Bleeding after menopause

[pb]

Im 47 and went through the menopause a couple of years ago, during the perimenopause i had some irregular bleeding but this stopped.
Ive not had any bleeding for a couple of years until today when ive had a small amount of bleeding and a bit of a stomach ache (like period pain).
Ive gor drs appointment in january but ive convinced myself ive got cancer of the womb!!!
Really scared ..

[countrygirl]

No need to get in a panic yet! you might have a bit of a thick womb lining - this happened to my friend she had an early menopause at 40 and then had three years bleed free but then got a bit of bleeding - she does not have ha and only told her GP months later at a routine visit and GP said guidelines state that any woman who has not had a bleed for 12 months and then has any bleeding needs to be referred for either a ultrasound and or gyny appt so they can measure the thickness of the womb lining etc.
My friend did have a womb lining that was too thick and if it had been left for years ( emphasis on left a long time) then she was at risk of womb cancer so she took a course of hormone tablets that made her shed all her womb lining at end of course and had a check up with ultrsound 6 months later and all was fine.

You do need to see your Gp for referral for either ultrasound or to gyny but no need for it to ruin your xmas - make sure you go as soon as you can so that you don't have to wait long for the tests but its much more likely to be like my friend than anything else if at all.

[Going home]

Countrygirl could be right, ive come through the menopause too and have been period free for the last 8 years, ive never had any breakthrough bleeding up to now, but I did suffer with my periods when i had them, they were always very heavy and particularly in the last few years of them they were horrendous and this was down to having a thick womb lining which meant I shed more of it than normal. Did you ever suffer with heavy periods at all?

Anna x

[pb]

Been to gp need to have a test to look at inside of womb- gp said its like a smear but i find smears really painful. So scared. panicked so much would not allow dr to examine me - feel such a fool.
PLEASE ADVISE..

[pb]

please can anyone advise .

[judipat]

Hi

I had quite a large post menapausal bleed 4 years after I had stopped bleeding - it frightened me to death. My doctor got me seen at the hospital pretty quick and the gynacologist did a variety of tests including an internal where they discovered polyps. These were removed and all over tests were fine.
Having read quite a bit about it - it is actually quite common and in 95% of cases there is nothing to worry about. I have had to have regular smears since and all is OK.

Good luck - I'm sure you will be fine

Judi

[countrygirl]

The gyny will do whats called a hysteroscopy which is to put a camera in your womb and have a look around and take biopsies - having had three of these over the years the best advice I can give you is to insist on being either sedated or having a light anaethetic. I'm not saying this to scare you but you need to know the truth. The first two I had they used a local injection in the neck of the womb which was quite painful but as they attach clamps to open up your cervix the injections were needed and it was painful when they did the biopsy from womb lining but although the proceedure was unpleasant it was bearable but 18 months ago I had it done again and now because they can process many more people without doing the injections they always start by not giving you any local anaethetic injections and the pain is worse than childbirth - this is not just me my friend went for one without telling me and she rang me in a terrible state a few hours afterwards because of what she had been through and she refused point blank to have it done again without being sedated - her gyny admitted that the only reason for not sedating is because they can do three times the number of proceedures without .
If you already find smears painful then you are in for the worst suprise of your life if you have the hysteroscopy without either local anaethesia ( still not nice) or being out for the count.
Some people will think I should not have told you but my conscience would not let me ignore your post without telling you the truth.
They will sedate you but you have to insist.

[pb]

Thank you counrty girl, i will defo insist on sedation and injection to numb, but with all this do you think the pain will be ok?
THANKS

[Thyme]

Absolutely agree with countrygirl. You should insist on sedation. There is no need in this day and age for anyone to have this procedure without anaesthetic or sedation. If you have the procedure as a day case or outpatient then take a girl friend or someone you trust along with you, they won't be allowed into the treatment room (unless you are awake) but it will be good to have a soothing person who can support you in your wishes


Best of luck oh and ask them if you can have an mp3 player playing your favourite music during the procedure...it can be very relaxing and so reduces discomfort

Take care Thyme

[suzy-sue]

I had this procedure and had an injection .The only pain I got was cramping ,like a bad period .I wouldnt have had it done without the injection . luv Sue x

[countrygirl]

With the local anaethetic then the proceedure is bearable but not pleasant and the pain is restricted to the injections at the time which wasn't bad and then the two second pain of taking a biopsy.

Depending on how good you are with pain then the other option is sedation which they will try anything to talk you out of because of the time factor.

What happened to me was that the Dr said we will start without the local injections and see how you go and we will give you them if necessary and I believed her! When she attached the clamps to my cervix I screamed and literally stiffened so much I rose off the bed like I was levitating:D and said I need the injections and she said oh but I am already in with the camera just hang on there - it was another 5 mins of absolute agony before she removed the camera and biopsy and it took a week for the after pain probably from my muscles being rigid to go.

[pb]

Got gyne appointment for the 25th feb and now really freaking out, i want to ask my gp for a sedative to take on the day but feel that im making a fuss..
Has anyone had bleeding after menopause and its been ok.
Please help !

[bronte]

my mum had bleeding after menopause and it was polyps so did my cousins wife and that was also polyps they are very common i was told x

[macc noodle]

Easier said than done! But try not to worry too much. I know that several posters have been fairly graphic about the hysteroscopy - and I am one of the biggest wimps in the world - but surely it is more important to determine the cause of the bleed and get that sorted?

I believe that 9/10 times it is due to the thickness of the womb lining as previous posters have indicated and that treatment is straightforward.

Good luck for your appointment - do try and take someone with you who will give you the confidence to get done what needs to get done.

:hugs:

[Megan73]

Got gyne appointment for the 25th feb and now really freaking out, i want to ask my gp for a sedative to take on the day but feel that im making a fuss..
Has anyone had bleeding after menopause and its been ok.
Please help !

Hi

If you are not coping with this you are not making a fuss by going to your GP. I can fully understand your fear, mine isn't so much the "what is wrong with me" but a fear of hospitals. Your GP is there to help you, it is what they are ultimately paid to do and you certainly won't be the first person to ask for a little help to get you through a hospital visit :whistles: .

On a note about the bleeding my mum has had it, was a combination of a thickening of the womb and polyps. In her eyes both easily treated with a hysterscopy x 2 without even a local and hormone treatment. She said it wasn't the most pleasant way to spend half an hour but was bearable with an excellent nurse specialist doing it :)

Good luck and go and see your GP

[jothenurse]

I had postmenopausal heavy bleeding about a year and a half after I stopped having periods. I ended up having an endrometriol biopsy which is when they will open up the cervix and suction out some tissue from the uterus. Mine turned out to be normal. They called it an estrogen surge, where your body produces a higher amount of estrogen which increases the lining of the uterus and hence you have heavy bleeding. I had no anesthetic. It was quite painful when they did it, but it only lasted a few minutes. You'll be fine.

[pb]

Thank you for your replies, it really does help but im freaking out big time at the moment!!

[pb]

Finding it so hard to stay calm about appointment on friday.
Even the appointment letter says that 90% of patients that attend the clinic do not have cancer!!!
Really scared about the tests i might need - i find any internal exams soo painful.
I had a scan for similar bleeding in 2009 and that was clear.
keep trying to think that it will probably be ok.
have to have a scan first and then see the dr.
Hope they will just do scan over stomach as ive never managed to have a trans vaginal one- hope they will be able to see everything.
Sorry to keep posting - please advise x

[pb]

sorry to keep posting - ive had lots of helpful replies but i just cant control my anxiety- keep thinking i have cancer and not sure how im going to face appointment.

[pb]

Met my cousin today, whos added to my anxiety - she said i think youve either got a polyp or stage one cancer - grrrh...
Im trying to tell myself most post menopause bleeding is NOT cancer !!

[blueangel]

Send your cousin round and we'll thump her for you... :D

[pb]

Only two days to go - appointment on friday !!!
Still trying to tell myself it will probably be ok , bleeding after the menopause doesnt necessarily been cancer !
I should stop googling !
I did have a scan 14 months ago that was clear.
I HATE THIS HEALTH ANXIETY ..

[pb]

Gyn appointment tomorrow - really scared, but i need to know whats going on , hopefully it will all be ok.

[constantworrier418]

really hoping all went well for you xxx

[pb]

had gyn appointment this morning, have uterine polyp, have to go back for laser treatment.
Found whole experience so painful , had biopsey and camera to look at womb.
Not sure why i have to go back to have polyp removed with laser , i wish they had done it all this moning.
Please advise ..

[Megan73]

Good for you, you got through it.:yahoo:

Think that it is just one of the standard treatments. Maybe they didn't have enough time today or they just always schedule the removal at another appointment. Know my mum had 2 appointments but don't know exactly why.

[pb]

Sorry another post !
has anyone had a uterine polyp removed by laser , i could have a general anaestic but im too scared.
I had gystrectomy spelt wrong and uterine biopsy yesterday.
Also said the womb was thick but due to polyp.
Ive also got a fungus infection - its very sore , i have started using canestan cream .

[pb]

sorry to keep posting, i know that without local anasetic i wont be able to tolerate having the polyp removed , but how can i insist - i do not want a general anasetic.

[Typer]

My sister had a few polyps removed. She did have a general though but was fine.