Period after 500+ days!

[Namechangearoon]

I haven't had a period for 522 days but this morning si woke up with a lot of fresh blood when I wiped.

I have felt bloated and had a stomach ache yesterday and the last couple of weeks I have been really constipated but I really wasn't expecting a period after so long.

Is this pretty standard? Am I therefore not menopausal at all? Previously I had cycles of 200+ days.

It's probably something else so don't freak out, but you're supposed to get yourself checked to rule out some types of cancer, sorry.

Best to get checked if it's been over a year.

As a general rule, any bleeding after a significant time of not bleeding needs to be checked out. Hope everything goes ok OP.

Thank you.

I have a telephone consultation at 11.
Really hoping it is not cancer.

I have not been in any HRT or anything like that.

It probably isn't cancer, but it's better to check than to miss it.

I hope your appointment goes well!

Definitely get it checked. Hopefully it’s nothing major but even if it is something getting checked as early as you can will mean you get treatment ASAP.

What's happening NameChange?

Op I was thinking of you this morning. Hope you appointment went well xx

Hello

Thank you for checking on me. I had a phone consultation and they are sending me for a scan.

I am now bleeding heavily as if I am having a period. I also checked back in my tracker and in March 2020 I did have one day of spotting (day 313 of my cycle). So if that was considered bleeding/period then maybe I hadn't actually reached a full year.

My app had continued to count the cycle despite that day of spotting - putting me over 500 days.

This feels like a period so I hope that the scan won't find anything wrong. I am a lot calmer now.

I wouldn't panic but glad you are getting it checked out - I went 18 months with nothing and then 3 periods on the trot. Now in month 11 following those.

Thanks Londonmummy. My friend says maybe my ovaries are making one last grab at youth which made me smile.

I will hopefully get a scan soon and all will be ok :)

I thought I would come back and explain what has happened so far.

My bleeding lasted just over a week and seemed like a period. I went to have a scan and a sample of tissue was taken just over two weeks ago. While there they said I had a couple of small costs on my right ovary, took some pictures of my left ovary and then said that given my age and my explanation of what had happened it is very unlikely I am post menopausal.

The doctor called me yesterday to say the sample was fine, nothing to worry about. I asked about the images they took of my left ovary and if there was any worry I have ovarian cancer as I have been worrying constantly for two weeks. The doctor said no sign but the next step is to send me for a hysteroscopy which will probably happen in about three months.

This morning, 30 days after the bleeding started I have started bleeding again. I am assuming it is another period but have informed the GP.

I know a few people who had a long gap, then another run of periods, or just one. It is not uncommon. I had about an eight month gap I think, maybe a bit longer. My close friend had a year. It is sensible to have it checked, as you have done, because sometimes it can be a symptom of cancer, but nobody I know who experienced this had any underlying problem, it was just natural fluctuations in hormone levels. Most likely that spotting was a typical light peri-meno period and this is another run of periods,

Did you change your diet recently OP? Low carb/keto, lose weight or put on weight? I found those things caused a period every 6 months or so while starting menopause.

How old are you @Namechangearoon?

It's not unheard of for periods to come back in younger women (under 50.)

So they did a biopsy but not an actual hysteroscopy?
Has your GP referred you to a gynaecologist for this?

I'm a bit puzzled because a) a scan if it's a transvaginal one can show everything going on with your ovaries and b) a hysteroscopy will only show the womb lining and is usually done as the same time as taking a biopsy (though you can have a biopsy on its own.)

I have had all of these by the way!

They should get enough info from the scans to rule out any ovarian cysts or cancer and bleeding is not a sign of it anyway.

So the sample they took was with a long straw like thing. I think it was a sample of the lining of my womb. It was done after they did the vaginal scan and took some images of my ovaries.

Because my womb lining is ‘a little thick’ (as observed in my scan - mid cycle) they want to do the Hysteroscopy - where they look with a camera.

Should that be a worry?

I was 50 in April. The doctor who did the scan said if you are under 50 then having bleeding within two years of thinking your periods have stopped is not usually a worry.

They asked me all about my cycles and my menopausal symptoms and he said it was unlikely I was post menopausal. Not sure what to think.

I have had a hysteroscopy before for fertility reasons about 11 years ago. I was told my left ovary was not functioning properly.

Not sure why they would be doing one again other than to make absolutely sure everything is ok but the doctor who called me said there was nothing to worry about from the scan or the sample they took. Could they possibly be lying?

@DianaT1969

Did you change your diet recently OP? Low carb/keto, lose weight or put on weight? I found those things caused a period every 6 months or so while starting menopause.

Sorry I missed this question. I have put on about a stone since lockdown first started but over the last few weeks have been eating more healthily and have lost about half a stone. I didn’t really start this until after the bleeding started though and when they weighed me in the hospital I was at my heaviest.

He weigh about 10st 11 now but am happiest at around 10st 2 and am aiming for that. I haven’t been below 10 stone for several years.

@JinglingHellsBells

How old are you *@Namechangearoon*?

It's not unheard of for periods to come back in younger women (under 50.)

So they did a biopsy but not an actual hysteroscopy?
Has your GP referred you to a gynaecologist for this?

I'm a bit puzzled because a) a scan if it's a transvaginal one can show everything going on with your ovaries and b) a hysteroscopy will only show the womb lining and is usually done as the same time as taking a biopsy (though you can have a biopsy on its own.)

I have had all of these by the way!

They should get enough info from the scans to rule out any ovarian cysts or cancer and bleeding is not a sign of it anyway.

Hi there. The NHS website does say they do this

www.nhs.uk/conditions/womb-cancer/diagnosis/

“ Sometimes you may have a biopsy without hysteroscopy, called "aspiration biopsy". This is where a small flexible tube, inserted into your vagina and up into your womb, is used to suck up a small sample of cells.”

Yes, I understand all of that - I've had both done as I said in my previous post.

The reason for the hysteroscopy is juts to be sure. The biopsy alone has a success rate of around 85% to diagnose endometrial cancer. The camera looks at it all a bit more closely.

Obviously a biopsy only takes a sample from one area. The camera looks around at the whole uterine lining.

They are just being thorough.

Ah right. It was just you said you were puzzled and it made me think that perhaps there is something I don't know or haven't been told but am now less worried. Thank you.