Referral To A Specialist
If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a specialist.
Depending on what your GP thinks is causing the problem, you may be referred to:
- a gynaecologist â a specialist in treating conditions affecting the female reproductive system
- an endocrinologist â a specialist in treating hormonal conditions
You may have a gynaecological examination and various tests, including:
- blood tests â to see if you have abnormal levels of certain hormones
- an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan â to identify any problems with your reproductive system or the pituitary gland in your brain
Do Natural Methods Work
There is little research to support any claims that natural methods, such as apple cider vinegar, can cause a person to delay or skip their period.
If a person is opposed to using hormonal methods to delay their period, using a menstrual cup may be an alternative. This does not delay a period, but it can prevent any leakage without using tampons or sanitary pads.
Menstrual cups fit over the cervix and collect the menstrual flow, allowing people to participate in a range of day-to-day activities without changing menstrual products as frequently.
Stopped Or Missed Periods
There are many reasons why a woman may miss her period, or why periods might stop altogether.
Most women have a period every 28 days or so, but it’s common to have a slightly shorter or longer cycle than this .
Some women do not always have a regular menstrual cycle. Their period may be early or late, and how long it lasts and how heavy it is may vary each time.
Read more about irregular periods and heavy periods.
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What To Know About A Sudden Change In Menstrual Cycle Length
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are also common causes for amenorrhea, although it is possible for some people to get their period when breastfeeding . Other things that can affect your menstrual cycle include :
- Medications
- Polycystic ovary syndrome , or any condition that causes cysts or growths on your ovaries
- High levels of cortisol
- Poor liver function
- Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease
Speak with your provider to understand if you may have an underlying condition that could be affecting your period and to learn more about what treatment options are available.
You Have A Chronic Condition
Certain chronic health problems, especially celiac disease and diabetes, are sometimes associated with menstrual irregularities.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects your digestive system. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their immune system reacts by attacking the lining of the small intestine.
When the small intestine is damaged, it impairs the bodys ability to absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnourishment, which affects normal hormone production and leads to missed periods and other menstrual irregularities.
Those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes might also experience a missed period in rare cases. This tends to only happen when blood sugar levels are not managed.
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Is Not Having A Period Bad
Some people find monthly bleeding inconvenient, so you might wonder if not having a period is even all that bad.
Like many health concerns, it depends on the situation. Heres an example. Suppose youre taking an extended-cycle birth control like Seasonale or a long-term birth control injection or implant. These are designed to suppress your menstrual cycle, and thats okay . Other times, not menstruating can be a sign of a hormonal imbalance or other problem, so if youre missing your period without using one of these treatments, it may be a good idea to speak with a healthcare provider.
A suppressed HPO axis that causes your period to stop is known by healthcare providers as functional hypothalamic amenorrhea . If you have FHA for a long time, persistently low estrogen levels can raise your risk for osteoporosis and heart disease . FHA may also affect your mood. One study found that participants who didnt have a period were more likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to those who did get their period .
Youve Been Exercising Excessively
If youve really ramped up your workout routine, you could see the effects in the timing of your period: Expending a lot of energy may signal to your body that its time to ramp down the production of fertility-related hormones. Excessive exercise can affect the delicate cross talk between the brain and ovaries, Styer says. As a result, the hormone signals from the brain may not be as efficient as usual in directing the selection of an egg from the ovary. That may mean your period is delayed, or that it wont happen at all that month.
Plenty of women who work out may experience somewhat irregular cycles, but if you stop getting your period altogether for three months or more a condition called amenorrhea its important to see a doctor. Amenorrhea is linked with increased risk for osteoporosis.
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Youve Been Crossing Time Zones
Did you take a big trip recently? Travel to a far-off land can definitely affect your cycle. Since the timing and release of reproductive hormones from the brain is dependent upon light, extensive travel across many times zones may temporarily affect the timing of ovulation and cause a delay in when a period may come, Styer says.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy
While theres no actual scientific research behind it, theres limited anecdotal evidence that drinking lemon juice might delay the onset of bleeding.
While moderate amounts of acidic foods like lemon juice are fine, too much acid is not good for you. It can work on a number on your mouth, teeth, gums, throat, stomach, and intestines.
Just like with ACV, make sure to dilute lemon juice in something else, like unsweetened tea or plain water.
Pregnancy is by far the most common cause of a missed period, but there are some other medical and lifestyle factors that can affect your menstrual cycle. Extreme weight loss, hormonal irregularities, and menopause are among the most common causes if youre not pregnant.
You may miss a period for one or two months, or you may experience complete amenorrheathat is, no period for three or more months in a row. This article explores 10 common reasons your period may be delayed.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
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Your Weight Or Diet Has Dramatically Changed
Styer says that if youve lost or gained a high amount of weight, your cycle may be affected. Your changing diet may also be the cause of a late period, Druet notes. Severely restricting the amount of calories you consume or not getting enough calories for how much you exercise can cause the reproductive hormones to stop, whilst weight gain can cause estrogen to rise, she says. Bothcan affect the menstrual cycle.
Youre In Early Menopause
Early menopause, also known as premature ovarian insufficiency, happens when your ovaries stop working before you turn 40.
When your ovaries are not working the way they should, they stop producing multiple hormones, including estrogen. As your estrogen levels drop to all-time lows, you will begin to experience the symptoms of menopause.
Late or missed periods may be an early sign. You may also experience:
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Are There Any Natural Methods That Work To Delay Your Period
You may have heard somewhere on the internet that there are a few natural or homemade methods that can help you delay your periodbut our experts agree that this is not the way to go.
“If you search online, you’ll likely read about natural ways to delay your period, like consuming gram lentils, gelatin, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or even green bean water a few days to a week before your period,” said Dr. Horton. “However, none of these methods are scientifically proven to work because drinking or eating special foods does not alter the hormones involved in regulating your period. They can, however, affect your teeth, gums, mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal tract if taken in excessive amounts.”
Other suspected remedies like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium can help to relieve cramps and reduce your flow if you’ve already started your period, but they won’t prevent it altogether.
Ultimately, if you’re looking to temporarily pause your period, you are able to do so in a safe and effective way. But, as always, if you have any concerns or are unsure about which method to go for, talk to your healthcare provider to determine the best path for your individual situation.
Youve Been Sick Or Are Dealing With A Medical Condition
Illness can certainly influence the timing of your cycle, Styer says. The common cold may not be enough to shift your cycle, but both temporary sickness and chronic conditions can throw it out of whack. Druet names thyroid disorders and uterine polyps or fibroids as other conditions that can have the same effect.
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Fight Your Period Jiggle With Gelatin Wiggle
Once again, theres no science behind this, but some people claim that drinking gelatin that has been dissolved in warm water can push back your period for a few hours. To buy yourself even more time, its recommended that you drink the mixture repeatedly.
Aside from being rather unpalatable , drinking copious amounts of straight gelatin could trigger digestive distress and bloating.
How To Delay Your Period
This article was medically reviewed by Lacy Windham, MD. Dr. Windham is a board certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Tennessee. She attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and completed her residency at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2010, where she was awarded the Most Outstanding Resident in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Most Outstanding Resident in Oncology, and Most Outstanding Resident Overall. This article has been viewed 2,796,318 times.
Sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation in which you would like to delay your period. Maybe you have a special occasion coming up, or you’ll be in a sporting event where you’d rather not deal with your period. For most people, it is safe to delay your period, but you should always talk to your doctor first, especially since the easiest and best ways to delay your period involve birth control or other prescription medications.
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How To Delay Period Naturally
One thing to remember is that you should not try to change your period if it is not incredibly important, because this can affect the regularity of your period. Here are some natural ways for you to try safely.
1. Natural Progesterone Cream
The levels of progesterone rise during the first half of your menstrual cycle. It comes down slowly by the second half. That dip in your progesterone levels tells your body to start your menstrual period. You can use natural progesterone cream and keep your progesterone levels elevated for a few days. This will help you delay your period for a few more days.
You need to start use the creams at ovulation and apply at least 1/4 teaspoon for twice each day to get desired results. Just stop using the cream when you want your period comes.
2. Foods to Eat and Avoid
You need to pay attention to your diet in order to learn how to delay period naturally, because your hormones can be influenced by your hormones and further help delay your period. Raspberry leaves and lentils may help delay menstruation. Sucking on a lemon may have the same effects.
Also, you need to eliminate certain foods from your diet because they usually bring on your period early. The list includes garlic, ginger, papaya, sesameand peppers. Yet, you may increase the use of these foods though to get your period out of the way early.
3. Breast Massage
4. Intense Exercise
5. Herbs
6. Gelatin
7. Lemon
8. Stress Relief
Foods That Can Actually Delay Your Periods Naturally
Girls who get periods may often wish they could delay their periods.
Apart from menstrual bleeding, periods may be accompanied with cramps, mood swings, breast tenderness, bloating and other symptoms of PMS. many times a female would feel like pushing their periods off a bit to avoid other symptoms.
If you search online for ways to naturally delay your period, you will see a million kinds of ideas, from exercising to drinking vinegar water. But, can they delay periods naturally? Lets get to know about it in detail further.
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Natural Ways And 3 Medical Methods To Postpone Period
Managing your period can sometimes be a challenging task, especially when you have a crucial swimming competition or want to go on a romantic holiday with your partner. These issues make women look for ways to delay their periods. Well, here you can learn to delay period naturally by making simple lifestyle changes as well medical sure ways.
Delaying or stopping menstruation has become possible with the development of modern hormonal contraceptives. There are lots of reasons people do it: medical reasons such as heavy menstrual bleeding, preparation for medical procedures, period migraines, or if they have an upcoming sports event, wedding, or vacation. After all, periods dont always happen at the most convenient time. Keep reading to discover how to delay your period and if its safe to do it.
Reasons For A Missed Period
Your provider may also refer you to a mental health specialist for cognitive-behavioral therapy . CBT helps you learn strategies to change how you think and approach certain situations. With CBT, individuals may work on their attitudes and views regarding eating, exercising, and a healthy lifestyle to learn better strategies for handling stressful situations .
Having an irregular period can be frustrating. Still, be patient with your body as it may take time to return to its natural balance.
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When To See Your Doctor
If your periods seem irregular, or youve missed a period but know youre not pregnant, its a good idea to talk with your doctor ASAP, as there are many reasons and conditions that could be causing the issue.
Your doctor can properly diagnose the reason for your late or missed period and discuss your treatment options. If you can, keep a record of changes in your cycle as well as other health changes. This will help them make a diagnosis.
If you have the following symptoms, contact a doctor immediately, or call 911:
Do Antibiotics Delay Your Period
Its not uncommon to experience a later than expected period after a course of antibiotics.
While it seems logical to assume the antibiotics are responsible for this change to the menstrual cycle, theres actually no scientific evidence to back this up. In fact, scientific studies have shown that antibiotics dont cause a delay or change to your period.
That doesnt mean you might not have a delayed period after taking antibiotics. It just means the antibiotics arent the culprit. The truth is that many things can delay to your period. Often, these things are happening during the same window of time youre on antibiotics.
For example, a delayed period can be caused by stress. If you dont feel well and need antibiotics, youre likely under stress. This can also put your body under physical stress, which may get worse if you need to miss work or cancel plans.
Even if you dont feel stress, being sick enough to need antibiotics can be enough to throw your period off for a few days. So, the delay to your period is real, its just not being caused by the antibiotics.
rifampin , has been shown in studies to have any effect on your period. Rifampin is used as a treatment for tuberculosis. Other more common antibiotics wont impact your period.
However, being sick and under stress may affect your period. You might see changes to your normal menstrual cycle including:
- early periods
- light bleeding
- shorter periods
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Traveling Across Time Zones
Your brain produces the hormone melatonin to signal to your body that it’s time to go to bed, according to the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health. But when you travel to another time zone, your body releases melatonin as if you’re still at home, even if it’s broad daylight in your new location, according to an article published in July 2019 in Frontiers in Physiology.
To adjust to the new schedule, your body suppresses the hormone until it’s dark again. These fluctuations aren’t good for your flow: “It’s probably not a big deal if you’re traveling once in a while, but these adjustments may throw off your cycle if they’re happening regularly,” Dr. Baker said.
Foods That Can Actually Delay Your Periods
Menstruation is a natural phenomenon for every woman. It is an important part of her life as it signifies that a female is ready for reproduction. After a span of 22, 28, 30 days, a woman goes through the menstrual phase and the cycle continues.
While getting your periods is mandatory there can be times when you would wish to delay your periods. You would definitely not want your periods to pop in between a wedding, an international holiday, a puja or as for that matter during a festival. Periods, as they say, do not come alone. It does come along with loads of pain and not to forget mood swings. But it is not a great idea to pop pills every time you need to delay your periods. The continuous popping of pills can lead to a hormonal imbalance in the body and disrupt your menstrual cycle immensely. Hence rather than going for medications there are a set of foods which can help you in keeping the period ”Santa” at bay for few days.
5 Foods which can actually delay your periods
1. Apple cider vinegar
2. Gram lentils
3. Cucumber
It is said that cold foods can help in delaying your periods. This crunchy vegetable is known to have a cooling effect on the body and hence can keep your periods at bay for quite some time. You need to consume it for about a week before your dates and see your periods coming sometime later.
4. Gelatin
5. Watermelon
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