Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBirth Control ChangesStressExerciseDietary ChangesHormonesPregnancyWhat to Do NextWhen to Talk to Your Doctor
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Birth Control Changes
Stress
Exercise
Dietary Changes
Hormones
Pregnancy
What to Do Next
When to Talk to Your Doctor
A late period on birth control doesn’t necessarily mean that you are pregnant. Hormonal birth control is used to prevent pregnancy andregulate menstrual cycles. However, it is still possible to miss periods even on birth control.
A late or missed period can be due to a change in birth control methods, stress, diet changes, exercise, hormonal imbalances, and underlying health conditions. Going more than 90 days without a period, though, is abnormal outside of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause.
This article discusses the causes of late or missed periods on birth control. It explains how late a period can be on birth control, when it’s normal and nothing to worry about, and when you should speak to your healthcare provider.
Changing forms of birth control, such as switching fromthe pillto theNuvaRing(eluryng), can result in skipped or missed periods as your body adjusts to the different hormone levels. This is normal.
You do not need to wait for your period to arrive to stop your old form of birth control and switch to a new one. Be sure to follow your healthcare provider’s advice on when and how to switch. Your doctor can advise you on when to expect your period to return.
In some situations, you may need to use a backup birth control method (such as condoms) for up to a week after making the switch to protect against pregnancy.
There are also some forms of birth control that are known to cause periods to become lighter or to stop altogether over time. For example, theprogestin-only pill(the minipill), hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs, such asMirena,Liletta, andKyleena), and the birth control implantNexplanoncan cause periods to become lighter. In some cases, people stop getting a period over time.
Your healthcare provider will tell you if you can expect a change in the frequency of your period when discussing your birth control options. But don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions if you notice changes that you weren’t anticipating.
How to Switch to a New Birth Control Pill
Stress is one of the many factors that can lead tohypothalamic amenorrhea—a medical term used to describe a condition in which periods stop because the hypothalamus is not releasing the hormones that induce a period.
The part of the brain that controls the menstrual cycle is called the hypothalamus. When the hypothalamus is working properly, it releases chemicals that cause thepituitary glandto stimulate other hormone-producing parts of the body.
One body part the pituitary gland regulates is the ovaries, which release hormones called estrogen and progesterone.
These hormones induce a period. When the body is under stress, it makes a hormone called cortisol. This hormone can interfere with the interaction among the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the ovaries. This can cause your period to be late.
High Intensity Exercise
Just as mental stress can cause missed periods, physical stress can also disrupt your menstrual cycle, even if you’re on birth control.
High-intensity exercise can raise cortisol levels, which can interfere with the production of hormones that induce a period
If you’re exercising to lose weight, that can also play a role in a missed period. Losing too much body fat can cause hormonal changes that stop ovulation, which in turn can cause periods to stop.
Missing a period due to exercise may be an indication you are not eating enough for your activity level. High-level athletes are at particular risk of missing a period due to excessive or overintense exercise and not eating enough for their energy needs.
Consulting a sports nutritionist or other nutrition counselor may be helpful in determining the calorie needs for your activity levels to maintain your energy levels and restore menstrual regularity.
An inadequate diet can cause you to miss a period. If you don’t eat an appropriate number of calories to sustain your activity level, your body has to use its energy stores to keep everything functioning.
Sudden or extreme weight loss may cause periods to stop. People with eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia may find their periods stop.
Eating too much can also cause problems with periods. Gaining weight can cause the body to produce too much estrogen, which helps regulate the menstrual cycle.
Too much estrogen in the body can cause irregular periods, or cause them to stop entirely.
Abnormal Hormonal Balance
Hormonal imbalances in the body may cause periods to stop. This can be due to underlying conditions, such as:
Being pregnant is the most common natural cause of periods stopping.
During the menstrual cycle, hormones cause the lining of the uterus to thicken. This makes a safe place for a fertilized egg to land and implant, becoming the start of a pregnancy.
A period happens when the uterus sheds this lining, because a fertilized egg did not implant here. If the uterus is implanted with a fertilized egg, the body holds on to the lining of the uterus, which is why periods stop.
Listening to the Signs Your Period Is on the Way
In most circumstances, missing a period while on birth control is normal and nothing to worry about. If you suspect you may be pregnant, take an at-home pregnancy test.
If you’ve recently been under a lot of stress, exercising a lot, or have made significant dietary changes, you may want to make a lifestyle change (such as meditating to reduce stress or increasing your calorie intake) to get your cycle back to normal.
However, in some cases, missing a period on birth control can be an indication of an underlying health problem. If your periods continue to lapse on birth control, or if you’re having additional symptoms, such as fatigue or hair loss, speak with your healthcare provider about your concerns.
You will need an additional evaluation if you have missed more than three periods in a row and you are not pregnant.
You should speak with your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
Summary
If you are concerned about a possible pregnancy, take an at-home pregnancy test. See your healthcare provider if you miss three periods in a row, have symptoms of a hormone imbalance, or experience other troublesome symptoms.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Family Physician.How to switch birth control methods.NHS.Missed or late periods.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What causes amenorrhea?Nagma S, Kapoor G, Bharti R, et al.To evaluate the effect of perceived stress on menstrual function.J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(3):QC01-3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2015/6906.5611Huhmann K.Menses requires energy: A review of how disordered eating, excessive exercise, and high stress lead to menstrual irregularities.Clin Ther. 2020;42(3):401-407. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.01.016Johns Hopkins Medicine.Amenorrhea.Planned Parenthood.Menstruation.Penn Medicine.Irregular periods: Why is my period late?
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Family Physician.How to switch birth control methods.NHS.Missed or late periods.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What causes amenorrhea?Nagma S, Kapoor G, Bharti R, et al.To evaluate the effect of perceived stress on menstrual function.J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(3):QC01-3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2015/6906.5611Huhmann K.Menses requires energy: A review of how disordered eating, excessive exercise, and high stress lead to menstrual irregularities.Clin Ther. 2020;42(3):401-407. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.01.016Johns Hopkins Medicine.Amenorrhea.Planned Parenthood.Menstruation.Penn Medicine.Irregular periods: Why is my period late?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Family Physician.How to switch birth control methods.NHS.Missed or late periods.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What causes amenorrhea?Nagma S, Kapoor G, Bharti R, et al.To evaluate the effect of perceived stress on menstrual function.J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(3):QC01-3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2015/6906.5611Huhmann K.Menses requires energy: A review of how disordered eating, excessive exercise, and high stress lead to menstrual irregularities.Clin Ther. 2020;42(3):401-407. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.01.016Johns Hopkins Medicine.Amenorrhea.Planned Parenthood.Menstruation.Penn Medicine.Irregular periods: Why is my period late?
American Family Physician.How to switch birth control methods.
NHS.Missed or late periods.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What causes amenorrhea?
Nagma S, Kapoor G, Bharti R, et al.To evaluate the effect of perceived stress on menstrual function.J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(3):QC01-3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2015/6906.5611
Huhmann K.Menses requires energy: A review of how disordered eating, excessive exercise, and high stress lead to menstrual irregularities.Clin Ther. 2020;42(3):401-407. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.01.016
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Amenorrhea.
Planned Parenthood.Menstruation.
Penn Medicine.Irregular periods: Why is my period late?
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