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[shrosphirelass]

I went on sequi HRT age 56 and was still having regular periods. This year I went onto conti regime and the menpause clinic said that if I wasn't yet menopausal I may experience breakthrough bleeding. Since starting the conti I have bleeding on and off. What made me wonder about whether I am fully menopausal is I started bleeding again last week, only light but also have had cramping and also breast tenderness which I associate with PMT. I also occasionally get very low sided pain that I associate with ovulation. I am now 58 so I guess I'm likely to be menopausal. Because of the bleeding the gyne want me to have a biopsy, but I am reluctant as I get very anxious with gynae proceedures and also don't want to go into hospital with the Covid situation.

[Machair]

Bless you we are very similar in that I was 59 when I had my last period, though I have never been on HRT. Is there a possibility for you to have an ultrasound scan as a starting point? Then if everything was normal you wouldn't need a biopsy. I had this last year when I was worried about my impending 60th and couldn't believe I was still having periods, and although I did at that time have a slightly thickened lining and a cervical polyp I didn't need a biopsy. I pretty soon went into full menopause after that. The cervical polyp may have been bleeding I am not sure but I had all the PMT as well before all the periods I had.I did have the polyp removed. Like you I hate gynae procedures, but I always say who does?- you wouldn't be human if you found them a walk in the park.

[CLKD]

Menopause literally means 'last monthly period' and we don't know whether we have seen the last bleed until at least 12 months later.  MayB keeping a mood/symptom/food diary would help?  So you R peri .........

[shrosphirelass]

Ive had scans and my lining was 5mm and they wanted to do a biopsy but I said no, so they rescanned a couple of weeks ago and heard today the lining is thin but there may be a polyp, but they weren't sure, so again suggested a biopsy. I managed to persuade them to rescan in 6 months when hopefully covid is a bit more under control. I am a bit concerened about the bleeding but think it is either to do with the HRT, I never had problems on sequi or maybe my natural hormones kicking in. It's just the drs think I must be menpausal at my age! I wouldn't worry about the bleeding if it is my hormones, as although its a pain its copeable with. There's no way of telling apart from coming off HRT which isn't an option.

[Machair]

I am now in a similar boat as I have a possible polyp too in the uterus with a thin lining. Your lining is thin. I am waiting to see a consultant about the next plan and like you I really don't want anything doing right now in the Covid pandemic especially if there is no reason to.  The SIS test has been mentioned to me which is where they put saline into the uterus and use ultrasound to fully identify if indeed there is a polyp. It gives a diagnosis without a biopsy in the first instance.

[shrosphirelass]

Ive never heard of that, I guess its less invasive than a biopsy. Where I am there's hysteroscopy and biopsy and that's it as far as I can see. I saw your other thread and will be interested to hear what orther peoples experieces have been. My dr didn't seem that concerned about a possible polyps, its the bleeding causing concern. My feeling is that they are very proactive and like to rule out issues with the endometrium. I'm not always convinced that they are a 100% necessary, but of course not doing anything involves is a risk. Can you have another scan at a later day to monitor, at least while covid infections are on the increase/ Good luck.

[sheila99]

I would stop worrying as long as it feels like a period. I'm 59 (60 tommorrow ) and had a non-utro induced bleed a couple of weeks ago. Some women are in their early 60s before they reach menopause. Before I went on hrt I was told by a specialist I couldn't possibly still be having periods at 57 because everyone was menopausal by 55 (I can show you the evidence if you insist...  ).

[Machair]

Yes me too. My consultant told me I was far from unusual at 59 to still be peri and he had several ladies like me. I know I was not fully menopausal until I was 60 1/2 as my last period was age 59.I even had a cervical mucoid polyp only seen in pre menopause to prove it! PMT stopped at age 59 and it was so severe towards the end it felt pathological!
I was totally regular at 55 with no peri symptoms.
That is why I started a thread on here called late menopause as I was so fed up of feeling like a freak!
Since becoming post- ( confirmed now by blood tests) oestrogen has plummeted, lining has become 2mm and atrophy has happened very quickly.
There is a wonderful US website called Red Hot Mamas. You can email experts and a very well thought of gynae called Jane Minkin helped me so much on there- especially with regard to my age which she said was normal. After 60 she advised that any wonky bleeding presumed to be period in nature must be investigated though, as you really are in uncharted waters then and assuming it is normal becomes much more dangerous.
As I have never been on HRT I wanted to chart my journey on here as it is often difficult to know what is normal. My great gran had babies until she was almost 50 so maybe late menopause runs in my family.
I really wish the articles that repeated say menopause average age is 52 would stop being published as it can't be right. Many women don't publish their age do they? My periods were as regular as clockwork at 52.

[Machair]

Hi Shropshirelass

Had my appointment today and the consultant is going to monitor with scans rather than doing the hysteroscopy/ polypectomy. So I have to go again for a TVS in the spring. I am happy with that so at least it is being followed and although I may need surgery it is really dependant on if it grows or changes or of course bleeds.It is very small and I wonder if the Covid situation means that it is also safer to wait and see. Uterine lining is very thin too which he said was good like yours.
So we are in the same boat waiting for scans in 6 months! Don't enjoy them either! Let's keep in touch and in the meantime enjoy the winter even if things are all very strange! If you are in Shropshire I guess you are possibly in tier 2 soon like us here in Essex. It is horrid- no meeting family indoors - I miss mine so much.One is in Wales so no going there yet!

[shrosphirelass]

Thanks both, I'm glad you had a good appointment Machair, yes we must compare notes. Ive been feeling really dreadful today, headache and upset stomach and bleeding, similar to what I used to experience, pre HRT. Perhaps my body is having a last fling! Yes I'm in Shropshire so we're still in tier 1, but Telford is literally 2 miles away and now in tier 2. I'm going to see my elderly realtives tomorrow as it may be the last chance for a while. I think it may be a long winter!

[Machair]

Good to hear from you Shropshirelass. Being in late fifties and still having periods really worried me and I was so relieved when my consultant said that it is more common than people are made to think. I know it is important to be checked out which you have done and to have regular monitoring, so it is a case of wait and watch.

I was so hormonal up to age 59 it was crazy. The PMT was so bad that I really thought I was going to explode - I used to just retire to the bathroom in a lavender bubble bath for hours which did seem to help in the evening. Plus the migraine headaches with aura were dreadful and very frequent (now these have abated and I haven't had one for over a year).

I got all worked up before my first appointment with the consultant last November about telling him I was still having periods at 58, but he just smiled and said it was "normal". At that time I did have a cervical polyp and a lining of 6mm so I had a hysteroscopy and polypectomy under GA which worried me to an early grave, but was actually doable,- thought was worse than the reality!

Since then I have had 2 more scans and now the lining is 2mm I am post menopausal on blood tests and now have this tiny polyp in the fundus which is being monitored for changes.If it bleeds or grows I will have to have the procedure again but they are in no rush as the lining is very thin now. Also I have been told to use Yes vaginal moisturiser to make sure than any bleeding that occurs is not coming from dryness or the cause becomes harder to pinpoint. Plus vagifem isn't recommended due to polyp.

It is all very stressful as like you I hate gynae procedures, but I look at it that noone could possibly enjoy them as they are invasive and are in a very personal and private place.

[Grheliz1]

I'm interested to read this thread. I've had a D&C and hysteroscopy to remove a polyp that was fine, but they also picked up some 'worrying' endometrial cells at the same time. A previous ultrasound had showed a lining off 3.6cm, which was fine, but I had more fluid than they thought should be there.

I have to have another hysteroscopy on Thursday to carry out more biopsies.

But when I have bleeds, the reason for investigations starting, as it had been over nine months into continuous HRT, they do feel like periods. I have the PMT, the sudden craving for chocolate, the grumpiness and sleepiness.

No point in secondguessing what the next biopsy will show, but I'm perhaps desperately hoping that I am someone who is just having a later menopause than I originally thought (even when I had my 'last' period at 54, I'd often had gaps of ten months or so). It had been 21 months post the last period when I had my first period on HRT.

[shrosphirelass]

Good luck for Thursday Grheliz1. It's so frustrating not knowing whether we are actually menopausal, as if not, it could explain the bleeding. Having said that I wouldn't give up the HRT unless I was absolutely forced to. Let us know how you get on.

[Grheliz1]

Thank you, Shropshirelass! I'll definitely report back.

x

[Machair]

Yes good luck from me too Grheliz1 for Thursday and hope this will be the end of your journey with procedures and that you will have peace of mind. xx