those eggs develop into many cystic-looking images, which are like little balloons filled with fluid.
- Tumors in the nervous system
They can inhibit the arrival of menstruation. If your period is delayed for several weeks and you are not pregnant or associated with any other cause, it is best to see a doctor to rule out major problems like this. It is something very rare, but if you present other symptoms such as intense headache, double vision, etc.; you should go to the doctor.
- Lactation
Breastfeeding our baby can also cause a delay in our menstruation. The increase in the hormone prolactin can cause you to miss your period or have very little bleeding. It is a period of lack of normal rule.
- Hypothyroidism
It can cause delays in menstruation, since the pituitary gland is stimulated to produce more thyrotropin and at the same time more prolactin is produced.
- Medicines
Some drugs interfere with how your body works and your hormone balance. If you do not get your period, read the contraindications of the medications you are taking or consult the doctor who prescribed it. On many occasions, the problem is solved simply by leaving them or changing them.
- A bad diet
It may be another reason why the period may be delayed. An inadequate diet can also cause stomach problems (such as intestinal inflammation) that can end up affecting the regularity of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, a healthy and balanced diet is essential to maintain an adequate hormonal balance.
- There are certain endocrine and gynecological diseases that can cause irregular bleeding
This is the case of adenomyosis, endometriosis and cancers of the uterus or cervix. These are pathologies that need to be treated urgently, so if an abnormality or delay in your period occurs and you do not associate it with any of the above causes, it is essential that you consult a doctor as soon as possible. It is important to note that these diseases do not cause amenorrhea, but irregular bleeding.
- Using hormonal contraceptives inappropriately
Another reason why your period may be late is the incorrect use of hormonal contraceptives. That is to say, if you do not strictly adhere to the rest days or you skip a dose (in the case of the pill) you can cause a hormonal alteration that means that your period does not go down on the expected day.
- Psychological pregnancy
One reason why the rule may not go down is the disorder known as pseudocyesis or psychological pregnancy. If you suffer from it, you will begin to feel all the typical symptoms of pregnancy (including the absence of menstruation) despite the fact that there is not really a developing fetus in your womb. This disorder can appear in women with depression, who strongly want to have a child, who have an extreme fear of becoming pregnant or in people who have suffered some type of abuse. The treatment of this condition is complex, requiring psychological help in most cases.
How can I know if I am pregnant?
- As we have already made clear before, if you are a woman with an active sexual life and you are of reproductive age, it may be that the reason for the delay of your menstruation is a possible pregnancy. However, the disappearance of the menstrual cycle or the fact that the period does not come down on the day that you had planned are not sufficient reasons to confirm 100% that you are pregnant. It is true that the first symptom of pregnancy is the absence of a period, but there are many others that can help you corroborate your suspicions: if you are pregnant, it is likely that you have experienced nausea (mainly in the morning or when you wake up from a nap) and it can even that you have felt a version or disgust towards certain foods that you used to love.
- Mood swings, tiredness, swollen breasts, and the urge to urinate frequently are also common in pregnant women.
- In any case, to clear up any doubts, it is best to go to a pharmacy and buy a pregnancy test. You can also consult directly with your doctor or gynecologist. They will be in charge of diagnosing if you are really pregnant or if your period has not come for some other reason.
Doesn’t your rule come down? Cases in which you should consult with the doctor
You should see a doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Three months or more have passed since the last period and no new period has appeared.
- You bleed more than normal or more than seven days.
- Your menstrual flow is very abundant.
- You feel unwell after using tampons.
- You bleed twice a month or more.
- You bleed after having intimate relations.
- During menstruation you experience a very big and intense pain.
