Post-menopausal bleeding - consultant appointment and worried

[ChristmasFairyLiquid]

Hoping someone can give me some words of reassurance or at least an idea of what to expect.

I had a post-menopausal bleed (felt exactly like a period - 5 days long with sore boobs in the run up) last month.

Contacted the doctor as you’re meant to and had an ultrasound and internal scan last week.

Have just been called for an appointment with a consultant at the hospital on Saturday which has terrified me. Does anyone know if this is standard, or what it might mean, or what I can expect? Thank you for any info.

Thank you, yes, I know there are more checks to come but it did feel more like something he wasn’t worried about rather than something he was.

I’ve been googling (obv 🙄🤣) womb lining thickness and while 5.5 seems a bit high for menopause, technically if I’d just had a final (?) period, I wouldn’t really be in menopause anyway so 🤷‍♀️.

I’ll obviously do all the follow up stuff but feel more relaxed about it than I was.

Lots of luck to you for the 14th Xx

@ChristmasFairyLiquidglad it went well and good hear you were able to opt out of instant hysteroscopy

Thank you. Of course I’ve now been googling the thickened lining and am stressing again 😳 but hopefully all will be well.

By way of a quick update, I’ve booked a Bupa appointment for Thursday as I’d like to have the option of a private Hysteroscopy if quicker.

I think this will duplicate some of the tests I’ve had already as a precursor to the Hysteroscopy but am getting quite jittery and don’t want to wait ages for a Hysteroscopy on the NHS.

My only concern is how Bupa and NHS records ‘talk’ to each other, and that I’m not risking it all becoming a bit unjoined up - but I assume they sort this out between themselves.

@ChristmasFairyLiquid my experience is they don’t seem to share notes so you have to give them whole history again and they won’t be able to see each others scans (at my internal scan last week they said they would compare with previous scans but when I mentioned some were private she said they wouldn’t be able to see those)

Thank you, I did suspect that might be a downside but I’m prepared to live with that if it gets the Hysteroscopy done quicker and I can sleep better 😫 - even if it’s not great news, I just need to know now…

So, quick update for anyone who’s interested/in case it’s helpful.

Had my private appointment this afternoon which was broadly reassuring (she was a bit ‘why are you here? You’ll get your NHS appointment for your biopsy within two weeks!’)

And generally didn’t seem too worried - she said that a womb lining of 5.5mm is not really a worry, the cut off point for investigation is 4 but only because they need to have a cut off somewhere. 5.5 isn’t worryingly thick.

And as long as my blood test comes back ok - not got those results yet - the cyst is nothing to worry about. She thinks the bleed and the thickened lining might all just indicate a rogue late ovulation, which might also have created the cyst.

She did try to do a biopsy but my cervix was too narrow so she’s booking me in on Sat to have it done with local anaesthetic - so more investigation to come, but overall the message was that it’s not anything to be overly worried about. So fingers crossed.

Hope everyone else who’s been accompanying me on this path has positive news soon 💐

Hello everyone.
OP I'm glad you are making progress. In my experience a good private consultant will send a letter to your gp sharing their findings.

I had a bad day today. I bled again -like a mid period amount for a few hours. It just got me a bit anxious as things clearly aren't right. My pre-op (ga for hysteroscopy) is next Friday and then the procedure on 14th. I just have this feeling today that all is not right. I've had at least 3 2ww referrals for various things over the past 5 years and it just feels like this time my luck has run out. Please help me cure my negative thoughts. I'm normally so positive and take this in my stride but today it's hit me a bit like a (small) bus.

On the NHS, you’ll be on the two week pathway. I had the Hystoscopy and Biopsy 6 months ago (negative), my 6 month scan showed more thickening, and I had another bleed - so had the procedure again last week (again within 2 weeks of the scan) - just waiting on results, personally I think it’s hormonal.

Have the anaesthetic btw

Thanks onions. Deffo having the ga - had one without and never again.

This is my 3rd hysteroscopy in just over 12 months. Over a year of bleeding on and off (mostly on ). I'm 59 and uterus is 9.5mm

Ah @ooooohnoooooo, sorry you’ve not had a good day. It’s so hard to stay positive but everything crossed for you. Remember as people have reminded me, the odds are with you. All the best xx

Fingers crossed it is hormonal @ExtraOnions and all is well xx

Reading all these has made me feel a bit stupid…. I had a bleed about a week ago, felt exactly like a period, sore breasts for weeks beforehand (which happened during peri) but I thought it was because I upped my patches. I went to 100 from 75, bled and went back down to 75 and now I’m wondering if I should have told the GP? (I had a couple of 25s left over which I stuck on with a 75 as my symptoms had come back).

it felt exactly like a period except not as heavy. But I haven’t bled for 17/18 months. Just assumed it was the HRT?

You are supposed to get any bleeding after menopause (I.e. after a gap of 12 months+ from your last period) checked out - as per everyone’s stories here, it’s usually nothing but worth ruling out anything sinister.

So while I’m sure it’s ok, you should get it checked just to be sure - good luck.

@AlleyRose don't feel stupid, I had a small bleed late last year and didn't think anything of it despite being 57 and no periods since my early 40s due to using mirena coils. I just assumed it was a breakthrough due to the coil running out of hormones. It was only when it happened again at Christmas and I saw a similar thread to this that I realised I ought to get it checked.

I agree, not stupid at all. We don’t know what we don’t know, I only found out about oust menopause bleeding being something you should go to the doctor about because I was reading up on it.

Morning everyone.

Gah. My waking up at 4am (which I had before HRT) is back.

I'm so tired.

But in the plus side it might be a stronger indication that my ongoing bleeding is hormonal not cancer. So there's that.

Pfffffftttt.

And the hospital has cancelled my hysteroscopy pre op appointment next week so goodness only knows what that means.

This happened to my friend and it turned out to be a polyp. It sounds so very scary but the check they do is to see if it is cancer.

It's so hard. It's so good that these checks are done quickly just in case but it also freaks you out

I had 2 years of potentially cancerous lumps that turned out to be cysts which was so stressful.

It sounds flippant and I don't mean it to be but I had a lovely tea out planned for afterwards and I tried to focus on that. Might that be a plan?

Oh no @ooooohnoooooo, insomnia is so annoying - but maybe is proof that it’s a hormonal thing - fingers crossed.

And also annoying about the pre-op being cancelled - maybe they realised they any imminent surgery availability…? (Not a medical person so no idea if this would be a reason??)

They couldn’t fit my hysteroscopy in for today so it’s now going to be Monday or Weds, waiting to hear on Monday. It’s with a local so less prep needed and presumably easier to fit in last minute.

I still have all my aches and pains - back ache etc - which only came on since this started and are stressing me out a bit, but I’m hoping they’re either my new blood pressure tabs or just the stress of all of this.

Thank you 😊 glad yours turned out ok, and your friend’s.

Like the idea of planning something to look forward to!

It can be common to experience bleeding in the first few months after starting, increasing or changing systemic HRT. I’ve attached some information here. https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/vaginal-bleeding-during-perimenopause-and-menopause/

I'd tell your GP, but I get bleeding if I alter anything to do with my HRT or if I'm even late changing my patch.

@ChristmasFairyLiquid that's annoying that it's now next week. Hanging around isn't fun is it ?

I decided to just charge into the day head on despite being awake since 3.45 am. Have just sat down for the first time after a vigorous deep clean of windows and taking apart a radiator that hadn't been cleaned since it was installed in 2006 🤪. I'm deffo hormonal because as I wrestled with the bloody thing I could be heard shouting "this stupid fucking design. Definitely designed by a man !" 😂😂😂😂

Wow, well done on your productivity! Hopefully yes, hormone-driven! Fingers crossed.

And yes, it is annoying waiting - although on the NHS app it’s estimating my wait at 20 weeks 😳 so at least it should be sooner than that…

Thanks @orangedreamthats reassuring.

and thank you @over50andfab that’s really helpful. I’m off work on Monday so will try and get an appointment.