Please stop me going off at the deep end over something that's probably very minor....

[EllieArroway]

....thanks. I have health anxiety (quite severe at times) so tend to catastrophize a lot.

Had a normal period that started on Christmas Day, and finished on Thurs/Fri.

It's just started again. Not mega heavy, but not spotting either. No cramps or usual PMT stuff, just unexpected bleeding.

(Not had sex for ages a while, so nothing to do with that).

It's probably my age (43) but it's never happened before and I'm trying not to worry unnecessarily.

Has this happened to you? Hearing about it might make me stop worrying or being overly dramatic, as I am being at the moment.

Thanks.

(And sorry to those of you dealing with real issues for being silly over something minor).

I take the mini pill and get stop start periods sometimes. Very bad for bed clothes.

Are you sure you've got our days right because Christmas Day was a Tuesday ,so that would mean your period only lasted 2/3 days ,is that normal for you?

It is these days, "Flora". It started about 1am Christmas morning, and I stopped using pads on Thursday night. My periods are getting shorter & very slightly closer together - assuming perimenopause?

But - you make a good point. Maybe it was shorter than it should be, and this is just the tail end of it?

Bold fail on your name there. Sorry Flora.

It has happened to me around the same age. All I can say is GP very uninterested and mentions peri menopause a lot.

Yes, I have a feeling mine would be too, Thorin. I'm not even sure this is worthy of a doctors appointment at this stage - so I do know I'm being a twat deep down.

How I'm going to cope with the menopause proper, gawd knows!

Thank you, though. Just writing it down has made me feel less panicky.

I started bleeding lightly 21 December and am now bleeding very heavily with clots and pain. I have made an appointment with gp as its not normal for me. Definitely not pg as have not had sex since beginning of August. Peri menopause maybe? But want to run it by the doctors.

Can they do a blood test to see if you are peri menopausal or if hormones up the spout i wonder? Don't panic though as its probably another one of those things us ladies go through .

My daughter had that in her early 40s and had several tests - FSH and Oestragen. It was the perimenopause. Now in her later 40s she is on HRT for the hot flushes and her bones.

I would go with peri too. Buckle up. . . (or go for a mirena!)