Your final period - was it like spotting?

[PuddingLane]

I'm 49, had unpredictable periods for last few years, longest gap between was 61 days but usually around 24 days, sometimes shorter. Usually the periods themselves have been normal length, occasionally they've carried on spotting afterwards for a while until finally petering out. I'm expecting (and hoping!) they'll stop soon. This month seems weird - a bit of brown discharge, then nothing for a couple of days, then a bit of pink spotting so I thought period had arrived, it's now gone back to nothing. I thought it was maybe spotting between periods, but I'm wondering if there's any chance that this is my last period and there's nothing else left to come out! Can you tell me in your experience is that something that can happen please?!

Nope, was a normal period.

Mine were like a bloody tsumani in the few months before they finished.

Mine are unpredictable now (i am late forties) - have missed a few months - had some that are just spotting - then some more full on ones. So don't think you can assume it's your last one (not sure if you are hoping it will be?) . Just based on my own experience and that of friends, it's possible to have spotting then go back to heavier again after a month or two....

Hope you are ok whatever happens - menopause is tough! Xx

Thanks, it's just so difficult because on one hand almost anything is 'normal for perimenopause', but then on the other you're told unusual bleeding needs investigating so it's hard to know what to do sometimes!

It was a bloodbath. Like most of them in the years leading up to my menopause. Irregular and so heavy I spent days sitting on towels because it always leaked through. I'd cough and think the cough had made me wet myself. Nope.

Then one time was the last time. I don't remember the date or anything because there was nothing different about it. I just never had another one. I didn't realise for ages because I could go months between periods.

IncompleteSenten That sounds tough! Glad you're through it! Did you ever go to GP or did you just think this is menopause and push through?

Like a couple of other posters in this thread, I had really heavy periods intermittently for about four years; the longest gap was over 200 days but then I had a couple more. It's now been over 365 days since the last one so I think (hope!) I'm done at last. [Age 54]

Edit to add. I never had heavy periods before the peri-menopause, only in the last four years.

Ilovelurchers It is indeed! No rules! How did you know the difference between spotting and a period that was in the form of spotting IYSWIM? Because of the timing? It's difficult when the timings of periods are quite random!

I'd like to know the answer to this question too but I fear we won't know the answer until a year after a period.

I'm in now after a 97 day break. I've had a good few years of heavy periods off and on so I'm hoping I'm in the latter stages of peri.

It's a complete headfuck.

I didn't go to gp no, I'd had irregular and heavy or long periods for many years and been dx with pcos years before so it was just a worse version of that. It took other symptoms for me to even twig it was peri!
The heaviness and clots were the worse part but bizarrely they became almost pain free which I was chuffed about! I don't know why and didn't care. I was just happy about it 😁

Thanks everyone - it really helps to know what others are experiencing. I think AF has just started after all! Now I'm wondering if the brown discharge of 4 days ago is the run up to the period, or counts as bleeding between periods because of the 4 day gap inbetween the discharge and the AF starting 🙄 Be glad when it's all done, I don't know why people feel sad about it!

I don't think you can tell - I have had similar but then back to normal again. It sounds like a very light period? But in my experience it doesn't mean the next one will be the same.

I'm 52, had a 2 month break so started to be hopeful. Currently on day 18 of my current period. Still no signs of stopping. Not particularly heavy but still carrying on.

I'm so over it!

@PuddingLane

I've been like that for a year, some months nothing at all. They got closer together but lighter for the two years prior.

Still no significant menopause symptoms though, hopefully I'm one of the lucky 25% who waltz through it. But as I have a mirena coil I can't be sure if they have now stopped altogether, I'm currently 100 days since last spotting

Mid 50s and mine have been all over the place for nearly 10 years now, cycles between 13 days at shortest to latest longest of 50 days, but no significant symptoms at all. I've had a few phantom periods where I've had all the premenstrual symptoms but then no bleed, but most are reasonably heavy (for me).

@PuddingLane I might seek advice - bleeding that is not menstrual could have all sorts of reasons -atrophy, fibroids, cysts, cancer. Best to get checked out.

I got something similar as I headed towards 48 or so. Spotting then maybe 2 days of nothing then period would start.
I also got a few weird 'dry' and 'brown' shorter periods here and there, maybe lasting a couple of days.

Nope. Got fed up with erratic, heavy periods at 46 and got a Mirena, which stopped them immediately. I haven't a clue when I actually reached menopause.

All was good, until I started HRT at 58 and a year later started spotting, FFS. I thought all that was over and done with. I've another Mirena now as part of my HRT instead of Utrogestan and thankfully no more spotting.

I’m 50. Mine are definitely more erratic - anywhere between 28 and 45 days. A day or two of light bleeding and then a day of clots galore and flooding. I also appear to have developed stress incontinence.

Joy

I’ve had bloodbaths one month and barely there spotting the next, then back to a bloodbath again.

Hi @PuddingLane I’m having the same going on at the moment . I have got to 10 months . Then I’ve had sore boobs , cramps , anxiety & a lot of flushes . I’ve had this 3 times in the 10 months but no bleed . This time the period cramps were really bad and then a light bleed . This then turned to pink on loo roll to nothing for a few days to the odd time I wipe brownish slightly . I’ve been like this now for 12 days . Bar once in the last 4 years when I flooded for days I’ve been extremely light and then nothing for months .

It seems as though it really is different for everyone - very difficult when you don't know what to expect! Thank you for sharing - it's really good to hear about everyone's experiences.

Mine is currently 67 days late, 89th day of cycle. This is after a period which lasted 29 days though and was extremely heavy flooding for the first week or so. The one previous to that was heavy but not quite so bad and lasted 10 days which was a few days longer than normal. I did notice a tiny bit of pink/reddish spotting on the occasional day after my last one, but nothing since, so I have no idea where I am.
Have just had sore boobs though for a few days which usually happens a few days before my period is due so will see what happens.

@PuddingLane @beck1976 and everyone else, hope the last period was the last one!

I'm still on and it's light- medium. Of course I'm on a 14 hour flight to an adventure holiday tomorrow.

Interesting about PP's phantom periods. I have in a few occasions been convinced I was about to come on my period only to find that I had walked around with SanPro in every handbag and pocket for a week and not needed it. Honestly I have Tranexamic acid, pads and tampons stuffed everywhere - car, locker, handbags, laptop bag, both toilets.

A pretty normal one I think but they had become spaced out so every 2 months or so for the last year. Now at 2 years and 4 months since last one. I’m 53.