Periods suddenly smell weird

[DonnieDark]

I'm 41 and no idea if I'm perimenopausal - I have a lot of other health issues going on so it's hard to separate things out, but lately my periods are extremely irregular and the blood smells horrible suddenly. This month my cycle was 41 days. I bleed after sex but have had a negative HPV so no smear for 4 years.

Is this a sign of peri or do I need to see a doctor?

Could be.

Tmi but mine sometimes smelled so strong I can only compare it to cat wee.

Found out I had ovarian cysts, polyps, endometriosis and peri menopause .

You're not too young for peri if any GP tries to fob you off.

Do some research then ask for a referral to a specialist!

Good luck

Thanks Pengwyn, mine smells like rotten eggs, it's awful 🤢

I've been fobbed off by my GP for a year already for bowel and mental health issues so I'm not relishing the idea of adding another thing into the mix that they can gatekeep.

It's so odd though - surely it's the same stuff coming out?!

I think it may be 'old blood' that hasn't come out straight away if you see what I mean?

If you can see another GP keep trying until you find one that is sympathetic.

If you can at all afford it try a private menopause doctor who may be able to put you on the right path.

But do ask for an NHS menopause or menstrual specialist.

It all started going weird for me just after 40 and it's been years of trying to get good care.

Peri symptoms are many and varied.

Did you catch the Davina McCall channel 4 doc? It was really good

I would get that checked. Doesn't sound right to me. Could be an infection or something going on?

I've got private insurance so I might call the GP and just ask them for a referral rather than going through the whole drama I just went through to get a gastro referral (vomiting and weigh loss for a year and they refused to see me in person or prescribe anti-emetics even though I was suicidal).

It does seem very sudden, everything was regular up until last year when I very very unexpectedly fell pregnant and had an abortion, that's for another thread but I haven't been the same since ☹️.

I’d see a GP about the bleeding after sex.

Sorry, OP, I hadn’t read your update. Goodness, you’ve had a hard time. Definitely get private referrals if you have insurance.

Could it be a forgotten tampon or something that you only notice when menstruating.

I think you need a gynaecologist referral. I suspect that things haven't normalised after the termination. The smell you are describing suggests some sort of retained product perhaps? The other thing for the GP to check is you haven't mislaid a tampon. They smell very bad.

@Northernlurker

I think you need a gynaecologist referral. I suspect that things haven't normalised after the termination. The smell you are describing suggests some sort of retained product perhaps? The other thing for the GP to check is you haven't mislaid a tampon. They smell very bad.

I highly doubt it's related to the termination since it was quite some time ago.

But yes, a gynaecologist is a good call.
Could be a burst cyst, anything really.

But whatever it is you need and deserve proper care.

Hi @DonnieDark apologies for the intimate question, but do you use tampons? I had a similar issue after a really bad bout of pcos and a really irregular cycle. The gp advised that there was basically a build up around my cervix of womb lining that either hadn't shed completely or had got stuck in like a mucus plug around my cervix as a result of using tampons.

I try and alternate so tampons in the day towels at night or 24 hours of one and then 24 hours of the other and it has helped.

If you are concerned you need to see a gp

It's probably BV and women who are peri menopausal are more prone to getting it. You can buy some canestan over the counter stuff for it, a course for 5 or 7 days, can't remember but that should sort it out ( until next time).

Sounds exactly like BV. that's the symptoms I had years ago. It's easily treated.

I haven't used tampons for years now - I use a disc thingy.

Other than my period there's no smell, discharge is all completely normal and odourless. It's literally just the blood that smells!

I always get thrush just before my period too and I have flucanazole for that but no other symptoms apart from the smell, I don't even really get cramps anymore.

I will attempt to traverse the GP maze again... unfortunately they don't take my physical concerns seriously due to my MH diagnoses, and I've had to fight whilst at my lowest ebb to just get a bloody referral when it costs them nothing to give it to me. The last year has been horrific and I have PTSD from the abortion on top now too so everything feels like a constant struggle.

Can you wear a pad and take it with you to GP? I know what it’s like to be fobbed off and that sometimes you need to prove to them how bad things are.

I have endometriosis, lots of old blood loss etc and it’s never been like this. Infection seems like a possibility.

I thought infection at first too, but wouldn't that have other symptoms between periods?

Have you got a copper coil? I kept getting BV with my coil and my periods smelled like rotten flesh. 🤢 I've since had it removed and am fine now.

Nope no contraception whatsoever

Bump

If it is BV and it sounds like it could be that's easily treated with a course of antibiotics. Id ring the doctors explain the symptoms and say you think it's BV and go from there.

But doesn't BV have other symptoms?

It can, it can also go undetected though.

I've just ordered a BV test - if that comes up negative should I still see a GP?

I'm having horrendous night sweats but I've had them on and off for years now and been pregnant during that time, it's so hard to know what are symptoms of peri and what aren't

Bleeding after sex needs to be investigated, I would ask for a gynae referral.

Thanks Weenurse, it's been happening since I was much younger and I was told it's because I have a sensitive cervix