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[Decembersangel]

Help!
I have been period free since 12/08/2021 but yesterday (10/04/25) I started bleeding, comparable to a very light period (no tampons or pads required, just blood showing when I wipe after urinating)
I had a letter from the Docs for my smear test, due Dec 2024, but because of my reclusiveness and poor mental health I have put it off. I was just about to book it but now, due to the bleeding, I am confused as to what to do?!?!?!
Do I book a smear test, after I stop bleeding, only to be told to make an appointment with a doctor to discuss it, or do I book an apppointment with a doctor, that I don't know, to only be told to get the smear test and THEN book another apppintment with the doctor ?!?!?!
It takes me a LONG time to do either as I find it so hard to leave my flat due to my mental health, especially to do something that is out of my routine i.e. if it's not food shopping then it is non-routine, especially if I have to leave my flat.
I am now on the 'BIG C' line of thought and because of that I am on the precipice of a complete and dangerous meltdown without being told it's ok and normal!
All I can find on-line is that it 'has be known' to get a period within 1yr after menopausal symptoms (last period) BUT there is nothing about after the 3 1/2yrs I am at!
I have no one to discuss this with and so my mind is going to the worse case scenario!
Whatever happens, there will be a lot of situations where I am required to be outside of my comfort zone and I have no one to help me.
I am so scared!
All help and advice is very much appreciated if anyone has had the same/similar experience!
x x

[Dierdre]

You can have random periods after a year or so of nothing, I went 15 months then had one.  How old are you? Are you sure you were post menopausal and are you on any HRT or medication that would have stopped your period like a coil.
There are lots of reasons why you are having this light bleeding and not all mean  anything serious is happening but you do need to get it checked out. Don't worry about you smear test just make a routine appointment with your doctor about the bleeding and let them decide the next step.

[Kathleen]

Hello Decembersangel and welcome to the forum.

Years ago my friend had a similar experience and her symptoms were due to vaginal atrophy, she was prescribed a topical oestrogen cream which she uses a few times a week and she is fine now.

I agree that you can make an appointment to see someone at your surgery, explain your situation and let them decide on a course of action. You can also tell them about your mental health situation and your anxiety and they can take that into account and possibly prescribe some medication that would help.

I hope you get this sorted soon and please let us know how you get on.

Wishing you well and sending hugs.

K.

[Northerngirl]

Morning Decembersangel,  I would agree with Deirdre and Kathleen totally. Please try not to worry but you need to have it checked out with a GP ....is there a GP who you prefer to talk to ,who you trust and feel comfortable talking everything through with?
Many of us have had some sort of post menopausal bleeding and it turns out to be nothing to worry about so please get it checked and keep us updated

[CLKD]

Morning.  Any unexplained bleeding should be discussed with a GP and a scan arranged to check for the womb lining.  Let us know how you get on.  Do read the threads about vaginal atrophy; make notes ;-).  VA shouldn't bleed in the same way as a period would but it can cause a trace of blood due to the vaginal skin being thin which tears easily.

[sheila99]

I also think you need to see your gp. When I had pre-cancerous cervical cells I had bright red spotting between periods. Yours doesn't sound the same so although your smear should be done I don't think that's the cause.

[Nas]

The cause of the bleeding could be 101 things, but what is certain, is that you need to book your smear test and get the bleeding checked out asap.

Do you receive any support with your MH issues? Could a friend/ support worker/ family member accompany you to the appointments? Are you on any HRT?

You are right, life throws many situations at us, where we have to push ourselves out of what feels comfortable. That’s life.

Best of luck.

[CLKD]

I understand anxiety but this is something that needs checking which will stop that flow of extra worries.  MayB phone to speak to a Nurse Practitioner - what's the worst part of leaving the house, could U get an early or late appt for example ? 

It may B suggested that U take valium or similar the evening B4 an appt. date, which will act as a relaxant. 

[bombsh3ll]

There's no need to panic.

How old are you, and are you taking any hormone therapy?

It is not uncommon to have a "swansong" where the ovaries chuck out a random last egg a few years after menopause. This is typically accompanied by premenstrual like feelings and cramps like when you used to have periods.

However any unexpected bleeding does need to be checked out by your GP.

I would make an appointment, explain why, and that you are anxious and if possible could they book a double appointment so that your overdue smear can be done at the same time.

Light bleeding should not preclude this.

It may be something as simple as vaginal atrophy which is very easily treated.

[Decembersangel]

Thank you all your support, it means so much!
I'll try and cover all of the information asked for in the posts but I apologise if I have missed something....

I am 52 and my 'last' period was in Aug 2021 when I was 48.
I am not on HRT or any other meds/contraceptives etc.
I haven't even considered that the menopause was something to talk to a medical professional about it as it just something all women go through and other than brain fog and hot flushes (Grrrrrr!) I didn't think it needed a visit to a doctor/nurse.
There are other things that have happened to my body since the menopause, that there is no information I can find out about them, and I have just accepted them and put them down to the change.
I don't think it is vaginal atrophy as it is a full on 'period'.
Before this I never had any spotting, it just happened and I didn't have any signs to let me know it was going to happen either but that isn't unusual as I never (luckily) suffered with menstrual aches/pains/discomfort, it was just 'SURPRISE I'm here'.
19 yrs ago (09/06) I did get cryotherapy treatment for pre-cancerous cells but my smear tests have all been clear since and this is why my brain immediately goes to the 'Big C'!
I haven't seen a GP in nearly 10yrs so I don't know any of them but I will ask to speak to a female , if possible.
With regards to my mental health, it started back in 2013 when I became depressed (I had suffered with it twice before between 2002 - 2009 but not to the same extent/severity) and I lost my job because of it.
No matter what medication I was given, nothing worked and it is only with time and going through the menopause that the only explanation I can think for this happening is that it was because I was suffering the peri-menopause.
Since 2013, I have become reclusive as I live alone, lost all my friends due to the depression (I was NOT a nice person to be around), haven't had a partner since 2007, have no children and it is so difficult to 'go out' as it means I am always doing it on my own, so 'what is the point'? I might as well feel alone, lonely and isolated at home.
I NEVER go out unless I have to i.e. food shopping, dentist, etc.
I am better when an appointment is 'be here, on this date, at this time', it's when I have to make one myself that I struggle.
I previously had 'treatment' for my poor MH e.g. CBT, talking therapy, etc, but it is so, so difficult to follow through with it without any type of support to put it in to practice.
The only contact I have with another person (other than 'cash or card?' during food shopping) is a weekly telephone call with my mum but that is only for ~30mins. Other than that I don't have any contact at all with anyone else day to day, week to week, month to month. It's a very, VERY lonely existance.


Once the bleeding has stopped I will make an appointment with a doctor although my brain will tell me to wait as 'it's a bank holiday on Friday and then again on the Monday and so the practice will be busy, so put it off until the week after'.... any excuse. Poor MH sucks!

One day at a time!

x x x

[CLKD]

It certainly does suck.  Depression hit me last week like a ton of bricks so I did a triage on the Surgery website, the appt for a face2face with our GP was back within 20 mins. Is that an option 4 your surgery?

I've been on ADs for years so the advice is to increase by 5mg which seems thus far to be helping.  CBT did nowt!

Do U have hobbies?  There are many groups for on-line interaction these days. I read; do crosswords; watch TV; garden; of course I do have a husband by my side which makes a difference.  Is your Mum aware of your isolation?

Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use to have something to discuss with a medical professional so that nothing is missed.   

[bombsh3ll]

Please don't leave it until the bleeding stops to phone your GP - you could end up 2 or 3 weeks on and no further forward. There will likely be a wait to be seen anyway, and they can also potentially prescribe medication over the phone to stop the bleeding for you to be examined.

They may also be willing to prescribe some diazepam to help you cope with the appointment.

What jumps out at me from your story is the onset of debilitating mental health symptoms coinciding with when you would have been going into perimenopause.

Have you ever considered that this could be linked to the loss of your ovarian hormones?

It is common for previously highly functioning women to be devastated by anxiety and depression in perimenopause, and hormone therapy can really help restore psychological wellbeing, as well as treating physical symptoms.

If this is the case then it would be well worth looking into going forward.

[Decembersangel]

Hi CLKD,
I really don't know what services my doctors have as it's been so long (10+yrs) since I've seen one (other than a nurse for previous smear tests) and one of the hardest things for me to do is to talk to people I don't know. This is especially hard when I do need to do things like make an appointment.
I really only have 1 hobby and that is reading, I can read up to 10 books a week. Living in another world through words is the only way I can stop my brain from chewing on itself and keeping my self 'saneish'. I can't cope with 'real life' as it hurts too much.
As I live alone and in a flat, there is no 'outside' space that is near to me that I am comfortable to be in. This is especially real as I live 10mins outside of a town centre so there are no 'green spaces' close by and this means I just stay inside every day.
My Mum is aware of my isolation but I down play it for her as I can't put this burden on anyone else. There is a LOT that my Mum doesn't know about my MH situation and she will never know as I can't hurt her in that way as she will only blame herself (she's a worrier).
The worst things is that I haven't spoken to anyone in the last 3 weeks as my parents have been on their jollibobs. The only connection I have had with anyone else is when I went shopping and they ask 'cash or card?'..... that's it.... 9 words spoken to me over 3 weeks!

Hi bombsh3ll,
I did finally manage to call for an appointment for a smear test and I got one for the end of May. I can handle it when an appointment is decided for me i.e. you have to be here at this time on this day, but when I have to make one myself it is very difficult for me to do.
When I initially went to the doctors with my depression symptoms (2013) he did request a blood test to determine my hormone levels (which were normal at the time the blood was taken) and he did inform me that because of the fluctuation of hormones during perimenopause it is very difficult to diagnose this as the cause.
I really don't know if HRT would help as my mind is too deep in this circle of self doubt and hatred as I've been in it for such a long time now that I don't know how I will ever get out of it. All mind keeps telling me is that 'I'm the problem' that I have no friends and isolated because I am the only common denominator in everything that has happened so therefore it MUST be me. The Menopause really does kick you in the ass!

Thank you CLKD and bombsh3ll for everything it is very much appreciated x