Expert: Joanne - 3/15/2008

Question
my daughter who is 15 suffered anorexia for the past 15 months she has now reached 8 st in weight and is eating around 2000 or more calories per day she is 5 ft 3 she looks healthy again and after some hair loss this has now starting re growing and looking shiny again. the problem now is her periods haven't returned she has had blood tests which came back normal but have not had answers as to when or if they will return just been told to sit and wait would like your advice on this

Answer
Karen

Unfortunately, the advice you have been given is the best advice they could have given you!

You did the right thing in getting her to a Dr to have blood tests done to make sure that there isn't a reason for this.  The majority of causes for missing periods will be picked up in a blood test - pregnancy, anaemia, etc.

When you suffer from anorexia, your body fat percentage drops and this is what stops your periods.  I have read that this is basically a safety mechanism in which it stops a female getting pregnant when her body is not in a fit state to nurture a foetus to prevent health problems and abnormalities of foetus and mother!

Some people find that taking the contraceptive pill helps their period return but upon stopping the medication, lose their period again, suggesting that this may be due to a lack of hormones necessary for the menstrual cycle.  When the body fat percentage is between about 14-21%, your daughter's periods should hopefully return.  I suppose that this is the body just making sure that it isn't going to be starved again yet, and saving all the nutrients it can just incase it is starved again.

I would give it another few months, and if it hasn't returned, and she is still eating well, then I would take her back to your Dr, and maybe ask for a referral to Obs and Gyn.

I wish you both the best, and please feel free to get back in touch if either of you have any more questions!

Joanne