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Vegan missing periods
Before anyone answers, please note that I will ALWAYS be vegan NO MATTER WHAT, so please don't say stuff like "best to go off vegan diet" or any of that. Also, please be well informed on what a vegan lifestyle really is. It differs from being a vegetarian. So I became vegan on January 3 of this year, and since then have not had a period. I used to have them every 2 months. The doctor said that was normal because I don't weigh much and am highly active. I also eat pretty clean (I'm not ortharexic for those who might bring that up). I'm 17 years old (almost 18) and if this just affects childbearing, I'm totally fine with that. I don't plan to have children (at least not biologically). I heard this happens to many and I just want to make sure it's not a vitamin I'm missing that's causing this. I know for some people it can last for over 4 years! Especially if raw. I'm just raw till noon, so it's not like I'm raw a lot of the day really. I can be, just all depending I guess. I also don't weight very much for my height. I'm 5'10 and weight around 130lbs. I also recently started taking a B12 vitamin last week. I may have been low on that, but so are meat eaters. I would eat foods foritfied in it sometimes though, like almond milk or something. Does anyone know if I have anything to worry about? I don't think I do but I want to be sure. Thanks in advance!
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Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
As Razhie said, its time to see an expert, she said Dr. and I would have to add a Dietician as they deal with advising on healthy diets. In the regular medical stream of professionals, you may not find a dietician who can answer you based on your chosen diet and what alternatives you have if tests show something crucial lacking in diet that is related to this change for you. So it won't be easy finding the right health professional but checking with us here is even a further stretch away from a proper answer for you.
I would advise seeing a Dr. with a degree in Natural health. They have to go thru the same training as a gen practice Dr but also go through the extra to be a Naturopath. A good doctor will also check other parts of your lifestyle for answers and not just look immediately at diet as suspect although it is a very common culprit. I can safely say that even female athletes who are not vegan or vegetarian can have a period totally disappear for them if they are getting more than the normal needed amount of excerise. I've heard of this in runners, skaters, those who enter all triathelons, or female body builders. The amount of exercise needed to be in top shape for these choices can and often will disrupt a females cycle, not just becoming less but not at all.
My own theory is having heard that in times of war and other stressful periods for the populace in the long ago past, Dr.s have documented that may women had trouble with having regular periods or it stopped totally for a while. It must be something the human body does when it is overstressed beyond its normal needs. And it kinda makes sense to not be pregnant and bringing a child into the world at a time of war for example.
There are different kinds of stress. The stress of too much exercise, stress from lots of major unexpected changes to your life, like job, death in the family etc. that can produce the kind of stress needed to set your body off balance. So it would be smart to get checked out to make sure there is nothing life threatening happening to you that is better found sooner and treated than too late. Good luck.
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Get to a doctor.
There are smart, and stupid ways, to be a vegan. Just like there are smart, and stupid ways, to eat meat. So get to a doctor and find out what is happening. It could be totally unrelated to your diet! But it's worth knowing why your very young body has decided to shut down a process that the body doesn't normally shut down for no reason.
A young, healthy woman shouldn't be skipping periods for months or years at time. It can be a sign that your body is not getting what it needs to sustain you—missing your period may be the only sign you currently see, but that doesn't mean it's the only issue going on. So, really, ask a doctor.
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