Is there any way this bleeding isn’t something serious?

[Thechatnicknameyourequested]

Apologies for the TMI. I have been having bleeding between my periods for two months now. It started with a gush of bright red blood after intercourse, followed by brown spotting for a few days, and then brownish blood again the next time we had sex. Now I am spotting/bleeding a bit every day, mostly brownish, occasionally pale pink. I’m not pregnant. I went to see the doctor after the first bleed and she did an examination, said everything looked normal and clear, but booked me for an internal ultrasound which is coming up next week. She said she couldn’t send me for a smear as I had my last one in 2016 and if they send you between times the tests just get thrown out. That smear was clear - I have never had anything show up on one. No change of partner. No pain. But what on earth can be wrong with me? I’m really worried - I have small DC - that it must be something awful. AIBU? and AIBU to consider paying for a private smear? Doctor said there was no point because they’re not diagnostic. I don’t really understand what that means. And I worry they’re not covering all the bases. Basically terrified that something is horribly wrong with me. I’m 42, btw, so it bloody well shouldn’t be menopause!

On the face of it I would have referred you Poppies, yes. But there may have been other factors that meant your GP thought it wasn’t necessary?

No idea toddler, I don't know if it was because when she examined my cervix she couldn't see anything untoward at all plus my last smear test was clear?

I'm just trying to determine whether or not I need to go back given I haven't had any bleeding for ages now.

I do have health anxiety though so I generally catastrophize.

OP gamerchick has a good point. I recently tested myself for gonherrea and chlamydia to rule it out.

You just order a kit online for free and they text the results.

Hi
I've just been refused a smear test, because I'm not due one until September..despite having had colposcopies, biopsies and smears every 6 months for 5 years until the last one in 2015 when they said I'd be called for the next one in 12 months. Turned up and nurse said I wasn't "allowed" one until September and it would get binned if I have one now. No obvious symptoms, but just worry as I was told I would need one after 12 months and it's been 2.5 years!

Anyhow, getting to the point, the only time I've had mid-cycle bleeding was before I passed a polyp. It looked like a kidney bean, and was sent off for analysis by gp. I had spotting leading up to my period every month for about 3 or 4 months but after the polyp came out I had no more spotting. I wasn't in a relationship at the time, so no idea if it would have caused bleeding after sex, but I guess it's possible. So, yes, there definitely are some less serious issues that can cause bleeding!

Sounds just like what I was experiencing. My gp looked and I said my cervix looked normal, my scan was normal (other than pre existing pcos).

I eventually saw a gynae consultant who did a colposcopy and I had very obvious ectroption (sp?). He lazered it off and fitted me with a coil (the coil was to manage my very heavy periods, not related to the mid cycle bleeding) and I've had no problems since!

This smear nonsense will not stop until women start dying of something utterly preventable Please go have a private one done if at all possible. I am saying this with your best interest in heart, but even if you haven't changed your partner, are you absolutely sure he remained faithful? I am really really really not trying to be toast here, I'm just trying to tell you to check everything.

Alternatively, it is possible that you have a hormone disbalance affecting your endometrium. Fibroids are a possibility, but given what you stated here, unlikely.

This happened to me randomly for a few months, had scans and they found nothing and it just stopped on its own... weird. But my womb is perfectly fine. Pregnant first time trying (about a year after this happened). So I honestly don’t know what it was, nor does anybody else, but it was nothing to worry about

I haven't read all of the comments so apologies if someone has said this. Post coital bleeding in a woman over 35 means you should be referred in to the gynaecological oncology team, unless this has changed in the past year.

Isn't there a way for mumsnet to do a campaign over this?

Has it been done before?

Mumsnet HQ, if you're reading this, I think your opinion on feasibility of doing something would be much appreciated.

I had some spotting between periods 18 months ago and got myself in a right state convinced I had cancer etc. Had an internal ultrasound and they didn’t find anything unusual but fibroids had been mentioned so perhaps that’s what you have. In the end my GP just said my hormones were a bit out of kilter and just suggested the mirena coil. As it happens the spotting seemed to stop (although I do have v heavy periods and that didn’t stop) and I’m pregnant now so who knows what’ll happen after. They also did a swab early on which flagged up thrush although I didn’t have any other symptoms, not sure if that was related to the spotting. Anyway in short, nothing serious was found and I never really found out what was happening, but it was a very worrying time and I sympathise!

This happened to me randomly for a few months, had scans and they found nothing and it just stopped on its own... weird. But my womb is perfectly fine. Pregnant first time trying (about a year after this happened). So I honestly don’t know what it was, nor does anybody else, but it was nothing to worry about

Was exactly the same. I'm only 28, maybe that's why I had a scan but no colposcopy. Anyway, no bleeding since.

There is a MAJOR campaign on smears at the moment; you literally can't move on instagram for someone telling you to get a smear.

No, there's a major campaign to get women who don't go to smears to get them done.

It's throwing away a necessary sample because it spools their tick sheet that makes me want to bite the carpet.

Hi All,

OP I hope everything cleared up for you and apologies for piggy backing on this thread!

I am also experiencing the same things you have mentioned. Did they ever get to the cause of it for you? Hope all is ok now? I have been referred for swabs and a scam but due to the lockdown I don’t think anything will happen quickly. (Which I totally understand!)

I’m also TTC (have been for ages without luck) and wondered if the 2 issues may be connected at all and if so if there is anything I can do to help myself in the meantime.....?! Or if it means my chances are limited for fertility??

Grateful for any information or experience anyone may have?!

Thanks and hope everyone is staying safe and well

I had this and it was polyps in my uterus, and I also had what they used to call an eroded cervix. It had got to the stage where I was bleeding a bit virtually every day when it was operated on. That was back in 2012 and it's been ok since. The doctor said that it was probably the eroded cervix more than the polyps in the end that was causing the bleeding.

Hi OP - I suffer from exactly this problem - cervical ectropsion/erosion (depending on your GP's persuasion). It is treated by not taking oestrogen based medication :) it's very common and very treatable x

I have had this. I have a cervical ectropian. It's not serious at all.

This could be lots of things that are not serious. By saying your cervix looked normal doesn't necessarily mean it's not an ectropian just that it didn't look like anything nasty. Ectropian cervixes are normal. I too had similar symptoms with a few others and I was terrified. I was told I had an ectropian and then had further tests including a biopsy as womb lining was thick. Discovered polyps- non-cancerous which were removed in surgery. Symptoms now gone. Just grit your teeth and get it checked out you'll get through it and whatever it is there are always options and so many simple things it could be.

I had this. It was due to a huge fibroid.