Brown discharge

[TheChestnutCafe]

I'm 46 and been having meno symptoms (flushes, weight gain, aches and pains, vag dryness etc) for years.
Periods were always regular but are now coming a few days later each month, gone from every 31 days to about 36 days.
Getting lighter too, I only really need pads for 2 or 3 days and liners for the rest.

Ive noticed over the last few years that I get brown discharge following my period, it used to last 3 or 4 days but seems to be lasting longer now, about a week or more. Its only ever very slight, when I wipe (sorry tmi.)
Anything to be concerned about??

Meant to add, I used to get slight ovulation bleeding mid cycle but haven't had this for the last few months. Had a colposcopy in September last year, all normal.
I have terrible anxiety especially in the mornings too.

Sorry to ask the obvious, but is the discharge not just your period lasting a bit longer?

As you are pretty young to have had peri symptoms for a few years, (early 40s) it's really worth thinking about HRT. It would sort out all the stuff you are suffering from and there is no risk at all if you use it before age 50. It's just replacing what you should have to average age of meno (51.)

Jingling, thanks for the reply.

That's what I thought tbh, on period I bleed 'properly' for 2 or 3 days maximum and it then tails off, the brown discharge seems to be a continuation of that, I was concerned that it might be something untoward.
Eg this month my period started on the 12th, I bled til the 14th and it tailed off to dark brown discharge for a few days, then I get lighter brown discharge. I had it this morning when I wiped (sorry tmi)

Does this sound fairly typical of peri?

Brown blood can be a sign of a cycle where you haven’t ovulated. I’ve had it for years as I’ve got endometriosis and it has affected my ovaries.

I got told years ago then I probably had pcos as a scan on my ovaries showed lots of little pearl like cysts on them. However, as I've finished my family no treatment etc was offered.
Also when I had DS 12 years ago I had another EMCS and the surgeon said I had a lot of very dense adhesions in my pelvic area, I do have a lot of endo symptoms but never officially diagnosed.

It does sound typical of peri I'm afraid. I knew someone who bled like that most of the month and the treatment then was the mini pill (progesterone only) as it's lack of progesterone that causes the bleeding.

I'm worried that it's cervical cancer tbh, even though I had a normal colposcopy less than a year ago, with normal biopsies.

My anxiety is running away with me. I've had it roughly since I turned 40-41 so trying to stay rational.

I'll see if it settles down, it is only very slight, don't even need a liner, but I'm obsessive about checking when I wipe.

why did you need a colposcopy? Were there severe CIN changes? How often are your reviewed?

Given all your other meno symptoms, it seems more likely it 's hormonal. You aren't going to get bleeding from cervical cancer within a few months of an investigation- it can take years to develop.

Hi jingling,
I tested hpv positive in my last 3 yearly smears but no abnormal cells were found. After the 3rd one last year I was automatically referred for colposcopy, where they said there were no signs of abnormality, they took biopsies while I was there as an extra precaution and thankfully I had normal results.
I'm due to go back in September this year.

I hate this constant anxiety over my health.

I'm 45 and also peri. My periods have been all over the place. I was flooding badly and periods lasting over 30 days but the last three periods have been brown discharge which goes on for over a week 🙄 my "normal" periods were every 28 days for three days.

@TheChestnutCafe Have you considered looking at a talking therapy for your health anxiety? It sounds like you could perhaps benefit from a course of CBT which will help you control your thoughts.
They are irrational and you can learn to change how you think.