Spotting question...(female content, TMI probably)

[Tree House Academy]

I am curious to see if anyone here has ever had light spotting that lasted a month or more (not during pregnancy). If so, what did it turn out to be? I took prometrium for about 4 months (stopped it two months ago) and now this is happening to me. I am wondering if it could be that my body is working out what to do now that the prometrium is gone. Of course, since the prometrium made my mid-month bleeding WORSE overall, rather than better, I find it hard to believe.

 

Any insight would be so greatly appreciated.

 

A little background: I have had spotting mid-cycle issues on and off for over 2 years now. It is never the same. I have had a biopsy, bloodwork, 4 ultrasounds, 3 pap smears, (and a partridge in a pear tree??) and nothing has ever showed up. Last testing round was in Feb of this year. Biopsy was 2 years ago. Prometrium was given to try to stop spotting and heavy cycle bleeding. Prometrium slowed down cycle bleeding by making me have a mini-period in the middle of the month. NOT acceptable. *grrr*

[Tree House Academy]

No one? Oh dear. :(

[Paige]

I just went to the Dr for spotting. It wasn't continuous all month long but was about every other week or so. She ordered some blood work, which came back clear, but told me she thought it was probably just because my body fat is very low. I have always been thin and have had irregular periods but nothing like this crazy spotting but she said just that sometimes things like that change. This is the longest I have been between pregnancies since I went off the pill, so maybe this is what my normal is adjusting to off the pill? I went on the pill when I was very young because my cycles were so crazy and unpredictable and it was causing me problems. After I had my kids, it seemed to work itself out into something somewhat normal but maybe that was just a honeymoon period that pregnancy and nursing was causing. She also will order an ultrasound to check for fibroids if I want but I doubt that will show anything. I am reluctantly going back on birth control pills because I couldn't stand it anymore. So far, the spotting hasn't started again but I've only been on them a week. Scratch that- spotting is back even on the pill! Crud.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Paige

[lisamarie]

I have it but haven't found out the cause. My dr thought it was due to a severe vit D deficiency. I took supplements and it made no difference. I have my suspicions (perimenopause), but I haven't requested the blood work yet to find out. I never had spotting before kids, then I got it after my 1st was born, it went away with #2, and stayed away until after my 3rd was born. It's been 3 years of mid-cycle spotting and I find it very annoying.

[mhg]

How old are you?

Who put you on prometrium for this? Your gynecologist?

I'd need some more background to help you much, but you are MOST likely having what is called progesterone withdrawal bleeding. When your body has progesterone "on board" whether it's endogenous (made by your corpus luteum) or exogenous (something you take), it is normal/expected to bleed when you come off of it. This is exactly what goes on when you get a period. Your corpus luteum's production of progesterone (occurs around cycle day 16ish) slacks off (around day 26 for most women) and around day 28 you begin your bleed.

 

So , then the question is why do you bleed midcycle? Since you've had the "weird" stuff ruled out (fibroids, endometrial carcinoma, etc.) then it's MOST likely from low estrogen mid-cycle which is normal (normal for it to dip mid-cycle that is) and not too weird for some women to spot midcycle with it (occurs more commonly for skinny ladies).

 

There's actually a few ways to treat it, but....that's not the scope of this question. But, to answer you original question....it's normal to bleed when coming off progesterone (of which prometrium is a form of).

Edited August 19, 2010 by mhg
typo

[Margo out of lurking]

So , then the question is why do you bleed midcycle? Since you've had the "weird" stuff ruled out (fibroids, endometrial carcinoma, etc.) then it's MOST likely from low estrogen mid-cycle which is normal (normal for it to dip mid-cycle that is) and not too weird for some women to spot midcycle with it (occurs more commonly for skinny ladies).

 

Great post!

 

I don't have advice, but from experience both personally and here on the boards, having periods suddenly begin to whack out in your mid 30s to early 40s is not that unusual. And neither is it unusual to have doctors unable to figure out a working "solution."

 

You might consider visiting a naturopathic doctor. Of course, when I was suffering majorly with other awful period issues, I did not have the time, money, or motivation to do that.

 

I finally agreed to let my gyn put me on Prometrium. Even mega-doses were ineffective, other than making me sleep several hours each afternoon.

 

My doc scoffed at natural progesterone cream, but it was the only thing that gave me any relief, and at 1/20th of the dose of the Prometrium.

[Tree House Academy]

Thank you all for such great information. Here is my timeline, if this helps:

 

In Feb, I started 100mg of oral Prometrium (per my gyn) for occasional spotting (not every cycle and surely not this ALL MONTH LONG crap!) and heavy periods. I took it the 12-26 day of my cycle. The first period with prometrium was wonderful. The second period with Prometrium was not as good with some pretty red and sizable bleeding 2 days after taking the stuff. The 3rd period with prometrium was way more blood mid-cycle than I could handle. The 4th period with prometrium, I stopped the stuff as I was wearing tampons due to the volume of mid cycle bleeding! This was the end of May when I stopped and a week later, my period came as expected. Nothing out of the ordinary and the bleeding stopped almost immediately when I stopped the prometrium.

 

Cycle #1 with NO prometrium was toward the end of June. I had no real spotting and my period was so scant, I actually took a pregnancy test!

 

About mid July (so middle of cycle #2 without prometrium), I started spotting. Well, here we are, Mid-august with a period in between and I am STILL spotting. It is slight usually mixed with discharge. It will go for a few days (red, pink, brown), stop for a day or so, and start right up again. My period is due in 1 week.

 

Here is some additional information you may find helpful: I take 15mg of Lexapro per day and have been on it since December. I also take a multivitamin with 1000 IU of D3. I just turned 31. My mom went through menopause in her 40's and stopped bleeding by 50. My last blood draws for hormone levels were fine, though...except my prolactin showed me in mid-cycle when I wasn't quite there yet (but close). I have a "friable cervix" and have had pap smears religiously since I was 19 because I had an abnormal one after my oldest ds was born. I had a cryo and the spot was LGSIL mild dysplasia. I have had 15 pap smears since then that were normal (every 3 mos for a year, every 6 mos for a year, and now yearly ones). Last pap was in Feb and it was normal.

Edited August 19, 2010 by Tree House Academy

[Tree House Academy]

My doc scoffed at natural progesterone cream, but it was the only thing that gave me any relief, and at 1/20th of the dose of the Prometrium.

 

My doc did too! Mind if I ask which cream you are using? They sell it here at the natural foods store and i have often thought of trying it. At this point, with options like "ablation, hysterectomy, and 'live with it'" staring me in the face, I will try about anything!

[Margo out of lurking]

My doc did too! Mind if I ask which cream you are using? They sell it here at the natural foods store and i have often thought of trying it. At this point, with options like "ablation, hysterectomy, and 'live with it'" staring me in the face, I will try about anything!

 

I've always used Emerita. I think it's more important to find one that is truly natural, and then be consistent.

 

My first doc used those words a lot: hysterectomy, ablation. After a year of getting nowhere, I finally talked with him more about ablation. At that point, he said there were no guarantees. So I dropped it again. I was not even about to consider a hysterectomy, and I no longer had much faith in him working to help me.

 

Fast forward a few years, we'd moved and I found a doc who did the specific ablation procedure I was then considering (not the one my first doc wanted to do). My problems were solved.

 

But you are young; I was in my mid-40s. I urge you to continue to put whatever effort you can into finding out the "why"s behind your problems, and not let a doctor give up and just attempt to find a solution to your symptoms. It is HARD. I feel badly for you, all of the crap is no fun, and it makes the challenges of mothering, schooling, and wife-ing (lol--SEX!!!!) not as fun and easy as we want them to be.

 

If you choose to turn to P-cream, read up on it. The more information you have, the better your experience will be. Do you have a naturopath in your area? Do you think this is just the end result of the prometrium? Are you willing to wait it out for another few months? Maybe while you wait to get an appt. with a naturopath? (They always seem to have long waits to get in that first time. :)

[Tree House Academy]

Yes, I am definitely going to wait it out a few more months given that nothing more happens and I see *some* improvement over time. I hope and pray this is just the end result of going off the prometrium. I am tired of the testing and guessing and getting nowhere!

 

I wish I had a neuropath in my area. *sigh* I would LOVE to see one about this as conventional medicine has done NOTHING for me.

[mhg]

I'll pm you

Edited August 21, 2010 by mhg

[RamonaQ]

I went through something similar. After 2 ultrasounds, the last one carefully timed to day 6 after my cycle started, a polyp was found. I just had it removed in out-patient surgery, along with hystercopy- camera viewing of my uterus and a D & C (not my idea of fun, but there you have it). In the process of this, hormones etc. were measured. I would assume your Gyn. has done all this?

[Tree House Academy]

I went through something similar. After 2 ultrasounds, the last one carefully timed to day 6 after my cycle started, a polyp was found. I just had it removed in out-patient surgery, along with hystercopy- camera viewing of my uterus and a D & C (not my idea of fun, but there you have it). In the process of this, hormones etc. were measured. I would assume your Gyn. has done all this?

 

Yes and no...I did not have a D&C. I have had 4 ultrasounds...two normal ones, one hysto-sonogram where they put saline in there to see the inside better, and one that just happened to fall on day 5 or 6 of my cycle and a bit of blood was in there (making it like a hysto-sonogram. Nothing has been found. My endometrial lining was thickened at ovulation (17mm), but thinned to completely normal after my cycle, so dr said this was not of concern as long as the lining does shed properly during menstruation (and mine does).

[RamonaQ]

So you know-they were able to detect the polyp with a trans-vag ultrasound at just the right time in my cycle. Apparently, it was a largish polyp- that was removed, with aid of hystercopy-along with performing a D&C during surgery. So, it sounds like if you had what I did they most def. should have seen it with all the ultrasounds.

[Tree House Academy]

Yes, I think you are right. What bothers me is that I am spotting all the time now. It is ever so light, and really not even coming down onto a pantyliner most days...but still! Who bleeds all month long??? This started around July 16 and here we are on August 20 with only about 5 days all month that I didn't spot! NOT COOL! I just PRAY it is progesterone withdrawal like one of the above posters suggested!

[Becca211]

I spotted for several years for up to 9 days after my period. I had an ablation last year and it fixed the problem. I still have a period, but it is only 5 days and very light. She did a D&C then the ablation and found a polyp. The recovery was very easy.

[RamonaQ]

:grouphug: I know, it is ridiculous. I went through that for the past 6 months. It is wearing and very annoying.

[Tree House Academy]

:grouphug: I know, it is ridiculous. I went through that for the past 6 months. It is wearing and very annoying.

 

Did you spot all month long? That is what is getting me. I am used to spotting here and there - 5 days before, 5 days after, 5 days in the middle...but 25 days straight with a period in the middle, no matter how light the spotting, is just insane. I'd say that 5 of the last 30 days were spent actually NOT spotting (which sucked, because each time I had hope it was OVER and then back it came!).

[RamonaQ]

I just had the surgery last week, so I certainly hope it is done!!! That was the promise with surgery.