Spotting for 10 days

I am a 41 yr with PCOS (Diagnosed at 17-one child).  I recently have been battling a really bad problem with an ulcer in my esphogas, but along with that I have started spotting.  For the last ten days off and on.  My period is due any day now, but I have never had this happen before.  Clean pap about a month ago.  I have been really ill and trying lots of different meds to get over this ulcer thing, could that be a cause?  Do I need to just see if it happens again next month?

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If you were my patient, I would recommend an ultrasound.  I would be looking in particular at the lining of your uterus, for any evidence of thickening or polyps.
Any type of severe stress can affect your cycle, so if you are really ill with another process ( the ulcer) that is certainly enough to cause you to fail to ovulate.  When a women doesn't ovulate, her periods can be prolonged, extremely heavy, or absent altogether.  If this is a one time event, I wouldn't be too concerned, but if it happens again, especially given your history of PCOS, I would definitely want to have an ultrasound done!
Good luck!
Dr B