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[Pinkwindsor21]

So apparently I should be post menopausal due to being 57 but honestly, I don't think I am yet. However my last NHS appointment has me very stressed..

I had a bleed the week before Christmas. A month previous to that, I had changed my HRT method from 200mg patches (Sometimes switching to lower dosage patch) and then back to Gel (3 pumps)

Since then I had to go to A&E for abdominal pain (burning in lower abdominal area but no bleed) They gave me an examination, blood tests (Don't know the results yet) urine tests, bowel tests etc but nothing found. I was then sent up to Gynae who did an internal and couldn't see anything but they're put me forward for an ultrasound.

Today (1st Jan) I've had a bleed... it's dark red/brown. My boobs are a bit tender on the sides which used to be indicative of having a period when I was younger.

Can anyone relate? I've had 9 days with no bleeding or brown spotting..

[bombsh3ll]

Bleeding that occurs within 6 months of a change in HRT is not a cause for concern.

Nor is bleeding a concern if you are not yet postmenopausal ie if you have never gone 12 months period free (without another cause of amenorrhea such as birth control), assuming your cervical screening is up to date.

Whilst it was absolutely correct to get checked out for the abdominal pain, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

You are certainly not a unicorn for still being perimenopausal at 57.

However you have not mentioned what form and dose of progestogen you are taking - this can be modified to eliminate bleeding if you wish.

[Pinkwindsor21]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

They have worried me as I can’t remember bleeding in 2022. But I think I got to 11 months and then started again with monthly brown spotting for a few days at a time from May 2023. This seemed quite regular and I presumed that these were in place of normal periods. This stopped in September 2023 and then I started spotting again in May 2024.

I should have added that I’ve always taken one 100mg capsule of Utrogestan a day regardless of HRT method (Patch or Gel)

[Pinkwindsor21]

Well this forum is amazing! I looked at my previous posts and I’ve had this problem from 2021!!

[bombsh3ll]

And yet here you still are in one piece!

Hopefully the ultrasound will put your mind at rest.

Newer guidelines would suggest increasing the dose of progesterone to 200mg daily with higher estrogen doses. This might help it settle or you could wait and see if your lining is thin anyway on the scan.

[Pinkwindsor21]

I saw that I started HRT 50mg patches in 2021 and 100mg daily progesterone and it was increased to HRT patches of 200mg but no increase of progesterone. This is despite my GP knowing of the increase and my personal lack of knowledge.

The pain has been intense today!

[CLKD]

Post menopausal is when we have had the last bleed. Ever.  So after 12-14 months without a period we should be able to safely say that we are 'there'.  However, Mother Nature might throw in a 'show'.  Anything untoward should be checked by a GP .

R U still terrified? 

[Pinkwindsor21]

No as I’m beginning to understand what might be happening and I thought I was post menopausal until I saw my previous forum posts.

[Taz2]

If you are on HRT you won't know if you are post menopausal or not unless you actually started using it after you'd been at least a year without a natural period. I'm glad that you are feeling calmer now. Looking through your old posts has obviously been useful.

Taz x

[Pinkwindsor21]

Hi Taz,

I believe I started taking HRT when I was still having erratic periods.

Thank you xx

[CLKD]

MayB Pinkwindsor21 ask your GP for a review to discuss when U began HRT and why? 

[Pinkwindsor21]

Yes I’ve asked for that and should have a call back this afternoon. I’ve also got a GP appointment next Tuesday so I’ll see what happens x

[Pinkwindsor21]

I made a mistake to the above. I started off with 50mg patches and 100mg progesterone in 2021 and upped my patches in November 2024 to 100mg and 100mg progesterone (I’d been on Gel for a long while in between times before that - 3-4 pumps but wanted to switch back to patches for convenience which is what I did in November 2024) This is when the abdominal pain started and I asked to go back to Gel as I had no problems on that. I had a bleed and then abdominal pain and now another bleed.

My GP wants me to stay on 3 pumps Gel and 100mg progesterone to see if this will settle. She said that only way for the lining to thin is to bleed.

Once again I was called post menopausal even though I know that I’ve been spotting/bleeding since 2021.

[CLKD]

U need to ask this GP what she believes is post menopausal or you will not get sorted with the problems.  At least you had the call back, U should feel less terrified now.

[Pinkwindsor21]

I’ve been put forward for an ultrasound as she wants to check my lining due to my age. But I haven’t quite made it to 12 months free of bleeding yet. But I’ll take the ultrasound so my HRT can be tweaked etc if necessary. This would be my 3rd ultrasound in four years. I think it’s down to me being 57 🦄