you don't say how old you are, or what your cycle was like before you went on the pill.
How tall are you? how much do you weigh? what is your body fat?

I would certainly be ordering thyroid studies, FSH, estradiol (preferably day 1,2,3)

you need to be worked up but still need answers to questions above....

good luck

cat

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cat
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Good questions...sorry for my ignorance.

I'm 31.

I went on BCP when I was 15 to deal with cramps...I cannot remember if my cycle was irregular back then...too long ago.

I'm 5'5" and 147 lbs, body fat 27%

I also just found out that when my mom needed fertility drugs to kick start her cycle, apparently she went 11 months without her period..now that being said her lifestyle and body shape was completely different then me...so could this be genetic? She really hasn't told me much about her situation, other then telling that what I am experiencing is nothing like what she went through....thats a whole other story.

I'm concerned about potentional bone loss and the lack of cycle at this point and not necessarily about getting pregnant - I've resolved myself to believe that my hormones need to get in line before being able to get pregnant. Therefore I am happy that my doc ordered the blood work and ultrasound.

Thanks for your input.

you might have PCO - and EASY to get you cycling - your mom probably took clomid - that would work for you too but depending on how much time you have you could try metformin first if it is PCO - doc should check fasting insulin and fsh/lh ratio along with other tests already suggested

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
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Thanks again for the insight/input. It helps to be able to ask the questions you forgot to ask at the appointment.

I've been doing some internet diagnosis and I came up with the same thing.

I don't believe that she is testing fasting insulin since she said I can get the blood work done at any lab at any time....

well, you and i are in the same boat. in fact, i almost posted about this very thing.

i was on the pill for something like 13 years or more and have had cycles since going off last year, but they are like 45 days apart, maybe more.

my plan is to NOT go to a OB, because i don't believe a battery of tests that put free radicals (radiation) in the body will do anything for me. it is my personal belief that my body has been traumatized by year and years of hormones and now my body isn't producing hormones regularlly.

so i'm trying to do hormone regulating things myself, with herbs, food and exercise. i have not been consistent with this though, and will probably make a better committment to self-treatment.

a good sign is that i feel really great (better than i have in years), and believe that over time my body will work this out. also, i firmly believe it is a damn shame that all kinds of women are going through this problem, due to BCP.

my plan from here is to see a naturopathic physician. i like how naturopathic doctors look at the entire body, not just a piece of it.

personally, i believe my liver has been taxed not only from years of drinking way too much, but also from hormone therapy in BCP. so i'm working hard on my liver right now, as chinese medicine has taught me that the liver is a big gateway to health.

at this point, i am against potent dosages of vitamins. i have been reading that single element potent vitamins can be very harmful, and i do not believe that is an effective treatment, rather whole foods and herbs are much better.

my suggestion is that you see a naturopathic physician, i will let you know what i find in my own case when i go.

lastly, consider that your hormones have been manipulated for how many years while on the pill. i know if i went for a regular doc i would be getting all kinds of expensive X-ray testing right now. for what? hormones don't show up on X-rays. and i'll be damned i go back on any sort of pill...my body can work this out, it's just a matter of time and the right protocol.

(this is a viewpoint based on my own belief)

From a calcium standpoint, regardless of your ultimate diagnosis, you do need to ensure you are getting adequate calcium to optimize your bone health. At this age, you have already reached your peak bone mass and the goal is to limit the decline as much as possible. I would aim for around 1500mg of calcium daily. Keep in mind that the "daily value" set by the FDA is 1000mg, so if you use %RDA instead of mg, go for 150%.
You can do this by eating dairy products, vegetables high in calcium (low density of Ca, but highly bioavailable), calcium-fortified foods, OR supplements.

I completley believe in naturopathic medicine and healing your body naturally. However, due to the current health care structure in Ontario funding and coverage varies for NDs.

The first step for me is assessing what hormones are out of whack and if the ultrasound (which is different then an x-ray) shows any abnormalities.

Unitl I have the results from the tests its hard to say what the next steps are. I have gone to a ND before to deal with IBS issues and in the future I might go back, I'm leaving the door open.

Obviously my hormones have been affected by the BCP, the question is whether what I am experiencing now is "normal" for me or if this is unusual. At this point I would be very happy for my cycle to return, I know it sounds crazy to most.

Unlike you I cannot say that my body has never felt better. I'd have to say that there are times when I feel great and times when I suffer from PMS like symptoms (just without the benefit, yep I consider it a benefit, of having your period.)

I do believe that if left alone my body would likely, eventually, sort itself out but I would like to check to make sure just in case.

Please keep me posted on your experiences with the ND. I've heard so many good things. Additionally I've heard that reflexology could be useful..but I hate needles so I'm hesitant to go that route.

I welcome other's input on "natural" ways to enable your cycle to return, if anyone has done any reading or tried things themselves.

Any viewpoints on training impacts on your cycle....my doctor didn't tell me to cut back on anything...then again I didn't really bring it up with her either....Right now I'm proceeding on the basis of continue on as is until I hear otherwise.

Thanks Big V.

I will review my diet and determine if I need to be adding a supplement. I tend not to eat too much high fat dairy (stomach cannot cope) but I haven't eliminated it completely. I do eat lots of veggies that I will check into.

The information I have come across has persuaded me to reduce sugar and caffeine to normalize my cycle and that has helped me in addition to reducing exercise and gaining weight. It's a painful process, I still suffer from being off coffee and trying to work all day and exercise, but I think my body is really sensitive to caffeine.

Here is a web site that covers the basics: http://www.womentowomen.com/...rregularperiods.aspx I would try all of the recommendations over time and see if anything helps.

Here are their recommendations:

"For most patients, we see big improvements with the following steps:

• Make healthy dietary modifications, especially decreased intake of refined carbohydrates.


• Bridge nutritional gaps with a medical–grade multivitamin, including calcium, magnesium, and a fish oil supplement.


• Get regular but moderate exercise (this may require increasing or decreasing your current level of exercise).


• Relieve stress through exercise and other relaxation techniques.

For the majority of women who make these changes, normal menstrual cycles return without a hitch."

Rika, I think the others make good points about calcium, so I will leave it at that.

I just wanted to comment about the temping. I dont think you should stop. A lot of times doc's repeat the mantra, "stop temping", but unless you are really obsessing about it, why toss out what might be a valuable tool in understanding your cycle? it's free, it takes about 30 seconds a day...it can't hurt and it could help.

Again -- if you are in temp obsessed madness, I guess it's wiser to stop. But if it's a matter of just logging that number on a chart, it may really come in handy and/or even save you some time someday.

i will be paying for the Naturopthic appointment myself, and pretty much pay for all of my own doctor's visits, etc. we have catastrophic insurance, so we're on the hook up to 5K or slightly more i cannot remember.

i go Friday, this thread helped me to make the call.

trailbait interesting what you say about caffeine.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their advice, input and experiences. Its really nice to have the forum to pose these types questions.