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Missed or Irregular Periods - Check Your Symptoms

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

If you have any of the following symptoms, evaluate those symptoms first:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding: Go to the topic Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding.
Lower abdominal pain: Go to the topic Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger or Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older.


	Yes

Do you think you might be pregnant?


	Yes

Have you missed a period?


	Yes

Do you think that your missed or irregular periods could be caused by a medicine?


	Yes

Are you an endurance athlete, and you have not started your periods or your periods are extremely irregular?


	Yes

Are you age 15 or older, and you have never had a menstrual period?


	Yes

Are you using a hormonal birth control method, and your periods are different than you expected?


	Yes

Is your home pregnancy test positive and you are concerned about being pregnant?


	Yes

Have you done a home pregnancy test and the result was positive?


	Yes

Have you done a home pregnancy test and the result was negative, but you have not started your period and have symptoms of pregnancy?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Have you had a tubal ligation?


	Yes

Have you missed two periods, and there is no obvious cause?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Do you think that your missed or irregular periods may be caused by a medicine?Note: If your answer is Yes :Call the doctor who prescribed the medicine to determine whether this is an expected side effect of this medicine. An appointment may not be needed.If you are taking a medicine not prescribed by a doctor, stop taking it. Call your doctor if you feel you need to keep taking the medicine or if you need help to control your symptoms after you stop the medicine.

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Are you age 16 or older, and you have not had a period for 3 months?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Have you not started having menstrual periods?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Have you missed 1 or more periods, but you have not skipped any of your birth control pills?


	Yes

Have your periods been different than what your doctor told you to expect?


	Yes

Have you continued to miss periods or have very light periods and you have followed the instructions given by the doctor who prescribed the birth control pills?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

If a visit to a health professional is not needed immediately, see the Home Treatment section for self-care information.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: July 02, 2009

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

Missed or Irregular Periods Topics

Bladder Control Problems?
Have a Life Less Interrupted

Important Safety Information | Prescribing Information

ENABLEX is a prescription medicine used in adults to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

· having a strong need to go to the bathroom right away (also called "urgency")
· leaks or wetting accidents (also called "urinary incontinence")
· having to go to the bathroom too often (also called "urinary frequency")

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

You should not take once-daily ENABLEX if you have certain types of stomach problems, glaucoma, or have trouble emptying your bladder. Side effects of ENBLEX include blurred vision, and more commonly dry mouth, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain. Use caution when doing certain activities until you know how ENBALEX affects you.

As You Journey through Menopause, Vivelle-Dot Is By Your Side

VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRIPTION ONLY.

INDICATION

Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).

Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).

Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.

The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.

You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.

Prescribing Information