Quantcast
Channel: BabyMed.com - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 20

No Menstrual Period and Not Pregnant - Diagnosis and Treatment

0
0
Large Image: 
menstrual period, ovulation, infertility, anovulation, no period, periods stopped, Amenorrhea, female infertility, menstrual disorders, menstrual problems, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)

Having a regular menstrual period is something that many women expect as part of their normal body function, especially since a regular menstrual period is associated with regular ovulation. 

Not getting your menstrual period, not bleeding, is called amenorrhea. If you have amenorrhea and you have had unprotected sex, or have been trying to get pregnant then you first need to find out if you are pregnant. Do a pregnancy test. The earliest method of diagnosing a pregnancy is with a pregnancy test, either in your urine or blood.

  • A positive pregnancy test means that the pregnancy hormone hCG has been detected and that you are pregnant.
  • A repeatedly negative pregnancy test after missing a period means there is no hCG in your body and it usually means that you are not pregnant.

Anovulation, not ovulating, is the #1 reason for not having a period. If you don't ovulate, then you either have irregular menstrual periods or no period at all.

  • Regular ovulation = Regular menstrual periods
  • Irregular or no ovulation = Irregular or no menstrual periods
  • No period = Either pregnant, no ovulation, or another problem

You can find out if you ovulate by doing a basal body temperature curve, checking for fertility sigbs,having blood tests done for progesterone, or having a sonogram done. A biphasic temperature curve means that you ovulate and a monophasic curve means you don't ovulate.

Not getting a period without being pregnant can have various causes:

Diagnosis of causes of amenorrhea: work-up

  1. Negative pregnancy test
  2. A physical exam
  3. Blood tests: Thyroid testing (TSH, thyrotropin), Prolactin, LH, FSH, estradiol.
  4. If TSH is elevated, then the diagnosis could be hypothyroidism.

Progesterone Challenge Test (Provera) to see if you bleed after the progesterone test.

Bleeding after progesterone challenge  

  1. Bleeding means that there is estrogen present and the diagnosis of the amnorrhea is likely anovulation (no ovulation).
  2. Many doctors feel that a blood LH- and FSH-level and a testosterone and DHEAS test may be helpful at this point.
  3. If the LH is high (above about 10 mIU/ml) and the LH/FSH ratio is above 2:1, this supports the clinical diagnosis of polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS or PCO) although many patients with PCOS do not demonstrate this high LH/FSH ratio. Testosterone and DHEAS levels may also be useful in women with PCOS, especially if other signs of PCOS are present.

  4. Serum estradiol levels undergo wide fluctuations during the normal menstrual cycle. During the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, levels may be lower than 50 pg/mL. During the preovulatory estradiol surge, levels in the range of 400 pg/mL are not uncommon. In healthy menopausal women, estradiol levels are routinely lower than 20 pg/mL.

No bleeding after progesterone challenge

  1. Do an FSH level
  2. An FSH level of approximately 40 mIU/mL is indicative of ovarian insufficiency. If a repeat value in 1 month confirms this finding and amenorrhea still persists, then the diagnosis of premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency is confirmed. A high FSH indicates premature ovarian failure or menopause.
  3. If the FSH is normal, then a combined progesterone/estrogen dose is given.

Bleeding after combined progesterone/estrogen

  1. Bleeding may indicate Hypothalamic-Pituitary Failure (medications, weight loss, stress).
  2. No bleeding after progesterone/estrogen requires additional tests such as a hysteroscopy or a hysterosalpingography. This is usually indicative of outflow tract obstruction (scar tissue or adhesions in the cervix or uterus), which means the uterus or cervix are not letting the menstrual flow pass.  

Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 20

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images