Menstrual disorders due to iron deficiency | Menstrual disorders

Menstrual disorders due to iron deficiency

Iron deficiency is present in many women due to menstruation. Especially women with a heavy menstrual flow can suffer from iron deficiency due to the loss of blood and the resulting iron loss. But can iron deficiency also be the reason for menstrual problems?

An iron deficiency can lead to anemia (lack of blood). This manifests itself through symptoms such as tiredness, exhaustion, listlessness, headaches and paleness. Increased nail fragility and hair loss can also be the result.

These complaints can be alleviated by an increased iron intake. Depending on how severe the deficiency is, iron preparations may be necessary. However, the iron intake can also be increased by taking iron-containing food.

Menstrual disorders caused by L-thyroxine

L-thyroxine is a drug that is very commonly prescribed. It is prescribed to treat hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism). Hypothyroidism can be the trigger for a so-called secondary amenorrhea, which is the absence of menstruation.

In an underactive thyroid, the TSH, an important hormone in the thyroid’s regulatory circuit, is elevated, which leads to an increase in prolactin. This increased prolactin causes the menstruation to stop. The administration of L-thyroxine ensures that the TSH reaches a normal level when dosed sufficiently. If the dosage is too low, however, the TSH is increased, so that irregularities in the cycle can occur. Menstrual cramps can also occur as a side effect of irregular intake or incorrect dosage.

Menstrual disorder in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which hypothyroidism occurs in the late course of the disease. This hypothyroidism has certain consequences, also for the female cycle. Hypothyroidism results in an increase in TSH, which is an important hormone in the thyroid gland‘s regulatory circuit.

This increase in TSH leads to an increase in the hormone prolactin. The increased prolactin leads to an oestrogen deficiency, which causes secondary amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation. As many as 20% of women who suffer from such secondary amenorrhea have an increase in prolactin levels.