Irregular Periods

Hi Anon,

The Canadian Association of Naturopathic Physicians is www.cand.ca.

I think the best way to approach your family doctor is by being honest. Tell her you would like a referral to see a doctor who specializes in women's health. It is important to have your health concerns properly addressed by a physician with knowledge appropriate to your condition. It sounds like you are not getting the answers you need from her and if she is unable to provide you with the care you need she is obligated to refer you to someone who can.

Good luck and keep us posted on what happens.

Anon,

Here's a link to Canadian naturopathic doctors:

http://www.cand.ca/index.php?L=0

At the top of that page is a "Find a Doctor" search that asks you where in Canada you live and takes you to a page where you can enter 3 characters of your postal code and it will search for you.

And on asking your family doctor about a referral to a gynecologist, please know that this is very very common. You needn't say anything more than "In addition to having you as a family doctor, I would also like to see a gynecologist. Would you write me a referral?" I don't think your doctor would feel insulted at all. General doctors understand that patients desire to see specialists in certain areas; it's not a personal thing. Do you feel that you can ask it in that way?

Thanks for the reply!

I have been a little busy since I last replied, so I have not had much time to look into finding another doctor.

Thank you for the link, but I was wondering if you had one for Canadian doctors?

I called a few Gyn in my area but for most of them require references from a doctor, how can I request a reference without insulting the doctor I went too, since she is one of my family doctors. Any suggestions?

Hi Anon,

Irregular menstruation is very common these days and is often due to some form of hormonal imbalance. Do you know what type of blood work your doctor ordered for you? It sounds like you have periods amenorrhea. An absence of menstruation for 3 or more months in a woman who has previously menstruated is called amenorrhea.

The most common causes of amenorrhea are:

PCOS or poly cystic ovarian syndrome
Thyroid dysfunction
Abnormal prolactin production
Hypothalamic related causes

It sounds like you may need to find another physician who is willing to work with you to find out what is causing your irregular cycles. It is great that you are trying to figure this out now and not in 10 years when you are desperate to get pregnant. I would recommend finding a qualified Naturopathic Doctor in your area to work with you. www.naturopathic.org is a good place to start.

Anon,

Ovarian Cysts, believe it or not are actually quite common in women and most of the time are harmless. Some women never actually realize that they've had a cyst because many times they are not bothersome and will disappear on their own after a couple of months without treatment.

You may not have any symptoms, but remember that if you get an abrupt onset of pain or pain accompanied by fever and/or vomiting-- you should see a doctor.

Good luck, I know it can be frustrating not knowing why your period is irregular but you may really have nothing to worry about since your labs are perfectly fine and you have no other symptoms of illness. Again, a second opinion never hurts.

Dear Anon,

Thanks for your post. I can understand why you would like to know why you are only getting 2-3 periods a year.

Do you feel any irregular pain or heavy bleeding during the times you get your period? Many times irregular periods are common in teens but tend to regulate slowly over time. Sometimes they remain irregular but this doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with you. However, I would continue to press for answers because in the two instances that I've known women with irregular periods, they have both been cyst-related, this shouldn't scare you but asking for a pelvic ultrasound doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Good Luck, I hope you get some answers soon. Remember that if any particular doctor seems dismissive to your concerns you are always entitled to change to a different doctor.