DEAR DR. GOTT: I am 51 years old and stopped getting my period 21 months ago. All of a sudden this last month I had excruciating lower back pain and then started bleeding lightly. My GYN said it was probably just because I was a little heavy but he did extensive testing only to find nothing abnormal. In your opinion, is being a little heavy cause for me to get my period after 21 months? I have never heard of anyone going through this before.

DEAR READER: Irregular menstrual cycles can occur for a number of reasons, to include the use of specific medications, stress, lifestyle changes, vigorous exercise, eating disorders, weight loss or gain, current medical conditions, thinning of the tissues lining the uterus, and overall health. A cycle can vary from woman to woman when it comes to regularity or irregularity, [Read more...]