Drug Alerts
Recently Added
Top 10 Pages

Loss or Change in Menstrual Cycle

Loss-or-Change-in-Menstrual-Cycle
Alternative Names: 
  • Amenorrhea
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Abnormal menstrual periods
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Missed period
  • Lack of menses
  • Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
Definition: 

A loss or change in menstrual cycle occurs when there is a significant change to the time or flow of your menstrual cycle or when a month or more has passed since your last period. The most common and likely cause for a missed menstrual cycle is pregnancy. However, a loss or change in menstrual cycle could be a sign of another condition.

Symptoms: 

The medical term for absent menstruation is amenorrhea. There are two types – primary and secondary. Primary amenorrhea occurs when a female has not begun her menstruation by age 16. Secondary amenorrhea occurs in women who have had their period and later miss three to six months of menstruation.

Depending on the cause for your missed period, you may experience the following conditions:

  • Headache
  • Galactorrhea – breast milk production in a woman who is not pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Vision loss
  • Weight gain
  • Weight loss
  • Dry vagina
  • Hirsutism – male-like hair growth
  • Menstrual pain without bleeding
  • Breast tenderness
  • Anxiety
  • Nipple discharge

The average menstrual period occurs every 28 to 35 days and should last about four to seven days. Women who have only started their period within the last several years may experience what is typically a normal variation in the time and length of their menstrual cycle. Consult your doctor if you experience a menstrual cycle shorter than 28 days or longer than 35 days apart, a period lasting for longer than seven days, or bleeding or spotting between periods.

Exams/Testing: 

After pregnancy has been ruled out with a blood or urine test, your doctor will perform a physical exam and take a medical history looking for other factors and symptoms that may be the cause of your missed or altered menstrual cycle.

Your doctor may decide to run the following diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your lost or changed menstrual cycle:

  • Pelvic exam or ultrasound – may indicate if there are any structural abnormalities within your reproductive organs.
  • Progestin withdrawal – take hormonal progestogen for seven to ten days to encourage menstrual bleeding and to determine if the loss of menstruation is caused by a lack of estrogen.
  • Thyroid function study – an examination of your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels. An inadequate production of TSH could stop or change your menstrual cycle.
  • Luteinizing hormone level – luteinizing hormone is released by the pituitary gland and is responsible for causing ovulation.
  • Prolactin level – blood tests to measure prolactin hormones may indicate if the cause of the menstrual change is due to a pituitary gland tumor.
  • Follicle stimulating hormone – this hormone is responsible for female egg production at the beginning of a menstrual cycle.
  • Serum tests – a serum ferritin tests indirectly measures the amount of iron in your blood, which can be contributed to anemia, a condition that may stop or change your menstrual cycles.
  • CT scan – may be used to confirm if a pituitary tumor is the suspected cause of your symptoms.
  • Pap smear – a pap smear may indicate if you are pregnant, taking birth control, or specifically, if you have cancerous of precancerous cells in your cervix.
  • Endometrial biopsy – cells are taken from the uterine walls to look for abnormal cells or signs of cancer.
Outlook/Prognosis: 

The treatment for a lost or changed menstrual cycle depends on the cause of your condition. Simple changes in your lifestyle – diet, exercise, or stress level – may be the key. If the cause is a hormonal imbalance, your doctor may prescribe oral contraceptives to regulate and treat your condition.

If the cause is systemic – like a pituitary or thyroid disorder – your doctor may prescribe hormonal therapies that should allow your period to return. Occasionally, your condition may require surgery to fix the problem.

Drug News & Alerts
Subscribe to RSS