Periods restarted after 5 years - should i worry

[potas]

I apologise for the length. Just dont want to miss out relevant facts.
Five years ago i suddenly stopped having periods after about 6 months of unsettled cycles (different lengths/flow). The doctor wasnt bothered.
Bloods after 6 months showed normal oestrogen and progesterone apparently. Although zero testosterone which the doctor didnt feel was important to tell me.
No other real symptoms of the menapause
Last year I had insomnia and bladder issues etc and (after speaking to the nurses) started on hrt in a hope to feel better. Bloods showed low oestrogen. Eventually adding in testosterone as this was still 0.
I didnt feel better. I felt worse. And then a close family member got breast cancer and i stopped the hrt about 5 months ago. For the last three months ive had a period.
Sore boobs for 1-2 weeks then menstrual bleeding.
The sore boobs are excruciating, so sore I cant shower and wear a sports bra 24hrs a day.
Clearly hormones are happening in my body again. But just seems so weird after so long.
Im not sure if i should speak to a doctor because this is essentially a normal event, just not normal for me.
Could it be a sign if anything more sinister?
Has anyone else experienced something like this?

You should get checked out at a hospital. How old are you? Could you have gone through menopause or early menopause?

How old are you OP?

it warrants an urgent ultrasound scan or even referral to gynae for a biopsy depending on age and what Hrt you were on but please speak to your GP and don’t ignore the bleeding

so the HRT was repressing your periods, like the pill? And now you’ve stopped taking it they are back? How old are you?

See GP asap - I don’t want to scare you but they’re likely to put you on a two weeks referral pathway.

This is urgent. You need an appointment as soon as possible with your GP. Any restarting of periods after more than 1 year of stopping is a warning sign of cancer.
Blood tests are not a reliable indicator of menopause.
How old are you? Hormones can’t ’just happen again’ if you are in menopause - eg no periods what @Ihateandilove wrote and don’t be fobbed off by Gp

I am 47. I havent had a period since 2021. Started hrt 2025. So the hrt wasnt repressing my periods. I did have sone bleeding on hrt but they werent worried about that.
Ok
Maybe i need a doctors appointment next week. I just didnt want to waste peoples time

Thanks xx

Yes this happened to me. It’s not necessarily bad news but needs checking out urgently.

Ask for a blood test to check prolactin and also a referral to endocrinology. Prolactinomas are a common cause of low hormones and absent periods and are easily treatable. Also ultrasound scan should be done - try see a different gp too!

It all depends on the type of HRT you were on. I assume it was a bleed-free sort.

There are two issues here- yes, you do need to see your GP.

Your age is relevant.

It's possible for women who have an early menopause - which yours was at 41- to restart their periods several years later.

Early menopause is loss of periods before 45.
Premature menopause is loss of periods before 40.

Both are medical diagnoses and woman can restart their periods right up to age 50.

It's more likely that your periods have come back and this is not so dangerous as women over 50 who go for 5 years with no periods then bleed- that's different and can be a sign of uterine cancer.

However, see your GP and they will send you for a scan.

I'm really grateful for all the advice and kick to actually do something. I've booked an online GP appointment for this afternoon.

Make sure your GP understands how young you were when your periods stopped.

It was closer to a premature menopause than an early menopause.
You should have been offered HRT at 41- that is medical guidance- to protect your heart and bones. Your GP should have been concerned and on the ball. It was negligent not to say you should use HRT.

It's good that you did start it eventually.

For women with premature menopause, they are advised that in rare instances it is possible for their periods to restart years later.

You should also use contraception now for another 2 years at least - guidance for women with menopause before 50.

You are not the same as a woman with a normal age of menopause having bleeding 5 years later.

Hi. I had an online GP appointment at the weekend who confirmed that I needed an ultrasound and fortunately I managed to get an appointment today with my own GP so hopefully will get a referral.