How to Stop Amenorrhea With Birth Control

Women of childbearing age menstruate roughly every 23 to 35 days, shedding the lining of the uterine wall as well as an unfertilized egg cell. In some cases, however, women fail to experience menstruation as anticipated. This is called amenorrhea, and it can be related to a wide range of medical or environmental conditions. In some cases, birth control medications can induce amenorrhea; in others, they can prevent it.

Instructions

• 1

  Take a home pregnancy test. The most common cause of amenorrhea, of course, is pregnancy. If you are pregnant, you certainly won't want to start a birth control regimen, and if you are taking birth control, stop immediately upon discovering your pregnancy.

• 2

  Start a birth control regimen to help prevent irregular menstruation, provided you're not pregnant. High stress and athletic activity can cause hormone imbalances, especially in younger women. Birth control pills can help provide a more regular pattern of hormones in the body to keep menstruation regular.

• 3

  Consult your ob/gyn or family planning clinic if you're concerned that birth control has caused your amenorrhea. Certain types of birth control, in particular long-acting progesterone pills like Depo-Provera, can delay menstruation for months. Consider changing birth control medications, or see if amenorrhea isn't a common and normal result of your birth control medicine.