Mids 50s bleeding after 2 years menopause - this is freaking me out!!!!

[galaxybeyond]

56 and went through menopause prob 2 years a go - well havent had a period or bleeding for at least 2 years Im sure. End of November I had very sore breasts and nipples tender and they felt huge. Plus a clear wet discharge just like when I knew I was ovulating. Very weird. Then a few days later had some real stomach cramps - I have suffered from endometriosis but this seemed to have settled since meno etc. I did have annual scans on a cyst as well but Ive not had one for at least 2-3 years.

Anyway this morning I wiped myself after the loo and blood. I have a bit of pain in my lower back and abit of grumling stomach pain nothing too horrific. This is probably come about 8 days after initial pa

This has freaked me out. Any advice? GP call and appointment IF I can get one!!!!!

How's everyone been? I just had a few niggly pains no more bleeding. Hosp appointment this Thursday was told scan then 20 mins later will see consultant.
Letter came through with name of Dr time, date etc then it said clinic: hysteroscopy. I assumed it would just be an internal scan...had a few at the same place over the years but wondering if they will do a hysteroscopy as well @mumsnoangel how have you been?

I had exactly the same and was sent for a scan and i think a biopsy (it was like a smear test) on the 2 week pathway. All was clear but i have had it again recently, sore boobs, light bleeding and period pains.
I had a review at the Drs anyway for my HRT so she told me to take 2 progesterone instead of 1 and go back if it carries on. This seems to have worked though. I am 56 and about 18 months since last period.

I meant to say there is a Menopause board on here. I find loads of useful info on there.

I had similar. 2 years post period so one year post menopause. I had the sore boobs, got quite wet then after sex had some light bleeding. It stopped and I didn’t go to GP. That was last year. To me with the boobs, discharge etc I just put it down to another ovulation. Obviously if it had carried on I would have gone.

Our bodies aren’t like robots and don’t just switch off , they wind down just like when we get our first periods they take a while to get into a rhythm.

Good luck for Thursday! I hope it's just a random period!

Ummm not to sure about this comment. GP was concerned as 'not normal' after 2 years of no period.

@galaxybeyond
good luck for this week and hope all is well. My consultant was pretty convinced that the bleeding was just a "poor attempt at a period" as my ovaries are still a reasonable size - I think they shrink post menopause. She said in passing that I have lots of small fibroids. She said it would be irresponsible to discharge me at this stage hence recommending a hysteroscopy with biopsy of the uterine lining and said she do a smear at the same time. I think I'm probably fine and I'm prone to anxiety about my health so I'm determined to not worry unnecessarily. I just think we should all take any checks we're offered as it's best to be safe than sorry, and if there are any problems get them dealt with as hopefully catching something early will avoid any further problems down the line.

Yes op but the first year you can have a period. It’s 12 months without that is classed as menopause. Our bodies don’t have a calendar . I just think it happens all the time but naturally they have to check it out if you present. I’ve heard so many people go( loads of threads on here) and almost all are given all clear so try not to worry. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to gp. I didn’t but it stopped after a day or two and that was months / year ago. If I had t had the cycle symptoms just before I would have been more concerned.

She's already said many times that she hasn't had one for TWO years.

@IHateLegDay yes i know but what I’m saying is that if you bleed in the first 12 months you don’t have to report, you just start counting 12 months from the bleed to get to menopause. So if you bleed at 11 months it’s ok and you start counting again but if you bleed at 13 months it’s not normal. It stands to reason that there will be bleeding after that point sometimes for some women and all be well.

Best of luck OP, sorry to hear you've had to wait so long for this!

I am 56 and started the menopause at 42. I still have monthly cycles, of headaches and nose bleeds and still randomly have a light 1-2 day bleed even now.

When they say it isn't normal, have there ever been studies on postmenopausal women to discover this?

The GP referral pathway for unexplained bleeding in post menopausal women is that any bleeding is assumed malignant until proven otherwise (although most bleeding in post menopausal women will have benign causes).

The "2WW" system was changed in October 2023.

I had a late menopause and segued into PMB. Because of this, it's not known when I reached menopause, but probably around the age of 56/57.

I was referred in 2012 under the 2WW for heavy bleeding. I had an ultrasound and internal ultrasound and the cause of my bleeding was determined as

a) a large uterine polyp;
b) a thickened endometrial lining (biopsies showed this to be benign "simple hyperplasia without atypia) which has a very low rate of progressing to endometrial cancer;
c) two large uterine fibroids which can disrupt the endometrium and cause it to bleed.

I had the polyp removed under general anaesthetic which stopped the very heavy bleeding lighter bleeding continued.

The fibroids were considered too large to treat via uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) and too large for myomectomy (operation to cut out the fibroids leaving the uterus in place, which some NHS Trusts are reluctant to carry out, anyway).

I was offered a hysterectomy but declined.

In 2023, I had several very heavy bleeds which were treated with tranexamic acid. I had repeat ultrasound, MRI and CT scan. The largest fibroid had enlarged a little and appeared on MRI to be degenerating (which can cause cramping and bleeding). The endometrial lining was still thickened, but remain "simple hyperplasia without atypia" and there was no evidence of polyps).

We agreed to treat the thickened lining conservatively with insertion of a Mirena IUD. This self expelled about week after it was fitted.

I then tried low dose medroxyprogesterone for 12 months. This has thinned the lining and there is no longer hyperplasia. On ultrasound, I was found to have a small, thin walled ovarian cyst which my gynae is not worried about but the pathway is that the cyst will be monitored in 4 month's time.

I was told I could come off the medroxyprogesterone which I am doing. I have not had bleeding for several days - so we will see how it goes.

There are a number of conditions that can cause post menopausal bleeding which aren't cancerous. I hope you get seen soon and yours will turn out to have benign causation.

If you are down for a hysteroscopy as well as internal ultrasound, the appointment letter should have included a leaflet about the hysteroscopy process and suggested taking painkillers before you arrive.

I've had several hysteroscopies over the years and I always take two paracetamol and one 200g ibuprofen before the appointment.

Sometimes, instead of a hysteroscopy, a biopsy can be obtained by passing a pipelle through the cervix without using hysteroscopy equipment. But no clinician has been able to successfully do this on me, probably because they need to navigate the pipelle around a large fibroid, the base of which sits close to the cervix, so I always have biopsies done via hysteroscopy. Also with hysteroscopy, the tiny camera gives the clinician a view of the uterine cavity when deciding where to take biopsies, whereas a pipelle sample is more like "blind" sampling.

At my most recent clinic review, a few weeks ago, I saw the clinician first to discuss how things were going with the medoxyprogesterone, then I was given an internal ultrasound by a female ultrasound technician (who was very gentle) then the clinician came in and did the hysteroscopy.

I hope all goes well for tomorrow and if you do have biopsies taken that you don't have to wait too long for the clinician to contact you with pathology results.

UPDATE
@mumsnoangel so I went today.

Had an utra sound then internal scan...25 minutes 😒 the sonographer was very thorough but didnt speak and spent ages on my right hand side.

Saw consultant 30 mins after. So the cyst 2cm I have and small fybroid are still there but neither are big enough to be the cause of any bleeding.

So other findings showed that womb lining is thicker than it should be 7.3 I think he said and there was an area that may have a polyp. With that he said so we're going to do a hysteroscopy/biopsy ...now!

I wasnt expecting that at all and think got myself a bit worked up. The Dr and nurses were so lovely and definitely put me at ease. Couldnt find a polyp so took tissue from a couple of areas, results 3 weeks or before. So will see.

So glad to read your update! I'm glad they were thorough and hopefully it's nothing to worry about.

Hopefully helps others @IHateLegDay ☺️

Strange though my friend has just told me sge had a scan fir sane but she went back for her hysteroscopy a week later and they put her under!

Sounds promising op. My friend had the same on the spot biopsy but she preferred that. All was ok and her bleeding stopped.

@galaxybeyond - well done. Glad they were thorough. Hope the procedure wasn't too unpleasant? Hope the biopsy results are normal.

Thanks everyone, cant lie it waa quite painful and Ive got very bad cramps bit hoping tomorrow feel better aa have a full day

Just to say, am so pleased you have been seen and they have started to review everything so quickly. I hope that they warned you that it would not be unusual to bleed after the biopsy and it might be wise to carry some pads with you for the next week or so.

I know that having the biopsy done was unexpected but, and everyone is different, at least you had no time to fret about it. Hoping that the next appointment brings you good news.

Yes they mentioned the bleeding etc. Touchwood not too bad today.

UPDATE
Rang today as 3 weeks since biopsy and letter on it's way out to me...secretary tols me it said all ok although sample was scanty...was non cancerous, been discharge no further action, any problems see GP. Im so relieved BUT.....
What caused the bleeding?
Womb lining was 7.3...consultant was concerned when I went so would this not be monitored?

@mumsnoangel have you been yet?

@@galaxybeyond have you had any bleeding /other symptoms since the first episode?
Womb lining was 7.3...consultant was concerned when I went - I presume the consultant woud follow up if he was concerned that further treatment/investigation was needed? Why did he say he was concerned?

But if the secretary has told you all is ok, it most likely is .

I've always found consultants' secretaries to be really helpful, so if you're not sure give them a ring to discuss?