Heavy Menstural Bleeding & Spotting

Hi, 

my periods have been regular till about the end of January earlier this year. I started experiencing bleeding in between my periods. The first time it happened it lasted 3 days around halfway through my cycle. The bleeding is very light, didn’t need more than a pantyliner. Since then, the spotting happened every month until may, once again, it wouldn’t last more than 3/4 days (apart from one time in March where it lasted 7 days). The bleeding was always very light, but there was a couple times where there was quite large blood clots (which was strange because the spotting was light). In February my periods also got a lot heavier with a lot of clotting, and they would last from 7-9 days. Since May, I haven’t experienced any spotting/ bleeding i between cycles until a few days ago, where I woke up in the middle of the night with blood on my trousers, and today where I wiped in the bathroom and had very light spotting - My period is still more than 10 days away. 

I have been to the GP multiple times. At first they said it was due to hormonal imbalances and said to wait a couple cycles and see if it goes away. I eventually got my bloods done where it showed my iron was very low (I’ve been taking iron tablets since). In June I finally managed to have an ultrasound, the results came back which showed everything as normal/healthy. The GP just ended up putting it down to unexplained menorrhagia, which I just decided to accept, and said I could go on the pill to help with the bleeding if I wanted. I have also been taking tranexamic acid the past couple cycles.

I was honestly fine with everything and thought nothing was wrong till the recent bleeding a couple days ago which has now made me worried again- so I came on here for some advice or to see if anyone’s experienced anything similar. I’m 20 years old and have no other symptoms - I barely even experience period pain hence why I am so confused. 

  • Hello Lizldn800

    I'm sorry to hear that you've had some changes with your menstrual cycle recently. It's understandable that you've been feeling anxious. 

    It's good to hear that you've already spoken with your GP who has carried out some investigations and that at this point the results haven't given any immediate cause for concern. 

    It's worth getting in touch with your GP to talk through your concerns about this most recent episode of spotting. It may be that the GP wants to continue to watch and wait to see if things improve, or they may decide to refer you for more tests. Either way, hopefully, they will be able to give you some reassurance. 

    I do hope things settle for you soon. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator 

  • Hi! I've had a couple of similar symptoms and I'm still waiting for results after a massive screw-up. Have you had any burning sensations around one of both ovaries? 

  • Hi I had this aswell and after blood tests turned out my iron levels where on the verge of anemic I was on iron tablets for 2-3 months and since then it hasn’t happend again 

  • No I haven’t sorry, I don’t really get any pain (apart from the first couple days of my period). I hope you find a solution

  • Wow, this is so interesting to hear. I did have a blood test and my iron levels were very very low so I was put on iron tablets aswell. However I wasn’t very consistent  with it and eventually stopped taking them (which I know was very bad of me). I was taking then from around May/June- July and as far as I can remember I did not experience spotting in these months. The spotting only came back in August when he as no longer taken them. I actually came back here because I had some bleeding today and got worried again. I am definitely going to go to the GP and ask to a blood test, it’s very likely I’ll have to start taking them again since I didn’t take them for long enough the first time. I will also mention the spotting is back to see what they say. When I went to the GP previously they didn’t really correlate the bleeding with the iron, apart from the fact my iron is probably low because of the bleeding. 

    Thank you for this. Hopefully this can resolve the issue. Did your doctor tell you your spotting/heavy period was caused because your iron was low? Or did you just find out from taking the iron? 

  • He told me my iron was so low and that was the reason for the irregular of periods I took the tablets for a month then had another blood test which showed my levels were still low did it again and since taking the tablets for like 3months and having my last blood test everything was within norm and I never got bleeding between periods again. I was very consistent with my iron tables even though I hated the weight gain :/ i was also sent for an ultrasound and it was all fine. 

    so I would deffo recommend you take your iron tablets coz like you my periods were really regularly and then I would find 10days later I was back on my period then a month would pass and it would happen again this was before I went docters about it. This was all last year. 

  • I would ask to get refereed to a gynaecologist it could me many things (not serious)   I Had fibroids which caused all the symptoms you’re describing so think i f you got referred he could rule these things out for you and give you peace of mine. Hope you get sorted soon x