In the majority of cases, no medical treatment is not needed. Before prescribing treatment, it is imperative to find the cause of amenorrhea, treat the underlying disease if necessary, and obtain psychological support if needed. It is sometimes suggested that you have sex hormones if your doctor suspects you have endocrine disease.

The application of the preventive measures mentioned above allows the return of menstruation in several women:

– Healthy eating;

– maintenance of a healthy weight;

– stress management;

– moderation in the practice of physical exercises.

Medication

Hormonal treatments

In the case of a ovarian dysfunction in a young woman, a hormonal treatment will be suggested for the development of sexual characteristics and fertility, and to prevent osteoporosis in the long term.

For women who have undergone surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries very early (before the presumed age of menopause), hormone replacement therapy comprising estrogens AND progestins may be offered to prevent osteoporosis and other consequences attributable to the lowering of circulating hormone levels. This treatment can be stopped around the age of 55.

Warning : This treatment cannot be prescribed to women who have had their uterus or ovaries removed for hormone-dependent cancer. It also cannot be prescribed to women who have had ovarian castration by radiotherapy or chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Apart from these situations, no hormonal treatment is effective to bring about the return of the rules.

In addition, the treatments of ” cycle regularization (For example, taking a synthetic progestin in the second part of the cycle for women with irregular periods who would like a regular cycle to conceive) has no scientific basis. They can even contribute to accentuate menstrual cycle disorders by compromising the spontaneous onset of ovulations. It is not the regularity of the cycle that counts, but the respect of the cycle as it is in a given woman.

Non-hormonal treatment

When amenorrhea is due to high prolactin secretion linked to a benign pituitary gland tumor, bromocriptine (Parlodel®) is a very effective drug which lowers prolactin levels and allows menstruation to return. This is the same treatment that is given, just after childbirth, to women who do not want to breastfeed.

Psychotherapy

If amenorrhea is accompanied by psychological disorder, the doctor may offer psychotherapy. The parallel use of hormonal treatments can be discussed, depending on the age of the woman, the duration of amenorrhea and the adverse effects of hormonal deficiency (if any). However, psychotropic drugs should be avoided, as they can lead to amenorrhea.

Amenorrhea associated with anorexia imperatively requires monitoring by a multidisciplinary team including nutritionist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, etc. THE’Anorexia often affects adolescent girls or young women.

If you have a psychological trauma significant (rape, loss of a loved one, accident, etc.) or personal conflicts (divorce, financial difficulties, etc.), amenorrhea lasting several months or even years can set in, especially in a woman whose psychic balance was already fragile. The best treatment is then to consult a psychotherapist.

Surgical treatment

If amenorrhea is caused by a malformation of the reproductive system, surgery can sometimes be undertaken (in case of imperforation of the hymen for example). But if the malformation is too important (Turner’s syndrome or insensitivity to androgens), the surgery will only have a cosmetic and comfort function by modifying the appearance and functionality of the undeveloped sexual organs, but will not “bring back” the rules. .