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Missed or Irregular Periods

Home Treatment - When to Call a Health Professional

Missed or irregular periods have a variety of causes. Pregnancy is usually the first cause to be considered, but other common causes include:

Stress; weight loss or weight gain; increased exercise (missed periods are common in endurance athletes); and travel.
Use of hormonal birth control methods, such as birth control pills, Depo-Provera injections, and Norplant implants, all of which may cause lighter, less frequent, or skipped periods.
Menopause or menarche (the start of menstrual periods). For the first few years of menstruation, periods may be irregular.
Medications, including steroids, tranquilizers, and diet pills.
Hormonal imbalance or problems in the pelvic organs.
Breast-feeding.

If you've skipped a period, try to relax. Restoring your life to emotional and physical balance may help. Many women miss periods now and then. Unless you are pregnant, chances are your cycle will return to normal next month. If you could be pregnant, treat yourself as if you are until you know for sure.

Home Treatment

If you had sex during the previous month, do a home pregnancy test. See Home Pregnancy Tests.
Avoid fad diets that greatly restrict calories and food variety, and avoid rapid weight loss. To maintain a healthy weight, focus on eating a variety of low-fat foods. See Nutrition.
Increase exercise gradually. If you are an endurance athlete, cut back on training or talk with a doctor about hormone and calcium supplements to protect against bone loss.
Learn and practise relaxation techniques to reduce and cope with stress. See Stress and Distress.
If you are age 45 or older, you may be starting menopause. See Menopause.

When to Call a Health Professional

Call your doctor immediately if it is possible that you may be pregnant and you are having lower abdominal pain.
If it is possible that you may be pregnant, see a doctor to confirm your home pregnancy test and begin pregnancy counselling and/or prenatal care.
If you have missed 2 regular periods, and there is no obvious cause such as those listed previously.
If you are an endurance athlete who is unable to cut back on training. You may need to take hormones or calcium supplements.
If you miss 2 or 3 periods while taking birth control pills, and you have not skipped any pills.
If you have not started having menstrual periods by age 16.