Really, you can ask anything! Which makes sense given the theme of this space. The short answer is yes, it can be. Continuous birth control can also prevent a monthly bleed — which is the point of taking that type of birth control and an expected side effect. Since birth control was first introduced, the amount of estrogen in the pill has decreased to make the pill safer and reduce side effects. Progestin levels have also decreased. There are now all kinds of pills with varying levels of estrogen and progestin. I have found the research on this to be lacking, but there is some suggesting that although birth control might blunt some effects that lifestyle has on your menstrual cycles, how we eat and sleep and exercise and care for ourselves still affects our cycles — birth control or not. Underlying stress affecting your period could be from inadequate nutrition, lack of sleep, high emotional stress, or too much exercise for your body. PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome and is essentially a hormonal imbalance I hate calling it a disorder that causes irregular menstruation among other symptoms. Hypothalamic amenorrhea or HA for short is when your period stops because your hypothalamus in your brain a hormone called GnRH like it should. HA and PCOS can manifest similarly and there is overlap in the diagnostic criteria so they sometimes are confused in the diagnosis process. And less commonly, they can both exist at the same time. That means that you can have PCOS hormonal imbalances while simultaneously having inadequate GnRH signaling from your hypothalamus. If you do have PCOS and HA though, physical and hormonal symptoms will look most like HA. And your LH and estrogen lab levels will likely be low. Once the HA is healed, then your PCOS symptoms will become more pronounced — irregular periods, facial hair, acne, fatigue, mood swings etc.  If you do have both PCOS and HA, even after healing from HA you still might not be getting a regular period because of persisting PCOS. There is phenomenon between stopping birth control and not getting your period. Typically, women regain their cycle after stopping birth control within 2-4 weeks, sometimes a bit longer. Often when this occurs, there was an underlying issue that the birth control was masking. This will totally vary from woman to woman. On average, women regain their cycles within about 3-5 months with most women regaining within 6 months. I think we underestimate the healing power of the human body. I was just talking to a client yesterday morning who went from no period in years to conceiving a baby in less than 3 months. I compiled all the work I do with clients into a self paced, visual and engaging course that is more affordable than 1:1 counseling. The course covers the same information I usually cover with clients over about 8-10 sessions —  but for a quarter of the cost. Another good place to start is with my free mini course, you can  up for where I take you through steps to begin healing your hormones. I was dx with PCOS at 15 all the symptoms, showed in bloodwork etc. Was anorexic, lost my period for 3 years, had all the bloodwork and symptoms of HA even after recovery to a min BMI. Or is irregular periods with PCOS like the other symptoms i. I wish I had this course a year ago when I started facing my missing period reality head on! Even still, all of your resources and support have helped me so much. I know this course will be an amazing way for people to get help with such a real problem. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge on the topic. I lost my period in a time of orthorexia and exercice addiction. When I committed to gain back to a minimum healthy weight and then beyond it took me a really long time to get back my period. It took 21 months. I was followed up by an endocrinologist on the matter who was knowledgeable and fair. I got them back for the first time 2 weeks ago. I am struggling with amenorrhea. After a CT scan for digestive issues, I was told I have lots of small cysts on my ovaries, but never given a clear diagnosis. What tests do you suggest I ask for? Instead they tried putting me on Progesterone twice which was just miserable, but despite the symptoms, still no period. Not I want to FUEL my performance and I exercise because it makes me feel amazing and I love seeing how powerful I am. In addition, thhe blog loads very fast for me on Safari. First of all, thanks so much for your posts on IE. They inspire me and educate me as someone who is trying to get rid of the diet mentality. I got it again after two months, the next after three and the next after about two. My question is: is it normal? I thought it was more like two or three.
