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Amenorrhea

Menstruation, or a period, is part of a monthly cycle in women. If a woman does not have or misses a period it is called amenorrhea. It can be:

Primary—first period does not happen during the time a girl is 9 to 18 years of age
Secondary—three or more missed periods

It is often due to hormone problems. This can happen because of health problems, medicine, genes, or too much exercise. The cause will need to be treated. Some women turn to natural treatments to promote periods.

Natural Therapies

May Be Effective

Therapies that may promote periods are:

Acupuncture inserts thin needles into points of the body to promote health ^A1
Mentha longifolia (horse mint) is an herb ^C1
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine uses herbs to restore balance in the body ^D1
Traditional Persian medicine uses herbs to promote health ^E1

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.

References►

Acupuncture

A1. Jedel E, Labrie F, Odén A, et al. Impact of electro-acupuncture and physical exercise on hyperandrogenism and oligo/amenorrhea in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2011;300(1).

Fennel

B1. Mohebbi-Kian E, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, et al. Efficacy of fennel and combined oral contraceptive on depot medroxyprogesterone acetate-induced amenorrhea: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Contraception. 2014 Oct;90(4):440-446.

Mentha Longifolia Syrup

C1. Mokaberinejad R, Zafarghandi N, Bioos S, et al. Mentha longifolia syrup in secondary amenorrhea: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials. DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2012;20(1):97.

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine

D1. Lai L, Flower A,. Standardised versus individualised multiherb Chinese herbal medicine for oligomenorrhoea and amenorrhoea in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomised feasibility and pilot study in the UK. BMJ Open. 2017 Feb 3;7(2):e011709.

Traditional Persian Medicine

E1. Moini Jazani A, Hamdi K, et al. Herbal Medicine for Oligomenorrhea and Amenorrhea: A Systematic Review of Ancient and Conventional Medicine. Biomed Res Int. 2018 Mar 18;2018:3052768.

Last reviewed February 2020 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC Last Updated: 11/13/2020

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