Bleeding Between Periods - Please Help!

[A727]

Hi everyone, I'm 27 years old, I've never had kids or have been pregnant or on birth control. I've started randomly bleeding between periods about 1.5 years ago. At first it started as just a strand of blood in my otherwise normal discharge, then I started having blood tinged discharge after exercise and after orgasm (no penetration). Since about year ago, it's gotten progressively worse to wear I'm bleeding in between every period. I've had SO many tests done and they've all come back negative. The tests I've had: two pap smears (Thinprep), colposcopy with three cervical biopsies, endocervical curretage, cryotherapy (my doctor thought it would help with the bleeding), endometrial biopsy, d&c with hysteroscopy and polyp removal (biopsy was done on tissue). I thought the d&c would fix my problem, since it removes the uterine lining, but apparently that only helped a little. I'm still bleeding, though not as much.

I've been to multiple doctors and they only thing they've found are three uterine polyps and my uterine lining was thick. I've had an ultrasound after the d&c and my lining was still thick, so my doctors think it's hormone related, but I keep thinking it's an actual physical problem, rather than just hormones. I'm terrified of cancer of some sort. They suggest I get on birth control for a few months to see if that helps to thin out my lining.

So, my question is has anyone else been though this? Or does this sound like a hormone imbalance for those who have had that? It's just hard for me to believe that it could be something that simple. I can't even exercise, walk around for a long time, or do any sort of physical activity without the fear of bleeding and I'm at my wit's end. I've just had so many tests and I can't find anyone who's gone though this. Does anyone know what sort of tests I should be looking into? I was thinking about asking for a LEEP biopsy, since that hasn't been done. If that comes back normal or if my doctor denies doing that, I was thinking about getting Mirena. Does anyone have any experience with that for bleeding between periods?

[maremang]

Oh, A727, I completely hear you. Your story matches mine exactly. A slew of tests with no answers. I'm 34, and I've been bleeding between periods for three years now. No one knows what's going on. CT scans, uterine biopsy, PAP smears, ultrasounds, blood work, etc. I share your fear and frustration. I stress and worry about it, and I'm convinced it causes me to bleed more.

[Chima7]

I haven't gotten my hormones tested in several years. We tried that route first with an endocrinologist and everything was pretty much inconclusive. So in order to manage my issues, I've been getting ultrasounds every 6 months (or sooner if the bleeding gets out of control) and using the mirena to curb the bleeding. I've been using the mirena for several years and it's been the only thing that controlled my bleeding. I still get a period every month but it's a lot less and doesn't cause the kind of problems that it did before. I'm unfortunately not one of the lucky ones that doesn't get any period with mirena. And I hate people who complain about not having a period while on birth control cause I'd kill to have that happen to me!

[A727]

Thanks Jasmine. I get bloodwork done every 3-6 months and all of my levels of everything are normal. I'm a little iron deficient and low on vitamin D, but have been taking supplements, so my levels are going back up. I do agree with you that I need to eat more greens though.

[A727]

Thanks, Sall33. It looks like I'll probably opt to get Mirena. It's still a little frustrating, because I haven't had any hormone tests done, but my doctor(s) want to put me on it. Do you know of any accurate tests I could ask for? I guess I'm just trying to rule out an actual physical problem before putting it down to hormones.

[A727]

Thanks Chima7! It's good to hear that Mirena is working for you. I'm sure you know it's really frustrating to have all these things done to you and the bleeding to still happen. It makes it to wear I'm kind of afraid to go to bathroom, because I'm scared I'll be bleeding again. And sometimes it's a lot. Like with clots and everything. It's been a little better since my d&c and polyp removal, but still happening. From what my doctor told me, that was supposed to take care of it, but of course, it didn't. Did your doctor do any kind of tests for hormone imbalance? I hate how doctors just say that it could be that without actually doing tests. I totally understand that it could be that, but I still feel that some hormone test should be done before using that as a diagnosis.

[Jasmine_Renate]

Hello there, perhaps there's some Calcium and Magnesium deficiency. As blood or extended bleeding is a sign of Calcium deficiency. Take foods rich in calcium and magnesium, some supplements as well,Eat green veggies.

[Sal33]

No cancer. Birth control will help regulate your body and help your body realize it doesn't need to produce such a thick lining. It is a hormone thing which bc would balance out.

[Chima7]

Sounds a lot like what happened to me. Turns out I had more ployps that needed to be removed. I've had polypectomy multiple times cause for some reason they keep coming back. Even a small ployp would cause those problems. I know, I've been dealing with this for like 7 years. I recently had another polypectomy and d&c and now I've got mirena and so far so good. It seems to be working a lot better to control the bleeding now that there are no polyps or fibroids in the way.  It makes a huge difference, that's a fact.  

[A727]

Thanks for the reply, Mcsquish0114. But, as you can read in my post, I've undergone many testing and biopsies for cancer and have had the polyps removed. I'm well aware that all of the other stuff can cause bleeding, hence all of the testing I've had done. Yet, I'm still experience bleeding. That's why I'm looking for someone with a similar experience to mine, rather than a generic list of things that can cause bleeding, as I've looked into all of these things and they don't pertain to me.

[Mcsquish0114]

Thins that can cause bleeding inbetween periods include taking the emergency contraceptive pill  
injury or disease of the vagina – for example, from having rough sex, an infection, ulcer or varicose veins
a recent abortion – if you’re bleeding heavily, seek medical advice
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia – if you’ve recently had unprotected sex with a new partner, it’s a good idea to get tested    
reproductive hormones not working normally – this is common in women approaching the menopause or in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
stress
vaginal dryness
harmless changes to the cervix (neck of the womb) – this may be called ectropion or cervical erosion
cervical cancer – if you’re aged 25-64, you should be having regular cervical screening tests to detect any changes to your cervix. Even if you are up to date with screening tests you should seek advice about irregular bleeding, especially bleeding after sex, to eliminate the possibility of cervical cancer.
womb (uterus or uterine) cancer – this is more common in women who have been through the menopause, and most cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed in women aged over 50. Women over 40 with bleeding between periods should see their GP to eliminate the possibility of uterine cancer.
cervical or endometrial polyps (benign or non-cancerous growths in the womb or the lining of the cervix)

[Mcsquish0114]

Uterine polyps /fibroids can indeed cause bleeding between inbetween periods. My gyno said it's just a hormone thing. I have indeed dealt with bleeding in eternal periods but I am on birth control.

[A727]

Anyone?