Spotting up to a week before period

[FranklinOo86]

Hi all,
After numerous internet searches and tests at the doctors, I have decided to come here for advice or perhaps just reassurance?
I am 34 and have been TTC for 18 months now with no luck, we are having tests under a fertility clinic. However since coming off of the pill femodene over 2 years ago, I have found that my cycle has now changed, every month I have brown spotting and sometimes even bright red bleeding (especially after a number2, sorry tmi) for anything from 4 days to a week before my actual period starts. All my hormone levels have come back as normal and scans have shown no internal issues. Has anyone else had this and found a cure/solution? I'm really worried this will hinder our chances of conceiving naturally or even with IVF, if that is the path we have to go down. Before being on the pill I was so regular, every 28 days for 7 days without fail, and no spotting.
I appreciate any advise anyone has!

@LT103 I know that feeling. It takes away any hope!

@Elsiebear90 that's interesting. What are your other symptoms?

My other symptoms are pain during sex, tailbone pain, sharp stabbing pains during my period, IBS around the time of my period, pain when bowels opening during my period, frequent urination and pain when my bladder is full around the time of my period.

I'm the same - so glad I'm not the only one! My progesterone levels were normal and my consultant doesn't seem worried about but every month it makes me think we haven't conceived this month then and I can't cope with a 2 week period when I was on femodene for so long with only 5 days of a period every month.

@MF1981 I think these contraceptive pills have a lot to answer for to be honest. I wish you have more information when your given them, sadly at the time all you think of is making your periods lighter and more manageable, not the potential issues later down the line.
Sorry to hear your experiencing the same issues too. I am hopeful that if it is an erosion then it can be fixed. its just getting diagnosed!

@Elsiebear90

I have this, can be spotting for over a week before my period and about 3/4 days after so I bleed for about half the year. I did have a cervical erosion that was treated as I was bleeding during sex and when going to the toilet, but I still spot now and it’s old brown blood (was red fresh blood when I had my erosion). Should add that I have endometriosis and have been told it’s probably due to that.

Oh god, half the year, that's awful you poor love. Is there anything they can do for your endometriosis? I don't really understand too much about it, other than its really not nice. x

Hey everyone. I know there’s been no posts in a while but is there any update in TTC and spotting in luteal phase. I get a full week of brown spotting from 7 dpo to 14dpo before my period. I had a Miscarriage in Feb 21 and then this started july 21 and no luck conceiving :(

Hi @Loz2467, PP here (BobbingAlong91). I’m so sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

An update from my side is that I finally saw a decent gynaecologist who diagnosed me with a cervical ectropian. He treated it twice with silver nitrate earlier this year. The first treatment didn’t work and, to be honest, I don’t know if the second one did because I found out I was pregnant, which often fixes ectropians. Currently I’m 21 weeks with a little boy. We were TTC for 6 months in 2020 and then took a break and started again in January 2022, getting a BFP in August. I had no spotting the month I got a BFP. I would definitely recommend getting a referral to a gynaecologist to have your spotting looked at. Hopefully it’s something simple like for me. Best of luck 💜

@Pickles91 thank you so much for replying and congrats on your pregnancy! That’s such great news!!!

Just a bit more background - I didn’t write too much before incase the thread was inactive. So I have a 3 year old which I conceived first month trying. When he was 15 months we TTC again as I was 34. We got pregnant again first month and then lost her at 18 weeks in feb 2021. I had 3 months of normal ish cycles then July hit when I got my covid vaccine and I have just had this sludge brown spotting ever since. I’ve been back and fourth for scan etc. Went private in Jan of this year. Paid for a hyterscopy and then clomid hit still no success. So I was then given progesterone to take after ovulation even though my blood numbers always came back okay. This did stop the brown spotting but no pregnant. We might be starting IVF but I’m worried If I’ve developed endo or something more serious and that’s going to make it not work. Most months it starts 7 dpo like clockwork. The odd time like 5 dpo or 6 but mainly 7. I don’t bleed after sex either which is making me thing is isn’t a cervix issuer. Xx

I think I’ve seen some threads floating around about the covid vaccine and spotting/weird periods. Perhaps someone from one of those will have more helpful information @Loz2467. Fortunately I had no side effects from the vaccines myself, so can’t be too much help I’m afraid

@Pickles91 thank you. I’ve seen a few too but peoples seem to rectify back to normal after a few months but it’s been 18 months for me. I’m just so worried about spending a huge amount on IVF for it to be unsuccessful because I’ve got some underlying issue that I’ve not managed to get diagnosed 😞 at least the progesterone is stopping it but there must be more to it xx

@Loz2467 im sorry to read your post about losing your little one.

I must admit, after posting this I never got any where with my spotting. I can’t fault my doctors, they did scans and tests but nothing ever came back abnormal, so I just guessed the spotting was just my “new normal”

We ended up having to have ICSI, and the medication put a stop to the spotting, so I wonder if there was a progesterone deficiency?! I don’t think I’ll ever know!

I hope you get the answers 🤞🏻🤞🏻

@FranklinOo86 Thanks so much for replying. If it happened straight from my miscarriage I would think it was that which threw my hormones and cycles into the air but the fact they were okay and then went skewed the month of my vaccine worries me incase it’s caused inflammatory and that’s why I’m spotting. Especially because I lost our baby to covid I just find it so triggering.

The cyclogest stops the spotting for me after ovulation then I stop it and some months I’ve had a day or 2 days brown then flow. But some months I’ve stopped it and a few days later red flow. So if I have IVF I know the meds should hopefully stop it but I’m just worried financially and emotionally. Worried that there’s an underlying cause for it which we haven’t found yet. The only thing left to explore is a laproscopy. To check tubes and endo?

was the ICSI successful for you? It’s so hard wondering why I can’t get pregnant again. Xx

@Loz2467 sorry to hear about the miscarriage.
ive always spotted sometimes up to a week before period just getting heavier until I decide I can call it day 1.
we ended up down the ivf route and progesterone tests were always borderline. I was convinced after lots of Googling this was the cause but doctors really weren’t fussed about it.
ivf went fine, natural transfer cycle so no meds given/no progesterone supplements and I’m currently pregnant so no issues really. Have only had tiny hit spotting in pregnancy and they were sure coming from cervical ectropion which I think was cause all along.

basically I would say don’t stress about it. It happens lots and doctors would say it’s not a huge deal

@LT103 congrats on your pregnancy what great news to read that despite spotting issues it’s worked for you! I can’t help but think mine is linked to endo or hormones as the progesterone has been stopping it whereas I’d feel more comfortable if it was coming from the cervix because it’s not likely to affect a pregnancy outcome whereas hormones and endo could. I’ve literally no other signs or symptoms or endo at all :( I just don’t know if to do a laproscopy before IVF or try 2 IVF transfers and if unsuccessful have a laproscopy done to check endo and tubes etc.

I did have some spotting in my first successful pregnancy until around 12 weeks but then after my pregnancy my cycles were literally textbook but after the miscarriage and then the vaccine they have gone up the wall and it seems strange that I can’t get pregnant again. Secondary infertility is such a hard thing to get my head around. Xx

@Loz2467 if you go for ivf you usually need a hycosy or similar first to check tubes.
I had no other signs of cervix issues but they mentioned it at transfer and again when I got the check a couple of weeks ago with EPU. In hindsight I do remember something getting mentioned years ago at a smear.
I don’t get bleeding after sex or anything. Maybe you could get doctor/nurse to check for you?

Also have you had day 3/day 21 bloods checked? That’s usually your starting point and gp will do this. Check fsh/lh, progesterone/oestrogen. They usually check thyroid etc too. And semen analysis for oh.

after that if all ok, may also be worth booking a hycosy and amh check to rule out any other issues.

@LT103 thank you! I’ve had my smear last year and she said cervix looked fine and healthy? Also the dr would of seen my cervix when I had hyterscopy? He said the tubes didn’t seem an issue on that even though it isn’t 100% reliable but he also said if there’s fluid in the tubes it usually shows on a scan slightly. I’m worried as I had my miscarriage due to an infection so I’m worried about any permanent damage. But it seems strange I had 3 normal periods after my loss and this spotting only started last July as I turned 35.

Ive had tons of blood tests.
Aug 2021 LH and FSH okay. FSH was around 5. Progesterone 7 dpo was 61 p mol.

Then Feb 22 my FSH snook up to 11 which worried me.

Two other prog results one at 37 and one at 21 which I know is quite low.

January 2022 we went private - scan showed an “area “ in my lining. So paid for a private hyterscopy and nothing found but a slight endometrial fold that he corrected. I almost hoped a polyp or something would be found. But no. My AMH is low end of average for my age at 8.4 but my follicle count is 22 which is odd! Doesn’t seem to match up so then I’m worried about endo or adenomyosis causing Inflamation and lowering AMH.

The Dr is happy for me to start in Jan but I feel worried and stressed. So strange getting pregnant before to this :(

Also I’ve had 5 months of clomid and progesterone and that’s not worked to achieve a pregnancy. :( just feeling so deflated. I just wish I had an answer for my spotting before IVF when it’s such a huge financial commitment and I’d really want it to work xx

@Loz2467 so sorry. You really have friend everything here.
secondary infertility must be so frustrating when you know things worked ok in the past

we never found a reason for why it wasn’t working for us and all our tests were fine and ivf worked. I still don’t understand how growing it outside and putting it back worked when it wasn’t happening otherwise.

we went private due to my age and covid waiting lists. It is a big commitment. We looked at the package deal but ended up going for just single cycle pay as you go.

@LT103 I’m so happy it’s all worked out for you! Must be a tough decision to going private. I’m with care what clinic did you use? We’ve got a 2 cycle multi cycle as he doesn’t think we will get many embryos with my AMH. Can you rmemever what your AMH or follicle count was? It seems so strange mine are so far out. Another reason why I think I have endo. But do people with endo tend to have a low follicle count to?

Its so confusing isn’t it! I Just wish time was on my side to have a lap but I don’t want to delay IVF anymore.

My AMH didn’t change at al between Jan and October so I’m thinking do I even ovulate but i get all the ovulation signs and regular cycles etc. Just awful from spotting from 7 dpo or 5 dpo etc. sometimes 8/9 dpo. But the most often was 7dpo which made me think maybe it’s endo.

Were in Scotland and went with a local clinic in glasgow.
I was lucky I guess in the fact that although I’m 40 my amh was crazy high at 36 or something so I was put on a really low protocol. We got 9 eggs and 7 embryos frozen. Our first frozen transfer resulted in an empty sac but so far second has worked and I am 15 weeks just now.

every cycle I had in last couple years I spotted from about 8dpo small ants to start then got heavier until full flow. It’s really frustrating and I never got to bottom of what caused mine. Really hope you get some answers.

@LT103 I’m so sorry I missed this reply. This is so reassuring that the IVF worked for you regardless of the brown spotting. Did the cyclogest you took after transfer stop any spotting? It stops mine in natural cycles but I have to pray it stops it in the IVF one too. I’ll be on double the dose. I’ve been on norethisterone since the 20th and finish it tomorrow. I’ve had brown spotting again from 7 dpo which has been crap but I’m just waiting on my bleed to start stims really!

im confused that my AMH is only 8.4 and follicle count is 22. So worried I have endo that’s gone undetected. My dr said endo seems to affect people if it affects the ovaries because of embryo quality. But I just don’t know 😞

@LT103 it’s just really hard going into IVF because yours was due to your cervix whereas mine must be an issue with my lining if the progesterone stops it and my miscarriage was due to an infection so I’m worried it’s had some permanent damage.

@Loz2467 both my transfers have been natural transfers so no meds. Just timed transfer with ovulation based on bloods then an injection of ovitrelle on day of transfer. No meds before or after.
I was dubious but it’s worked. I guess progesterone really wasn’t my issue. So strange when it wasn’t happening naturally

@LT103 sorry I did have a read back and noticed you said you didn’t have meds. So glad it’s worked for you! I’m so nervous. I’ll keep you updated.

Seems strange that progesterone stops mine as I’ve had results of 61 p mol, 37 and then 21 then 142 when on the cyclogest pessaries. I guess I don’t really know what the spotting issue is. There seems a lot of women with it on forums etc I’m just worried it’s endo and it won’t implant.