Many factors can cause delayed or missing periods. Apart from pregnancy, amenorrhea (or irregular periods) is an important cause of delayed periods. If your menstruation has always been scanty and irregular, it is best to get yourself checked for polycystic ovarian syndrome or other hormonal issues. Long term absence of periods or menstruation can impact bone density since lower levels of estrogen can eat into the bones causing calcium depletion. Excess exercise, stress and drastic dietary changes can also lead to delayed periods. Following are some home remedies to start delayed periods immediately.
1. Increase your caloric intake
Many times, low calorie diets followed with extreme exercise can lead to amenorrhea and delayed periods. Start taking high-calorie foods such as sports drinks and protein shakes. This is one of the tried and tested ways of avoiding symptoms of delayed periods.
2. Ease off exercise
If you are wondering what to do if menstruation is delayed and heavy exercise is the culprit then the best thing to do is ease off exercise for a few days. Start eating healthy fats like walnuts, avocados, olive oil along with a high-calorie diet. This should restart your periods immediately. If however, your condition persists then do check with your healthcare provider.
3. Lose weight
Obese women are more likely to suffer symptoms of delayed periods such as scanty periods, white discharge and amenorrhea . In such a case, one needs to follow a low-calorie diet rich in soy protein and legumes.Herbs like spirulina and nutritional yeast can also help.
4. Use “blood-mover” herbs
Nature has provided us with many ‘blood-moving’ herbs that literally help “move the blood”. This relieves pain and also kick-starts delayed periods. Following herbs are used in Eastern countries specifically as home remedies to get periods immediately:
- Motherwort-Herbalists recommend no more than 2-4grams of this powdered herb for treating delayed periods and white discharge. If you are taking its tincture, take 2-6 ml daily.
- Black cohosh-This herbal remedy softens the cervix to restart your periods. You can take it along with Blue cohosh to start delayed periods immediately. Take up to 40-80 mg of black cohosh daily. In tincture form, use 2-4ml of tincture in a glass of water.
- Dong Quai-Dong quai is Chinese Angelica. The dosage of dong quai to start periods is 5-15 drops of tincture in water every 4-5 hours. If you are taking capsules, go for 1000 mg every 4 hours.
- Yarrow– Typical yarrow dosage is 4.5 g per day. This herbal tea can help restart delayed menstruation immediately.
- Vitex– Vitex is a hormone regulator. It balances estrogen and progesterone ratio and inhibits prolactin from the pituitary gland to restart delayed periods. Take 160-240 mg daily.
5. DIY homemade period easy-flow herbal tea recipe
Here is an easy DY homemade tea with herbs for starting delayed periods immediately and avoid pregnancy: Use 1 oz of each of Vitex, Yarrow, Black cohosh, red clover and licorice tinctures. Combine all of them and take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. You can also use fresh or dried herbs in place of tinctures. Steep the herbs in water for 5-10 minutes and drink the tea 3 times a day to restart periods.
6. Use emmenagogues
Many herbs are emmenagogues, meaning that they stimulate the uterus and restart delayed menses. Ginger, rosemary and chamomile are some of them. You need to make very strong teas with these herbs to see effect.
7. Pennyroyal
A cup of pennyroyal tea can restart menstruation when delayed due to illness, flu or cold. You can also take mugwort tea for the same reason. (Caution-do not consume pennyroyal essential oil as it is extremely toxic to humans when taken internally).
8. Use a vibrator
Many women have seen great results in starting delayed periods by using vibrator in the vaginal area. Vibration can stimulate the cervix and regulate flow of menstrual blood. Having sexual intercourse or the use of dildos can also help start periods that are delayed.
As always, please exercise caution when using any herbal medicine to start delayed menstruation. If you do not see results, it is best to seek medical help and treat the underlying cause of the condition.