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[GypsyRoseLee]

I finished my 7 days of 100mg Utro on Friday, and yesterday I started with some very light, brown spotting. Only really need a panty liner, if that. But, it's made me think that for the last 6 months or so I only ever really get this light, brownish flow with barely any fresh blood.

Does anyone else have this, or know why it is?

[dangermouse]

That sounds like a withdrawal bleed from stopping progesterone. I used to get it exactly 2 days after stopping combined pill for pill break and now when I stop my progesterone cream in first half of cycle, again 2 days later exactly (as prog obviously stays in your body for 48 hours). I don't get if I stop the cream in 2nd half as my own progesterone is high enough and then when both hormones fall at end of cycle I get a proper period. The withdrawal is very light and mainly brown spotting but period is much heavier.

Your high intake of oestrogen must be acting like when you take the combined pill back to back and don't have periods (just the small withdrawal of the prog component).

[GypsyRoseLee]

That would make sense dangermouse.

This month my own 'natural' period, which arrives around the 25th of the month, just didn't materialise. This hasn't happened before. So, I think this brownish flow must just be caused by the Utrogestan. There's a little bit of fresh, red flow and quite a few 'bits' (sorry for the graphic description) which I assume must be bits of my womb lining?

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi Stella

I think when I was on 12 days of Utro there was more fresh blood during my withdrawl bleed. But not much. And, I wasn't on nearly as much oestrogen back then.

I wonder if 4 pumps of oestrogen are shutting down my own cycle by 95%, so the womb lining just doesn't build that much?

[CLKD]

As my periods dropped of and became intermittent over the course of 2/3 years, I had brown discharge rather than a bleed.

[GypsyRoseLee]

Yes, that's what it's like CLKD, more a brown discharge than anything else.

Looking at all the women in my maternal line, they had all gone through the menopause at an early age. My Aunty was only 38. One cousin was only 28, and the other was only 44. My Mum had a hysterectomy at 43, so don't know when she'd have naturally gone through the menopause? But, she'd certainly been suffering with very similar peri symptoms to mine, from her late 30s, so I think she'd have been on target to have finished the menopause by her mid 40s?

I'm 47 this year, so I'm really hoping that this brownish spotting is a sign that I'm nearing the end, and that my own cycle is coming to a halt 

[CLKD]

Trouble is we don't know until we suddenly realise 

[Mary G]

GRL, sorry to hear you are struggling at the moment.  From what I have read, brownish/blackish blood is old blood and it usually comes through at the beginning and/or the end of a period - sorry, I'm no expert on this.

Is it worth emailing Professor Studd or alternatively, you could speak to one of his nurses?  You could have a scan to see if there is any build up, perhaps there is nothing there to come away?

[CLKD]

Black blood should be a warning as it's been there (where ever in the body) for a while.  Brown for me was OK - at the end of the period for years.  None smelly.  End of menstruating life that's all I had, small brown discharge.  'within normal limits'.

[Katejo]

As my periods dropped of and became intermittent over the course of 2/3 years, I had brown discharge rather than a bleed.

I had the same. At the very end it only lasted a day.

[CLKD]

Not worth a full towel, that's when panty-liners were useful.

[dangermouse]

My friend who used 4 pumps (via Studd) stopped having periods and just had the brown withdrawal discharge each time she stopped the Utrogestan.

Once she stopped the regime her periods returned after a few weeks.