Low Vitamin D and Missed Period?

by Nicole Hewson
(Las Vegas, NV)

I recently went to see my doctor because of two missed periods in a row. I was not pregnant, but she diagnosed me with low Vitamin D. I have not found any information online about low Vitamin D. levels causing missed periods.

Can this be a symptom?


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ANSWER:

Hi Nicole,

First of all, there are a MILLION reasons why you could have missed your period. So, the obvious questions besides pregnancy are:

How low is your Vitamin D?

How old are you?

What is your body fat percentage?

How much do you exercise?

What kind of stress are you under?

and on and on.


Of course menopause can make you skip periods, but if you are young, then there are tons of other reasons to miss your period. The most obvious is decreased body fat and/or a large amount of stress.

I've never seen anything relating vitamin d levels to the menstrual cycle, and you have to remember that just because you just got DIAGNOSED with vitamin d deficiency does not mean that this vitamin d deficiency is NEW to you.

If you live in Las Vegas and still have low Vitamin d levels, then its likely that you are basically indoors most of the time and very rarely get any sun.

If this is true, then its likely that you have had a Vitamin d deficiency for MANY MANY years- maybe even DECADES!!


So, it's MORE likely that your vitamin d deficiency is just a coincidental finding- most women have vitamin d deficiency. It's just that doctors don't look for it until there are problems. But it's likely been low for a very very long time and probably has nothing to do with your missed periods.




Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

Vitamin D/ Depression/Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome?

by Lyanne F.
(New York, NY)

I am 20-year old female with poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Depression is one of the symptoms of PCOS, and I was wondering if this condition can be bettered by taking vitamin D.

I used to take vitamin D3 (5000 IU's) when I started out on a raw food lifestyle last summer, but once the school year started I got lazy with the supplements, and started eating more junk. I immediately felt the effects, as I didn't do as well my second semester in college as I did my first.

This summer, I decided to get back on a healthy lifestyle and have been incorporating lots of whole foods(mostly raw fruits, veggies, and super-foods) and exercise into my lifestyle, but I still don't feel 100%.

Do you think that higher doses of vitamin D3 can help me with my PCOS and depression/mood swings? Is there any recommended dosage of the vitamin to help with PCOS? I just really want to get better!

~Lyanne F. (New York, NY)

Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Skipped Periods?

by Anna
(London)

My period came a week in advance in Feb. Then I skipped my period for the month of March and had to induce it using Gynaecocid in April. When my period was late again in May, my doctor prescribed Primolut-N for ten days but even then I only had very light bleeding for one day and then barely spotting after that.

I just got my tests for Vitamin D and I have a severe deficiency. Is it possible that my menstrual cycle has also been acting strangely because of this?