Early menopause

[Lindell]

This is a question I never could ask my Dr. but I had menopause at 35.  During that year periods were infrequent and scant but very embarrassing smell when I went to the washroom...not talking a mild odor but a strong unhealthy stench that would consume the room.  Its over now but I have never heard of anyone speak of this as a normal thing with menopause -  could I have stopped having periods due to an infection or something worse?

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

It would be unlikely to stop having periods due to the type of infection you are describing. Although it is unclear exactly what the cause was, it seems to be gone now. In general, it is a good idea to discuss abnormal smelling discharge with your doctor so he/she can do a culture to see if any bacteria grow that should not be there, and also look at any vaginal discharge under a microscope. There might also be other things that could cause a smell that could be seen at the time of an exam. It is unlikely anything you did or did not do made your periods stop when they did.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[Lindell]

Thank you