DEALING WITH UNPREDICTABLE PERIODS: I HAVEN’T HAD MY PERIOD FOR THREE YEARS; COULD I GET PREGNANT?
I haven’t had a period in three years. At first I was worried, but my doctor told me that he could give me hormone shots and it would start again. I decided not to take the shots because I saw no reason to bring on menstruation unless I wanted to get pregnant. Since I am not married, I do not want to have a baby. But I’m beginning to get a little nervous because I’ve recently met a man and started to have sex regularly. I haven’t used any contraception because I’ve always thought I was probably infertile without the shots. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking that maybe I can get pregnant anyway. Do I need contraception?—A.V.Durham, North CarolinaA woman who has experienced her menstrual period at one time, but not recently, has female organs that have stopped functioning for some reason. Perhaps this woman was stressed, or maybe she lost or gained weight dramatically. Any of these situations may have caused her menstrual pattern to change. Sometimes a subtle shift in a woman’s lifestyle goes unnoticed, but it alters her hormonal balance. Then if another shift occurs, her period may unexpectedly return.Women who have become involved in romances and fallen in love have been known to have spontaneous ovulations. A wonderful relationship can certainly start the body functioning, and many women who have not had menstrual periods for years were amazed when they learned they were pregnant. Since Ms. V. certainly does not want to incur an unwanted pregnancy, I would suggest that she consult her doctor for a contraceptive that would be right for her.On the other hand, a woman who has no periods and wants to become pregnant should make an appointment with an infertility specialist for an evaluation. If there is no problem other than amenorrhea, he can prescribe a fertility drug to induce menstruation. In fact, one new fertility drug, Parlodel (bromocriptine mesylate), is being used with much success on women who have amenorrhea in combination with a condition called galactorrhea, which is a leakage of breast milk from their nipples.Galactorrhea occurs when too much of the brain hormone prolactin is being produced by the pituitary gland. The result is a nipple discharge that may vary from barely noticeable—only occurring when the breast is pressed or squeezed—to an obvious leak. Therefore, if a woman who has missed several periods also notices that she has a milky discharge from her nipples, she should see her doctor for blood tests to determine whether she is living with an excess of prolactin. If a prolactin imbalance is her problem, Parlodel will block the production of this hormone, stop her milk secretion, and reinstate her menstruation, and then she could become fertile.*44\333\2*
Comments are closed.