Second period in less than two weeks?

[thefirstmrsdewinter]

Or is this bleeding in between periods? I got my last period about 11 days ago for about four days. It was normal, not particularly heavy or unusual in any way. Yesterday I started bleeding again, just a little, and then it stopped. Today I was walking the dogs around 4 and started bleeding again, this time enough to have to change pants. It seems to have stopped but now I have some cramping. I don't know if I'm coming or going.

I'm 51 and over the last three-ish years have had heavy periods, long periods, early/late periods, pink discharge etc. I know bleeding in between is usually something to tell the gp about but when I went for my smear the nurse said it was all normal for my age so I'm not sure if I need to tell them or not. Argh, frustrating.

It's perimenopause.

You only need see your dr if you go for 12 months with no bleeding at all and then it starts again.

Thanks. I thought bleeding between periods needed to be investigated - ? But I agree, perimenopause can cause it too so how do you know when to get it checked out and when to leave it?

I have the same question. I have had this for quite a long time. How do you know what is bleeding between periods versus frequent periods?

Experienced the same thing myself in January

I am 46 so who knows how long it will go on for

If you are having irregular periods due to peri and you are up to date with smears, then it's 99% sure you are having irregular periods with bleeding like this in your late 40s.

If it makes you feel reassured, see your GP but they are unlikely to start any investigations as it falls into the pattern of irregular periods.

i've got this at the moment, no period since July and then a small bleed for a day in early December and then again today. I think it must be normal but how to tell?

You can tell because it's irregular periods- you are presumably in the right age range for this?

Had this and it was fibroid related. I let it go, thinking it was normal, until I was severely anaemic. Wish I hadn't. Get it checked out.

When this happened to me it turned out to be a bunch of polyps.

i'm in my 50s, yes. I do have a fibroid but the GP was unconcerned 15 years ago and it doesn't seem to have caused any problems.

At the point at which I was having 2 periods a month (and fibroids had been ruled out) and was permanently either furious or crying I went on HRT, which sorted everything out nicely. I really do think this is worth seeing your GP about - given your age it's almost certainly menopausal shite, but it could be fibroids or something. Make an appointment.

Yes, I had phases of seemingly endless ‘spotting’ - periods weeks apart - you name it. I’m 52. Nothing at all for 3 months plus now which should mean I’m in late peri’ or this is the home stretch. If worried, defo’ see your GP, otherwise be assured the embuggerance will pass in it’s own good time.

My gp practice nurse told me to make an appointment with her if I go more than 6 weeks or under 3 weeks or start spotting - I'm definitely peri menopausal (hot flushes, poor sleep) but so far my periods are just lighter, shorter and irregular by one or two days. She said she would check my hormone levels and I can discuss hrt or natural remedies.

i've been through all the hot flushes and flooding etc and come out the other side now. i was lucky and did not have to go down the hrt route.

She said she would check my hormone levels and I can discuss hrt or natural remedies

I'm truly amazed that given the pressure on GPs a nurse suggests women who are probably in peri, with a cycle longer than 6 weeks or under 3 weeks, go and make an appt! Surgeries would be bursting at the seems.

It's really bizarre how many practices and GPs are still not following NICE menopause guidelines isn't it?

They state clearly (2015) not to do blood tests for menopause in women aged 45+ and simply treat the symptoms.

This is
a) blood tests are unreliable and inaccurate- hormones during peri vary daily so one say you migh thave a blood test and it shows high estradiol= not in peri, and the next day it might be low= in menopause.

b) The treatment is the same whatever blood tests show- treat with HRT or offer information on herbal routes and lifestyle.

You need to decide if you want to try HRT and then read all about it, and then go and ask for it if it's what you want.

JinglingHells 'You need to decide if you want to try HRT and then read all about it, and then go and ask for it if it's what you want.' That's exactly what I did and gp 1) did a blood test (even though I pointed out the NICE guidelines) and 2) refused to give me hrt. She seemed to think it was witchcraft or something similar that she didn't understand or approve of. There was also a lot of talk about perimenopause being a 'natural process'. Of course I was offered antidepressants.

Just to be clear I'm not worried and I doubt anything is amiss so not looking for reassurance. Tbf if I was I wouldn't bother with my gp! I'm up to date with smears but a few years ago I had an irregular one (and then a normal colposcopy). It's difficult to know how this folds into the peri bleeding issue and if I need to address it or not. I once mentioned what I thought was a very benign and normal bowel thing and was whisked off for a colonoscopy because apparently it was not normal and I should have mentioned it ages ago etc. That's the sort of thing I'm trying to avoid.

The fibroids thing is interesting. I have an appointment to see my gp because of chronic back pain which hasn't responded to physio and wakes me at night. It sometimes wraps around my hip into my pelvis. I see back and pelvic pain are symptoms. I will mention it.

Thanks all for your replies.

I'm confused! @Thefirstmrsdewinter

You didn't post anything about the back story and my reply at 21.58(which you mention above) was to the poster @anniehm.

No one here can diagnose you. If you are worried, see your GP.

However, the risks with post-menopausal bleeding are of endometrial cancer- that's what any post meno bleeding is assumed to be till proved otherwise. (I've got that T-shirt and had the investigations.) This is almost unheard of in women who are not post meno.

In your stage of peri, (not post meno), yes, you could have polyps which can bleed, but they don't usually have symptoms like period-cramps with them and would be spotting, often after sex.

Likewise, fibroids. 50% of women have a fibroid. (Yes that's me too.)
Most of us (me) didn't know till a scan for something else showed it.
Fibroids do not usually /always cause bleeding themselves- they are an overgrowth of the muscle wall of the womb. They increase the surface area and can give heavier periods.

Cervical cancer has to be very advanced to show up as bleeding that could be anything like a period.. This is usually (but not always) in women who have not had smears for years and years.

Only saying to try to put your mind at rest.

Jesus JinglingHells are you ok? Just to be clear, I will not hold you or anyone else here responsible for my health so don't let it stress you out. I quoted you in the context of commiserating about health care professionals who disregard NICE guidelines.

Thanks for the helpful info you've posted but I'm not sure what your position is, you seem to be tutting about all the unnecessary gp visits but also saying go to the gp to have my feelings validated. I just want to know if anyone knows the protocol. Judging by pp it does seem unclear to others how to distinguish between mid-cycle bleeding and extra/early periods and whether or not it should cause concern.

I don't understand what help you wanted.
You asked a question which no one can answer- not even your GP- unless you have a pelvic scan and maybe a hysteroscopy to see what's going on.

The protocol is clear; any woman who has not had a period for 12 months then has even slight bleeding, is fast tracked for the above investigations within 2 weeks, as the protocol states that this kind of bleeding must always be assumed to be cancer unless proven otherwise.

If someone is not post meno (which you appear not be be) then there is no black and white.

You can talk to your GP and see what they think.

The likelihood is they will ask for the history of your periods, your smears, maybe do an internal exam to check for growths they could feel in your womb (like a fibroid), examine your cervix for polyps, and if they are worried they will refer you to a gynae.

There IS no simple answer.

I just came on here to ask the same thing but I'm 44. Been 2 weeks since my last period & ive never had bleeding or spotting before

pinkhouses I'm always bumping along the bottom of the ferritin range even when I'm supplementing. Gp has given me tranexamic acid for heavy periods but not every one is heavy.
Hassled I feel pretty good generally but weirdly I did have two lots of weepiness (for period 1 and period 2), and even though the last mini-bleed wasn't like a full-on period, I did have cramping. I think I'll see if anyone else in the surgery is more well-informed on hrt. I'll speak to them when I go in for my upcoming appointment. They've become more adamant that you get an appointment for each individual issue but this could be related to my back/pelvic pain so I'll ask.
Crafty I look forward to the end of the embuggerance stage.

I'm in a similar position. I'm 46 and have had an irregular cycle since last autumn. GP recently prescribed Cerazette and I started it last week. Fingers crossed. I'm going back to her at the end of April to talk about how it's going.