Amenorrhea - Supplements

A loss of periods is called amenorrhea, a condition that may result from low levels of certain hormones. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.

Get enough nutrients
Eat more food or choose a high-calorie supplement if you are underweight, have low body fat, or are an athlete
Look after your bones
Protect yourself from amenorrhea-related bone loss by taking 800 to 1,500 of calcium and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D each day
Get a checkup
Visit your doctor to find out if your amenorrhea is the result of a treatable medical problem
Regulate your workouts
Balance hormone function by avoiding intense or excessive exercise

Also indexed as:

amenorrhea,
loss of periods,
no periods

About this treatment

What Are "Star" Ratings?

a7_3star Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

a7_2star Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

a7_1star For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support.

Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.

For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.

Supplement	Amount	Why
Progesterone	Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner	The oral, micronized form has been shown to successfully induce normal menstrual bleeding in women with secondary amenorrhea. (Use of this natural hormone should always be supervised by a doctor.)
Progesterone Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner Oral, micronized progesterone (200 to300 mg per day) has been shown in at least one double-blind trial to successfully induce normal menstrual bleeding in women with secondary amenorrhea.⁵⁶ Use of this natural hormone should always be supervised by a doctor. What Else Is This Supplement Used For?

Supplement	Amount	Why
Acetyl-L-Carnitine	Refer to label instructions	Acetyl-L-carnitine may help restore menstruation in some amenorrheic women.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid that may have effects on brain chemicals and hormones that control female reproductive hormones. In a preliminary trial, 2 grams daily of acetyl-L-carnitine was given to amenorrheic women who had either low or normal blood levels of female hormones. Hormone levels improved in the women with low initial levels, and half of all the women resumed menstruating within three to six months after beginning supplementation.⁵⁷ Controlled trials are needed to confirm these promising results. What Else Is This Supplement Used For? See Drug Interactions

Supplement	Amount	Why
Blue Cohosh	Refer to label instructions	Traditional practitioners consider blue cohosh to be a uterine tonic and an agent that stimulates menstrual blood flow, and it is used as a remedy for lack of menstruation.
Blue Cohosh Blue cohosh is a traditional remedy for lack of menstruation. It is considered an emmenagogue (agent that stimulates menstrual blood flow) and a uterine tonic. No clinical trials have validated this traditional use. What Else Is This Supplement Used For?

Supplement	Amount	Why
Calcium and Vitamin D (Osteoporosis)	Refer to label instructions	Despite the lack of evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplements alone are helpful to amenorrheic women, they are still generally recommended to prevent the added burden of calcium and vitamin D deficiency from further contributing to bone loss.
Calcium and Vitamin D A preliminary trial showed that bone loss occurred over a one-year period in amenorrheic exercising women despite daily supplementation with 1,200 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D.⁵⁸ In a controlled study of amenorrheic nursing women, who ordinarily experience brief bone loss that reverses when menstruation returns, bone loss was not prevented by a multivitamin supplement providing 400 IU of vitamin D along with 500 mg twice daily of calcium or placebo.⁵⁹ Despite the lack of evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplements alone are helpful to amenorrheic women, they are still generally recommended to prevent the added burden of calcium and vitamin D deficiency from further contributing to bone loss.⁶⁰ Amounts typically recommended are 1,200 to 1,500 mg calcium and 400 to 800 IU vitamin D daily.

Supplement	Amount	Why
Motherwort	Refer to label instructions	Motherwort has traditionally been thought to stimulate absent or diminished menses, though it has not been studied clinically.
Motherwort Herbal emmenagogues traditionally regarded as stimulating absent or diminished menses are motherwort, rue, partridge berry, and yarrow. None of these herbs has undergone modern clinical trials to determine their efficacy. All emmenagogues should be avoided in pregnancy, as they may possibly cause a spontaneous abortion. What Else Is This Supplement Used For?

Supplement	Amount	Why
Partridge Berry	Refer to label instructions	Partridge berry has traditionally been thought to stimulate absent or diminished menses, though it has not been studied clinically.
Partridge Berry Herbal emmenagogues traditionally regarded as stimulating absent or diminished menses are motherwort, rue, partridge berry, and yarrow. None of these herbs has undergone modern clinical trials to determine their efficacy. All emmenagogues should be avoided in pregnancy, as they may possibly cause a spontaneous abortion.

Supplement	Amount	Why
Rue	Refer to label instructions	Rue has traditionally been thought to stimulate absent or diminished menses, though it has not been studied clinically.
Rue Herbal emmenagogues traditionally regarded as stimulating absent or diminished menses are motherwort, rue, partridge berry, and yarrow. None of these herbs has undergone modern clinical trials to determine their efficacy. All emmenagogues should be avoided in pregnancy, as they may possibly cause a spontaneous abortion.

Supplement	Amount	Why
Vitamin B6	Refer to label instructions	Preliminary evidence found that vitamin B6 restored menstruation and normalized hormone levels in three women with amenorrhea who had high prolactin levels.
Vitamin B6 Prolactin is a hormone that may be elevated in some cases of amenorrhea. A preliminary trial of 200 to 600 mg daily of vitamin B6 restored menstruation and normalized prolactin levels in three amenorrheic women with high initial prolactin levels; however, 600 mg daily of vitamin B6 had no effect on amenorrheic women who did not have high prolactin levels.⁶¹ A number of other small, preliminary trials have not demonstrated an effect of either oral or injected vitamin B6 on prolactin levels,⁶² ^{, 63} ^{, 64} ^{, 65} ^{, 66} and they also have reported inconsistent effects on restoring menstruation.⁶⁷ ^{, 68} ^{, 69} Larger, controlled trials are needed to better determine the usefulness of vitamin B6 in amenorrhea. What Else Is This Supplement Used For? See Drug Interactions

Supplement	Amount	Why
Vitamin C and Clomiphene	Refer to label instructions	Vitamin C combined with the drug clomiphene, which affects female hormone levels, is more effective at stimulating ovulation in women with amenorrhea than either substance alone.
Vitamin C and Clomiphene Vitamin C alone, at 400 mg daily, had no effect on amenorrhea in one preliminary trial, although it was associated with the return of ovulation in some women who were menstruating regularly but not ovulating. In a second phase of the trial, the same amount of vitamin C was combined with a drug that affects female hormone levels, and this combination was associated with return of ovulation in almost half of amenorrheic women who had not benefited from the drug alone.⁷⁰ More studies of the effect of vitamin C on amenorrhea are needed.

Supplement	Amount	Why
Vitex	Refer to label instructions	In herbal medicine, vitex, also known as chaste tree, is sometimes used to treat amenorrhea. Research suggests it may regulate hormones related to menstruation and fertility.
Vitex In herbal medicine, vitex (Vitex agnus-castus; chaste tree) is sometimes used to treat female infertility and amenorrhea.⁷¹ Elevation of prolactin can be a cause of amenorrhea, and vitex has been shown in animals to reduce elevated prolactin levels.⁷² In a controlled trial, prolactin production was normalized in women with high prolactin levels after three months of treatment with vitex.⁷³ Vitex has also been found to raise levels of luteinizing hormone and subsequent progesterone levels in women with luteal phase defect—a condition that can also lead to menstrual cycle abnormalities, including amenorrhea.⁷⁴ To date, only one small preliminary trial has studied the effects of vitex on amenorrhea. This study found that ten of fifteen women with amenorrhea began having a normal period after taking 40 drops of a liquid vitex preparation once daily for six months.⁷⁵ Further research is needed to determine what role vitex may play in the management of amenorrhea. What Else Is This Supplement Used For?

Supplement	Amount	Why
Yarrow	Refer to label instructions	Yarrow has traditionally been thought to stimulate absent or diminished menses, though it has not been studied clinically.
Yarrow Herbal emmenagogues traditionally regarded as stimulating absent or diminished menses are motherwort, rue, partridge berry, and yarrow. None of these herbs has undergone modern clinical trials to determine their efficacy. All emmenagogues should be avoided in pregnancy, as they may possibly cause a spontaneous abortion. What Else Is This Supplement Used For?

References

Last Review: 05-11-2011

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The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

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