Doctor again

[ThankfulJen]

Spotting counts as an irregularity and is one of the many symptoms of perimenopause as far as I know. And yes most common and main reason of mid cycle spotting is hormonal imbalance.
Transvaginal ultrasound super rarely misses things, especially at a stage where they already cause bleeding symptoms.
Don't even think of uterine cancer because thickening of the uterus' inner walls would be visible to your gyn at first, even in pre-cancerous early stages of the wall changes it's something so hard to miss during the ultrasound.
I don't know if you have PAP smear test (every 3 years is the regular here in Sweden for our age group) and if you get negative results all the time, then the spotting is absolutely because of hormonal imbalance.
You did your best to have it checked, and dr didn't see anything sinister.

Thank you, again for your insight. All my paps have been negative. But it has been awhile since my last one, I'm embarrassed to say. I will never wait long again to get one. I'm very light spotting again today but trying to think of the reasons it most likely is instead of the scary reasons. I have absolutely spotted before. Just like my heart palpitations have happened before. Don't understand why it has all caused me the most extreme anxiety but I am SO over it!

 

[Belizz]

It is so understandable why it causes so much anxiety, please don't blame yourself for that. I would be anxious too. It's something outside of your regular and periods themselves are already ridiculous, so.
You can always ask your dr if there is something you can use to stop the spotting, or if there is something that helps.

 

[SB2017]

Also having this issue. I’ve always had ovulation spotting and a random day of spotting a week before my period. Everything was always normal and I’ve had it for years. It stopped when my daughter was born but this month I get random discharge with a streak of blood. I’m trying not to freak out because I had a transvaginal ultrasound to look at my ovaries a month ago. I had a pelvic ultrasound in April and I got my Pap smear 10 months ago and it was negative. So I’m trying to tell myself it’s ok, but I have cancer going through my head. It’s not continuous but it happened on day 8, day 12, day 14 and day 17 and I’m not due for my period until the 30th but I always get it early. It’s not a lot. It’s literally clear discharge with a small streak of blood maybe 1-2 times that day and the rest of the time it’s clear.

 

[Fraser]

Also having this issue. I’ve always had ovulation spotting and a random day of spotting a week before my period. Everything was always normal and I’ve had it for years. It stopped when my daughter was born but this month I get random discharge with a streak of blood. I’m trying not to freak out because I had a transvaginal ultrasound to look at my ovaries a month ago. I had a pelvic ultrasound in April and I got my Pap smear 10 months ago and it was negative. So I’m trying to tell myself it’s ok, but I have cancer going through my head. It’s not continuous but it happened on day 8, day 12, day 14 and day 17 and I’m not due for my period until the 30th but I always get it early. It’s not a lot. It’s literally clear discharge with a small streak of blood maybe 1-2 times that day and the rest of the time it’s clear.

In order for cancer to cause bleeding it would have to be at a size that I would imagine would get picked up by an ultrasound. You should still tell your doctor about it, but cancer doesn't make sense to me given your recent tests. Like, at all.

 

[ThankfulJen]

I'm not glad you are going through the same thing but it always helps to know you aren't alone. I'd say that everything has been checked and looked good. I'd just run it by your gyn so they know what's going on and can tell you what it might be and what you can do! Oh, the joy's of being a woman!

 

[ThankfulJen]

Have been light spotting on and off for a few days now. Husband called docs office and they said they are almost positive it is because they messed with my cysts and what not during the transvaginal. But spotting this long? Trying not to freak out but damn, that is hard to do. My ovaries have been aching off and on, too. TMI I don't spot ofter sex. So there's that. But everytime I go to the bathroom I get sick to my stomach when I wipe and see a bit of pink on the t.p. Hard finding a good place to be in.

 

[Fraser]

Husband called docs office and they said they are almost positive it is because they messed with my cysts and what not during the transvaginal.

Makes sense.

But spotting this long?

Yep. I mean, the cysts likely caused it in the first place even before you went to the doctor. The cysts are still there, so...

But everytime I go to the bathroom I get sick to my stomach when I wipe and see a bit of pink on the t.p. Hard finding a good place to be in.

Do the work.

 

[ThankfulJen]

Yep. I mean, the cysts likely caused it in the first place even before you went to the doctor. The cysts are still there, so...

Right. But before it was just prolonged period. And maybe a random day or two of spotting.

 

[Fraser]

Right. But before it was just prolonged period. And maybe a random day or two of spotting.

And then you got a transvaginal ultrasound that pushed the likely culprits around, so the tissue around them is likely inflamed. Or, maybe there's a another tumor that's somehow simultaneously so large that it's causing internal bleeding but also so noninvasive the ultrasound missed it and now it's suddenly causing more bleeding after your ultrasound for no specific reason. One of these things is very likely. One of them is very unlikely.

Here is something that happens with hypochondria. I'm not saying this is how you are or trying to tell you how your mind works, but this is something that happens with a lot of hypochondriacs and maybe it fits your experience. So what happens is, we have a bunch of generalized anxiety. We then experience a symptom and we attach that anxiety to the symptom. Our survival instincts inform us that if something is causing us this much anxiety, it must be dire, and as a result, the most catastrophic interpretations of those symptoms gain the most salience and feel the most likely and or real. The internal, unconscious thought process that your "survival mode" brain is experiencing is "if this blood on this toilet paper wasn't menacing, I wouldn't be feeling so terrified of it. Therefore it must be something and I should do something about it." It then feeds this information to your conscious brain, who starts to rationalize this thought process by deciding that your response is appropriate, regardless of how off kilter it is. The way out of this thought pattern is to actively address it each and every time.

I don't know if you have filled out that form I posted above, but literally print it out, sit down with a pen, and fill it out. Then post your results here and let's talk about that instead of just focusing on what you are afraid it might be. The more you start to address your HA induced thought process, instead of seeking reassurance for your symptoms, the more you will start to turn the corner and leave this kind of reaction in your past.

(All of none of this is to say you shouldn't follow up with your doctor and ask these questions when your biopsy comes back. But regardless, the sooner you get rigorously proactive about addressing your health anxiety, the sooner you will start to overcome it. It's that or start to accept that you will deal with this for the rest of your life.)

 

[ThankfulJen]

I actually can't open the file for some odd reason.

 

[Cuchculan]

Says file not found. Opens microsoft edge to begin with. Like it is searching for a site.

 

[bin_tenn]

Says file not found. Opens microsoft edge to begin with. Like it is searching for a site.

It works for me on Chrome for iOS.

 

[Fraser]

I actually can't open the file for some odd reason.

Can you download it and then the file doesn't open, or can you not get the file at all?

Can you see this? If so, you can just fill out the columns on a sheet of paper. The key is to handwrite it, as this helps you remember and think about it more overtly.

 

[Cuchculan]

I love it when you give her homework to do. If she refuses make sure to give her lines.

 

[Phillies Phan]

Can you download it and then the file doesn't open, or can you not get the file at all?

Can you see this? If so, you can just fill out the columns on a sheet of paper. The key is to handwrite it, as this helps you remember and think about it more overtly.

View attachment 1153

Fraser I’m curious, only if you don‘t mind sharing, whether the CBT related materials are helping you with your thoughts related to your problem “down below”, or whether you’re nonetheless still struggling to some degreee?

 

[Fraser]

Fraser I’m curious, only if you don‘t mind sharing, whether the CBT related materials are helping you with your thoughts related to your problem “down below”, or whether you’re nonetheless still struggling to some degreee?

CBT and mindful meditation helped me and continue to help me. I'm not currently struggling with health anxiety, but my health anxiety tends to come and go in cycles or waves, so while I feel the best I have in many many years, I'm not going to say I'm "cured" or something. Also, my sense is that people with bad health anxiety never fully let it go; it's more about bringing your HA from a 10 down to a 3. And part of that means it's about cognitive changes that you have to keep in place for the rest of your life. In that sense, it's not unlike recovering from an addiction. In fact, in many ways it IS recovering from an addiction.

 

[bin_tenn]

CBT and mindful meditation helped me and continue to help me. I'm not currently struggling with health anxiety, but my health anxiety tends to come and go in cycles or waves, so while I feel the best I have in many many years, I'm not going to say I'm "cured" or something. Also, my sense is that people with bad health anxiety never fully let it go; it's more about bringing your HA from a 10 down to a 3. And part of that means it's about cognitive changes that you have to keep in place for the rest of your life. In that sense, it's not unlike recovering from an addiction. In fact, in many ways it IS recovering from an addiction.

Absolutely, @Fraser ! Well said. It's exactly the same for me. I never claim to be "free" of health anxiety, but I've been able to apply what I've learned on my own and in therapy to make things much more manageable, so I don't spend every day incessantly worrying. I do think it's possible (because it worked for me) to fully let go of *some* health related anxiety, but I do agree that the overall premise of it will likely never disappear permanently. I'm glad you've found success with yours as well.

 

[ThankfulJen]

.....tomorrow is the big day.....

 

[cheer_mom]

.....tomorrow is the big day.....

Sending prayers and good vibes to you

 

[ThankfulJen]

Sending prayers and good vibes to you

Very much appreciated!