I’m taking a break from my normal posts to write this important PSA. This one is for the postmenopausal women out there. If you’re uncomfortable reading or talking about vagina’s and how they work, then strap in because we still need to talk! This is important. You need to know what to do when you are spotting after Menopause.
I’m two years postmenopausal which means that since January 2016, I haven’t had a period. Happy Dance! Seriously. After years of always needing to have supplies at the ready. After years of having the knack of getting my period at awkward times. (I once got my period for two weeks-TWO WEEKS-after breaking my elbow!) After years of the added expense of supplies. My period was finally over. So yes. Happy Dance! That is after it finally stopped for good!
I say for good because for the last two years before menopause set in, I got my period once every six months. Like clockwork. January and July. What a treat. (She said sarcastically.) After a couple of months, you start to think it might be gone for good. By the fourth month, you stop carrying any supplies and by the sixth month, you get it again! Aargh. Like I said, awkward.
Needless to say, these last two years without a period at all have been wonderful. Not worrying about stains, no carrying extra supplies in the bag, no extra expenses. And NO awkwardness.
Then it happened. One morning I woke up with spotting. WTF! This can’t be happening. But it was and it continued for the next few days. So I called my Nurse Practitioner (APRN) and she made an immediate appointment for me. Why? Because bleeding after menopause is NOT normal. That bears repeating. Bleeding after menopause is NOT normal. You need to make an appointment with your healthcare professional. Immediately. Don’t wait.
Why the Urgency?
Spotting after menopause could be ok. But the chances are also high that it could be a form of cancer such as uterine or cervical. It could also be fibroids or polyps or even an infection. It’s important that you get checked out right away. The cause of your bleeding might not be serious BUT only your healthcare professional can tell you for sure.
I am lucky. It is not cancer. But I’m glad that I had it checked out so I could be sure.
You need to know what to do when you are spotting after menopause, which is to reach out to your healthcare professional. If you start spotting or bleeding after menopause, it’s important that you get it checked out. Here is a link for more information from the Mayo Clinic, but no website can replace your own Doctor or Nurse Practioner.
That’s really helpful, not something I’ve ever really thought about. Cheers!
It was never anything I thought about either. And sometimes I can be lazy about my health, but I’m glad I wasn’t this time. Even though it was nothing serious for me it could have been so now I’m educated in case it happens again.
I had something equally embarrassing happen to me last year – hadn’t thought of writing about it but will now ;-). Menopause makes me a little angry – not the actual menopause but the fact that we are nearly all so blinking ignorant – its like there is a secret that will only be revealed when you are ready.
And there are so many combinations of things that can happen. Although this is not my normal topic, I wrote before about how I was getting cold flashes, not hot flashes. It is one of those “rare” symptoms. In the middle of a heat wave, while other people were sweating, there were times that I could be found shivering under a blanket. And I mean teeth chattering shivers. I’ve never heard of anyone else ever having cold flashes.
Blimey no, I’ve never heard of that either – are you sure it wasn’t flu or malaria:-)
LOL. The flu or malaria wouldn’t have lasted as long. Well, maybe malaria…it keeps coming back.
I went for 3 years getting my period almost one year in between. I had been told if you made it one year, you would be done. And 3 times I almost made it! Now I’m 2 years done. Thank you Lord. I didn’t know and have never heard about spotting so thank you for that information. I hope everything back to normal for you now. It must have been scary.
It’s so great of you to raise awareness for this – I would honestly have thought spotting to be a perfectly normal thing to happen. I now know otherwise, so thank you 🙂
When you go two years or more without a single spot to have it happen does stand out as unusual.
Boy, every woman is different, isn’t that the truth? I have been pretty happy in meno. To be honest, it went very easily fo rme.
So true, every woman has a different experience. I consider mine fairly easy too. I’ve heard nightmares from others.
Its so much fun being female, isn’t it? Seriously though, thank God it wasn’t serious, Jennifer. I’ve known women who had the same symptoms and it turned out to be bad. Thanks so much for this PSA. Very important.
Thank you, Laurie. Yes, I’m so lucky it didn’t turn out to be bad. But that’s why it’s so important to get it checked out immediately and not let it go on.
Thank you for the heads up! It must have been worrying for you but I’m glad it wasn’t serious. My bodywork is still ticking over regular as clockwork … i’m hoping to be one of those lucky ones whose menopause passes by quickly & silently without any problems ?
I wish you a quick and easy one when it happens.
Yikes, I had no idea! Thanks for the important PSA!
You’re welcome!
Very important message, Jennifer. Glad you got checked out right away and everything was fine. But as you point out, it is not normal so needs to be addressed. And menopause is so great! Not many people talk about the positives.
Thanks for stopping by Molly. Except for those weird cold flashes, menopause was so easy for me. I had no other symptoms, just the strange period time-frames but that was a bonus. Who wouldn’t want a period once every six months instead of every month?
Yes, Jennifer. It was fairly easy for me, too. I was too old to get on the bandwagon with the new birth control methods that suppress your period. The younger women now have it made!
I didn’t even know there were methods like that until I read about it this week.
I’m in my 8 yr. Of menopause. l begin spotting but stopped after 2 days. Wondering if sexual impact could be the cause of light spotting?
It’s best to go to your gynecologist for an exam. It’s better to be cautious.
It never ends! I’m still in perimenopause so I’m all over the place – just visited my doctor today because I’ve had my period for THREE weeks – I think she has me sorted out – time will tell, but I’m so OVER it! Glad yours didn’t turn out to be anything nasty. Thanks for sharing this on our #MLSTL party – I’ve shared it on my social media and hope you’ll enjoy commenting on and sharing some of the other posts.
Thank you Jennifer for discussing a problem which is so important to women. We need to be able to discuss openly changes in any part of our bodies and the possible implications of these changes. A very informative post and thank you for sharing with us at Midlife Share the Love Party. Fortunately, for me, I haven’t had many issues with pre or post menopause but there are many who do so thanks for starting the discussion.
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for hosting the Midlife Share party.
As we deal with so many issues in menopause, this is the most important one! Thanks for this!
Thank you, Jennifer. I’m still in that off and on again stage, I thought I was close this last time with nothing for 10 months but winter tends to bring in a flood. Darn those hormones. I’ll remember this PSA for when I’m on the other side…
Aargh! 10 months? So close.
I also went off and on. 8 months without a period and I thought “yeah” ..and then it started again for a few months. Now I am feeling great. 2 years of awful hot flashes, and this when you are in business and it is above 40 °C outside temperature. I felt so embarrassed when all of a sudden your sweat shoots out of every pore. Still went through all without taking any hormones or medication. Spotting after 2 yrs is certainly something to see a doctor for – but regularly smear- and cancertests should be done anyhow , with or without spotting. Great article!!!
So true. I go to the Dr regularly for testing. But my next visit wasn’t for another six months. If I waited it could have been worse.
I think it’s common to spot when you first go through menopause because it takes a while to completely normalize but good that you got checked out. I’d be especially concerned if several years have gone by with nothing and then you suddenly spotted. Always better to be safe than sorry.
I was told by my APRN that after a year of no period, you shouldn’t be getting it at all. So after two years of no period, spotting is something that should definitely be checked out right away.
I haven’t had a period for 2.5 years and this morning, I’ve stared my period?the cramps the pains…..boo all has come crashing down on me, I thought it was too good to be true! I’ve got a Gp appointment tomorrow, didn’t want to leave it as I’m panicking, which isn’t good for me as I’ve already got IBS & a hiatus hernia ?