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Menopause

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Bleeding very soon after estrogen cream?

4 replies

AnnTillyMint · 08/07/2025 16:19

Having a bit of a wobble after last night, please let me know your thoughts if you can. Age 52, don’t know if I’m fully menopausal yet as been on mini pill for a couple of years (periods getting pretty erratic for a good while before that though) and an FSH test last month was 53, so if I’m not menopausal now it’s pretty close! I haven’t had any recognisable symptoms other than the below.

I had my first ever UTI last autumn, followed by another a couple of months ago (Felt pretty bad with them, under the weather and shattered).

More dry than before. Nurse performing recent smear said I was a bit red too and very much agreed I should ask for estrogen cream, particularly for preventing UTIs.

I was given the cream last month and started using it daily for the first 3 weeks (probably missed the odd day if I’d fallen asleep early, but regular use). Had some discomfort in lower abdomen for a while to begin with.

So then I was to step down to twice a week usage but to be honest a good week went by without any usage. Head been elsewhere, things going on. I had a miserable day yesterday, and decided to have a mental health afternoon and just take myself to bed as was very emotional. Had a bath to try to calm down and after that really thought I should get back using the cream so applied a good blob.

Two hours later, felt pressure and urgency to go to the loo and then saw loo water was very bloody. Instantly thought UTI again as had some blood initially last time. Kept going to the loo and much more blood than on previous occasions, water very red, some small clots etc. I couldn’t really tell whether the blood was in urine or from vagina or both when wiping, it just seemed a lot.

God bless the NHS with an out of hours appointment in less than two hours after calling 111. Paramedic tested very bloody sample, said he thought the leukocytes were high but weren’t an exact colour match.

Anyway, had antibiotics in hand just before 9pm.

The blood carried on throughout the evening but thankfully overnight looked like things were calming down and haven’t seen any blood since being up and about today.

It only occurred to me at lunchtime that maybe the cream caused the bleeding, but can it do it that quickly? Within a couple of hours?

I feel really quite low today, my anxiety is high, I’m tired from broken sleep the past few nights… but I don’t feel as rotten as with the previous UTIs. Though only 3 hours from bleeding to first antibiotic may have caught things super early??

OP posts:
JinglingSpringbells · 08/07/2025 19:14

much more blood than on previous occasions, water very red, some small clots etc. I couldn’t really tell whether the blood was in urine or from vagina or both when wiping, it just seemed a lot.

Sorry you're suffering.

Are you sure it wasn't a period?
If you had clots that seems more like a period .

The easiest way is to use a tampon (if possible) and see if it's period.

A small amount of vaginal estrogen wouldn't cause bleeding like that.

Any bleeding when you use vaginal estrogen is usually slight spotting where the uterine lining has been stimulated by the estrogen but it's such a minute dose it rarely happens. To put it into perspective, if you use vaginal estrogen 2 x a week for one year (over 100 applications of it) you'd get the same amount of estrogen as ONE DAY of systemic HRT.

Hope you feel better.

MariahPariah · 09/07/2025 07:08

Please get checked.

At 52, you’re quite possibly post menopausal; and any unusual bleeding should ALWAYS be investigated. Combined with unusual UTI symptoms and blood in urine is definitely something that should be referred urgently.

Speak to your GP. They can refer you for an urgent scan.

fourelementary · 09/07/2025 07:12

Speak to your GP anyway as bleeding should be investigated post menopause OR if in the urine by urology! FWIW If you hold a tissue over your urethra you should be able to wipe just your vagina and see if the blood is coming from there… as it does matter in terms of blood from vagina is a different issue than blood in the urine. GP either way.

JinglingSpringbells · 09/07/2025 08:28

OP-work out where the blood is from and see your GP.

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