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[Seatea]

Hi friends,
I'm new here so might need to repost in the new members section?
I am 47 and have been in peri for a few years.  Hot flashes at night, mood swings, weight gain, all the fun stuff.
For the past few years my cycles have shortened, to an average of maybe 25 days.
But some months, it's only 15/16 days.  I've been keeping track, and this year I've had about 4 of those.

I thought cycles would spread out more if not ovulating, less periods not MORE. 
I went to my new gyno, mainly just for a check up, and she said she wanted to do a uterine biopsy to rule out something worrisome. 
Which of course made me WORRY.  I had one in 2017 for a similar bout of weird periods and it was fine but REALLY hurt.

Side note, I did have breast cancer two years ago, but it was stage zero (DCIS) and have been told there would be no correlation if something else came up.  But even going to the doctor has me on edge.  I'll do it to be safe of course, but just looking for other women's experiences. 

Did anyone experience short cycles?  I'm not spotting and the flow is normal.

Thank you!
SeaTea

[Taz2]

Hi Seatea - this is normal for perimenopause which can actually last from eight to ten years apparently.

Cycles can become shorter or longer, heavier or lighter with intermittent bleeding where you feel that a period is starting only for it to disappear again. If you experience bleeding after sex though this does need to be reported to your GP just to check that all is ok. My cycle began to change at around 49 and some months I had two or more periods - some only lasting a day - and then I went nine months (twice) without periods before they became regular again. At 53 I started HRT so I have no idea when my cycle would have finally stopped!

Although you are not looking forward to it I think it's good that you are being offered a biopsy. Try to find out as much as you can beforehand as to how you can manage the pain. Make sure they know you found the last one painful. You may be able to have it done under sedation but you wont know unless you ask as it's not usually offered.

Ask away on here there will always be someone to offer support and advice.

Taz x 

[dahliagirl]

I had loads of short cycles.

I was charting at the time to see if I could predict them - there was no ovulation so it was just random bleeds from drops in oestrogen levels.

If you are in UK, you should ask for a GA for the biopsy if it is painful for you  (probably if you are not in the UK too).

[Gnatty]

Maybe you were unlucky with your biopsy first time round. I had no pain at all when I had mine taken. Mind you I had to sit on one of those big chairs that go up in the air and look like something out of a torture chamber!!

[Seatea]

You guys are amazing, thanks for the replies!  It helped to calm me down.  Bleeding from estrogen levels makes sense.  I'm just sick of finished one cycle and then there she is again.  I've been regular all my life so I just assumed my cycles would quietly drop away until vanishing.  Nope. 

I'm in the US where they like to biopsy everything.  They prescribed valium, I wish I could just be put out!