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Unusual Bleeding: Perimenopause, Breakthrough , or ???
I just turned 49 a couple of weeks ago. I've been on the pill since 1985, and on it continuously (NO placebos, no periods) since 2001. While on continuous BCP, I have occasionally had breakthrough bleeding that would last a few days.
For the past month or so I've had fairly significant breakthrough bleeding off and on nearly every day. Still not like a period but enough to be messy since I never know when it will happen and I have some kind of allergy to pads that causes painful sores and makes me want to avoid them (hence the continuous BCP). For quite a few months, maybe even a year, I also feel like I may be having night sweats and hot flashes, although I'm not sure because they aren't the traumatic event that I see on TV or described in articles. I do wake up quite sweaty most mornings, and sometimes am inappropriately hot and sweaty during waking hours, and I feel like this has been happening more the past year or so than previously.
I know my situation is complicated by the continuous BCP. I don't want to get off them and risk having actual periods, so I don't think I can have a hormone test for menopause. Am I correct in that assumption? If I could stay on the BCP I'd be happy to take the test. Is there some other way to test that doesn't require getting off BCP?
Is it likely that this bleeding despite the continuous BCP, which is now becoming extremely annoying, is a sign of perimenopause/menopause? Or is it more likely just a bad bout of normal breakthrough bleeding from being on the BCP for so many years? Is there another likely culprit?
For the past month or so I've had fairly significant breakthrough bleeding off and on nearly every day. Still not like a period but enough to be messy since I never know when it will happen and I have some kind of allergy to pads that causes painful sores and makes me want to avoid them (hence the continuous BCP). For quite a few months, maybe even a year, I also feel like I may be having night sweats and hot flashes, although I'm not sure because they aren't the traumatic event that I see on TV or described in articles. I do wake up quite sweaty most mornings, and sometimes am inappropriately hot and sweaty during waking hours, and I feel like this has been happening more the past year or so than previously.
I know my situation is complicated by the continuous BCP. I don't want to get off them and risk having actual periods, so I don't think I can have a hormone test for menopause. Am I correct in that assumption? If I could stay on the BCP I'd be happy to take the test. Is there some other way to test that doesn't require getting off BCP?
Is it likely that this bleeding despite the continuous BCP, which is now becoming extremely annoying, is a sign of perimenopause/menopause? Or is it more likely just a bad bout of normal breakthrough bleeding from being on the BCP for so many years? Is there another likely culprit?
It's my understanding too that you cannot test for menopause while on BCP's. But if you're going through perimenopause which is pretty likely being your age, the menopause test (FSH) isn't reliable either because it can fluctuate during this transition period. So at one point it could show menopausal but another time it could show you're still in reproductive range.
You may just need a change in BCP. This happens sometimes for no other reason than it stops working like it had been.
You may just need a change in BCP. This happens sometimes for no other reason than it stops working like it had been.
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