One for the girls - please help

[lass]

I had a period that started the Sunday before last and finished about last Wednesday (can't remember exactly). Today it has started up again - bright red blood not brown discharge. It's not just spotting either, it's reasonably heavy.

I'm worrying, I've never had anything like this before. My periods are sometimes a bit irregular but I've never had inbetween bleeding before.

At the back of my mind I'm concerned about ovarian cancer, since reading a book on IBS that said sometimes IBS is misdiagnosed and ovarian cancer overlooked! (I have IBS). Although, to be honest, I'm not sure if intermenstrual bleeding is a symptom of ovarian cancer anyway.

I'm determined not to google but any info on intermenstrual bleeding or experiences would be really gratefully received.

I'm trying not to worry and I'm trying to use the CBT techniques my counsellor taught me. I just need a bit of rational help here. When would be a "normal" time to start worrying about this? When would other people go back to GP? My own anxiety makes me want to see my doctor NOW but I realise this is probably not necessary. If it goes away, should I just ignore it and wait and see what happens next month? Or should I see a doctor anyway, just in case? And if it doesn't go away, how long should I leave it before seeing my GP?

Can anyone help me please? I'm trying hard not to panic but I'm feeling a bit scared at the moment.

[jo61]

Please don't panic. When I'm going through a bad patch I have really irregular periods. Last month I had a period that lasted 3 full weeks. Then it went for 2 and came back for 1 and so on. If you're really worried see your doctor but in my experience it's par for the course with anxiety. I thought I was starting the menopause last year (I'm 46) but it was just the anxiety messing with my hormones.

[anxious]

Hi Lass

are you on the pill? this can cause bleeding inbetween periods. Also had a quick nosey around and found this
--Some women experience bleeding about 10-14 days after their period. Usually, this is caused by a temporary drop in levels of the hormone oestrogen at the time of ovulation (when an egg is released by an ovary). This is quite normal--
I think it would be quite safe to say most 'normal' people would see what happens over the next couple of days and then next month before seeing the gp. (i know, easier said than done)
anx x

[Ellen70]

Hi Lass, If you have always had regular periods up until now then of course this unusual bleeding is worrying for you. However it is very, very common and since the bleeding is not very heavy I don't think it is anything to worry about. I have had periods that lasted a couple of months and I have gone without periods for over a year at a time. Your reproductive system is very sensitive to your psychological and emotional problems so please don't worry about it. When I have had periods that go on for weeks on end I have gone to the doctor and gotten pills that stop the bleeding within 2 days. This was more because I was fed up of the bleeding than anything else!
If your blood loss is very heavy for more than a few days then you should go to the doctor as anaemia may develop.
Other than that, please remember that women who have regular as clockwork periods without ever having any inbetween bleeding are more than likely in the minority!
Take care
Eibhlin

[lass]

Thanks girls. I'm starting to calm down a little bit now.

No, I'm not on the pill. My anxiety has been really really good lately, I was so pleased with myself. I think every time I get smug and think I'm getting over this anxiety thing, my body does something to remind me I'm not really in control at all :mad:

The bleeding's got a bit more brownish now, more like the latter end of my period, so I'm wondering if this is just dragging on. Thinking about it, it was lighter than usual, so maybe it's just a long and light period rather than my usual shorter heavier ones.

I really thought I'd got a grip on this health anxiety. I had a lump in my mouth on Saturday (not an ulcer, more like a painless blood blister) and although I worried, I didn't panic. I thought I'd made great progress but today's made me realise that I'm still fragile.

Thanks again, and any more reassurance from anyone would be good! I don't know what I'd do without you all :)

[neptuno]

Hello !

Well done for coping with all your worry and anxiety. I think these worry "lapses" are all part of recovery and we can learn so much from them. You've worked your way through this one really well. You know what is usual for you - if things drag on then put your mind at rest and see your GP. Sometimes we just need to hear somebody say what we already know !! I think you're stronger than you realise.

[miss diagnosis]

this happens to my friend every month. keep an eye on it i f it happens every month maybe go to the doctor cos u could have hormone imbalance or summit!

[lass]

Well, just a quick update!

Today I still have light bleeding, plus small clots. I half-decided to go and see my GP, but turns out she's on holiday til next Wednesday. So that's solved my problem of whether to go or not! (I don't really want to see one of the other docs about this, unless it gets any worse).

So I rang my friend who is a practice nurse and she calmed me right down; said it is likely to be cervical erosion from my description. I can handle that, I know a bit about it (from my medical secretary work!) and I know it's common and harmless.

I've been busy all day until now, and I more or less forgot about it; but now I'm getting all anxious again.

My body seems to schedule abnormalities whenever there's a bank holiday coming up!!! Just to make me panic more as I can't run to my GP!

I'm determined to NOT let this one get the better of me, and to stay as calm as I can and enjoy the holidays. Just need to fight off the "what ifs ...."

Any more reassurance gratefully appreciated :)

[rachy_babyx]

hiya

I know of loads of people who struggle with their montly cycle and if it helps when i had my son two and a half years a go i had extremely bad bleeding for weeks and had a blood clot the size of a large egg at one point and although it made me feel very anxious (when i lose alot of iron i tend to get panicky) i was absolutely fine and the doctors/ nurses etc didn't bat an eyelid. so i'm sure if that's nothing to worry about your fine. also have you not thought your first bleeding could have just been fore bleeding? and this is your actual period?

i hope that helps a little and you feel better soon
love rachel x

[lass]

I'm getting myself into a bit of a panic about this now. I was hoping it would go away but it hasn't. I was okay all the time I was busy today, but now the anxiety has really set in and I'm all over the place.

I'm not properly bleeding now, but each time I go to the loo and wipe, I have brownish blood and/or clots.

I'm so terrified this is something nasty. I know it probably sounds irrational to everyone else but I'm really scared.

[anxious]

Hiya,

try not to panic. I had a friend that had the most awful womens problems - bleeding,clots, pain etc and still turned out to be nothing sinister. It was hormones causing cysts at certain times of the month and then they would just go. No treatment needed, just would eventually subside.

love anx x

[lass]

Well, I've not had any bleeding today, but I'm still in a right state of worry about this one. Also all day I've been walking round feeling like there is something going on between my legs. Can't quite explain it - a bit like the feeling if a tampon isn't in properly???

I'm wondering if my mind is playing tricks on me here, or if it's tense muscles through thinking about it too much. But it just feels odd and is fuelling my anxiety.

I'm going to see my practice nurse tonight (who's also a really good friend) and she's gonna take a look and possibly do a smear (my next smear is due in December). Not really something you want to show your mates, but I'm so worried now I'm beyond caring about my dignity.

I'm alternating between being fairly ok and positive (when I'm busy), then being completely sick with worry and convinced I have something awful going on down there.

Sorry to keep going on about this, I just need to talk to someone and let it all out. Thanks.

[lass]

Just got back from seeing my nurse friend. I apparently have a cervical polyp, which she has explained is harmless but can be removed if it starts causing me problems. She's taken a smear and I'll have to wait a couple of weeks for the result, then go and see my GP and see what she thinks.

She's reassured me that everything looks perfectly normal and healthy, and the polyp is nothing to worry about.

I feel a bit better now; glad I went and didn't spend the weekend worrying instead. And also glad (in a strange way) that she found something harmless as I think I would have been more anxious if she hadn't found anything.

Thanks for all your support xxx

[sxalabarde]

Sounds like it's a hormonal thing which has started the cervix contracting half-way through. I'm not a doctor, but if what you're worried about is cancer, then I really don't think there's anything to worry about. My understanding is that bleeding from cancer would be tiny amounts to begin with, persistent over weeks or months, rather than bleeding that resembles a period. My mother had some random bleeding a few months back, she went to the doctor and the doctor said that this, happening only once, it's nothing at all to worry about and quite common (by the way, this had never happened to her before, or since, so it's not like it could be explained by irregular periods). You'll be fine.

Melissa