Have you been waiting for your period to arrive for a while now, and it hasn’t? Stop waiting. There are so many reasons why this could be happening. You need to solve those problems first before expecting your period. I know it could be very difficult to find out why this is happening, and sometimes you just can’t find the reason. But, it is worth your time. If you can find out the problem, you can get your period right away. Most of the causes of no period in 3 months are simple problems and easily solvable. So, stop asking “why haven’t I gotten my period in 3 months”, and just read this post!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This post is for informational purposes only, and it should not be taken as medical advice. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about your menstrual cycle.
In this post, the following will be discussed.
- What is absent menstruation?
- Why haven’t I gotten my Period in 3 months?
- When to see a doctor when I haven’t gotten my period in 3 months
What is absent menstruation?
The absence of menstruation is also known as amenorrhea. There are two types of amenorrhea, primary and secondary. Primary amenorrhea refers to girls older than 15 years old who have never had their period. This happens because of hormones or anatomy problems. But, in this post, I will be referring to secondary amenorrhea. This refers to any women who has gotten their period before and have not had their period for 3 consecutive months or more. This usually occurs because of hormonal issues if not pregnancy.
Why haven’t I gotten my period in 3 months?
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Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you will not get your period until you give birth. That is because your baby needs the uterine lining to continue to grow in it. If you shed the lining, which happens during your period, you would miscarry. If you are bleeding during pregnancy, then you should see a doctor because bleeding is a warning sign that something may be wrong. The increase in progesterone that occurs during pregnancy is what prevents you from getting your period.
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Breastfeeding
When you breastfeed, it plays around with your hormones and increases prolactin levels which prevents ovulation. If you don’t ovulate, you do not get your period. Some women still get their period while breastfeeding while others don’t.
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Menopause
If you are older, you may be getting closer to menopause which is an end to all menstrual cycles. Make sure to see a doctor if you think this is the case. Irregular period is on ly one symptom of menopause, but you could have others like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and slower metabolism.
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Stress
This is underestimated. If you are always stressed out, this can mess up your periods badly. The solution is to take some time off the things that are stressing you out. Relax and practice self care. You are the only one responsible for your body. Your health and body should be a priority to you. Change schedules, routines or anything you need to make sure you have time to detox and meditate.
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Medications
There are certain types of medications that effect the menstrual cycle. If you are taken medication, look at the side effects, search if there is any connection between the menstrual cycle and the medication you are taking, and ask you doctor about it. Some types of medication that can cause your period to stop are antipsychotics, chemotherapy, antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and allergy medications. Aspirin and any blood thinner can also cause changes to your period. There are many more, but these are the common ones.
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Change In Weight & Dieting
If you are underweight or overweight, your menstrual cycle may be affected. Also, if you gain or lose too much weight quickly, your menstrual cycle may be affected. Having too many fat cells which turn into estrogen can cause a surge in estrogen. Obviously, estrogen causes the menstrual cycle to change and may cause abnormal bleeding or a stop of period. Underweight women may stop ovulating and stop making estrogen. Therefore, they may stop getting their period. It is best to stay within the healthy weight according to your height and bone structure. Try to eat healthy so you won’t have to gain or lose weight.
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Contraceptives
Some contraceptives play with the hormones of a woman’s body. This change in hormones can cause you to stop ovulating and thus you will not get your period. Try choosing a contraceptive that doesn’t deal with hormones. This way your cycle should not be affected whatsoever. Also, if you change the the type of birth control, your period may be affected.
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Premature Ovarian Failure
Premature ovarian syndrome occurs when your ovaries don’t release enough estrogen and therefore you do not always ovulate. When you don’t ovulate, you do not get your period. Unfortunately, this could cause you to have problems getting pregnant.
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Genetic Problems
Some genetic problems can negatively affect your menstrual cycle. For example, if you have fragile x syndrome you can hit menopause early before the age of 40. Kallmann Syndrome is a condition that prevents people from reaching puberty or they reach puberty late. This condition causes a lack of hormones that are in charge of sexual development. Also, Turner’s Syndrome can also cause problems with the menstrual cycle. But, there are treatment to help bring about puberty.
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Thyroid Issues
The thyroid gland is in charge of many hormones. Any problem with it will mess up your cycle. You can go years without having a period. If your thyroid is overactive or under-active, your period may be irregular or stop.
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Pituitary Tumor
The pituitary controls part of your menstrual cycle. If you have a tumor there, you start producing more prolactic which causes the hormones progesterone and estrogen to change. This makes irregular period.
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
This is actually a genetic condition. It is very common among women. You may have hormonal problems like excessive amount of androgens, the male hormone. You may not always ovulate and this may cause small follicles to develop around the ovary and fail to abrupt and release an egg. This can make the ovaries fail to release follicles. Symptoms of PCOS include increased androgens, polycystic ovaries and irregular periods.
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Physical Uterine Problems
If you have uterine scarring from infections or surgery, this can cause your period to stop or become irregular. If you have a genetic condition that causes you to not have or miss parts of your reproductive organs, this can cause you not to have periods. Some acquired conditions like Asherman’s Syndrome cause no periods or irregular ones. This condition involves scarring of the uterus which sticks the walls of the uterus together.
When to see a doctor when I haven’t gotten my period in 3 months
Not having a period for three months could be simply normal, but do not wait but there could be an issue. If you have not had a period in 3 consecutive months and you are not breastfeeding or pregnant, you should see a doctor. Your doctor will do a few tests to rule the different causes. Some of these include:
- Pregnancy Test: You will definitely be given a pregnancy test to rule out the main cause of absence of menstruation. If it turns out negative, they will do the following.
- Thyroid Tests: A blood sample will be taken to test for different problems that can happen to the thyroid.
- Prolactin: A blood sample will be taken to see the amount of prolactin your body has. Prolactin increases when breastfeeding occurs. Even if you have never breastfeed, your prolactin levels may be increased. This cause no ovulation or a late ovulation.
- Male Hormone: If your male hormone (testosterone) levels are increased, this can cause problems with your menstrual cycle. You can take pills to lower it.
- Ultrasounds: To find any physical problems you must do an ultrasound or an HSG, dye test.
Some other tests my be run if these all come out fine. Your problem also may be stress. So, you might have to minimize the amount of stressful things in your life.
In Conclusion
These are the main reasons why you may not be having a period. No matter what you think it, see a doctor if you have not gotten your period in three months.
For more information, watch this video “My pregnancy test was negative, but my period is 3 months late. What’s going on?” (Why Haven’t I gotten My Period In 3 Months) [0 min 34 sec]
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