Irregular periods

[Hudson]

Background: Hello, I am 51 years old and have been having symptoms of peri-menopause the last 3 years (skipping periods and hot flashes, mostly at night). In March 2006 I had a benign ovarian serouscystadenoma removed along with my left ovary. Since that time, I have been skipping even more periods...one cycle going 70 days. In fact, I have only had 2 periods since the removal of my left ovary.
Question: This last cycle was very weird. I typically have a very heavy period with bleeding and some clotting, lasting from 7-8 days. This period started on Aug. 14th with the first 3 days being very. very light. Aug. 17-20th the flow was what I would call more than spotting, but still a light period compared to what is normal for me. The 21st.-26th. I had minimal spotting, meaning no need for a tampon, just some light staining noticeable on the T.P. Last nite, 4 days later I noticed minimal staining again and this morning nothing. It is like this period is sputtering instead of flowing. I had a pelvic exam and a pap done in May (all normal) and had multiple ultrasounds done in March before my ovarian cyst surgery. This showed the endometrial lining was thin, but I do have 3 small fibroids.

I called my gyn today and was told this is likely peri-menopausal. If it continues they want to check my FSH levels and see what my remaining ovary is producing. They did not seem concerned. Has this happened to anyone else during peri? I feel fine, but am finding this minimal staining to be annoying.

Hudson

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

A. It sounds like your gyn is correct and this is perimenopause.  Lengthening of periods is annoying but can often be controlled with a short course of hormones for one to three months.  One other possible cause of spotting is blood loss from your surgery.  If there was moderate blood loss and you now are iron deficient, that can cause spotting that will go away with taking iron.  However, even if it is perimenopause, the symptoms might go away on their own over the next few months.  Unless the fibroids are just under the lining of the uterus, they are unlikely to be a cause of your staining.

In summary, it sounds like your symptoms are normal and usual for perimenopause.  If they continue and continue to be annoying, talk with your doctor about treatment options. In addition to a short course of hormones, there is also a hormone-containing IUD called Mirena that can be used for a short while.  That hormone contains low dosages of progesterone and can be very helpful in stopping this type of bleeding.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[Hudson]

Thanks for your response. I will ask about the Mirena at my next appt.

Hudson