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lack of cycles= vegetarianism

6K views 46 replies 23 participants last post by  Debrah 
#1 ·
Hello, I posted a while back about problems related to my menstrual cycle, but I have a few more questions about how vegetarianism relates to menstrual cycles. I'm 16 and have only had two cycles this year. I became a vegetarian last November, and the loss of my cycle seems to have coincided with going vegetarian, although I had seemed to start to get irregular the summer before. It seemed like when I became a vegetarian, though they totally dissapeared and were gone for 6 months. I went to a doctor who put me on a high dosage of vitamin D which she thought would correct my lack of cycles, and I did get 2 periods which were very light. I have been getting periodic bloodwork, and my testosterone keeps going up. I have gained 15 lbs this year. I have not had a period since early August. Yesterday my mom realized that this has been going on too long, and she made me an appointment with a gynocologist. They had an opening for today, and I went in and they examined me and ran more blood work and I am getting an ultrasound next Monday. They are hoping to get to the bottom of this soon. They think it is either an ovarian cyst that will need surgical removal or a hormonal imbalance such as PCOS. I asked them if they thought that this could be related to my diet and they said that they are almost sure that it isn't. My chiropractor, however has been telling me how vegetarianism is so unhealthy and that my cycles will probably start if I eat red meat. She believes that people really need animal protein in their diets. I'm not sure if being a vegetarian can cause problems or not. I am an ovo vegetarian, but I actually have started to include fish oil in my diet from the insistance of this chiropractor. What do you all think of this? Do you think that sometimes animal food is necessary to maintain hormonal health?
 
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#27 ·
Hi hopejoy! Sorry I'm a little late, but I wanted to reply because it seems we're in the same boat... I haven't had a period in about 8 months now, and after blood tests and an ultrasound, I was diagnosed with PCOS. I was on the pill on and off for about 8 years, so I don't know when it really started, but I had been a vegetarian for about 4 years prior to that and didn't have this problem. So unless your diet is really bad, it's probably not related to that.

My doctor also suggested I go (back) on the pill, but like you said earlier, I didn't want to since I'd already been on it so long, and I was concerned that it would just mask symptoms of a bigger problem. He said that was OK, but that every 3-4 months I should take progesterone for a few days so I get a period, to clear things out. So far that's worked out OK, and the only real problem I've had is hypoglycemia (which actually improved when I went vegan earlier this year). I asked him if I would ever get a normal period again, and he said maybe not, but that it wasn't a problem unless I started noticing other serious symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. And even if you do have PCOS, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll need surgery, so don't worry too much about that part.


It definitely can be a long-term condition, though, so if you're really not comfortable with your doctor, maybe if you talk to your parents and express your concerns, they will help you find a new one. I'm new to all this too, so I don't really have much advice, but feel free to PM or e-mail me if you ever need moral support. Good luck!
 
#29 ·
Ugg... well, I decided to start eating a little meat again, and see if some of my problems clear up, because I didn't have them before this. I'm sorry if this is offensive to some, but in my case, going vegetarian seemed to clearly correlate with a number or health problems starting and worsening. For me, I'm pretty much only a vegetarian because meat grosses me out, although I also appreciate the ethics in not eating animals... Someday, especially if my health stays the same, I'll probably become a vegetarian again, but I'm not sure if it's good choice for me right now.
 
#31 ·
hopejoy...be sure to keep a good journal during this time. I'm highly suspicious that meat eating is the instigating factor here. Keep track of your diet, exercise, sleep, etc. If you can do some observation of cervical fluid too, that would be helpful.

Again, I must say that a teenager not having a regular period is NOT a big deal. Many many times things just work out on their own as a girl matures.
 
#32 ·
Thank you for the book suggestion, Zoebird. I will definitely check that out right away, it sounds like what I was hoping to find.


And good luck to you, Hopejoy, I hope you are able to feel better soon. I briefly returned to eating meat for few months a while back at the insistence of my doctor for treating my hypoglycemia (I've had that problem for years, before I knew it was related to PCOS). It didn't really help, because my doctor just assumed the fainting was related to vegetarianism without doing anything to determine the real underlying cause. Once it became clear to me that my doctor didn't really care about finding the problem, I started to work on figuring it out myself by keeping a journal like IAmJen suggested. That really helped, because I became much more in tune with my body. Even now, without getting an actual period I can still track my cycles very accurately, and I realized I'm actually still quite regular (which is one of the reasons my doctor isn't too concerned right now- you might find this too, which might ease your mind a bit). Within a few months I went back to being a (now better-educated) vegetarian, and have enjoyed improved health and conscience ever since.


So for right now, do whatever you feel is best for your health, and learn as much as you can about your condition and vegetarianism, and then make the switch back when you're ready. But definitely keep a journal, it's super-helpful. Good luck!
 
#33 ·
Here is an interesting article on this subject from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/70/3/549S#SEC6

The author's conclusion is: "Although healthy, weight-stable, vegetarian women consuming self-selected diets did not experience more menstrual disturbances than did healthy, weight-stable nonvegetarians, population studies are needed to address the question at the broadest level."

In other words, there's no indication as of yet that vegetarianism alone affects a woman's menstrual cycle.
 
#34 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by eggplant View Post

Here is an interesting article on this subject from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/70/3/549S#SEC6

The author's conclusion is: "Although healthy, weight-stable, vegetarian women consuming self-selected diets did not experience more menstrual disturbances than did healthy, weight-stable nonvegetarians, population studies are needed to address the question at the broadest level."

In other words, there's no indication as of yet that vegetarianism alone affects a woman's menstrual cycle.
I'm not even sure anymore. I've heard that a vegetarian diet can affect your hormones, but I've also heard that it can't. It is hard for me to eat a balanced diet because I don't eat gluten and my family is omni, so alot of days I live on beans and nuts, which is not balanced. Another factor in this whole thing is vitamin D. I do not absorb vitamin D well and have to be on a few thousand international units daily or my vitamin D levels go way down. I was tested in the spring and I almost had no vitamin D in my body. I took 50000 IU twice weekly for a few months and my period returned in 6 weeks. I had another one 5 weeks or so later and then went down in my dose of vitamin D and my period stopped. I then went up again in my vitamin D dose about 4 weeks ago. My period actually retured last week which was 3 weeks from when I changed my vitamin D dose. It was also the day after I stopped being vegetarian. I stopped last Friday. It is what is best for me and my family right now. My gynocologist thinks I have PCOS although my sonogram was fine, and I feel like I might do better on a lower carb diet. They want to put me on birth control but as I said in a previous post, I really want to solve this naturally, if I even have PCOS. I started the South Beach Diet today with my mom, as I hear it helps PCOS. Wow... I'm so confused about all of this...
 
#35 ·
Have you considered going to see a nutritionist? It sounds like, in general, you don't really know what a healthy diet is composed of, or how to get one with your dietary needs in mind. I do also hope you've made sure it was okay with your doctor to start any sort of diet plan.
 
#37 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by everydayperils View Post

You reallllly need to see a nutritionist. At the least, they can help you a lot with your vitamin deficiency.

I'm not an expert by any means, but have you been eating a variety of foods (including lots of fresh fruits and veggies)?
You don't get to eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies on the South Beach Diet.
A bunch of people at my office over the summer were on it, and they could have no fruit for weeks, and they could never have more than like, 3 cherry tomatoes, and other weird limits on produce.
 
#39 ·
I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not fully on the South Beach Diet, but am mostly eating that way. I don't know that much about nutrition, though, but do believe that nutrition plays a big role in health... My chiropractor recommended the diet, so I thought I'd try it. It is really hard, I've found, to know anything about nutrition, because it is so controvercial. Everyone seems to have their own idea as to what it is.
 
#41 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by hopejoy View Post

I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not fully on the South Beach Diet, but am mostly eating that way. I don't know that much about nutrition, though, but do believe that nutrition plays a big role in health... My chiropractor recommended the diet, so I thought I'd try it. It is really hard, I've found, to know anything about nutrition, because it is so controvercial. Everyone seems to have their own idea as to what it is.
Your chiropractor is way out of line for recommending diets. I strongly encourage you to see a vegetarian friendly registered dietitian about your health problems. If you want to PM me with your location, I can help you find one in your area.
 
#42 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by hopejoy View Post

I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not fully on the South Beach Diet, but am mostly eating that way. I don't know that much about nutrition, though, but do believe that nutrition plays a big role in health... My chiropractor recommended the diet, so I thought I'd try it. It is really hard, I've found, to know anything about nutrition, because it is so controvercial. Everyone seems to have their own idea as to what it is.
Woah woah woah... a Chiropractor is NOT a doctor. You need to speak to your PHYSICIAN and a NUTRITIONIST. No one, at any age, is supposed to embark on a diet plan without consulting a physician, ESPECIALLY when you're still growing!!
 
#43 ·
Your chiropractor seems to always be sticking his/her nose into aspects of your health that he/she isn't qualified to comment on. I've just read this whole thread and it sounds like this person has had a major effect on what you think you need to do in terms of diet. I think you should see a nutritionist as well. And don't cut fruit and veges out of your diet, they're probably the most important part of a good diet.

Please see a nutritionist as soon as possible.
 
#44 · (Edited)
Hello, I posted a while back about problems related to my menstrual cycle, but I have a few more questions about how vegetarianism relates to menstrual cycles. I'm 16 and have only had two cycles this year. I became a vegetarian last November, and the loss of my cycle seems to have coincided with going vegetarian, although I had seemed to start to get irregular the summer before. It seemed like when I became a vegetarian, though they totally dissapeared and were gone for 6 months. I went to a doctor who put me on a high dosage of vitamin D which she thought would correct my lack of cycles, and I did get 2 periods which were very light. I have been getting periodic bloodwork, and my testosterone keeps going up. I have gained 15 lbs this year. I have not had a period since early August. Yesterday my mom realized that this has been going on too long, and she made me an appointment with a gynocologist. They had an opening for today, and I went in and they examined me and ran more blood work and I am getting an ultrasound next Monday. They are hoping to get to the bottom of this soon. They think it is either an ovarian cyst that will need surgical removal or a hormonal imbalance such as PCOS. I asked them if they thought that this could be related to my diet and they said that they are almost sure that it isn't. My chiropractor, however has been telling me how vegetarianism is so unhealthy and that my cycles will probably start if I eat red meat. She believes that people really need animal protein in their diets. I'm not sure if being a vegetarian can cause problems or not. I am an ovo vegetarian, but I actually have started to include fish oil in my diet from the insistance of this chiropractor. What do you all think of this? Do you think that sometimes animal food is necessary to maintain hormonal health?
I am.the OP years and yrs later visiting this board just bc I used to frequent it and looking to.see what it's like
. I remember posting about the beginning of this health saga and wanted to update. This was the very beginning of a journey..I ended up getting diagnosed yrs later with non classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia and also finding out I had hypothalamic amenorrhea. I hardly had periods for 8 yrs. Gained 20 lbs and went unprocessed w food and did some supplements and got acupuncture. My cycle came back at age 23 (was 15 when I posted this originally). It regulated over a yr. I had my first child at age 27 and I have been still nursing my now almost 17 month old! but my period is back and regular now as of 12 months postpartum
.if anyone has this issue it was not the vegetarianism but perhaps the increased carbs and soy that exacerbated this issue and also being a teen my hormones were still regulating and sensitive
Just thought I'd update if anyone is having this issue since this board was my first stop!
 
#46 ·
Ps posting with a new name bc I cant even get into my email.from that many yrs ago to revive my old password that is long forgotten? ps surprised this board is still alive and well..as a teen I loved it and was thinking of it
Hi Liz, welcome back to the forum!

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