Hi All - sorry, I'm posting this in here as haven't heard anything in the health or women's health boards so just hoping someone will be able to share their experiences.
My backstory is I've had health anxiety for a few years which I've had counselling and medication for, I'm now in a much better place and have been off medication since January, however I'm now on the ceiling again!
I have a tilted uterus and smears have always been quite painful, and at times so has sex in certain positions. DD1 was IVF so I had diazepam for egg retrieval and transfer because I tense up so much with anything gynae.
I was on the depo for 3 years and had my last injection last July (2023). I came off it because of the weight gain, mood swings and terrible vaginal dryness, but while I was on it I had no periods at all. Periods sort of started in April this year light and few and far between, then have got more regular and as they were. Sometimes they can be early by a week, or late by a week, but I'm assuming it's everything getting back to normal.
I had my smear in July and get sent to colposcopy for it ever since my first one, as my cervix is that far back so they struggle to do it at my GP surgery (I'm 33). I went at the end of July and the staff were amazing but couldn't see the 'os', so another nurse was called in who had to put her finger up to try and pull it forward. She eventually got the position she needed and it really, really hurt! She asked afterwards before I got off the bed if I always bleed after a smear which I confirmed I do (I'm assuming she saw blood there) She did worry me and I spoke to the other nurse after who said from what she saw, everything looked as it should, and many people bleed when there's a lot of prodding and poking which they did to me. I bled as usual that evening quite light at first, then my period which was due 3 days later, started early pretty much later that night/next morning. Results came back, everything fine.
Since then, I've noticed that after sex for about the first 2 weeks after my period, I've had slight bleeding - mainly very light red to pink for a few days after, literally the tiniest mark on the toilet paper, but it's there. Before my last period around mid-cycle, I also noticed discharge, which was mainly pink or brown tinged. The sort of consistency of EWCM. I remember pre-depo I would get some days with EWCM during my cycle. I had my period as normal this month and came off yesterday. This afternoon, DH and I had sex, all fine, not rough or anything. About 20 minutes later I felt damp and when I looked, I was bleeding. Went to the toilet and it was bright red blood and it sort of gushed out of me. I cleaned myself up and put a panty liner in, and it's not soaking through or anything. It's now when I wipe. I went to the toilet earlier and there was a clot which I'm assuming is the area clotting, then I've gone to the toilet and pushed for a wee and dislodged the clot and that's why it's come out, but there's no gushing or anything, just red when I wipe.
I can't go back on the depo, I was on the pill for a number of years when I was younger but got a lot of breast lumps so came off it, and the idea of the coil terrifies me! So we are using condoms and I've broached the idea of the snip with DH.
I will be ringing my GP tomorrow morning, but I'm beside myself and it's sent my anxiety through the roof. I have two young DDs (3 and 5) and I'm honestly biting my lip so hard so I don't cry. I'm annoyed at myself for googling and letting my health anxiety be triggered when I know I need to see my GP, but this has all started ever since my smear in July and I don't understand why. I've never had anything similar before, or pain, or bleeding after sex or anything.
Sorry for the long post, just looking for some experiences of others. Thanks so much for reading