Hi doctor, I was on birth control for about six years. I stopped it before four months. I have not had my period since then, and I was wondering if this is a cause for concern or a regular thing. Also, before taking pills, my periods were irregular.
Hi. I feel the culprit here is your weight. At this young age of 28 years, you BMI (body mass index) is in obesity range. Increase in body fat especially in the mid-segment of the body, around waist, thighs and breasts is not a healthy sign. This fat gets converted to estrogen, the female hormone, thus causing a very high level interfering with the normal hormonal control. You would have seen fat male developing breast is due to the same female hormone. When estrogen is out of control, the brain loses control of hormones from ovaries. Then, ovulation will not occur on time, that is around day 13 or 14 of periods. Later, the second hormone progesterone will not get released and so periods do not occur. All these years you have been gradually putting on weight and the periods you had were due to the hormone in the birth control pills, same estrogen and progesterone pills. Now, when you stopped the birth control pills, your body is not able to continue the cyclical production. It will not allow you to have next pregnancy too as ovulation is needed for pregnancy. You are 152 cm, and your expected weight is 52 kg to 56 kg. It is easy to say, but tough to lose 20 kg, but with strong willpower, you can do it. For completion, have thyroid profile and serum prolactin done in the early morning and an empty stomach. Do not worry about periods. They will indirectly get back to the track. For further information consult an obstetrician and gynaecologist online -->