Missed periods: What to do when your periods are late

Missed a period? It’s easy to assume you’re pregnant or that there’s a serious medical problem, but more often than not it’s nothing to worry about. Here’s why.

If you had a missed period it can be easy to assume you’re pregnant or that there’s a serious medical problem, but more often than not it’s nothing to worry about. Here’s why.

Why have I missed my period? What if I’m pregnant?

Pregnancy is the most common cause of a missed period (medically known as secondary amenorrhea). But unless you’ve had unprotected sex, there are plenty of other things that can cause a missed period.

If you think you could be pregnant – if you’ve had unprotected sex, the condom split, or you missed a pill, take a pregnancy test. If you are pregnant, don’t panic.

I’m not pregnant, so what should I do about my missed periods?

1) Stop worrying. It’s important to stay positive because missing your period is often caused by stress and worry, and it certainly doesn’t mean you won’t get it back again!

2) See your doctor. If you’ve not had a period for two months, make an appointment with your doctor. Ongoing stress can cause your period to stop for six months or more.

3) Record your cycle. If you’re having irregular periods, try to keep a record of your cycle, or at least try to remember the last one you had.

4) Speak to your mum/sisters: If there’s a history of any similar problems in your family it might help you work out what’s wrong.

Is it normal to miss a period? Help!

It’s pretty common for women to miss a period every once in a while. Stress, or changes in your eating/exercise habits might be the cause, but occasionally it can be a sign of something more serious. 

We get lots of people asking us for help with their missed periods. But we’re not medical professionals here at The Mix – if you’re worried, you should seek medical advice, because only a doctor can truly put your mind at ease. It might also help to speak to a family member or close friend as they can help calm you down.

To have a period, the uterus, cervix, vagina and ovaries, as well as the pituitary gland and hypothalamus (the hormone control centre located in the brain), must be working normally.

There are lots of reasons for these to not be functioning as they usually do. Aside from pregnancy, causes of a missed period include:

• Recently starting your period. For about a year after your first period it’s not uncommon for your cycle to be very erratic or even to miss your period for several months.
• Major changes in your life, such as a new job, massive workload or a recent bereavement can create enough stress to make you miss your period.
• Rapid weight gain or loss. Missed periods are sometimes associated with malnutrition or low body weight caused by eating disorders such as anorexia. 
• Too much exercise, often connected with heavy weight loss from dieting, can also stop your periods.

In some cases, heavy smoking can also cause missed periods.

When will my periods come back?

That all depends on the reason they stopped. If you’ve just had a baby, they normally return once you finish breastfeeding. If your lifestyle made them stop, it can take a few months. However, simply cutting out some of the bad stuff (excess alcohol, smoking and drugs) and increasing the good stuff (healthy food and exercise) can speed things up.

And think about how stressful your life is. Try to balance work with play and get enough rest.

I stopped taking the pill and haven’t had a period since

It may take a while for your periods to get back to normal after you stop taking birth control pills – anything between three months and a year is considered normal. So try not to worry.

Can depression affect my periods?

It can, especially if your depression is caused by stress. Focusing on eating well and exercising can help, but speak to your doctor if you’ve missed several months.

I’ve been seriously ill and my period stopped

Any illness affecting your reproductive organs or their hormones, such as a tumour in the brain as well as any serious illness can affect your periods. Particular ovary conditions include ovary damage, autoimmune ovary disorder and Turner’s Syndrome. 

Sometimes being treated for an illness can also cause missed periods, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and some medications. You should check with your GP if you’re unsure about any of your medication.

More serious problems associated with missed periods

Aside from the usual suspects of stress, medication and pregnancy, there are more serious reasons for missed periods, such as:

• STIs – Chlamydia is particularly dangerous as it often shows no symptoms and can cause infertility if left untreated.
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – this causes eggs in the ovaries to develop into cysts. If they remain untreated they can build up and enlarge, causing a variety of problems ranging from acne and excess hair growth, to diabetes, infertility, heart disease and cancer.
• Ectopic pregnancy – when the pregnancy develops outside the womb, for example in the fallopian tube or the cervix. If it goes unnoticed surgery may be required, which can cause infertility.
• Anovulation – when the egg doesn’t develop and get released properly. There are many reasons for this. Premature ovarian failure (also called premature menopause) is one example. One in 1,000 15-29 year-olds and one in 100 30-39 year-olds suffer from premature ovarian failure.
• Hormonal conditions – For example hormonal or masculinisation disorders.

Help, I’ve never had a period

If you haven’t had a period by the age of 16 you may have primary amenorrhea — a rare condition that affects one in 300 girls and women. In many cases it’s nothing to worry about as it’s often down to the late onset of puberty. However, if they haven’t turned up by the age of 17 it may be caused by an underlying medical problem, such as abnormalities in the cervix, uterus or vagina.

Make an appointment to see your GP if you’re worried. Again, try not to panic as there are plenty of treatable conditions that can cause your menstrual cycle to stop working properly.

Take a look at the rest of our women’s health resources here.