Amenorrhea

I'm 20 years old and I haven't had a period for six months and have recently lost 15 pounds. I have elevated liver enzymes and feel that somehow these two problems are connected, can you please help

What is amenorrhea?

Amenorrhea is a menstrual condition characterized by the absence of menstrual periods for longer than three months. The female reproductive cycle can be influenced by a number of factors. Some of these are hormonal status, stress, use of the oral contraceptive and changes in body weight. It would be reasonable to suggest that the amenorrhea (absence of a period) may be due to a sudden decrease in body weight as your weight and height ratio indicates. Other causes of amenorrhea are excessive exercise, polycystic ovaries, anorexia, Pituitary insufficiency or a luteal phase defect in your cycle. For women to have a regular menstrual cycle their needs to be the correct balance between progesterone and estrogen.

Hormone balance and amenorrhea

The female hormone estrogen is stored in adipose tissue (body fat) and when these stores drop to low levels the reproductive cycle may cease due to this hormone being absent. Low levels of estrogen may cause the cycle to stop completely with ovulation also ceasing. A fast drop in fat deposit in conjunction with raised liver enzymes may be the causative factor being the amenorrhea you are experiencing. You would hope that the body would recorrect this imbalance, however it will generally only take a couple of months, not 6 months. I would consider making an appointment with a Healthcare professional who can prescribe you herbal medicines to promote menses and the reproductive cycle. A womens reproductive cycle needs to be in sync with the female hormones in order for a healthy cycle to occur. This means that the levels of estrogen and progesterone need to be optimal to signal changes from the follicular phase, thru the ovulation phase and luteal phase to the onset of menstruation.

Body mass index and amenorrhea

Calculate your body mass index (BMI) as a way of verifying whether you are underweight. A reading of around 20 is considered ideal weight for a female. Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kg) by the square of a person's height (in meters). For example, the calculation for a person who is 60kg and 175cm tall = 60 divided by (1.7m x 1.7m) = 20.76.

Herbal supplementation and amenorrhea

Traditionally the herb Vitex has been used to recorrect hormone imbalances due to its regulatory effect on the Pituitary and Hypothalamus (master hormone glands in the brain) to stabilise hormones and the estrogen/ progesterone ration. Vitex has predominantly a progestogenic effect and low progesterone has been linked to amenorrhea. In order to establish a long term cycle this herb needs to be taken for at least 3-6 months.

Other herbs which may be of assistance to modulate hormones and stimulate a regular cycle are:

Peony
Rehmannia
Black Cohosh
False Unicorn
Chamomile
Mexican Wild Yam