Secondary Amenorrhea Anorexia Treatment Information

When cessation of menstruation is traced to an underlying physical cause, it is referred to as secondary amenorrhea. The contributory factor can be obvious, such as pregnancy, or more elusive. Amenorrhea is a common symptom of those suffering from an eating disorder, occurring in 90 percent of anorexic teenagers.

Definition of Amenorrhea

• Amenorrhea is defined by the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford as the absence of a period for three cycles and is classified as primary (menstruation never begins in the first place) or secondary.

Why it Occurs With Anorexia

• When the body is too malnourished to maintain a healthy pregnancy, the reproductive system stops operating as a protective measure against conception. Estrogen can decrease to levels found in menopause and inhibit menstruation.

Treatment

• The primary disorder--anorexia--should be addressed first. Treatment is threefold, according to Medicinenet.com, addressing weight loss, psychological causes of anorexia and healthy diet.

Weight Loss

• With extreme weight loss, hospitalization may be necessary with measures taken to spur weight gain such as intravenous or tube feeding.

Psychological Aspects

• Psychological treatment focuses on therapy addressing the underlying cause. While there is no known drug therapy to cure anorexia, mood stabilizers and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have shown promise in controlling associated symptoms and alleviating some impact of the disorder, thus resulting in weight gain and resumption of menstruation.

Prognosis

• Proper diet is required for long term maintenance and prevention. When the underlying condition is successfully treated, menstruation invariably resumes.