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?

@DonnieDark

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

I had an MRI after I went to GP for same issue and my subsequent blood tests showed a raised marker for cancer.

Turns out I didn't have cancer (phew) but did have endometriosis.

I had some mild endo Lasered off when I had a laproscopy before IVF. I don't have much period pain at all really, only symptoms are random cycle lengths and the smell... Tbh though since I have quite a severe bowel issue it's hard to tell what's actually linked to my cycle and what isn't

I had low oestrogen and vaginal atrophy after birth because of extended bf, and I think that changed the vaginal flora as I had this - it was essentially BV. It would be fine between periods, but the periods themselves smelt really off, not like normal, and I’d get really itchy and sore vulval skin with them. It stopped when I stopped BF and my oestrogen levels went back to normal.

Peri might cause similar symptoms because of the lower oestrogen? Ask your GP for some oestrogen cream for the vagina, they will know what to do!

Thanks I will - I have horrendous night sweats too but they might not be peri related, it's so hard to unpick all the symptoms!

I'm going through similar - some peri symptoms, but not conclusive -- the odd night sweat but I've had those for a few nights just before my period since my early twenties! So it's difficult to tell!

If you have post coital bleeding you need a two week wait referral for gynae. Not safe to be relying on your smear.

@irresistibleoverwhelm it's weird isn't it? I had them loads after I had DS bit then got pregnant almost a decade later so that can't have been peri!

@QueenOfPain it seems to happen just before my period is due, but then sometimes my period doesn't show up until about day 45 (like this month). You really think it's urgent? I haven't even had a smear for years because they don't do it if you're HPV negative now. I'll try and get to my GP, just dreading having to add this to the list of stuff that's already been so badly mishandled by them 😢

Bleeding after sex needs seeing.