Hi everyone,

I'm 51 years old, currently on HRT patches for horrendous peri-menopause symptoms, been on this for 8 months and also have taken the mini pill for a few years to prevent periods as they were extremely heavy and causing severe back pain. I've had constant light bleeding with clots and tissue for the last 4 weeks, it's mostly a brown, sometimes black colour (sorry for the TMI). There is no pain but it is persistent and it's starting to concern me.

I was sent to gynaecology just over a year ago for just a few days bleeding because of my age, they did a vaginal exam which they said was fine, they couldn't do a smear test as it was just too painful. I was advised at that time they would probably have to consider a smear test under general anaesthetic as I had vaginal atrophy which was causing severe pain when they attempted anything with the speculum. I'm now unsure if this bleeding is being caused by the atrophy.

I will admit I've put off contacting my GP as I know these tests they'll want to do will be so painful, I know that's a silly way to think but it was so awful last year. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Also my body just feels as though it's on fire, I know the weather has been super hot but this is like an internal fire heat, I can't get any peace from it, possibly just a constant hot flush? I've thought a few times I must be running a fever but thermometer says normal temperature. Thanks for any possible advice about this.

Maggie