Is Spotting after Menopause Normal?

Before we begin talking about this subject in earnest, realize this: spotting after menopause is not necessarily a bad thing. Generally it is actually quite normal and even expected. This is due to the fluctuation of your hormones – namely estrogen – during menopause. If, for instance, you are on hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, that alone can cause spotting. As well, some women just spot after menopause, period – no pun intended!

However, there are circumstances wherein such spotting can be an indication of a bigger problem. For instance, uterine cancer can cause you to spot after you have gone through menopause. For that reason, although the chances are slim that it is anything other than normal spotting, you should always contact your doctor if this happens to you.

So, what exactly does it mean to spot after menopause? Basically, just what the phrase suggests. On random occasions, you may experience a few drops of blood. Sometimes this is typical "period" blood, sometimes it is the brownish red fluid typical of a starting or stopping period. As the level of estrogen in your body decreases, your periods become more erratic. As they become irregular, you tend to skip monthly cycles more frequently. Sometimes you skip one month, sometimes two, et cetera. You may have gone without a period for five months, for example, and suddenly experience spotting, which likely means that you are just not finished menstruating entirely. After all, menopause itself only occurs when you have gone a full twelve months without a period.

You can even experience spotting after you have been without a period for an entire year. It is at this point, however, that you will want to consult your doctor, even though it is completely normal. Most women due experience spotting after menopause. It is better to be safe than sorry though. There is absolutely no harm in contacting your doctor. At the very least it will set your mind at ease. As mentioned, hormone replacement therapy increases the likelihood of spotting because it tends to regulate your hormones, just when your body got used to the lack of estrogen. When you think about it, spotting is a perfectly appropriate reaction.

Believe it or not, stress can promote spotting as well. Mind you, this applies to your menopausal and post menopausal years. You see, a lot of women agree that, as they go through menopause, they start to crave normalcy. That is, so much about their bodies is changing and they have no control over it. The very things by which a woman defines herself as a woman – menstruation, the ability to bear children – are disappearing, and she has no say in it whatsoever. Their desire for a normal routine transcends to their bodies.

Their bodies become regulated to behave normally. Then, a high stress situation comes along and it throws everything out of whack. Physical routines, emotional routines, and bodily routines break down. A lot of women cry when they are very stressed, especially during the menopausal years. Strange as it sounds, spotting is really no different. It is the body's way of reacting to high stress situations.