Anyone else had recurrent Bleeding after Menopause?

[HPFA]

Three months ago I had spotting (18 months after last period). I went through the investigations - had a hysteroscopy - and was given the all-clear.

Six weeks after that and I seem to be having a period (even down to the sore boobs!) - I've booked a phone appointment with the GP but my understanding from Dr Google is that they won't do any further investigations until at least six months afterwards.

And I'm just sitting here crying about it all. I don't think it's just the fear that it might be cancer after all. There's just a part of me that is really upset about periods now being this enemy. Something that used to be just a normal part of life - sometimes a nuisance, sometimes very welcome (!!) - but from now on any sign of blood is going to trigger more of the horrific stress I underwent three months ago.

Anyone else had a recurrence like this? How did you cope with it?

How old are you?

In younger women who experience menopause before the average age of 51, ovulation can occur after more than 12 months. (For example women with early or premature menopause can find they have periods again after gaps of years.)

The 12 month cut-off guidance for investigations is just that. Guidance. There has to be a cut-off time but quite a lot of women will have occasional periods even after 12 months without one.

That sounds like you. The sore boobs etc seem to point to it being hormonal.

You've had the all clear from your tests. Maybe try to rationalise it and accept that this stop-start is normal for you? It's not going to last forever. This might be your final period, or not. But endometrial cancer usually takes years to develop and a lot has to happen to a thickened lining before it is cancerous. Linings can be thick and 'shed' when they are perfectly normal and cancer is a stage down the line when the cells have changed. It is also very curable - almost 100%- if caught early.

I know it's hard but try not to worry and just accept that your periods are not working 'to rule'.

Hi OP, can I ask if any of your recent bleeding coincided with the COVID jabs or in the weeks after that? Just a thought as it seems to be a recognised and quite common side effect even in peri menopausal/menopausal women.

@JinglingHellsBells Thank you so much for replying - I'm 54. Yes, I think I'm going to just have to accept this is a late period. Literally three days ago I woke up with sore boobs and thought "Sh*t, I bet I'm going to bleed" and a day later.....

I guess I'm just a bit knocked back because I'd only just felt that I was fully over the stress of the last time!

One good thing - my ultrasound was borderline as to further referral anyway but now I'm really glad I followed the recommendation to go ahead with the hysto .Was lucky enough to be one of the women who found it pain free so that's proved to be a good decision.

@Marylou2 Thank you so much for the reply. The vaccine thing is a bit odd! The first incidence was about 5 and a half wks after the jab and the second just six weeks after the repeat jab. So I'm in two minds - 5/6 wks seems too long to be connected but the timescale is almost exactly the same after both jabs which is quite a coincidence. So who knows?

This is interesting, I’m 58 been taking HRT for 3 years, not had a bleed for 2.5years but I started bleeding about a week ago which was 3 weeks after my 2nd Covid jab.
I did fill in a yellow card on the government website.
However I’m now in Canada (live here part of the time) and a menopause specialist I follow on line here (Dr Jen Gunter) says that fully (1 year no bleed) post menopausal women shouldn’t bleed/have periods, so the vaccine can’t effect bleeding.
I’m confused?
I’m struggling to navigate the health system here to book an appointment to see a doctor, but I’m a bit concerned about bleeding for a week now.

@Itscoldouthere

This is interesting, I’m 58 been taking HRT for 3 years, not had a bleed for 2.5years but I started bleeding about a week ago which was 3 weeks after my 2nd Covid jab. I did fill in a yellow card on the government website. However I’m now in Canada (live here part of the time) and a menopause specialist I follow on line here (Dr Jen Gunter) says that fully (1 year no bleed) post menopausal women shouldn’t bleed/have periods, so the vaccine can’t effect bleeding. I’m confused? I’m struggling to navigate the health system here to book an appointment to see a doctor, but I’m a bit concerned about bleeding for a week now.

I think the issue is that at the moment they're not sure what biological mechanism would operate to cause it.

I suspect that they are also (understandably) very worried at the thought of women just "assuming it's the vaccine" and not having it investigated. Unfortunately it will still need to be checked, it just means you have another benign cause to add to the list!

Good luck with the doctor, it's very stressful having the checks but the statistics are very much in favour of it being nothing to worry about.

Hi OP
I’m going through a similar thing right now. Hadn’t had a period for 12 months then had some spotting for a few days. It then disappeared for a week and has now come back feeling a bit more like a period. I’m booked in for hysteroscopy and biopsy the week after next.
My first thought was the COVID jab I had had 3 weeks previously had triggered something but in the past couple of days I’ve had a twisting sensation where my ovary is that feels exactly like 6 years ago when I had a cyst. That was a complex cyst that turned out benign so I’m hoping for the same results.
I’m sure you will be fine as you were checked so recently x

@sadiewoohoo

Hi OP I’m going through a similar thing right now. Hadn’t had a period for 12 months then had some spotting for a few days. It then disappeared for a week and has now come back feeling a bit more like a period. I’m booked in for hysteroscopy and biopsy the week after next. My first thought was the COVID jab I had had 3 weeks previously had triggered something but in the past couple of days I’ve had a twisting sensation where my ovary is that feels exactly like 6 years ago when I had a cyst. That was a complex cyst that turned out benign so I’m hoping for the same results. I’m sure you will be fine as you were checked so recently x

Thank you so much for replying.

I've calmed down a bit in the week since it started - this may happen more than once so I'm going to need to get on with life as according to Dr Google the recurrence rate is about 20-40%! The good news is it doesn't bring an increased risk of cancer - your risk is the same (or possibly a bit less) as someone for whom it's happened just the once. So that was somewhat reassuring.

Best of luck with your own tests and really hoping you get a good result.

Thankyou. Keep us updated and I’ll do the same x

I'm 53, my periods have never fully stopped but last year had become very light and every 2-4 months. I have started having heavier periods and today am bleeding after about 2 weeks. Is this normal menopause or should I contact my GP for further investigations? I have also just experienced very high levels of stress over the last 3 weeks due to a family member being very ill, although he is improving now.

UPDATE: Had a conversation with the GP this morning. As expected she says I won't have any further investigations at the moment. Was very reassuring that it sounded like a "final -fling" period, especially with having breast soreness as well.

She said to keep her informed if I had any more so it's now just waiting and hoping that's it.

It hadn't occurred to me before but I'd actually been using a vitamin supplement containing Evening Primrose Oil before both episodes but not in between. And apparently that can have an oestrogen mimicking effect on the body- seems unlikely to be the culprit but we never know. I'll make sure I don't use any brand containing it in the future anyway.

@vjg13

I'm 53, my periods have never fully stopped but last year had become very light and every 2-4 months. I have started having heavier periods and today am bleeding after about 2 weeks. Is this normal menopause or should I contact my GP for further investigations? I have also just experienced very high levels of stress over the last 3 weeks due to a family member being very ill, although he is improving now.

Did you mean that you've been bleeding for two weeks or that you had another period start within two weeks? I seem to remember reading somewhere that the latter should be reported to a GP.

It's unlikely to be anything other than peri but if you do get referred on the transvag ultrasound has no side effects and is pain free.

HPFA thanks for your reply. I had a few days of heavy bleeding at the end of June and then started again today but checking my dates properly it is day 19 today. I have had a very stressful few weeks, husband in serious accident (doing ok now) so will see how it goes and contact my GP if I have concerns
This menopause stuff is no fun, I have loads of the symptoms but they do all come and go and seem manageable.

I'm over a year since last period and had spotting today - contacted GP and have been referred for a scan. I sent a message and they'd texted me within 2 hours informing me, which is reassuring and also worrying at the same time ....

I'm now wondering about a link to Covid jab - interesting. I had my 2nd about 4 weeks ago.

vjg I hope your husband is OK.

@noideawhatusernametochoose

I'm over a year since last period and had spotting today - contacted GP and have been referred for a scan. I sent a message and they'd texted me within 2 hours informing me, which is reassuring and also worrying at the same time ....

I'm now wondering about a link to Covid jab - interesting. I had my 2nd about 4 weeks ago.

vjg I hope your husband is OK.

It's a worrying process, no doubt about that, but it is an automatic protocol- slightest drop of blood and that's it - you're on the pathway. It absolutely doesn't mean that your doctor thinks there's something about you that makes it more likely to be cancer.

I actually ended up having two scans ( paid for a private one after the NHS one was inconclusive - I have a weirdly shaped womb apparently) and the lady who did the second one said she was getting a lot of business form the jab! I'm still not sure about it - definitely lots of women reporting but if they're vaccinating all post-men women then chances are some are going to have bleeding after it. Even if they do establish it as a possible cause they're still going to have to scan all the sufferers anyway.

Best of luck for the scan - even though in the end I was glad I'd had to go through the full process I still hope that other women get cleared at Stage 1 !

Thanks HPFA. I think you're right, they don't leave anything to chance with this sort of thing.

Glad yours turned out to be OK - though must be annoying to get periods again just when you think they've gone.

I'd not seen anything before about post menopausal bleeding and Covid hab before I saw this thread, will do a bit of reading.

Well that was quick... I contacted GP surgery yesterday, got a text back not long after, and have just had a call to book me in for a scan on Monday. I'm really impressed.

For anyone reading this thread, please do let your GP know if you're getting symptoms like this.

Just reporting back as had scan this morning. I was told it didn't look like there was much to worry about but that they were referring me to gynae. The ultrasound operator said she could see a follicle so she wondered if my ovaries were having a "last hurrah".

So, hopefully good news. She said to ring GP later this afternoon.

@noideawhatusernametochoose

Just reporting back as had scan this morning. I was told it didn't look like there was much to worry about but that they were referring me to gynae. The ultrasound operator said she could see a follicle so she wondered if my ovaries were having a "last hurrah".

So, hopefully good news. She said to ring GP later this afternoon.

That's pretty much what I got from the scan - they are ultra careful.

If you do get referred to hysteroscopy try not to google it too much - mine was pain free! Just know that if you are one of the unlucky ones who finds it painful you can tell them to stop immediately. The people who did mine were lovely and told me to tell them the minute it hurt and to remember I always had control.

It is a stressful time though - look after yourself and hoping you get a final all-clear soon!

Thanks HPFA. Ultrasound operator was reassuring so hopefully it is a formality. It's reassuring and at the same worrying to be seen so quickly :)

Now heard back from GP that they need blood test to check ovary function - I've booked that for next week - and he's referred me to gynae.

I'm not sure if I'm having the same experience as you. No periods for nine months. A slight loss of blood after intimate activity then a week of bleeding with period like pain starting the next day. I'm not sure if I should be ringing the GP or not. Will feel stupid if it's just a period and can't face any kind of internal exam.

Would that be within the realm of peri menopause if you haven't had 12 months of no periods consecutively?

@vjg13

Would that be within the realm of peri menopause if you haven't had 12 months of no periods consecutively?

Who are you asking, @vjg13?

I'm asking the wiser posters on here who are much more knowledgeable than me!

Ah ok . Wasn't sure if it was in response to my post.