[MuddyBoots]

Literally just was forced to the hospital for a "critically low BMI." I've NEVER had a regular cycle in my life--the closest to it I ever got was getting 4 periods in 3 months like every 15-30 days (nothing the 4 years before that and nothing the 6 months after that).

But the last three months I've had bleeding towards the end of the month every month? I don't know if it's heavy enough to be a "period" (before when I menstruated it'd be like soak a super plus tampon AND pad in like four hours, now I just wear a pair of period underwear, maybe a light or regular tampon at the heaviest of times that lasts 5-6 hours. It only lasts like 3-4 days too, not anywhere from 5 to 16 days like before.

Idk, I know one of the old criteria they got rid of for anorexia was amenorrhea, but this is kinda the opposite where I get "dangerously underweight" (only according to my psychiatrist, not the MDs at l'hopital) and for the second time in 15 years post menarche have three months of something resembling a regular cycle?

Anyone have any kind of explanation?

[divine1966]

It’s common to not have it due to malnutrition and/or extreme stress.

My grandmother was an army nurse during WWII (European front/combat/dragging wounded soldiers from the field kind of nursing), she said most nurses either didn’t have periods at all or had them very on and off (on and off was more common).

She once didn’t have it for the entire year, then it came back full speed in extremely uncomfortable situation (on the train with no supplies or accommodations).

Human body is so confusing. I’d say yes malnutrition causes disruption in a cycle but it doesn’t mean it can’t come back. Yours seems to be back for the time being but it’s not the same in terms of amount of blood

[MuddyBoots]

But it’s not “back” it’s like this regular pattern has appeared for the first time ever. Can malnutrition CAUSE your cycle to regulate?

[unaluna]

Maybe your body is reacting to the quality, not so much the quantity. Micro bits of macros are filtering in and your gonads are thinking it's go-time. A little chicken, a little fruit...

[divine1966]

Originally Posted by MuddyBoots

But it’s not “back” it’s like this regular pattern has appeared for the first time ever. Can malnutrition CAUSE your cycle to regulate?

That I wouldn’t know. I suspect that malnutrition wouldn’t cause cycles to become regular. But I am not a doctor.

I do know that my periods made no rhyme or reason and had no logic for the entire 40 years I had them.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by divine1966

I do know that my periods made no rhyme or reason and had no logic for the entire 40 years I had them.

They used mine to set the train schedules.

[MuddyBoots]

So basically for my hormones to be "normal" I have to eat like a person should, but just like 1/13th of the quantity?