QuestionI have been smoking Marijuana on a daily basis now, and my period is ALWAYS
on time. Last time I had sex was 3 months ago, and I had my period after that.
I have tried looking, but cant find anything, does marijuana cause a change in
hormones that would delay my period?
AnswerDear Stephanie,
Drug use, in general, can cause menstrual cycle irregularities. They have found that chronic conditions like starvation, excessive exercise, depression, psychological stress, marijuana use, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, thalassemia major, HIV infection, renal disease, thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, and anorexia nervosa can cause something called hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and result in amenorrhea (the absence of periods). Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism involves a slowing of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) released from the hypothalamus in the brain caused by multifactoral components of decreased body fat and increased beta endorphins. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is essentially ovarian failure. So put simply, yes, marijuana can and often does cause the absence of periods because it causes the ovaries to stop working properly. I would urge you to stop using this drug by whatever means necessary if you wish to try and have children in the future. I would hate to see this drug affect your fertility if you do.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
