spotting

hi i had an etopic pregnancy 5 months ago. While i was pregnant i was told that i have a cyist, but i was normal and would go away. During the time i found out i had the cyist i never knew i had and etopic pregnancy. Until one day my tube burst and i had to rushed in to emergancy surgory. After all that my period remained normal i had no problem. Until about two months ago during my last period i had really bad cramps,  and went to the hospital and the told me i a cyist on my ovaries and fluid in my ovaries. The gave my a shot and i went home. The cramps stoped.This month I started to spott and i thought i was starting my period because it was that time of the month. But the next morning i wasnt bleeding. I know this is not normal can anybody tell me what this means or has this happened to someone at all?

[Keith Downing, MD]

Hello,

Menstrual irregularities can occur at various times of the cycle for various reasons.  it is often difficult in the immediate moment to know the underlying cause.  It is usually the case that with the benefit of time, and having the opportunity to observe patterns, similarities, etc, irregular bleeding can be sorted out.  Keep a menstrual diary for the next 2-3 months documenting the days you bleed/spot and how much (# of pads/tampons used) and present that to your physician if an irregular pattern persists.  

If you think you might be pregnant you should take a pregnancy test.  If negative repeat the test in a week or go see your ob/gyn.  If positive, go see your ob/gyn ASAP given your history of an ectopic pregnancy.

Best of luck,

Dr. Downing