Stop/start period

[Ilovecurrywednesdays]

Hello ladies

Am mid 40's, had a few strange period episodes in last year (2 periods in a month then none for 2 months type things) and other poss peri symptoms. Not had anything like that for about 8 months.

Recently I was late by nearly 2.5 weeks, then came on, instantly very heavy which is unusual lots of clots (sorry) then it tailed off but I had brownish discharge for about 10 days, so blood of some sort for nearly 3 weeks.

Then it stopped, then after about 4 days had brownish stringy (sorry again!) discharge on and off again until about 4 days ago when I had period pain (would have been my normal due date if I hadn't been late previously) started with normal light flow, then that just stopped dead! No sign of anything for 1.5 days, now I've got light spotting.

Is stop/start periods and brown discharge that seems to go on forever definitely a thing with peri?

I had three periods in 6 weeks, after them moving around for a couple of years.

Def peri. GP then asked a load of questions about my other symptoms and bingo, HRT.

In retrospect the mood swings, depressive feelings, vaginal atrophy etc started in my late 30s

I wish I'd gone for HRT then.

My manager has jokily tried banning me from the office when I'm having my rage episodes 😬 they are awful I could actually throw things at people.

And the period pain....its either a slight twinge I barely notice or vomit inducing agony 😩 boobs get extremely sore too but not every cycle. Can't even wear a bra some days.

It's just happened suddenly after calming down for a while. The other day it was just like a normal period starting, after the brown discharge finally stopping only a week earlier pretty much, and after 1 day that's it, nothing apart from a bit of spotting this morning but even that's stopped dead now.

And literally in the laat week ive noticed my skin on my face has gone weird, the makeup I've used forever just looks shit and dry now 😔

Have you thought about HRT....it helped my Rage episodes.

Yeah, hormonal fluctuations are the gift that keeps on giving!

I'd get some HRT if I were you! It smoothes out a lot of the fluctuations.

I'm going to go to gp and get checked out as the brown discharge going on for days has worried me a bit (I'm not massively up to date with my smears 😔). But generally I do feel I do maybe need to acknowledge I could do with something to help, especially with the rage. It does affect me I avoid going out and will rearrange meetings etc, anything to avoid speaking to people when I feel like that.

Hi - I'm mid 40s too and my periods have been all over the place for the past few months. Generally coming every two weeks so that I feel like I'm either having my period or having PMT! Really heavy then lingering brown stuff. I had a smear that came back fine, and I'm waiting for an ultrasound to rule out anything else untoward, but GP thinks it's probably hormonal. I'm on HRT and thought everything would be breeze once I started it. Mood and sleep have definitely improved, but the periods are getting me down. Might think about the Mirena coil. I wasn't keen but it is apparently good for controlling/stopping bleeding.

I'm 42 and the last couple of months have had strange periods. In November I was 2 weeks late which never happens to me, then when I did come on it was normal for the first couple of days then honestly spotted for a whole month, with occasional bright red gushing. Then the one after that was very painful, just had a period last week though which was back to normal, maybe a bit lighter than normal. No other symptoms really apart from I've noticed my skin is drier and my hair has thinned. My mum was quite young (under 50) going through menopause so thinking I probably am in perimenopause? Not sure about HRT... when would they prescribe it? At this sort of stage or later down the track?
Also does anyone know what HRT does to periods? Do you still have them?

I'm not fancying the coil. Irrational reasons....over the years I've had so many tests, procedures, stuff lasered off, cauterised....had enough of things being put up there iyswim 😔

So after a 1 day sort of period then nothing for 2 days I've come on this morning with a vengeance and I feel like actual dog shit. Period pain is taking my breath away, I feel sick, no energy, house is a mess and I just cba. Had to push myself to wash my face instead of just sitting here staring at the dog staring at me.

If this is peri, and im certain it is, im quite shocked at how it's all been sort of calm for the last 8 months apart from The Rage and in the last 6 weeks it's ramped up. Oh and last 2 nights I've had night sweats!! Not hot, just sweating like a bastard.

You don't hear much about that, that it can be stop/start stuff, everything makes out like it's gradual or constant. 😔

Hi OP. The night sweats are the worst. I started on 50 oestrogen patch and within 4 months was on 100 which just about kept the lid on night sweats.

I was so anti coil. I tried it twice after I had my last child and it came out for one reason or another.

But I tried again and it has been a game changer. To not bleed round my pants and into my trousers every time I stood up is amazing.

Two summers ago I went for lunch with a friend, I was wearing heavy period pants and a summer dress. As I stood up after lunch, the rush of blood was so heavy I had to ask my friend if I'd bled into my dress - and hot foot it to the bathrooms to put on my third heavy pair of period pants that morning.

Now, nothing. I do have a more swollen stomach, but that doesn't bother me really. I also have prolapse so it could be that instead.

Overall I'm much better and not anaemic and I don't snap at people.

Good idea to get checked out, there's a whole load of things it could be, it sounds like you've had stuff before, could be polyps, fibroids etc., being referred for an ultrasound might be a good idea.

I've had all the tests done and finally they come to the conclusion that I'm peri-menopausal in my early 40's, though symptoms started around 38.

For me it's being agitated and short tempered and the heavy periods that were ruining my days. I was put on the Evra contraceptive patch which was my preferred method of contraception before my partner had a vasectomy. The hormones are strong enough to help with the peri-menopausal issues, though there are some side affects I'd forgotten about, they out weigh the awfulness!

I was also offered the coil but also lots of invasive procedures for me too so I declined that.

Good luck finding something to help.

Thought I'd update.

Stopped the second period after 14 days(ish), brown discharge again, a random day of pink, back to brown, now today it's back to red spotting, period pain, and another epic "fuck everyone" mood.

I've booked a gp appointment as I am getting a bit worried its something sinister. I think given my age and other symptoms its likely to be peri but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit scared now.

i had a ct scan without contrast for an unconnected issue before Christmas and my notes say "unremarkable appearance of uterus and ovaries" (or something like that). Obvs googled "can ct scan detect uterine cancer" and a mix of yes, no, maybe answers come up.

Feeling pretty low right now 😩

I had this a few times. Turned out to be functional cysts. Also fibroids are common and cause on off bleeds too as well as all sorts of other things. Hopefully the scan will be reassuring.

Sorry just read that you haven't seen your GP. Do ask for a referral if you're not offered one.

You know I forgot my consultant last time said cysts can have different symptoms every time and they don't always cause agony.

I feel like shit this morning and have period pain but its not excruciating.

OP I was like you in Peri and my uss showed adenomyosis. Going on HRT for the peri symptoms and prescription for tranexamic acid really helped.

Try not to worry too much

Thank you. Suppose it goes to show Dr Google is indeed shit, whenever I come on MN to check other women's experiences of gynae issues they are hardly ever like those that Google says, even on the NHS website.

Remember my consultant smirking (not in a patronising way he was lovely) a bit when I'd mentioned I checked Google when I had a cyst a couple of years ago and the symptoms didn't match.

Just a quick update, gp had a cancellation yesterday afternoon.

He wanted to do a smear there and then but couldn't because I'm still bleeding, so I'm back in a few weeks when hopefully he can do it then. Have blood tests booked and he's referring me for a scan. He said he's 99% certain it's peri related but wants to discount other reasons first. Then he said we can look at options to help. Coil was mentioned.....😩 and I need to get some iron supplements

He didn't seem too concerned about my long stop/start periods, weird discharge and that I seem to be having a period 10 days after the last, apparently "you ladies reproductive systems do like to do their own thing they hardly ever follow the rules" (said with a sigh) 🤣