Worried :(

[Bungleok]

Hi all, I am new to the forum and would just like some thoughts/opinions/words of encouragement really…….
i am 47 years old and always been very regular with my periods, like clockwork, in fact. Back in January I was a bout a week late and then in February , when my period did arrive, it was so light that I wasn’t sure if it was a ‘real ‘period? I couldn’t use a tampon, for example as I was too light.
then, almost 3 weeks ago, my period came again and I thought it was a proper one, lasted about 6 days and then went really light again, so I thought it was coming to the end but the next day, I came on heavy again? And I am still bleeding .
so all in all, I have been bleeding for 4 weeks now., if not a bit longer, if I include the light bit at the beginning. I spoke to a doctor a few weeks ago, so I am waiting for a gyno appointment.
has anybody had similar experience?
many thanks for taking the time to read my post. Xxx

Hi I have had the same with my periods recently. Same age as you, cycle has always been regular up to 4 weeks until over the last year or so when I found I was having some 53 day cycles.
I had one heavy slightly longer than normal period before Christmas, followed by another period just over a month later which carried on for 29 days. The first week or so was very heavy/flooding so I was getting through loads of pads a day, that I ended up buying heavy flow period pants from M&S.
I really thought that period was never going to end so I contacted a GP through my work free medical cover who advised it could be fibroids, though I don’t think it was, and sent a report to my GP surgery advising I be referred for a scan, then my period stopped, so I left it at that. Now it’s been about 8 weeks since that period stopped and so haven’t had another one yet.

Periods do weird and not so wonderful things as you head towards menopause, and what you describe may not be anything to worry about.. I do worry though that too many women put changes down to the perimenopause and miss early detection of other conditions, so it's always worth getting checked out.

To be honest, it sounds like typical peri menopause.
I'm a bit surprised your GP is referring you for further opinions/ tests as what you describe is really par for the course for someone your age.

I agree that on the one hand it's a good move to maybe have a scan (via the referral) but at the same time, there's a lot of medical advice around along the lines of 'keep a period diary for 6 months' and then see your GP if worried.

This bleeding is often due to incomplete cycles when there's no ovulation so now progesterone is produced in the 2nd half of your cycle , so you keep spotting or bleeding.

Some women are given the mini pill to control it (POP) or even the combined Pill. Or HRT if you're having flushes and other symptoms.

I think one issue is that many GPs are just not familiar with all of this. If all women 45+ were referred for odd periods, the waiting lists would be years!

The risk for odd bleeding is more for women who are post menopause.

Thanks so much for your replies:)
it’s just really getting me down at the moment and I’m convincing myself there is something wrong :(
im reading about symptoms of perimenopause all the time lol. I haven’t experienced hot flushes or anything yet but my sleeping is really bad and I am up most mornings by 4 am :( also had a few palpitations plîs pangs of anxiety :(

@Bungleok have your periods stopped yet?
I'm currently on day 19.
Sorry for TMI but I had dark brown blood at the end of the first week so thought I was done but it's carried on and is bright red.
Getting a bit fed up and considering going on the pill just to stop it. Haven't been on that for 20 years. Have no menopause symptoms so lucky considering I'm 52.