A Bloodless Relationship

Boyfriend wonders why his girlfriend has been having irregular menstruation since she stopped birth control one year previously. She is currently experiencing complete amenorrhea, although her general health is good, and their sex life is enjoyable. What’s happening?

Case #: 1100

Concern：

I have a question for you on behalf of my lovely girlfriend: since she stopped taking birth control pills more than a year ago, her menstrual period is no longer regular; actually, it stopped completely in April and never reappeared. Her health is generally good, and our sexual life is very good, she has no problems reaching orgasm, but her libido is a little low for a woman 27-years-old.

Discussion：

It is very normal for a woman’s menstruation to be disrupted after she stops taking birth control, but it is the opposite of normal for a woman’s menstruation to stop completely! Amenorrhea—the absence of a period—is a serious issue. There are numerous causes for amenorrhea, and each one is a real problem, should it be the true cause. In your girlfriend’s case, I hope it is due to hormonal fluctuations, and not due to stress, antidepressant use, low body weight, thyroid malfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome, or a pituitary tumor. It seems most likely that birth control’s effect on your girlfriend’s body is the cause, but all the same, she should be seen by a licensed physician—even if you have to go to a free clinic for assistance.

When Estrogen Dips Too Low

There are few hormones that could effectively stop a female’s menstruation. The main players are testosterone and prolactin. Both are the result of low estrogen. It could be that without the estrogen your girlfriend was taking in via birth control, her body isn’t able to produce enough on it’s own, and has now stopped menstruating.

The Prolactin Problem

Prolactin does not normally occur in the female body unless she is breastfeeding. It is meant to keep her from procreating during the time that she’s nursing her newborn. Prolactin keeps down sexual arousal, and removes pleasure from sexual encounters, effectively turning the female body from a baby-making machine into a baby-raising one. Like I said, prolactin shouldn’t be present in a woman who isn’t breastfeeding, except for extremely short periods of time after orgasm—it’s the cause of the refractory period in both men and women.

When prolactin levels do rise, it can cause a woman’s body to stop ovulating, and eventually to stop menstruating altogether, due to what is known as hypo-estrogenism. Estrogen and prolactin control the levels of each other inside the body, thus when prolactin levels are high, estrogen is low, and vice versa. Hypo-estrogenism means that prolactin levels are so elevated; the body does not have the estrogen amounts it needs, and so is not truly functioning as a female body.

Who Knew Menstruation and Libido Were Linked?

In order to solve your girlfriend’s absence of menstruation, and to restore her to her former libido, she needs to drastically increase her estrogen levels. I recommend beginning a supplement that contains high amounts of phytoestrogens. (TRY: Irregular Menstrual Period Stabilizing Formula) The compound I think best contains both Mexican Wild Yam and Chasteberry, two plants proven to have an estrogenic effect on the body.
The phytoestrogens will work to balance her body’s hormone levels, and Bupleurum is a strong detoxifier—exactly what she needs to cleanse the excess prolactin from her body. I’m certain that this formula will assist your girlfriend immensely, but be sure to have her checked out anyways; you can never be too conservative when it comes to your health. Best of luck!

What to do

Natural Solutions For Irregular Menstrual Periods

Herbal formulas can help women with dysfunctional hormonal patterns by realigning their hypothalamic-pituitary axis interaction. Women who have hormonal imbalances caused by irregular periods often experience stagnation of blood and bioenergy flow....