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[Spadger]

Good morning lovely ladies,
I'm 57 and been on Femoston Conti 0.5mg/2.5mg for 3 years (I'm 8 yrs post meno).
It took a while for breakthrough bleeding to settle and I had a gynae appointment at the hospital a few years ago to check it out which showed fibroids (which I was already aware of) and a thin endometrium.
Eventually the spotting stopped & I've been ok for over a year, in fact I felt amazing.
Yesterday I got some spotting (brown discharge) after exercise- I've just started running - doing the couch to 5k, and today it's like the start of a period and I've been rummaging about trying to find panty liners...not the best birthday I've ever had 
I'm so upset and frightened as I've just been reading on Dr Google about womb cancer and other scary stuff, and so I realise I need to get to the GP asap but it doesn't help my current situation- the family are due to arrive shortly to celebrate my birthday and I'm still in my PJs in floods of tears - poor hubby is at a loss.
Anyone else had something like this happen to them?
Hugs welcome...
Love Spadger x

[Kathleen]

Hello Spadger

I'm so sorry that you are suffering and on your birthday too!

Unfortunately I can't offer any advice but I do know how unsettling an unexpected bleed is and how it make you panic and fear the worst. That said it seems to happen often to many ladies and I'm sure someone will be along soon to share their knowledge.

In the meantime take care and sending hugs.

K.

[Hurdity]

Hi there

Bleeding on continuous combined HRT is not like post-menopausal bleeding as such which is strictly bleeding when post-menopausal in the absence of HRT which would be a cause for concern and warranting immediate referral under the two week rule.

Bleeding on any HRT is par for the course and especially on continuous combined hRT. However any bleeding even on this regime which is a change from what you are used to or which happens following the 6 month settling in time - should be referred to GP to rule out anything abnormal, so please do not worry at all - especially on your birthday! It could be the balance is not quite right between oestrogen and the progestogen as you are on a fixed preparation. It could even mean the endometrium is too thin which can cause bleeding, or it could be the bleeding is a result of the fibroids.

Whatever the reason - put it out of your mind for today! Now make that appointment on Monday (or even now if you can do it online), wipe away the tears, find a few panti-liners ( tampon?) and enjoy your day with your family

Hurdity x 

[Jeepers]

Hello Spadger

Firstly Happy Birthday!

I felt sad for you when I read your post, especially as I have been exactly where you are, so I wanted to tell you about it, in the hope it will give you a little peace, so that you can enjoy your special day.

I am on continuous HRT (since last June), and have had two post menopausal bleeds (I have posted about them on here).  I was very scared.  I had a scan following the first bleed , and my womb lining was 2.8, nothing sinister found.  However about 5 weeks later, I had a second one.  IT started out as brown blood, and lasted a week, with the blood changing to bitty crimson coloured.  I went back to the gynae this week, and they did a hysteroscopy.  The found very raw dry spots on my womb which they said was atrophy.  They are 100% confident that there is nothing sinister, for womb or cervix, and have charged me back to the menopause clinic to work out the hormonal implications and whether I need to change the regime.  They did say, it can be caused by too little oestrogen, so maybe your own levels have dropped further, and you need to review too?

I find the whole thing completely confusing, but please don't think the worst, I have tortured myself over this, please, please  don't do it, and  have a lovely day 


 

Jeepers xx

[Spadger]

Thank you so much Kathleen, Hurdity and Jeepers for your replies, reassurance and birthday wishes - I'm actually really touched and now crying happy tears  you are all so lovely.
I do feel that the bleeding is probably hrt related, I was thinking of trying to come off it to see how I actually am without it now - and I am due for a medication review soon but if the awfulness came back I don't know how I'd cope.
Jeepers I hope you get sorted, it is really confusing and horrid isn't it, I just wish we had a menopause clinic nearby, I sometimes feel like GPs know very little.
Hurdity you are amazing, you're probably right and I do wonder about the tablet form I'm on as it's a one size fits all, but I've no idea how to go about getting my hormone levels checked with no meno clinic near us.
Kathleen, you helped more than you know.
Love to all, Spadger x

[Katejo]

Good morning lovely ladies,
I'm 57 and been on Femoston Conti 0.5mg/2.5mg for 3 years (I'm 8 yrs post meno).
It took a while for breakthrough bleeding to settle and I had a gynae appointment at the hospital a few years ago to check it out which showed fibroids (which I was already aware of) and a thin endometrium.
Eventually the spotting stopped & I've been ok for over a year, in fact I felt amazing.
Yesterday I got some spotting (brown discharge) after exercise- I've just started running - doing the couch to 5k, and today it's like the start of a period and I've been rummaging about trying to find panty liners...not the best birthday I've ever had 
I'm so upset and frightened as I've just been reading on Dr Google about womb cancer and other scary stuff, and so I realise I need to get to the GP asap but it doesn't help my current situation- the family are due to arrive shortly to celebrate my birthday and I'm still in my PJs in floods of tears - poor hubby is at a loss.
Anyone else had something like this happen to them?
Hugs welcome...
Love Spadger x

Happy birthday Spadger   I can't advise you because i have only just started taking Evorel Conti this week (aged 56)  but just wanted to give support. The consultant told me not to worry if i got some spotting  at the beginning but i don't know about later on.

[Spadger]

Thank you so much for your reply and support Katejo, it really means a lot - and good luck with your hrt journey xx

[CLKD]

Your family will take you as they find you: what's wrong with a Jim-jam party after all, it's your day 

Some find keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use.  Also, don't do too much each day.  Listen to your body.  The Change: does what it says on the tin    .

Browse round.     make notes.

[Katejo]

Thank you so much for your reply and support Katejo, it really means a lot - and good luck with your hrt journey xx

I am wondering what difference there is between Femoston Conti and Evorel Conti? Before seeing the consultant I had done a little research (read the info on the MM site) and decided that he was likely to give me one or the other. Do you remember how long it took before you noticed benefits?

Enjoy the rest of the birthday !

[Cazikins]

I've been in your situation Spadger, 2 times I think. I'm on Femoston conti also. Both times I have been sent for urgent hystoroscopy & first time it was fibroids which were removed & then earlier this year it was a polyp (again removed).
Try not to worry as these things do happen.
Phone your doctor on Monday as soon as they open, or drop into the surgery just before opening time as I'm sure Monday is the worst days for getting an appointment. Tell the receptionist you have had post menopausal bleeding all over the weekend & you would like to see a doctor asap. I'm sure you will be seen.

And enjoy your birthday

  :hbday: [/color][/b][/i][/u]

[Spadger]

Katejo I don't know what the difference is between Femoston Conti and Evorel Conti, I made the decision to ask for Femoston after researching on here. I think I began to notice benefits after a couple of weeks, the flushes diminished but I was still having night sweats, then they gradually improved too. The brain fog seemed to lift also and the awful vag. dryness improved and I felt relatively human again 😉

CLKD thank you for your response, I do keep a diary but the bleeding seems to have no rhyme or reason...

Cazikins im sorry to hear you've been the same - I don't like the sound of a hysteroscopy 😳 I'm a bit of a wimp when it come to any orifice-related explorations!

[Katejo]

Spadger : Aren't I right in thinking that it is the hot flushes and night sweats which improve first with most types of HRT? Things like memory, concentration, depression, anxiety and aches/pains come later. I don't really have a problem with flushes. They have always been pretty mild. Same with night sweats. Sometimes i wake suddenly and need to throw the duvet off and then put it back on a few minutes later but I don't get drenched at all. I wouldn't take HRT just for that.

My  main reasons for trying it now are to improve my muscular aches/pains (particularly soles of feet, tight calves and ankles and more recently tight and aching hips) , prevention of osteoporosis and VA. I am already using Vagifem.
My favourite exercise is walking but it gets spoilt if my feet and calves are aching.  I already have very mild osteopenia from a recent scan. Also possible improvement in concentration.

[Hurdity]

Femoston is tablet HRT and Evorel is a patch. The other patch combi HRT is Femseven but that has been temporarily (we hope!) discontinued pending re-formulation.

To answer your Q Katejo - yes flushes and sweats are normally the first to disappear! Some also find an instant change in mood - depending on the individual.

Hurdity x

[Spadger]

Thank you for that answer Hurdity - I'm not really familiar with the different types/methods/doses/delivery of hrt.
I still feel confused about whether to just come off hrt and see how I am now without it... I wonder what happens when you stop taking a continuous combined hrt, as in does that also cause bleeding?
I've read that it's better to come off it gradually but even then what kind of issues would that cause & I'm also getting very anxious about what to expect if I'm sent to the hospital - I've had a scan & trans vag scan before but I'm worried whether I'll have to have a hysteroscopy - sounds painful.
Spadger x