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[jansheff]

Hi, I’m about 3 or 4 years post menopause and 56 years of age. I had a very easy menopause with minimal upset or inconvenience (sorry).

Last night I notice a clear stretchy egg white type mucus, the sort I believe you normally get when you are ovulating. More today. No blood, mostly clear, though a bit has been tinged a pale yellow today. Just when I visit the toilet and wipe.

I’ve also been feeling a bit of tenderness and heaviness low down in the pelvis, although this could be anxiety I know, given that my mind is focussing on this area.

Is this discharge ok after the menopause? I’ve read to see a doctor if there’s blood, a bad smell, or odd colour, but it just seems like I used to get when I was younger.

I’m not on HRT.

Please help stop me freaking out that it’s something awful. I suffer from health anxiety and am currently undergoing a course to help with that.

[Uptick]

Hi Jansheff, I'm 54 and not on HRT, almost 4 years post-menopause. I've had some discharge like you're describing and it turned out to be an UTI, albeit mild. Mine didn't have blood or bad smell. It can also be a local increase in testosterone, or a rogue ovulation, but I think that's less likely. Just keep an eye on other symptoms and if if turns out to be an UTI (change in colour or smell), ring your GP. If it turns to a watery discharge it could also be vaginal atrophy.

[jansheff]

Ah, thank you so much, that’s reassuring. To be honest, I was wondering before the discharge if I had a UTI, because that’s how it feels low in my pelvis. Sort of uncomfortable and irritated. But I don’t have the cystitis symptoms, like feeling I need to be on the loo all the time, or burning.

It never occurred to me that discharge could be part of a UTI, I thought they were different systems, so to speak.

I’m dreadful with anxiety. I’ve had myself dead and buried numerous times this year, I just jump from one thing to the next.   I’m halfway through a course run by the NHS but it’s not working so far.

[Uptick]

Urinary and genital tracts in women are closely related. Sometimes bacteria from stools can colonise the genital area and affect urethra, vagina or even womb. Anxiety is such a horrible thing, it certainly doesn't help with anything. When you say you're 3 OR 4 years post-menopause, what do you mean? You don't know for sure?

[Joaniepat]

Discharge and UTI-type symptoms are indicative of vaginal atrophy due to lack of oestrogen. You can ask your GP for Vagifem or Ovestin, both local oestrogen products. There are many threads on here about VA. A good resource is Jane Lewis's vaginal atrophy Facebook support group (private) and you can also follow her on Instagram (@my_menopausal_vagina).

JP x

[jansheff]

When you say you're 3 OR 4 years post-menopause, what do you mean? You don't know for sure?

Sorry for being vague, I didn’t know the exact date without looking it up. And not sure if we count from date of last period or one year from date of last period.

My last period ended 7th May 2016

[jansheff]

Discharge and UTI-type symptoms are indicative of vaginal atrophy due to lack of oestrogen. You can ask your GP for Vagifem or Ovestin, both local oestrogen products. There are many threads on here about VA. A good resource is Jane Lewis's vaginal atrophy Facebook support group (private) and you can also follow her on Instagram (@my_menopausal_vagina).

JP x

Thank you for that. I thought it was a watery discharge with VA, mine was thick and stretchy like egg white. But I know very little about it; I’ve had few problems with menopause, so have tended to ignore the whole thing.  I’ll have a look at that group.

[dahliagirl]

I am a similar age but have been taking HRT for a while so no idea whether I am post meno or not.  I have been using vagifem for longer, as I found I had problems (watery discharge, pink discharge and lots of negative swabs) way before my periods were showing any sign of stopping.

However, I do randomly get cervical mucus, and sometimes it will be a drier version (I like to call it the rubber band version) which is a bit yellower.

I just thought it was the last ditch attempts random hormone fluctuations.

Thinking about it, it has been less likely over the last year when I have been taking the continuous version.

[C.C.]

I'm <3 years from my last period and I too have experienced that kind of discharge (I'm 54), but not regularly. It would come and go and I didn't think anything of it. No UTI symptoms or anything else I would notice. I am not on HRT, btw.  My gynecologist did mention atrophy at my biopsy appt. but he thought that was something to talk about once my hyperplasia was taken care of.