very late period, not pregnant

[1842.livejournal.com]

my periods have been regular nearly all the time - i think i've skipped one cycle a few times, but other than that they have stayed mostly regular. the last time i got a menstrual cycle was in mid-late november (i never bothered to chart, which i will change after i get my period back!)

potentially relevant information:
- i have never had sex with a man, so pregnancy is out of the question
- for the last week or so my breasts have been EXTREMELY tender/sore, but only when touched
- i recently stopped drinking soda entirely (previously i had probably a minimum of 24 oz. of soda a day, and it was insanely unhealthy so i quit cold turkey in early january and experienced no problems except a few headaches)
- i don't know if this is REALLY relevant or not, but lately (since the last period) i've taken a HUGE interest in childbirth and having children whereas i didn't care about these things at all previously
- i am not stressed
- i am not on birth control or any other medication
- i am 19

is there any reason i should worry? other than the breast tenderness i have no other symptoms of anything. should i go to a doctor (i would prefer to only do this if it sounds as though there's a legitimate problem)? could the sudden dramatic drop in caffeine from my diet take away the period?

any help or insight would be great, TIA!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/prettyhowtown_/]

Sudden changes in diet and lifestyle often result in period changes. Your cycle is very sensitive to the things you do, your sleep patterns, stress, what you eat... basically everything. I used to work night shift, and when I first started staying up all night, my period was ten days late.

Just wait it out, if your period doesn't show up or any other weird symptoms come up, maybe then schedule an appointment with a doc.

[edge-ofthe-sea.livejournal.com]

This. If it's not a regular thing and you aren't having sex with the opposite sex, it's probably stress or a change in sleeping/eating patterns.

The general rule is...if your period does not show up for...6 months, go see a doctor. You could before then if it was really worrying you, but 6 months is the time you definitely need to see someone b/c it could be something like endometriosis or PCOS. It's unlikely you have either of these, unless you have other symptoms of them that aren't listed here.

Anyway, good luck! Try not to stress about it. :-)

[arseaboutface.livejournal.com]

The last time I had a very late period but wasn't pregnant, it turned out to be an ovarian cyst. I'm not saying this is happening to you, but it's something to consider. They're generally harmless, as far as I understand, though they can burst (this also happened to me, wee!) and cause pain.