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    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #1

    Nov 5, 2008, 11:44 AM
    If I do not have periods, does that mean I am unable to get pregnant?
    I had my first period at age 11. My next one didn't happen until I was 12, and thereafter I only had one, MAYBE two periods a YEAR. When I was 17 or 18 (can't remember), my mom had me put on birth control pills to regulate my periods. I am 24 now. While on the birth control pills, my period DID come once a month like clockwork, although the bleeding normally only lasted 2-3 days, using only JUNIOR size tampons. (PMS symptoms lasted longer, before and after the bleeding.)

    I am now married and decided to go off birth control for health reasons. (Heart disease runs in my family and I also suffer from ocular migraines, both of which increase your chance of heart attack/stroke, along with the PILL.)

    I stopped birth control in early March 2008. It is now early November 2008... I haven't had a period since March when the pill was still in my system. This is now 8 months of using NO protection (occasionally we will use the spermicidal lube, but not every time, and it's not highly effective alone anyway), and I am still not pregnant.

    At this time, my Husband and I are not necessarily trying for a baby, but we also aren't trying too hard to prevent pregnancy either; we both want a child, and we want it to happen when it's supposed to, and be a surprise, but I am worried there is something majorly wrong with me since I've been off the pill for 8 months, still haven't had a period, and still am not pregnant.

    (I have taken a pregnancy test once or twice a month since April.)

    I know everyone will say Go see your doctor... and I do have an appointment scheduled for the end of this month, but I am so stressed out with worry that I just wanted to see what you guys thought.

    Goodness I ramble. So basically, does being unable to have a period on my own mean that I can't get pregnant?
    tickle's Avatar
    tickle Posts: 23,796, Reputation: 2674
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    #2

    Nov 5, 2008, 12:04 PM

    I have no idea what your diagnosis will be when you see your doctor, so it is kind of hard to say that if you can't have a period on your own, you can't get pregnant.

    Nothing is impossible and I have heard that clomid and the diabetes med metformin are used for this purpose but it seems that they are given only after a diagnosis of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) one of the causes of not menstruating. Mind you, I am not diagnosing and don't be alarmed by the PCOS, it is quite a popular condition nowadays apparently.

    See your doctor and go from there. I hope he will refer you to a good gyno who can help you with this problem.
    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #3

    Nov 5, 2008, 12:10 PM

    Thanks for your thoughts. :)

    (The appointment I have this month is with my Gyno.) The first Gyno my mom took me to when I was 16 said something about PCOS, but when I started going to my new gyno, she said the other one was wrong. O_o

    I hope there is something that can be done just long enough for me to have a baby. =( A friend told me to ask the dr about medroxyprogesterone. Said my hormones may be off?
    Sheacat's Avatar
    Sheacat Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Nov 10, 2008, 05:56 PM
    That's a hard one to answer because there could be several reasons for your lack of periods.. but don't give up hope! I was the same as you, I could go for a year or more before I had a period. The doctors couldn't give me a reason even after doing several tests and I was told (by three different docs) that I couldn't get pregnant. Well... they were wrong... lol. I have a very healthy 5 month old and since having her my periods have been normal. So just know, you CAN get pregnant... it just may take longer. And there are always less romantic ways to get pregnant, such as invitro... assuming the problem is your ovaries and not your uterus. Good luck! :)
    april k's Avatar
    april k Posts: 29, Reputation: 3
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    #5

    Nov 10, 2008, 09:27 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by franneh View Post
    I had my first period at age 11. My next one didn't happen til I was 12, and thereafter I only had one, MAYBE two periods a YEAR. When I was 17 or 18 (can't remember), my mom had me put on birth control pills to regulate my periods. I am 24 now. While on the birth control pills, my period DID come once a month like clockwork, although the bleeding normally only lasted 2-3 days, using only JUNIOR size tampons. (PMS symptoms lasted longer, before and after the bleeding.)

    I am now married and decided to go off of birth control for health reasons. (Heart disease runs in my family and I also suffer from ocular migraines, both of which increase your chance of heart attack/stroke, along with the PILL.)

    I stopped birth control in early March 2008. It is now early November 2008.... I haven't had a period since March when the pill was still in my system. This is now 8 months of using NO protection (occasionally we will use the spermicidal lube, but not every time, and it's not highly effective alone anyway), and I am still not pregnant.

    At this time, my Husband and I are not necessarily trying for a baby, but we also aren't trying too hard to prevent pregnancy either; we both want a child, and we want it to happen when it's supposed to, and be a surprise, but I am worried there is something majorly wrong with me since I've been off the pill for 8 months, still haven't had a period, and still am not pregnant.

    (I have taken a pregnancy test once or twice a month since April.)

    I know everyone will say Go see your doctor.... and I do have an appointment scheduled for the end of this month, but I am so stressed out with worry that I just wanted to see what you guys thought.

    Goodness I ramble. So basically, does being unable to have a period on my own mean that I can't get pregnant?
    You could definitely have PCOS which causes irregular periods. Do you have any other issues, like being overweight, acne, high cholesterol? There are a few websites you could check out. They are pcos.insulitelabs.com and pcosupport.org. Maybe they can provide you with some questions you can ask the doctor you go see.

    Dr Apryl
    homebirthmom's Avatar
    homebirthmom Posts: 160, Reputation: 15
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    #6

    Nov 10, 2008, 11:10 PM

    Sounds like you are taking the right steps in seeing your gyno. Have you tried using the fertility monitors? I've never used it so I don't know how effective, and accurate they are.
    Also, if you can find a local Licensed Midwife, not Nurse Midwife, she may be able to tell you how to get a certain device that shows your most fertile days, by looking at certain bacteria that grows in your salive while you are most fertile. My midwife told me about it while I was pregnant with my son, and said it has an amazing success rate.
    Another thing, I've known many vegetarian/vegans, and other people who are really skinny, not anorexic/bulemic, but skinny on their own, who have really irregular periods, and who had a rather difficult time concieving a child.
    Don't be discouraged until you and your gyno have explored all the possibilities. Anything is possible, and even if your gyno tells you that you will never conceive, that isn't always necessarily accurate. My cousin, and a dear friend both had different diagnoses, and were told that they would never conceive, let alone be able to carry a child to term. Both women are deliriously happy mothers, both having 2 children.
    I hope that this gives you a glimmer of hope.
    Remember... Anything is possible!!
    kraussnumber2's Avatar
    kraussnumber2 Posts: 105, Reputation: 10
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    #7

    Nov 11, 2008, 02:47 AM

    Don't stress!! That is a big part of this. Not only can stress stop your periods it can also stop a healthy woman from conceiving till she lets go of that stress. I know this from family experience. That might help a lot. Also they tell you not to worry that you haven't conceived till you have been trying for over a year while having sex 3 times or more a week. And they usually won't even talk about other forms of conceiving until you are over 25 as us young girls are still going through tons of changes. So basically try not to worry about it too much! And of course like you said... see your doctor which you are already doing. And even if they tell you that you won't ever become pregnant don't lose hope... again family experience... my sister-in-law was told for over 5 years she couldn't get pregnant and they finally "gave up" and started looking into adoption. About a week before they left for Guatemala to look at the orphinages she got pregnant!! And now has a beautiful 18 month old baby! And worse cause scenario you can always do the alternative conceptions and usually they are able to use your eggs and your husbands sperm so it would still be your baby! Good luck and I hope you get some good news from your doctor.
    macksmom's Avatar
    macksmom Posts: 1,787, Reputation: 152
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    #8

    Nov 11, 2008, 08:38 AM

    I haven't ever had regular periods. I too was put on birth control pills in high school to try and regulate my period. My doctor at the time contributed it to my low body fat.
    At anyrate, I got pregnant at 18 with no period and while I was on birth control haha!
    So yes you can get pregnant if you don't have a period, but it may be harder.

    I am also married now and have been trying to have a child with my husband. I saw my obgyn and told her about my lack of periods. She checked my bloodwork and everything was fine with my hormones. She said even if nothing is wrong with me, it's not normal not to have a period for more than a few months at a time.

    She prescribes me Prometrium. I take it 10days out of every month and it induces a period for me.

    So don't stress that something may be wrong with you or that you can't have kids... you just may need some help regulating :)
    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #9

    Nov 15, 2008, 06:14 AM

    Thank you all so much for your encouraging posts! I feel less stressed now! I can't wait until my appointment on Nov 20th, I will let you know how that goes. =)


    I have a question though. Yesterday I finally started getting some brown discharge. When I wipe myself I see a few brown snot-like clumps and the entire wet area on the tissue is a tannish light brown transparent color. Sorry to be so graphic. Does this mean I may be actually regulating on my own finally, or is it a sign of pregnancy? Either way something is going on in there!
    super gurl's Avatar
    super gurl Posts: 12, Reputation: 2
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    #10

    Nov 15, 2008, 09:28 AM

    That snotty stuff can mean a few things. Birth control will do a few things. It will stop your body from ovulating and it will also make a mucous plug so semen cannot reach your egg if one was released. You may have stopped taking bcp's a while ago but your body could just be releasing it now. I had that snotty stuff too when I stopped my bcp. But I also had 2 miscarriages. So it would be good to tell your dr. it can mean several things
    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #11

    Nov 18, 2008, 03:36 PM

    Update: the discharge turned into a period!! I almost cried! I can't believe for once in my life I am having a period on my own without the help of the pill! I feel more hopeful about being able to get pregnant now. (I was hoping the slight blood could have been a sign of pregnancy, but I am bleeding too much for it to be that I think. I have been heavy enough to need tampons for 2 days now.) I don't think anyone understands just how happy and relieved I feel to get a sign that I may not be as broken as I thought! *big smile*
    macksmom's Avatar
    macksmom Posts: 1,787, Reputation: 152
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    #12

    Nov 18, 2008, 04:06 PM

    Congrats... I know what it feels like to not have a period without medication... and how excited it is when you finally have one on your own :)
    kraussnumber2's Avatar
    kraussnumber2 Posts: 105, Reputation: 10
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    #13

    Nov 18, 2008, 04:44 PM

    Congrats on getting your period!! Its almost as exciting as when a young girl gets her first one!
    Hope your spirits are lifted high!
    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #14

    Nov 25, 2008, 09:23 PM

    Update: ugh. I was so happy... now I wish it would stop! Today is the NINTH day and I am still filling up tampons! Granted the blood is a lot thinner, but its still fresh blood and I feel like it will never end and I am turning into a total . =( and my boobs feel superly huge and they even look a little bit bigger too. My bra is fitting more snuggly.

    When I saw my gyno on November 20th (4 days into this period), she had bloodwork done to test for many things since I want to get pregnant. I go back on December 4th to find out what the results are and possibly see about forcing this period to stop if it hasn't by then!

    I have also felt as if I could puke at any moment for the last two or three days. What is wrong with me? *needs hugs*
    pimky2424's Avatar
    pimky2424 Posts: 6, Reputation: 0
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    #15

    Nov 27, 2008, 02:19 AM

    Hey, I'm having the same problem. My menstrual has never been regular (maybe 3 a year) When I'm on the pill it comes like clock work, but as soon as I stop it gets crazy again. I recently seen an endocrinologist and he mentioned PCOS. I took two blood test and they both came back normal. I even had a vaginal sonogram and that came back normal too. I haven't seen my period since feb. of 2008. I don't know what to do anymore because I'm 25 and my husband and I want a baby. Hang in there because your not alone. Good luck:)
    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #16

    Nov 27, 2008, 03:15 AM

    Its nice to know there are people out there who really understand! How cool is the internet? =)

    Anyhow... I just entered day 11 of my period... and I had to work the customer service desk in the busiest grocery store in knoxville on the day before thanksgiving which happened to also be our weekly senior citizen discount day. I either cried or yelled all day long! Ah I ramble. Anyway this is day eleven and its not tapering off! In fact its getting heavier and more clotty! I am an emotional trainwreck, having random angry outbursts all day.


    Is it unsafe for it to last this long? Can I still ovulate during a super-period?
    pimky2424's Avatar
    pimky2424 Posts: 6, Reputation: 0
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    #17

    Nov 27, 2008, 10:36 PM
    I'm sorry to hear that. I know it must have been a nightmare today:(
    I'm not sure if you can ovulate with your period flowing like that. I think I've come to a conclusion. I think your estrogen might be low. I did some research and that was one of the symptoms. Its just a thought but look up on symptoms of low estrogen.

    Low Estrogen symptoms:
    1. Nights sweats
    2. Mood swings
    3. Lack of periods or excessively long cycles
    4. Trouble sleeping


    Those are just a few...
    franneh's Avatar
    franneh Posts: 134, Reputation: 7
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    #18

    Dec 1, 2008, 11:34 AM

    Thank you =) I think you may be right. As of now I am just very lethargic. I am on day sixteen of a heavy period and all I want to do is sleep. I am so tired. Luckily my appointment is on Thursday!

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