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[Jube]

Hi
I'm new to this.   Thought I'd tell you about me and see if anyone else has similar experiences.
I'm 50 and came off the pill last year as I thought I was probably menopausal - had night sweats for years....
Had a few light periods but not much. Lots of joint aches, mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, hot flushes, irritability - you name it i had it!!!!  ButI I thought I would put up and not go on hrt. Then it got painful to make love, and I got thrush again so visited my GP. She prescribed Vagifem. About two weeks later I had a light period then 2 weeks later bleeding again, Saw different doctor who said it was coincidence. Still worried I visited my own GP who said I should have scan  and trans-vaginal scan just to make sure everything was ok. Had this is September and the radiographer said all was fine - the bleeding was most probably because I was peri menopausal.
About three weeks later rang my GP to ask if I could start taking Vagifem again(as sex was VERY painful )and ad been advised to stop vagifem until after scan. She said she had results of scan and it showed I had 'patchy' womb lining and needed to go for hysteroscopy and womb lining biopsy. Had the biopsy last week which was EXTREMELY painful. The doctor said he would not do hysteroscopy as I was "not tolerating" the biopsy very well and if necessary go back for hysteroscopy under GA. Rang the hospital today who told me results would be about 4 weeks unless it had been urgen (don't know but it's urgent to me) Four weeks of worry
worry worry

[dazned]

Hi and   

I know it's difficult not to be anxious but as they said if it was urgent you would soon hear,it really is a case of no news is good news in these instances. Hope all goes well for you and you can soon carry on with the vagifem.

[Jube]

thanks dazned 

[Hurdity]

Hi Jube

  from me too.

Sorry to hear about all your issues. Were you on the POP? This would explain why you were getting menopausal symptoms while taking it. If these have been going on a long time ( how long?) then it's possible you are quite a way along the road towards menopause if you've only had a few light periods since stopping. During the time on the pill, if it was POP the progestogen in it would have kept the lining thin and as your own oestrogen becomes/became depleted, it could cause the lining to overthin and could become ulcerated - which also can cause irregular bleeding and spotting. This could be why your lining is shown as patchy. Did the radiographer tell you how thick it was?

If you were on the COC Pill then something else would be going on.

The doctors are just being cautious but I'm not sure why you were sent because this sort of irregular bleeding is normal during peri as you have been told, and you are clearly not post-menopausal yet ( if the bleeding is due to periods). What a pity you are having to go through all of this and actually there is no reason why you should not be allowed Vagifem. I was allowed to continue with full HRT even while having an investigation for spotting (I am post-menopause). I am sure there is a simple explanation but how difficult for you that it has to be uncomfortable. If it is really that bad then you could have an e-mail consultation with Dr Currie telling her what you said below and specifically asking if it was OK to carry on with Vagifem - which you could take to the docs if you want to restart soon. The facility is on the home page. I did this when my doc told me to stop HRT pending investigation - and Dr Currie said I did not need to stop so took this back to the docs.

Vagifem is a very very low dose of oestrogen - and only rarely causes thickening of the endometrium I understand.

Hope this helps and try not to worry! Fingers crossed you will be given the all clear.

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

If the initial scan was OK I don't know why you need further investigations 

Ring your GP and ask to re-start the treatment, tell them the condition is too painful to wait for 4 weeks.  It could be that the GP doesn't want to spend the money …….

[Jube]

Hurdity     thanks for the advice but I'm a bit worried about what you said if I was taking COC . It was Gedarel which is COC - I think. You said something else would be going on - what else??

[Hurdity]

Sorry Jube - it wasn't meant to be alarming - it's just that it probably wouldn't be likely to be what I was saying about the progestogen and ulceration - but I don't know enough about the COC pills and how they work and especially in relation to menopause! If it was a different pill it will be most likely to be what the doc said - ie because you are peri-menopausal. The Pill regulates the cycle artificially and would do this well into peri-menopause. Not sure why you had symptoms (of meno) though because the Pill contains high doses of oestrogen - but as I said I really know very little about COC Pills.   I do know that many gynaes advise carrying on with them as you did as it can help with the symptoms of peri.

There is some info on this site:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contra2.php

Hopefully there will be others who've taken the COC until the same stage who will be able to relate their experiences and their patterns of bleeding and spotting after stopping the tablets?

Sorry I can't be more helpful but please don't worry! Your body is adjusting to being peri-menopausal without any additional hormones and it will take a while to settle anyway - but do go and get some Vagifem if you can! 

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

If your GP seems reluctant tell him/her that you want quality of Life 

[Jube]

Thanks so much for all answers/comments/advice    it's so good to hear something other than "you'll be ok" 

[CLKD]

Yep.  We need to be believed, to have our medics realise that these feelings are not imagination