No Menstrual Cycle with Negative Pregnancy Test

Have you missed a period but when you take a pregnancy test it comes up negative?  There can be lots of reasons why you have missed a period and have a negative pregnancy test.  Anything from weight fluctuation, to diet, to medications can cause a missed period. Home pregnancy tests are very accurate, but they don’t measure every hormone level.  Sometimes when you take a pregnancy test your hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) levels may not be high enough to register on a home test. With menstruation cycles varying in lengths you may think you are more pregnant than you truly are if you got pregnant later in your cycle.  If you believe you are pregnant you can wait a couple days and retest.

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Medications can lead to missed periods.  Birth control pills can change the hormone levels in the body, to make it to where you either skip periods, or have very light periods.  Other medications such as blood pressure drugs or even allergy medications can have enough change to the body that they can cause you to miss a period.  You can always consult with your physician to see if this would be a side effect of any medication you are on.

Other lifestyle factors could have effects on your menstruation cycle:

• Stress can cause a delay in your cycle or cause you to miss it.  
• Another factor can be malnutrition, if your body isn’t getting enough nutrition.  
• A big fluctuation in weight, either gaining or losing a significant amount of weight over a short period of time can cause your cycle to become abnormal.  
• Change in activity level, if you change your exercise intensity can also cause abnormalities.
• Breastfeeding is also another factor in an abnormal menstruation cycle.  

Thyroid issues can have a negative effect on  your menstruation cycle. Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid is under working.  Hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid is over working. Both cause hormone level changes.  This can be diagnosed through a simple blood test done by your doctor.

If any of these affect you but you are still unsure if this is the cause to your missed period you should consult your doctor.  

Missing  a period for three months or more is called amenorrhea.  Amenorrhea is when you have the lack of estrogen. This affects three to four percent of women.  There are different types of amenorrhe:

• Primary amenorrhea which is the delay of starting your period during puberty.  
• Secondary is when you period stops occurring due to different reasons; gynecological disorder, stress, low BMI (body mass index), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or premature ovarian failure.  

Your doctor will be able to help diagnose both types. Blood tests maybe needed, also you may need to do a CT scan or MRI if the blood tests come back normal.

Primary amenorrhea will be treated by first taking a family history to see if this is a genetic cause.  Depending on patient’s age there maybe a ovarian function test done. This test will measure the amount of estrogen being produced.  

Treatment for these depend on the cause.  Treatment maybe as easy as changing your diet, or exercise regiment.  Or if stress is the problem maybe seeking counseling or stress relievers such as meditation.  Treatment for a thyroid problem can be treated with medication. If you have premature ovarian failure you can do hormone replacement therapy.  Your doctor will have a plan on how to treat your amenorrhea.

Every menstruation cycle is different, but missing a period consistently is not normal.  If you have any questions or concerns reach out to your health care provider and they will be able to help diagnose.   

Sources:
Medicalnewstoday.com
healthline.com