I Didn't Get My Period Until I Was 25 Years Old.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Click this link to learn more about Femmi and download the period tracking & training app: www.femmi.co
In this video I discuss my experience with primary amenorrhea and how that lead to me to not get a period until I was 25 years old. I also talk about the reasons behind amenorrhea, why periods are important, how to recover your cycle, the impacts of birth control, training with a period and its effects on performance, and tracking your period. I also do a short Q&A at the end to answer questions I've received online. I hope that this is helpful and educational! #AllieOstrander #AmenorrheaRecovery #Femmi
00:00-00:45 intro & disclaimer
00:45-01:50 what is amenorrhea
01:50-05:19 my story
05:19-06:19 why periods are important
06:19-08:56 causes of amenorrhea
08:56-12:10 how to recover
12:10-13:26 birth control
113:26-15:18 periods & training & tracking
15:18-17:47 Q&A
17:47-18:18 final remarks
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When I was in 8th grade a girl was pointed out to me at track practice. The coach said that this girl had just come back from being hospitalized for anorexia. She apparently died 3 months later. When I was a senior and my coach said that I was developing hips and needed to lose weight, I recognized this as a red flag.
Thank you for warning so many girls as to the dangers of eating disorders.
Allie, you said you might go into marketing after pro running….perhaps think about counseling, mentoring, sports psychology…maybe you’re already naturally doing that through your platform. Such a continuing great job through sharing your experience. You are really at the forefront for women in sports. When I hear these stories I’m reminded how much bravery and drive it took to face up to these issues, especially while continuing your career. Maybe only other athletes can understand how young athletes might think, no period…great! Thanks for breaking down the dangers in such a relatable, compassionate and inspiring way. Keep on doing what you do. I feel the momentum building!
+1, she would be amazing
I have definitely considered this before! I would also love to do public speaking.
@@allie_ostranderyesssss…. You should definitely do speaking.mi love your work
I've done a lot of career counseling, to be honest, therapists in general actually tend to burn out due to boredom a lot. I am a person who loves helping, but I would make a terrible therapist, in terms of meeting my own needs. I am in nonprofit PR & community education. While there are therapists who do a lot of marketing & public speaking, most days are spent 1:1. I would say your gut is leading you in the right direction. You are a natural to be in the public eye, and folks who have been elite athletes can enter into areas like motivational speaking fairly easily. Without additional schooling, you could easily become a public educator/leader around the issues you are passionate about. And work with a consultant or head hunter, as a fairly well known athlete you shouldn't have to go apply for jobs the traditional way. Have someone shop you around to national nonprofits you like, see if you can come on board as a speaker/content presenter/educator/PR type advocate.
@@allie_ostrander get into marketing, make money and win at it. You are going to get all kinds of advice throughout your life from all kinds of people, and maybe nice ones will have more time to give "nice" advice. Making yourself successful takes planning and hard work and no one is going to tell how to do it
As a guy I tend to shy away from videos about women's health but I really appreciated your candor and openness on this topic. Men definitely should know about women's health issues! Excellent and informative video. Congratulations on your recovery and continued athletic excellence!
I had amenorrhea/eating disorder at a very young age too. One consequence was my hips never widened like they should as my bones were maturing. As a result, I had to have c-sections for my three children. I am so thankful I was able to have them. They are miracles. Periods are important. Thank you so much for this video.
I'm so happy for you and your miracles :)
Girl, I just wanted to say SAME! I had ARFID from a really young age which evolved into full-blown AN by 9 years old. Hips didn't widen enough and my period was really delayed. About to have my 3rd c-section. Fully recovered now, but definitely made babies more challenging. Just wanted to say, you're not alone! ❤
Being a man I had no clue the importance of having a period for adolescent girl athletes. I just assumed if a girl was getting her period as an athlete, she just wasn't training hard enough to get it to stop and be a better athlete. Thank God I didn't speak my thoughts to my daughter even though I was thinking it about her. THANK YOU for sharing this important information. Just not to young girls, but their parents as well. ❤❤❤
YES, that is such a misconception! I remember feeling somewhat accomplished that I never got mine, because to me that meant I was a serious athlete. This video is to help change that narrative and educate people on how important the menstrual cycle is!
What in the world. This is rooted in such misogyny.
The idea that If I girl gets a period it’s because she isn’t trying hard enough. Wow that’s frightening that people are walking around with this idea
I ran xc and track in high school. My coach was also my biology teacher. I’m so grateful bc he told us about amenorrhea and that if we didn’t have a period for 3 months+ we’d need to talk to a dr.
as someone in the middle of my period (and just got off the pill, so it's a little out of whack at the moment) i really appreciate this video. it's a great reminder that having a period may be inconvenient, but SO important. also hearing you talk about this gives big sister vibes in the best way and i love it!!
yes! I literally have to remind myself that it's a GOOD thing every time I get mine!
Dealing with secondary amenorrhea at 24 as an endurance runner, so this video came at the perfect time for me - thank you!!
So glad it was helpful! Always feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM if you need support or have questions
I'm really glad you are sharing this. I'm a 42 year old woman who ran cross country and restricted calories in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I was diagnosed with amennorhea at 18 after not getting a period until 18.5 when I finally started eating enough fat and calories. It has totally wrecked my reproductive system and my abilty to reproduce. I'm OK with it after a lot of therapy but girls need to know this stuff. thank you for your openness.
I had anorexia and exercise bulimia for 7 years. I was young and naive and basically had no idea what my actions would do to my body. I too lost my period for several months to year. I also developed gastroparesis which I have now suffered with for the past 20 years. It never went away or got better once I started eating normally and recovered. Some of the effects of eating disorders can be permanent. I wish someone would have told me before that gastroparesis can be permanent and never to starve your body. I had no idea, I was 23 years old and young and naive. I understand what you went through. So thankful to be recovered now I haven't had an eating disorder for 13 years. But my stomach is still crippled. If anyone is thinking about starving yourself or becoming anorexic please never ever do this. I wish I never went down this road. You don't want to suffer with a crippled stomach. It's horrendous. I hope my story helps someone.
For people in USA certain states please be carefull when using period tracking apps - make sure you are looking into the data privacy policy or just use pen and paper
Yes, especially since recently there has been alot of anti-abortion legislation getting passed !
Wait, why would the government want to track our periods?
@@findingbeautyinthepain8965 Alot of pro-life people are pushing to criminalize abortions and these apps track people's periods.
@@findingbeautyinthepain8965if you are in a state the bans abortions/certain birth control and you get one they can subpoena your period tracking data in court
Haven’t had a period since I was 13. Now I’m 20 and I’m actually starting to worry about. Hopefully starting ED treatment this summer.
good luck, wishing the best for you
Thank you for making this video! I just started HA recovery 2 months ago after being diagnosed with osteoporosis as a 20 year old. I had not wanted to do anything about it for years (I have had an eating disorder for a long time), but that scared me so bad so here we are. If anyone else is considering recovery- please do it. You don't want to fracture your spine because you have been running too much and not eating enough.
Thank you so much for making this video!! It is so important for there to be education on this topic. On my high school cross country team, none of us had regular periods and we just thought it was normal. Our coaches were pretty much our only source on training and diet, and as they were both older conservative men, we sure weren't going to ask them. Almost all of us have struggled with repeated injury ever since. I hope that kids who may be dealing with this will see your video or one like it and not have to go through that!
this is so sad to hear :( but I hope that high schoolers today will have better resources!
I appreciate that the app Femmi is "challenging the outdated idea that periods limit performance" but I would caution that presenting periods as non limiting may present a high bar for some of us. They can and very much do affect performance for some of us. The drop in iron in particular can be super challenging for training even with supplements, particularly if you are a vegetarian or vegan.
I think those "limiting factors" can be minimized when they are acknowledged and adjusted for!
Allie, this is gold. I hope a lot of people watch it, who need it. So important for young women in sport (and women in general!).
thank you! I hope it reaches the right audience!
So true. I echo this comment entirely. Great video Allie.
As someone who has recovered from anorexia and 7 years of amenorrhea, I appreciate this video and you so so much!! Everyone’s journey will be different for recovery, but so so worth it!!
Yes, agreed! Also go you for recovering..it’s literally so hard and YOU DID THAT.
This is why I view your content. You are totally honest, offer incredibly important scientific backed information and do this in a way that everyone can understand and relate to. So well done. Thank you.
this is so kind, thank you!
I didn’t start my period until I was 15. I’m so glad that my doctor was concerned that I hadn’t gotten it yet, and recommended I incorporate high fat foods such as whole milk into my diet. She also recommended I get a scan to check my bone density. Yay good pediatricians!!
That being said, I still did experience amenorrhea as a college runner. I wish this was something our coaches had talked more to us about.
wow, such a star of a pediatrician!
Allie O - I know how hard primary amenorrhea is. I used to have a girlfriend when I was young who suffered from anorexia and she had the same problem. Thank you for sharing your experience and being so open and transparent with your followers.
Yes, it can be pretty devastating, but I am so thankful that I was able to recover from it and share my story!
While I was running at the D1 level, I didn't have a period for almost a year. During that year, and after, I suffered several fractures in my feet and had lots of tendon and muscle problems. I am much older now and still have problems with those fractures-they ache and I've reinjured them many times. When I was young, I thought I'd be "healthy" forever and did not realize the toll it took on my body. THANK you Allie for all these vids. I often seen young runners about who are WAY too thin and I want to warn them. You're warning them. Thanks!
Allie, as a Family doc with a sister who had bulimia. The high school doctor was a total failure. SO NOT NORMAL TO NOT HAVE A PERIOD!! Great job on your recovery. Rooting for you.
I lost my period for almost 10 years during my ED and I can't begin to explain how weird it was as a 20 year old woman to tell the doctors who asked when my last period was that I hadn't had one since I was 16. Or when friends ask if I have a tampon and I'm thinking "why would I carry that around when I haven't had a period in years". Whats worse was I was underweight but not emaciated and most people don't understand that everyone loses their period at different levels and mine happened to be at a higher body weight. Most people didn't even believe me when I said I didn't get them anymore. It was weirdly invalidating
I'm so sorry that was your experience :( Everyone's set point weight is so different, and our physiology is unique. The struggles that you had are valid, and I hope that you've been able to find the support you need to move past them :)
My experience is weird because even at a very low BMI AND with mosaic Turner syndrome, I cycled, although irregularly from not quite 14 through recovery. It was actually in recovery that I actually had true misses not just delays. It made me feel as though I wasn’t a true anorexic because clearly I was healthy enough to have periods so I wasn’t sick enough. Ah the sick game the anorexia/Ed brain plays…
Sometimes you may feel guilty for no training or resting. Also, be afraid of increasing the amount of calories. Training the mind for the shift needed is not easy. Thanks for sharing your story, the facts, the science… All the positive content
Periods are very important and if you miss one when you are otherwise healthy.. it’s a good sign something is wrong. Usually it will be delayed if you are under extreme stress.
I think you're doing some extremely critical education here with these videos. I really, really appreciate it, as an older former athlete who is also dealing with the consequences of some really wild menstruation dysfunction on my health now that I'm in "middle" age. Just really appreciate this video, keep being awesome, thanks so much.
I am not a woman, and will never have a period. But this video was really insightful, and I hope to now have a better understanding of what some women have to work through as athletes.
Thank you Ally for sharing your experience, and hopefully providing resources to so many people!
Yes, it's a lot to adjust to, and a whole different element of training to be considered. I'm glad that this was educational for you!
In my experience, that was a super professionally prepared and delivered presentation of a difficult topic. The medical profession should be pointing to you as the poster "child" for those seeking to gain a basic understanding of amenorrhea.
thank you!
Great talk Allie, very informative and open.
Thank you so much for this video!!!! Awesome job!!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this!!
Thank you always for your honesty ❤
Absolute boss. Thank you for doing this.
i’ve hardly heard of someone telling online about primary ammenhorea. thank you:)
You’re doing great work Alie!!
You are wonderful. Great luck!❤
We love you, you are very strong and you are important!!
Very good and informative video. Thanks for your openness and honesty. ❤
Thank you so much for this! Last summer I was training really hard and lost mine for 4 months and the following cross country season I got injured. I used to think not getting it was okay and maybe even good, but now I know and can do better in the future.😊
Thank you ... for being you ... and sharing. You're making a difference. I hope you are well.
This is such a well-researched video, and your personal experience is invaluable. I hope this video reaches everyone who needs to see it 💗
Allie, I coached woman runners in the past and this video would have been a great help to some of them at the time. You gave a really good review of the dangers of an eating disorder as well as how to resolve the disorder and improve your health. Best regards...
I hope this can be helpful to many :)
Very courageous of you. You are awesome.
This may be the most important video you'll ever make. Thanks for everyone you help - in advance.
100% agree that the sooner you address amenorrhea and/or and ED the better. Great video!
This is so important for young athletes to know!
You are so smart and encouraging. Thank you for sharing the video, I am a dancing queen in sport aerobic, tap and ballroom and I struggle with skipped periods for multiple years since I started at 11 and sometimes I get 2 periods a month. That story inspires me to take good care of body.
Such a good video. Thank you
Thank you for speaking out on this issue! Our cycle is key to our health and fitness, and not enough young women know that. Appreciate your openness and the helpful information.
Thanks Allie, I needed this… I am trying to get my period back while currently in marathon training and it is really diffucult mentally. I constantly need to remind myself that I have to eat enough to perform at my best and stay healthy. This video was a great reminder of why I have to keep going. Wishing the best of luck to everyone else who is dealing with amenorrhea, we got this 💪
Allie, I give you a lot of credit for sharing your story. I learned a lot. I’m sorry that you’re doctors were dismissive. I’m glad you’re doing so well.
I'm sure this was a awkward one to make. Thanks for sharing your personal experiences and insight into how it impacted you. Appreciate you!
This is an amazing video Allie, thank you so much for being such a great voice for female athletes and everyone else.
Thanks for your honest and vulnerability, Allie!! FYI - several professional/elite triathletes have openly shared about their periods, including Gwen Jorgensen, Emma Pallant-Browne and Laura Phillip!
Informative and relatable hazards facing female athletes - it’s really inspiring to see you taking your time to work through your recovery with maturity and utilising professional help when offered. I find it’s a continuous issue even for us amateur athletes and you bringing it into mainstream media is so important - excellent episode 😊
Thank you so much for this video! Your honesty is a blessing. I can relate so much to this, and am quite saddened that all my doctor did for my amenorrhea was put me on the pill. Asked me if I had an eating disorder and of course I said no 🙄
Running was my passion but I was injured ALL the time, and underfueling. I stopped running and increased my fat intake before I was able to have my two babies.
Now in my late 30’s, my body seems really adverse to running. I’m hopeful my daughter can have a healthier perspective on all of this, and I plan to share your videos with her when she is older. Thank you
Amazing video, thanks allie!! ❤
Glad you liked it!
Allie you’re awesome! As someone who was a gymnast and became anorexic as a child and into my 20s, there just isn’t enough info on this. I’m a Sports Teacher now. I try to educate best I can, but having videos from a professional like yourself makes so much more of an impact on young people. Thanks for sharing this. I’ve said it before, but I wish I had had someone like you to look up to on my younger years.
I’ve always had a very irregular cycle, even now I barely have periods and I’m recently taking it serious. I’m swimmer not a runner but I’ve heard similar things from doctors, it’s just a normal thing for athletes. Glad I’ve watched this
Big kudos for you to speak honestly about this. It’s shocking how common major ED are among female athletes. Hope you can help at least one young woman out there. 🙌🏼
Thank you so much for making a video on this topic. I also appreciate you didn’t make it about exact numbers and instead focused on doing what is right for fueling yourself and staying healthy!
yes, I just don't think focusing on the numbers is helpful at all!
Fabulous messaging Allie!! Thank you for using your platform to make this information more visible. ❤
thank you! I'm happy to do it :)
Preach the explanation was gorgeous your tips are vital and helpful to many! You will save the bones of many runners !!
I really hope that bones will be saved!
Watching your content is so healing! Im the same age as you and I WISH I had heard this information back in high school. Amenorrhea was treated as a full on right of passage- not something to see as dangerous. I found myself fighting puberty so hard and rejoicing when my body started skipping periods. I thought my hips widening and developing any sort of chest would be the death of me. I actually remember girls bragging about their periods stopping or never starting. That toxic attitude is so damaging. Surely you are inspiring so many young girls with your story and showing them the real truth.
YES, that's exactly how I felt in high school! I really hope this reaches the right audience to save some girls from sharing that experience :(
may I ask where the idea of fighting puberty comes from? is it something common among child athletes? I have never done serious sports, so for me it sounds bizarre! today is the first time I have heard such a thing
@@WellValUa I cant speak for other sports, but at least in distance running theres a fear that when girls' hips widen and their body develops any curves that they will be slower. So when youre competing at a high caliber girls are sometimes told "shes fast now but she'll slow down when she goes through puberty and her body fills out". The desire to stay as tiny as possible and delay puberty is common among girl distance runners for that reason.
@@laurendunnell yes, and that's not limited to running alone. Figure skaters face the same pressures to remain tiny so that they can do the high jumps with 4 rotations. If they get hips and breasts, they can't rotate that fast and they'll be heavier. There are documentaries on the problem in young Russian female figure skaters on TH-cam. I watched one a couple of months ago.
Ohh that's so toxic :( it's really sad when you're a girl and you're constantly told such things
The female athlete triad. So Important to be aware of as a woman athlete!! Allie, your channel and videos continue to be a light not only in the runner community, but in content creation in general. Thank you so much for being you. I also had amenorrhea, didn’t have my first period until 19. My hormones were wacky for YEARS, but they eventually stabilized and recovery is always worth it. Highly recommend your advice and videos to women. Love to see you so happy and healthy 😊🏁
Thank you so much for sharing this. I developed secondary amenorrhea (which persisted for a year), 6 months into picking up running (as part of what I thought was a sensible weight loss approach of 500 to 700 calorie deficit a day). I achieved my goal of losing 30kg, but at a cost. Luckily there was no need to gain all of that back to get my period back - it took gaining 4kg from my lowest weight for periods to be restored and I'm maintaining 2kg above that now. It still makes me anxious if a period comes late (like the one that arrived today, 1.5 weeks late), because I get nervous that maybe my body is refusing to accept my new exercise load. That said, I went from a 25km a week runner to closer to 60km now and I'm more muscular and fitter - and eating as much as 4000 calories on long run days! Even on some rest days, I'm eating 2800 calories to match energy needs for recovery from previous training and dog walks that still need to happen, rain or shine 😊
Also, what you said about understanding that rest and down time is an important and crucial part of your training plan is probably one of the most important points. For me, i used to feel guilty for having spare time to just sit down. Now i take it with both arms opened, understanding there's no point in training hard if i don't take the rest i need to benefit from it.
This is a brave and informative video. I see you discuss the presence of RED-S. You've mentioned energy deficiency, and many people are not aware of RED-S in female athletes. Thanks for raising this important topic.
RED-S is being talked about more and more, so hopefully it will be common knowledge in the future.
I respect you so much for talking about this so openly, kudos to you! I never lost my period even at my lowest weight, which i always found interesting (and annoying at the time!) Now I'm pretty grateful that I didn't cause so much damage as i could have done...
it's good you didn't lose it! If you are worried about negative impacts of being at a low weight though, definitely talk yo a doctor just in case!
I found out about amenorrhea at age 37 while training to hike Mt. Washington and Mt. Katahdin. I was offered estrogen and progesterone, but I changed my diet and successfully hiked the mountains. My cycle returned natural,y over three month’s time.
Allie, This video was so helpful and inspiring :) I can relate to this so much. My eating disorder started when I was 12 years old and just like you I never knew how detrimental it could be to not get one, if anything I was happy that I didn't get it. I didn't get mine until I was 21 years old and it didn't last long it went away and then didn't come back for another like 2-3 years. I just wanted to tell you that I get what you have gone through and you're so brave for talking about this so I praise you :) Keep inspiring people :) much love
Glad you found this video helpful, and I wish you the best in your journey!
Thanks so much :) @@allie_ostrander
Thank you for taking the lead on this important topic Allie! ❤
I know that I can't change my past, but it's always possible to change someone else's future :)
@@allie_ostrander Your generous spirit is a true inspiration. You are doing an invaluable service to the running community by so openly and eloquently sharing your experience. Keep shining your light, and keep taking excellent care of yourself on every level.
Allie, thank you so much for sharing your story. Do you have the name of the doctors who helped you go through this journey? The dietician or your coach? Thanks a lot. You’re such an inspiration !!
Good information for young athletes hopefully they see it
I’m so happy you’re finally getting to experience a period now! I also did not have healthy or often periods until my 20s, probably from the trauma and toxic relationships in my childhood. I now know that having a period is a positive sign that I’m healthy, happy, and that my life is balanced ❤ even if we are high level athletes, we still deserve to be healthy enough to have periods! The No period super athlete thing is a myth and not the healthiest!
I'm from France. Nuts about track /trail and road running i just love your channel!
You are so strong! I learn so much thanks to you.😊
Finally a was curius about all your pb.... I discoverd you was born the same day as me ( 24/12/1996). I feel so happy to share the same birthday ''''👌😉😁
I lost my period for 5 years in college due to an ED caused by a traumatic incident & poured my heart & soul into college running to help me cope. I thought it was normal to not have my period because I was running so much, but I was not honoring my body with fuel & was not coping with anxiety in a healthy manner. I realized that I wasn't fully a woman anymore until I got serious with recovery. Here I am now & I have my cycle back, I am fueling wiser & happier & running more mileage than ever with a heart of joy! I feel hopeful that I do have a future, as a woman with high ambitions! Thank you for sharing your story & for being an incredible inspiration, Allie! You're doing amazing & you have a VERY bright future ahead, in all aspects of life :) Keep doin you, Allie O!
props to you for recovering and giving yourself the best future possible :) you're amazing!
Thanks for educating people about the harms of an e@t1ng d1sorder😊 aka ED. It really helps others know that even athletic pressures can put someone at risk too.😊 ❤ I'm glad you were able to find help because I find that in the US there's not enough resources sometimes in certain areas for this struggle
This is great information for all female athletes and mostly their coaches. Yes the coaches whom many athletes go to with their health related issues and follow their instruction. I've heard about the eating disorders and coaches just pressing for results. Mary Cain went through a similar episode. You are more than a great runner, you are a great roll model.
I hope it can be informative for both athletes and coaches!
Great video for the future female runners!
I was in gymnastics..but dropped out at 18. It turns out, my genetic disorder, Nail-Patella Syndrome was behind me not starting until almost 21. At 17 I had a bone scan and was told my bone age was 12. I was 22, right after my eldest child was born, that I reached 5’5. At 18 and graduation, I was 4’10” and 85lbs. I had been told I was more than likely sterile and my “quack” told me I had no business on birth control..,of course, he also came really close to calling me derogatory names, saying I had no business sleeping with anyone. My “mother” agreed and actually tried to have me committed for being “a deformed freak”. I don’t have nails or kneecaps, excelled in school, dance, gymnastics…but mostly volunteering at a human and animal hospital. In other words, I destroyed my “mother’s” life the day I was born, am a complete failure and am undeserving of happiness, love or even life.
I’m in my mid-60’s, I had 3 incredible children and was a healthcare professional most of my life. Unfortunately, I had a spinal injury at 40 and my health has been up and down since…we discovered many other internal anomalies inside.
My younger daughter, who doesn’t have NPS, didn’t start her period until 18 despite being a larger stature than me or her sissy. She’s now 35 and has never been regular. They did extensive genetic testing on her, but came to the conclusion her amenorrhea was due to her “father” abuse. She and her wonderful husband continue to try IVF, BUT her age and 4 miscarriages…they’re going to try one more time. Her husband is 10yrs older and still recovering from a major CVA 2 years ago. Despite my daughter being a nurse practitioner; the State refused to approve them for adoption. 😔
Thank you for sharing so many intimate details. I wish you and your daughter the best!
I was diagnosed with PCOS as a teen+had an eating disorder for a long time. Now I'm in my early 20s and for the first time in my life I've had three consecutive regular periods (normal length). I love weightlifting but I could always notice my joints were more prone to aches and lesions than others', which really annoyed and discouraged me. All of this is of course connected to the hormonal imbalance, so I cannot tell you how happy I am to get my period regularly these days. It's a relief after so much uncertainty and feeling like my body was out of control growing up :)
Excellent! A public service.
Getting into running I also started to notice that my energy levels had very low lows and my period seemed infrequent. I really love that you talk about this as a female athlete, there are so many demands of this sport and people don't realize how it affects women
Yes, there is not nearly enough research on female training or support/information for female athletes about their health and performance!
Hi Allie, I did not have a regular period until I was at least 20. I'm sure that many young women will benefit from hearing about your own experience with amenorrhea and the factual information that you present so clearly. I did see doctors for other reasons while I had amenorrhea (~12-20) but none of them asked about my period so it didn't seem important. I started taking the pill when I was 20; I didn't know that this could cause a 'fake' period so I'm not really sure when my cycle normalized. Your advice about seeking advice is so important. It may be the only way to receive the support and treatment you need. 🦋
Yes, that sort of experience is so common! Unfortunately, we really have to advocate for ourselves and our health!
Hearing you mention that an IUD/the pill could mask the presence of a period is something I've been trying to ask doctors about for a while! I've been on the pill for 3.5 years now and the more I think about it the more I want to come off of it and really see what my "natural" hormone state is. 3 of those 3.5 years I've been running D1 in college doing higher mileage than ever, so i really have no idea if I'm fueling enough to get a cycle. Thank you for speaking about all of this!!!
It can also depend on what kind of pill it is. Different pills use different hormones and some do and some do not affect having a monthly period.
@@heidiandersen8289Yea for sure! I'm on the kind where it does affect the monthly period and I get the synthetic "fake period" that's really just withdrawal symptoms from the pill itself; I can skip it with no consequences. There's so much information that a lot of women do not receive when prescribed any form of birth control and I think that's an issue that needs fixing
Yes, I wish that this topic was discussed more! It could be a good idea to come off the pill and make sure you're getting a natural cycle. It's also possible to check your bone health and other biomarkers; if you'd rather stay on it, I would recommend going to an endocrinologist or women's health specialist. There's also some anecdotal evidence that hormonal birth control can negatively impact performance. Its impacts vary greatly between people though, so if you feel fine on it, it's probably not negative for you.
Thanks for the look at other getting the doctors answer of here is a pill or time with take care of it. Food intake was not my problem, but the it would have been way less stressful to have known the cause for the period skips.
If anybody has the time or will to read my comment, please, and offer any advice that you can. This popped into my recommended at a strangely opportune time. At age 13, I was extremely overweight/borderline obese as a result/side effect of a psychiatric medication that I took for 2 years at age 10. I started my period than, and had about 5 periods. Right at the start of high school, I intentionally began a calorie deficit to lose the excess weight and my period stopped immediately. I had not lost any weight yet, and I was never an ultra-endurance athlete. Eventually, I lost around 50 lbs and went through a traumatic 3-4 year cycle between hospitals and ED centers for an ED, even though I was never characteristically "underweight." My heart rate did drop enough, however, to necessitate a couple medical hospitalizations.
Fast forward to today, I am 22, have graduated from a 4-year college, and am maintaining healthy vital signs and a "healthy" weight, but still have not had a single period since its disappearance at 13. Just as Allie described, it is impossible for me to know what weight is optimal for my body, having been overweight from a medication, and all of this happening in my early adolescence. My BMI is 22 for reference, although I know BMI is largely meaningless. I starting running around 3 years after my period disappeared, and began weight training around 5 years after the period stopped. This is to emphasize that exercise became a relatively newer regular habit. I have been pouring my heart and soul into trying to recover my period throughout all these years and I am so incredibly desperate to understand what my body needs, and to be accepting of this truth. I have already suffered from one stress fracture, and am delayed significantly in female secondary sexual development. I think one of the things I struggle with is the idea of "health at every size." As in, maybe my body needs to be at higher body fat percentage and weight (aka, could be "overweight" according to the BMI scale), in order to function optimally. But I cannot tell you how disabling, painful, and debilitating life was for me a higher weight that just did not feel right for my body. So, if I am unwilling to accept being bigger, than I need to accept the consequences of my amenorrhea. I hope what I am saying makes sense, but my dream would be a solution that meets in the middle. Aka, a body that I am comfortable in, that is strong and looks strong, AND having a regular period. I am still searching for a way to make this happen, but the day my period returns will certainly be an exciting one.
RED-S or underweight is a common cause of amenorrhea but not the only one. With a BMI of 22, i.e., healthy normal body weight, you should rather go see a gynaecologist, ideally specialized in gynaecologal endocrinology and reproductive medicine. Through an ultrasound and hormonal lab tests, they can evaluate differential diagnoses. For example, PCOS is another common cause of amenorrhea, further some psychiatric drugs can cause amenorrhea, and there are many other potential causes. So before you try to gain more weight, go see an ob/gyn!
Thank you for your reply. In the effort to keep my comment relatively short, I didn't share all the details. I have seen MANY ob/gyn doctors, have gotten 3 bone scans, 3 pelvic ultrasounds, 1 intravaginal ultrasound, and 2 MRIs. And blood hormone panel more times than I can count. Everything is "normal" except that my estrogen is nearly nonexistent (not surprising) and bone density is low. My latest ob/gyn recommends HRT (estrogen patch + progesterone) but I wish I could return my period naturally without synthetic hormones, as I theoretically should be able to menstruate with a normal brain, uterus and both ovaries intact. I really appreciate your feedback regardless!@@anja188
Honestly, I think it's entirely possible that you are under your set point weight, and that is the reason for your amenorrhea. I know people who have had similar situations, and didn't think that increasing their caloric intake would help but it turned out to be the solution. If you have food rules, limit calories, eat low fat, etc, that could likely be the cause.
Thank you so much for your reply! I know my comment wasn't short, haha! Yes, this is the possibility I have been sitting with for years. I have gone through several periods of increasing my caloric intake to 3000+ cal per day for months to years, with no period. So I have always wondered, maybe I just need to be at a higher weight than I am willing to accept? So there is a constant battle between living in a body that I am uncomfortable in (but menstruating), or a body that feels more 'right' but am not menstruating. I know one day I will conquer this and be able to speak to it with eloquence and confidence. You are incredible for bringing awareness to this, as it often feels that many of us are alone.@@allie_ostrander ❤
Thanks for sharing and informing others. In high school my close friends were 3 sport athletes and we never had our period until the last month of our senior year. We didn't know it was a concern until middle of our senior year.
My friend's dissertation (Low energy availability-related conditions in female athletes : prevalence rates and relationships with health, injuries, and the sports career) discussed these issues. Good luck tomorrow!
I can't believe doctors would simply prescribe the pill and think that fixes the issue. They should know that the bleeding from the pill is not a real cycle bleeding and that losing your period is a sign of a serious underlying issue that needs fixing. This is regular sex ed level of education, never mind the extra training that doctors go through to be certified. Glad you're speaking about this topic if this is how bad the discourse is...
Thank you for sharing your life lessons with us. This is impactful information. The most important thing is you're on the road to recovery and your running career is still going strong. Hope you have smart doctors. My advice to everybody is don't let regret get the best of you. What you say at 6:50 is valuable. If you want to read a good book about pride in the feminine, may I suggest "The Vagina Monologues."
thanks for the rec!
Id love to do a poll of all the women at the US Olympic Mara trials and see how many dont get their period. Would be quite interesting...
it would be interesting!
Stress is a killer and factors in this equation more than people realize. We learn to tolerate high levels of physical (and mental) stress associated with our sport(s), pushing ourselves ever harder, achieving performance levels we may not be equipped to handle (some more than others of course). Therefore, something will inevitably break down as a result. A well-oiled dragster tuned and stressed to over perform eventually breaks and must be reassembled. Similarly, we are tasked at high levels that require, as you so aptly point out, ample recovery time essential to maintain homeostasis on all fronts.
yes, I think that stress management is so so important, not only for getting a regular cycle, but also for performance and enjoyment of the sport!
I loved this! I really appreciate how you mention the issues with the pill. I also learned that I’m getting close to my peak bone density-who knew?! I have experienced lactational amenorrhea four times-with each baby. For each child I didn’t get my period (or fertility) back until the child was about two years old. My husband and I loved this natural birth control. :)
Yes, I didn't know about lactational amenorrhea until I researched for this video. So glad that your bone mass has stayed high throughout!
Hi Allie, I’m a 15 year old female athlete who has currently got no period. I don’t think I’m underweight but I’m deathly afraid of gaining any weight, particularly to my thighs. If you have any tips on coping with such problems I would greatly appreciate it! Many thanks for this awesome video!
Those fears you have are so so common, and definitely something I can relate to. I would recommend talking with a counselor or therapist to work through those thoughts. And if you don't get your period in the next couple years, definitely talk to a doctor about that!
Good luck
This is so important!! Regarding the topic, I am currently reading a book about hypothalamic amenorrhea (which is the most important cause for amenorrhea in athletes). It‘s called „No period, now what?“ by Nicola J. Rinaldi for everyone who‘s interested.
Do you have normal bone density now?
Use wild yam cream, natural progesterone (or just progesterone)
it'll make you have your period
former ballerina here! similar experiences.
yes, it's so common in many sports!