Perimenopause and pink discharge?

[Greengardenpixie]

A while back [ last year] I missed my period for 3 months. Since then its kind of been on and off. Most recently, i had a period but it wasnt really as heavy as it normally was. After that around 20 days after i have been spotting pinky discharge and sometimes with a little more blood. Its now been like that for over a week. My chest feels sore like i am having my period. Is this normal? I am going to go to the doctors anyway, just looking for some reassurance.

[Greengardenpixie]

Oh and i am 48.

[Whatevva]

Yes - it is probably normal for perimenopause, but worth seeing the doctor to be sure.

I just get loads of bleeds close together and am still waiting to 'miss' one

[Greengardenpixie]

Thanks for your response :)
That must be hiddeous!
I am now due a period but still spotting and nothing really much more than that. I am behind with my smears so i suppose that is why i am kind of worried more about it. I have an appointment for my smear test this Thursday so am going to have that done and then see the doctor :)

[Whatevva]

It is not so bad - I started taking hrt and now have bleeds every 28 days or so. I think it was the lack of ovulation and none of my own progesterone.
I managed to get a smear done after that . My surgery were very insistent on it being 'mid-cycle' and did not have appointments less than 3 weeks away, which is not helpful for ladies of a certain age.

[Bellaciao]

"I just get loads of bleeds close together and am still waiting to 'miss' one"

Whatevva - if you are on cyclical HRT then you are not likely to miss one as this is designed to give a withdrawal bleed as you said yourself. Only around 15 % of women ( I think this is the figure) don't get a bleed on cyclical HRT.

Greengardenpixie - really don't worry - anything and everything is normal once you start missing periods or they become irregular - but good to get checked out and to kepp up with your smears!

[Whatevva]

I had 18 months of frequent bleeds before taking hrt stopped it. My starting point was coming off the pill at 49, so into the deep end! My new surgery nurse deals with hrt prescriptions and seems to think I would stop bleeding on hrt if I was passed meno - suggested a blood test. Not very encouraging, I'm afraid .

I am keeping an eye on consultants that are good with menopause, in case I need extra help on this front - I will probably have to pay as I do not think it is covered by my health insurance. I have never followed a 'standard script' with periods, childbirth etc, so do not trust people who start from this presumption. I also think it impossible for a prescribing nurse to know everything there is to know about different people's menopause, when there are so many more qualified researchers around who are still finding things out.

[Bellaciao]

Oh dear Whatevva - I presume you are on cyclical HRT designed to give a withdrawal bleed - in which case your nurse is not very knowledgeable?! If you are on continuous combined HRT then she is right - bleeding should stop eventually if you are post-meno and if it doesn't you need to go and see the doc to get the prescription changed or be investigated. HRT does not induce ovulation though.