“Teen period question?”
Hey, I have a question about my period? I've had it for 4 years now but I only get it 2 or maybe 3 times a year. It's completely random and goes from 1 to 2 weeks. Not sure if any of these apply but: I am 17yrs old, I am 5'4", and weigh 132 lbs, I exercise daily, but I don't eat much I'll maybe eat one full meal throughout the day (if I eat more I feel sick and end up throwing it up). Is this normal?
Female | 17 years old
2 Answers
Having 3 periods/year is not normal. You need to your OBGyn to discuss this. Low body weight and excessive exercise could also cause irregular periods.
Stay Healthy!
Stay Healthy!
Dr. Victoria Mondloch
OB-GYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist) | Gynecology
Having irregular menses is not a common trend, esp if 17yo and your periods have never been normal. My recommendation is always to go to the source; know what your hormone levels are, both female and male. That means you need to have Estradiol, Progesterone, Total Testosterone and Free Testosterone drawn. Usually having your blood drawn d21 of your cycle is most appropriate but if you don’t have regular periods, then just pick a day to get your bloodwork done because you need to start somewhere. You may actually have more male hormone than female hormone; or you may not be regularly ovulating. Or you may have ovarian suppression due to excess aerobic exercise. If you have ever been on birth control pills or a Depo shot or an IUD, that can cause your periods to stop. Sometimes, you can also have your periods stop when you start an Adkin’s diet or strict Ketogenic diet if that is a significant difference from your usual dietary approach. In other words, there can be dietary, excess exercise and hormonal reasons why there are loss of periods; checking your hormone levels is one of most important things that you can do to help figure out which one of these is happening to you.
