Hi
I have been also having all these worries about erratic bleeding. I have had period issues since I was 12! Now 46 and just as I thought things were getting better as periods seemed to be getting further apart (actually did a pregnancy test because I was two weeks late!) I am now bleeding every one or two weeks completely erratically.
My periods are very light (I had an ablation two years ago after years of flooding and will talk about that later) but since the long gap between my periods I am now bleeding for a week to ten days, red to brown, with a week inbetween so no chance of knowing which is my real period. At the time of the ablation I was bleeding after sex and after normal smear results they thought it was likely I had uterine cells on my cervix causing the bleeding. This stopped after the ablation thank goodness. However I am worried that this latest erratic bleeding could be a return of this cell issue although my GP thinks it is menopause. I have just had several cysts removed from my right breast which is apparently quite common in women of my age approaching menopause so clearly something is going on.
So it is really interesting to read that so many women have this stop/start bleeding constantly as it is not a symptom that comes up when trawling the internet for some comfort! My GP actually recommended this site so I am really glad that it is possible to share these worrying and very unsexy symptoms.
With regard to you having an ablation I know that many people are so glad they have it. For me, it really reduced the bleeding which had been terrible before that - leaking and having to arrange my social life around my period. However for some reason it triggered terrible pain when I had my period which has lasted for two years. So much so that I have been referred for a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy but now I am in peri, my GP thinks I should wait to have these and avoid a GA if possible (I react to GA's with crashing BP) so not something I do lightly. However a postitive of being in peri is that the pain has almost disappeared so I am going to take her advice and hold off. Even though I am wondering if it is worth it just to get this erratic bleeding issues sorted out.
If you are flooding so much I would recommend an ablation as I think most women are really relieved to have it done. I am just unlucky having had non-stop gynae issues - polyps removed, pre-cancerous cells when I was in my 20s. I was just thinking thank god for menopause when I now have this long bleeding issue to deal with!!!
AAAAAAGGGGGGGGH!!
Hope this helped but if you want to ask any questions about the ablation please do.