Missing Period? You Might Have Hypothalamic Amenorrhea.
Which is medical speak for: your brain may have decided your body doesn’t have enough resources to ovulate right now.
Free, no-BS beginners guide
to understand why your period disappeared, whether your suspiciously “healthy” lifestyle might be involved, and what you’re actually supposed to do now.
If you’ve just discovered HA and are currently thinking, “WTF does that even mean?”—we made this for you":
What IS Hypothalamic amenorrhea?
Amenorrhea is the absence of a period. There are different kinds of amenorrhea, but the different diagnoses stem mostly from your menstrual cycle history before losing your period and your medical history, such as lab work.
Hypothalamic Amenorrhea
Hypothalamic amenorrhea, aka Secondary Amenorrhea or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, is the absence of a period (3 consecutive months) in a woman who previously had a menstrual cycle. This is when the HPO (hypothalamic pituitary ovary) axis that controls the menstrual cycle becomes suppressed due an energy deficit due to common factors such as chronic undereating and over-exercising. It is important to note that not everyone who develops hypothalamic amenorrhea has a disordered relationship with exercise. It is the chronic energy deficit that suppresses the HPO axis.
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When looking at labs…
To confirm hypothalamic amenorrhea, we are looking for:
3 consecutive months of no period
Estradiol <50 pg/ml
FSH <10 mIU/ml
LH <10 mIU/ml
Common Symptoms of Amenorrhea
Common symptoms you may experience include:
Digestive issues such as constipation, food intolerances, bloating, etc.
Subclinical or clinical hypothyroidism resulting in hair loss, cold hands and feet, etc.
Trouble sleeping
Anxiety
Brain fog
Low resting heart rate
Osteoporosis/osteopenia
Low libido
Painful sex
Honestly, there are so many symptoms of hypothalamic amenorrhea because of the depletion of estrogen and progesterone along with other hormones such as thyroid, leptin, testosterone, etc. This is because these hormones have a systemic effect on the body thats leads to a wide variety of issues that may seem “unconnected”.
Big take away: Sex hormones are not JUST for reproduction.
Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Spectrum?
There is also what we believe to be a spectrum of hypothalamic amenorrhea. This can look like cervical mucus becoming less and less with each cycle, cycles becoming longer over time (usually due to delayed ovulation), shorter luteal phases due to lower progesterone production, shorter bleeds during your period, and even spotting before ovulation, before your period completely disappears.
We have also seen women with irregular cycles who are mislabeled as having PCOS when it is actually delayed ovulation causing their periods to come every 3 months.
Big takeaway: Hypothalamic amenorrhea doesn’t just happen overnight. It develops over time due to a chronic energy deficit.
Kristen Lee
Pregnancy Journey
Going through HA is such a hard journey to navigate alone. Thankfully I didn’t have to once I met Dani and she introduced me to Ashley! Ashley fully understood what I would need to do to recover, not only with my body, but with my faith. Through coaching I regained period, and few my relationship with God. Through the process I was able to get pregnant naturally, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I learned so much about my body and how resilient it is. Also, just how to take care of myself and that health is not what society paints it to be. Coaching with Ashley thanks to the HA Society has truly changed my life.
Halle Borchardt
Pregnancy Journey
After 5 years with an eating disorder and 5 years without a cycle, I was able to get pregnant NATURALLY! Ashley led me through their process to restore my cycles, taught me how to read my BBT chart, confirm ovulation, and get pregnant. I am so grateful for the coaching I did with Ashley.
Kyler Petterson
Pregnancy Journey
I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 15 after losing my cycles, and because of the severity of that diagnosis came with an infertility diagnosis. The only solution offered was birth control and to try IVF if I wanted a family. After working with Ashley I not only realized I had HA but regained my period, manage my PCOS symptoms, and got pregnant naturally within the same year. HA Society resources and personal coaching with Ashley have changed my life and helped me overcome the diagnoses that I struggled with for over 10 years.
Get WTF, I Have HA:
Inside WTF, I Have HA?!, you’ll understand:
Why your body stopped ovulating
Whether your food, exercise or weight history may be involved
Why “healthy” and “adequately fueled” are not the same thing
Why HA can happen at a normal BMI
How HA and PCOS can be confused
Whether you may need to eat more, exercise less or gain weight
What recovery generally involves
The first steps to take without turning recovery into another perfection project
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