Can stress be the reason for a missed period?

Stress and menses: Stress can certainly interfere with menstrual cycles. Whether or not this is the cause of your period problems, only you and your doctor can say. Please bring this up with him or her. Help is available if you want it.

Yes: Reasons for missed/late periods: low body weight, obesity, marked weight ^ or v, over-exercise, endurance athletics, breast-feeding, ^ stress, illness, eating disorders (bulimia or anorexia), anovulatory cycle (no egg released), travel, hormone irregularities, drug use, meds (i.e., birth control) or medical problems (i.e. PCOS). #1 reason is pregnancy.

Absolutely: Reasons for missed/late periods: low body weight, obesity, marked weight ^ or v, over-exercise, endurance athletics, breast-feeding, ^ stress, illness, eating disorders (bulimia or anorexia), anovulatory cycle (no egg released), travel, hormone irregularities, drug use, meds (i.e., birth control) or medical problems (polycystic ovary syndrome or asherman’s syndrome). #1 reason is pregnancy.

Stress and periods: Yes, emotional stress and physical stress (anorexia, or chronic illness) can cause missed periods. Blood pregnancy tests can be helpful if urine tests are negative in the setting of a truly missed period. If periods are missed for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles in an adult female, formal evaluation and testing by your family physician and gynecologist is warranted.