I have been running 4-5 times a week (approx 50-60k) for the last 2 years and since I came off the pill a year ago my periods have been getting lighter and less frequent. I am starting to get worried that this could lead to other bad effects like osteoperosis, stress fractures etc.
Should I be worried (I know it is not a medical problem as I had it checked out at the doctors), and if so what can I do to rectify this? Would going back on the pill help as at least then I had regular periods?
I read that one way to help would be to eat more but I don't think this is relevant to me as I eat like a horse anyway. I'm 5ft 1 and 8st 4 which I think is normal.
Does anyone else suffer from this?
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Don't want to give advice on how to regulate periods, but I know it can be helped with some contraceptive pills.
I would recommend going to your GP and asking specifically about osteoporosis - he/she may well send you for a Dxa bone scan which will give an indication of how dense your bones are. They will hopefully be in great nick.
Don't forget that you are building bone until your mid twenties to thirty and the more you get "in the bank" until then the better. From then on your bone density starts to deteriorate.
You can help build/ keep bone by taking plenty of calcium and vitamin D, eating a healthy diet, and ironically by taking plenty of weight bearing exercise, such as running!
It's now known that lack of monthly bleeding and low oestrogen rates are a contributing factor.
You have my sympathy - I'm the same height as you, and very similar weight (ie. completely normal BMI), with a normal body fat percentage, and I get running-induced amenorrhoea at high mileage levels despite eating lots. I tend to shed weight rather scarily too, though hope I'm on top of it this time round.
But the doc in me has to say yes, missing periods is A Bad Thing for your bones in the long term. Nor, it appears, can the process be avoided by taking calcium supplements or oestrogens in the pill or HRT, and the weight-bearing exercise that we do doesn't protect us (although strength training, playing squash, and triple-jumping might because they make the tendons pull hard on their bony insertions and that stimulates new bone formation).
I find that reducing my mileage restores normal function very quickly, but that isn't much good if you're marathon-training.
It would be worth having a baseline bone density scan using DEXA rather than heel ultrasound (you may have to pay depending on the criteria used in your area for having the test on the NHS) and repeating the test annually if your periods don't return. One reading isn't terribly meaningful, but a series showing that you are maintaining your bone density would be reassuring, and a drop in bone density over a year would suggest that Something Should Be Done.
So I agree - back to the quack!
HTH, V-rap.
R
Sorry to hijack this thread but I am pretty sure I have got a stress fracture in my right foot at the moment. Nothing conclusive via xray (but that's not unusual) and seeing a sports physio on Thursday but wonder what the symptoms you experienced were? I did have about 12 months when I came off the pill when I never had a period but in the past few years they have been normal although now getting heavier....thanks, Amanda
Now I'm on the pill, but have gone almost down to the weight I was when I was at college I think, what with all my running, so I don't know what would happen if I came off it. Osteoporosis runs in my family too, ought I to go and get checked out?
Glad to hear that it's no problem to take packets one after another though, thinking of doing this so that I'm not on on marathon day. Never done it before, is that ok?
As long as you're not on a triphasic pill (one that has three different colours of pill in the pack) there should be no problem taking your pill without a break to avoid a withdrawal bleed on marathon day. If you ARE on a triphasic pill (Logynon, Trinordiol, Triadene and Tri-minulet are triphasic) or on Binovum, e-mail me and I'll go into a bit more detail about what to do.
By the way, if you are planning any babies, breastfeeding has been shown to protect against osteoporosis.
I will ask about a bone scan the next time I see my doctor.
When you want kids the damage may have been done. Sorry folks, I just wish someone had made me think about this a long time ago!!
Meggles, Yasmin isn't triphasic so you should be fine.
Cally, I don't know. In theory, since the pill stops the lining of the womb growing, you could take it continuously from 15 till 50 and never have a period - there isn't a load of gunk accumulating in your innards as a result. However, one of the reasons for the pill-free week is to reduce your exposure to oestrogen, which MAY increase the risk of cancers of the womb and breast, and DOES increase the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs. It's for you to decide on your own particular risk/convenience equation.
I got as far as having a laparoscopy and doing those stupid temperature charts when I was trying to conceive for the second time; that's when I first suspected my cycle was awry as there was no pattern whatsoever. I was very fortunate in the end to have a second baby; probably would have gone for no 3 (at least) if the interval hadn't been as long,I really hope saying that doesn't sound insensitive to anyone struggling to conceive for the first time, I know I'm lucky to have the ones I've got.
Thanks for clarifying about regularity Vrap, my periods are down to about 1.5 days now, not complaining! But if it had been a bad sign just wanted to know about it. I can (after about 20 years! would have been useful earlier!) now tell when I'm ovulating, so I guess so long as that's happening there's some hormonal activity of the right kind going on.
While on the subject, has anyone noticed any effect of ovulation on their running?
I didn't realise No 4 was on the way until the pregnancy was well past the morning sickness stage because I thought my periods had been stressed and exercised out of existence. I didn't have any morning sickness in that pregnancy either, although in retrospect I realised why I had been uncontrollably hungry for several months.
Thanks again, all.
Laura L I can understand that secondary infertility is just as hard. And for the record my sister is one of those lucky ones who drops her knickers and is pregnant (or so it seems!). She's now had a coil fitted 'cos she doesn't want anymore. Worrying about contraception seems strange to me now!
Sorry, hope I haven't hijacked this thread.