Ongoing Spotting

[Emilyjayne33]

I gave birth to my daughter in August 2020. Normal birth. No issues. Bled for 16 weeks after so had to have tablets to stop the bleeding for a few weeks which worked. However upon stopping them I found I still randomly bled on and off. I then noticed i was spotting after sex. This had never happened before so i was concerned. Saw a doctor in Feb 2021 for something else where she asked about my periods and referred me to gynacolgy. After a years wait on the nhs and this continuous spotting between periods and after sex, they found I had ectropian and treated with silver nitrate and was confident this was the cause. This worked for about 6 months, until it all began again. Saw gp again, had swabs and smear test, all normal, has scans, normal, bloods normal. Referred to gynae again. However I was told there was a 60 week wait so I paid private and saw a consultant in June 2023. She didn't seem concerned, said there was a small ectropian and treated it again but go get the coil for my heavy periods. The treatment didn't do anything so I went back and she told me I shouldn't be worried.
A few months later the nhs sent me an appointment so I figured I'd go. They decided I needed a womb biopsy which they did there and then (so painful). 9 weeks waiting and finally told it was normal.
So anyway. Here I am nearly 4 years later, still spotting after sex and periods. I still can help but be worried. It's drilled into us as females that it's not normal yet no one has given me a reason.

Does anyone else suffer this?
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do besides accept this is now the new normal for me.
Could it be hormonal. Or ovulation spotting but not sure why that would happen after sex.

Thanks for your time.

Yes almost exactly the same here, except my baby was born in 2019 and I was also sterilised at same time. All cancer checks are clear. The only thing that helps is the pill (madness after sterilisation) which has reduced but not totally stopped it

Oh and vitamin b helps too. I also take an iron supplement as ended up quite anaemic 😒

I'm on iron pills too but always suffered anemia due to how heavy my periods are.
I keep being told to get the coil as it should solve this ongoing issue but I've heard so many stories of women bleeding more and i honestly don't need to bleed anymore than I already do haha 😅.
It puts me off getting intimate with my hubby because I just know that when I go to the loo after, I'll be spotting.

Theres always that worry at the back of my mind even though I've had all clear tests.
Xxx

Hi how are you both @Emilyjayne33 @OliveLion
similar situation.
had baby in 2019 and in 2020 everything went haywire with bleeding, still having problems now.
they said it’s hormonal. I had an ultrasound and a hysteroscopy. No colposcopy and won’t give me one. I agreed to a mirena in 2023 and it’s lightened the bleeding but I still spot and crank half the month.
now only option is an ablation.
Still worried about my cervix.

Hi 👋

I've since been back to my GP as my periods have gotten closer together (lucky if I can go 2 weeks between periods now). Spotting starts a week before period. Then after for about 3 days.
They've referred me again to gynae but a long wait list.
I asked if I could be perimenopausal and they've told me I'm too young (34) and my hormone bloods were normal.
I have no idea but it's driving me mad!!!
X

@Emilyjayne33 its frustrating at any age never mind when we are so young, to be putting up with this! I’ve spent my whole
30s bothered by this and just want to be “normal”
😥x

I feel your frustration 🥲. I have thought about getting the coil to see if thay helps but honestly don't see how hormones would cause bleeding after sex, so haven't bothered. I've been dealing with it since 20202 now and no one seems to want to help find an answer as to why it's happening. I actually had one gp shrug at me!!! X

@Emilyjayne33 Me too, they once said “what do you want us to do?” X

@Emilyjayne33 Did you get a colposcopy? They won’t give me one. Because I “don’t bleed after sex” but they know I don’t have sex cos I find it too painful. One consultant asked if I didn’t have sex because with all the bleeding it was messy! I was like.. no… it’s because it’s too distressing when I’m bleeding all the time I don’t particularly feel like having sex! And it hurts!

it causes so much anxiety after they say “you’ve had all the tests” but you still have the symptoms so worry all the time what’s causing them. And I never know whether to go back and get seen etc.

sorry your having these issues too! But finally found someone else in the same boat so I don’t feel so alien lol x

No I haven't had a colposcopy
They've never offered one. They said they did the biopsy as they'd done everything they could up to that point which was swabs, scans, bloods, smears. I had silver nitrate treatment twice for ectropian but the last 2 occasions they'd checked, it was gone.
Drives me mad. I don't get pain on sex thankfully, but I get bleeding after. So like you, it's put me off.
I'm always anxious about it. I have no idea what to do about it.
It's crazy to me because all our life we get told as women, that bleeding outside your period isn't normal and it needs to be looked into. Yet here I am. Nearly 5 years down the line and still no answers!!

I'm glad I'm not alone too. I don't know anyone else with this issue. Xx

@Emilyjayne33 I had the womb biopsy too, while I had a hysteroscopy! I was like, why is no one considering my cervix amongst all this! I have six weeks before I get my ablation and I’m not sure how much it will help! Im
the same, July 2020 is when I started the spotting Xx

Hey.

How did you get on with the ablation? Xx

@Emilyjayne33 Hi it was rather painful afterwards! And I got an infection afterwards. So I am just starting to heal now. Too early to tell if it’s going to work. I hope so after all that I’ve been through!
How are you doing now? X

I can imagine. I hope you heal quickly and it has done the trick for you.
I'm good thank you. Weirdly I haven't had any spotting or post coital bleeding for the last month...not holding my breath as on the off chance I get a random month where I think it's magically sorted itself only for it to happen the following month haha.
The booking office told me I won't get a consultant appointment before October this year!!

I'm interested to see if the ablation has worked for you. Would you let me know ? Would be willing to try if it works for you. X

@Emilyjayne33 I was the same, I kept thinking I wouldn’t need the ablation, In November and December I think I didn’t bleed for 6 weeks and I was like this is it! Finally. But then in January it came back so I called the gynaes secretary and asked if they could tell me where I was on the list, and she managed to get me squeezed in to March list!
Of course, I’ll keep you updated! Not holding my breath, but i pray this has to be the last of the bleeding because I’ve put up with this for five years almost!
when I was in hospital being treated for the infection they looked over my surgery notes from the ablation and they said I have an ectropian which I’ve never had before, said it could be caused by my coil, I asked if they biopsied it or anything and they didn’t! I hope they’re sure it’s just an ectropian because I’ve never really had my cervix properly looked at during this time because they’ve always said it’s just hormonal because my smears are ok.
So now I’m worried about that, it’s never ending lol
I don’t have a follow up but I’m going to give this 3 months and I’ll be asking for a review if it’s not helped x