Spotting week before AF every month - anyone else?

[MrsHY]

Soili - I'm with you on this one. I don't think I've ovulated at all yet (cd 22 today). Have no idea what my pre-AF spotting will be like - but I've already decided to quit the agnus castus and B vits and just take a Pregnacare. x

 

[Soili]

Soili - I'm with you on this one. I don't think I've ovulated at all yet (cd 22 today). Have no idea what my pre-AF spotting will be like - but I've already decided to quit the agnus castus and B vits and just take a Pregnacare. x

Hun, think about Prenacare too. People reported spotting while taking it. I know, what the hell, right?? It's just vits and not even high dosage. But there are really a lot of posts about it on the board and more popping up each day. I'm not taking ANYTHING anymore. I was just fine for 3 months after the pill, before we started trying and I went on Pregnacare. Spotting got worse with each month and cycles got longer. So that's it for me.

 

[Soili]

Hello ladies, just thought I'd let you know I'm now at 12DPO and not a hint of spotting! I did a test today and BFN, I'm bought some FRER's and gonna use one tomorrow but if it's negative I'm guessing I'm out this month, due on Wednesday. I've taken the AC post ovulation, and also Maca this month, looks like it's worked Will keep you updated x

MrsPTTC, I had a look at your chart and you might have same dreaded faulty Fahrenheit thermometer I do. I recognize the evil thing from chart patterns now. Rocky temps and same values although clearly 2 decimal point readings. I'm trying to warm everyone. Check out this thread - https://www.babyandbump.com/trying-...ease-read-faulty-bbt-thermometers-market.html

 

[MrsHY]

Good advice Soili - I'll bear that in mind - I have just some folic acid supplements so may switch to them and quit the Pregnacare if the spotting's still bad this month. x

 

[Sparklywand]

why is it that doctors will try and treat the symptoms rather than looking into what is causing the problem.

I have had a nightmare with AF since I came off the pill a yr and a half ago. AF starts very light for about four days and either stops for a day or continues light until I get intense pain then I get heavy AF for the rest until it stops - it was 11 days last time.

This has happened month after month, until I went to see a new doctor, I swear she thinks im neurotic. She said monitor it for three months then come back, well after one month I went back and said I am not waiting anymore and through perserverance she is giving me hormone tests next AF.

She said she can give me hormones next AF to make the bleeding stop but I said no. I dont want to mess about with the symptoms until they get to the route of the problem.

She did say initially it sounds like low progesterone, there is very little out there about it that I can read, can the doctor give u tablets or is it something that u have to just deal with?

 

[MrsPTTC]

Hello ladies, just thought I'd let you know I'm now at 12DPO and not a hint of spotting! I did a test today and BFN, I'm bought some FRER's and gonna use one tomorrow but if it's negative I'm guessing I'm out this month, due on Wednesday. I've taken the AC post ovulation, and also Maca this month, looks like it's worked Will keep you updated x

MrsPTTC, I had a look at your chart and you might have same dreaded faulty Fahrenheit thermometer I do. I recognize the evil thing from chart patterns now. Rocky temps and same values although clearly 2 decimal point readings. I'm trying to warm everyone. Check out this thread - https://www.babyandbump.com/trying-...ease-read-faulty-bbt-thermometers-market.html

Oooh I'll have a read of this later on as I need to go offline now. I'm not sure it is the thermometer though, I sleep REALLY badly, and the Maca made it worse for a bit, but I now take it at lunchtime instead of teatime and it's helped. The reason I had to disregard those really high temps is because I hadnt realised, your last temp only saves for the next time you switch the thermometer on, then it shows the highest temp recorded, so what I thought was higher temps weren't as I wasn't catching the first temp and then recording the 2nd. Now I write it straight down rather than leaving it for when I'm properly awake.

Anyway, update, looks like on her way tonight or maybe tomorrow morning as reddy spotting has started. So although a shame no BFP how great is it to actually get to AF without daily spotting! x

 

[MrsPTTC]

has arrived!! Thanks so much Soili for pointing this out! I still think my bad sleep patterns affect the rocky temps, but the fact I keep getting the same temps is definitely down to the thermometer! x

 

[missy143]

Hi Ladies
I have made my eyes blury as have read every single post on this thread. I have an irregular cycle, (26-32) days and I sometimes spot between 2-5 days before a period. I had this before and conceived my daughter. I am on cycle 3 of trying and at the moment am blaming my not getting pregnant on the fact we have not dtd enough at the right time. I am going to record bbt,cm & use ov tests....I will keep you updated on how it goes....please can you do the same and thank you for starting this thread, there really is not enough info on this and doctors 99% of the time don't know or don't care xxx

 

[MrsPTTC]

Hi Ladies
I have made my eyes blury as have read every single post on this thread. I have an irregular cycle, (26-32) days and I sometimes spot between 2-5 days before a period. I had this before and conceived my daughter. I am on cycle 3 of trying and at the moment am blaming my not getting pregnant on the fact we have not dtd enough at the right time. I am going to record bbt,cm & use ov tests....I will keep you updated on how it goes....please can you do the same and thank you for starting this thread, there really is not enough info on this and doctors 99% of the time don't know or don't care xxx

It's nice to hear of a good news story for once! Just think if it happened once it can happen again! x

 

[MrsPTTC]

Hi guys! Well, this month I had the most bizarre spotting pattern ever (on and off even before ovulation). And ovulated a lot later than expected too (I'm not even sure I ovulated at all yet). And I was taking Pregnacare, B-50, Iron and Agnus Castus. I'm on CD45, maybe 13DPO (really not sure I ovulated at all). So guess what? NO MORE supplements for me, absolutely none. Seeing doctor tomorrow, will keep you posted.

MrsPTTC, I hope you have better luck!! FX!!

How did it go at the docs Soili? x

 

[MrsPTTC]

why is it that doctors will try and treat the symptoms rather than looking into what is causing the problem.

I have had a nightmare with AF since I came off the pill a yr and a half ago. AF starts very light for about four days and either stops for a day or continues light until I get intense pain then I get heavy AF for the rest until it stops - it was 11 days last time.

This has happened month after month, until I went to see a new doctor, I swear she thinks im neurotic. She said monitor it for three months then come back, well after one month I went back and said I am not waiting anymore and through perserverance she is giving me hormone tests next AF.

She said she can give me hormones next AF to make the bleeding stop but I said no. I dont want to mess about with the symptoms until they get to the route of the problem.

She did say initially it sounds like low progesterone, there is very little out there about it that I can read, can the doctor give u tablets or is it something that u have to just deal with?

Check this out https://www.babyhopes.com/articles/progesterone.html have a look at the links at the bottom too, there's a few interesting articles. Vitex/Agnus Castus and Vitamin B6 is supposed to help. AC has certainly helped me x

 

[_Nell]

Hi ladies, I hope it's ok to jump in on the forum straight into this thread?
I found it while (like many of you ) frantically googling every combo of brown spotting on google.

I think this is the most useful and current thread i've found

Anyway, just thought i'd share my experience so far.....

I'm 31 and came off the BCP in May 2010 after, ooh erm 15 years.
My periods returned quickly and I've ovulated each cycle, I typically O on day 11 and my LP can stretch to 13 but is usually 11 or 12. My spotting starts from 4DPO.
To start with post BCP I don't think I had much spotting, although at that point I don't think I was as observant / worried nor checking internally. For example this cycle I have tonnes of internal brown gunk but none on toilet paper or underwear.
Initially I was comfortable with the notion the brown stuff was post pill my body balancing out hormonally.

In December I had a bleed after intercourse, I thought maybe AF had started early, heavy red blood. A few hours later nothing and AF didn't arrive until 3 days later.
My GP friend persuaded me to see my own GP.

My GP was disinterested in the brown spotting as 'normal'. I got a TTC lecture on how it was too soon for fertility tests (which annoyed me as i'd have gone to see her with bleeding even if i wasn't TTC ).
She sent me for tests, LH, FSH and SHBG to rule out PCOS and an ultrasound. Personally, with regular cycles and being slim PCOS seemed unlikely, my tests were normal.
The ultrasound I timed for 7dpo, my GP was looking for cysts but I wanted to see what my lining looked like etc around time of implantation.
No cysts, but 4 fibroids (1 had grown to an inch, double since being off the pill), these are distorting the shape of my uterus but unlikely causing bleeding.
My lining was 'normal' too at 4.9mm
No indications on the brown blood until the sonographer pulled out the TV scanner and it was covered in the gunk. I told her it was bothering me and she suggested i go back to my GP for an explanation as 'we know our own bodies'.
So (blimey this is long! ) I went back to my GP (UK) and asked her for an internal, knowing I had the gunk. Well, seeing is believing and her opinion of 'normal' spotting changed immmediately. There was so much she couldn't even take a swob. She thinks it's a hormonal imbalance and has sent me for progesterone bloods (which is today!)
I think GP's find it easy to ignore the mention of spotting, but seeing what you have and when in your cycle really makes them realise what we are dealing with.

I'm oddly hoping my test show low progesterone, although I gather the NHS solution to all is clomid and i'm not sure I want that as I do ovulate. Will cross that bridge if I get to it.

If my progesterone is normal then I plan to try maca each morning next cycle, then a B50 complex the following and if nothing improves I might give agnus cactus a go too.
So far i've only been taking my pre-natal vitamin - although I do think my spotting is a little worse since starting this.
I have also tried cutting sugar, caffeine and alcohol completely from my diet, which did nothing.

Sorry for such a long long post

 

[Soili]

So far i've only been taking my pre-natal vitamin - although I do think my spotting is a little worse since starting this.
I have also tried cutting sugar, caffeine and alcohol completely from my diet, which did nothing.

Sorry for such a long long post

Which pre-natal, hun? There seems to be some evidence that Pregnacare caused/made worse spotting in some girls. Cutting sugar, caffeine, alcohol did nothing for me too. Neither did Agnus Castus or B50. So this month I'm going all "au naturel", no vits, no suppliments, no herbs, regular caffeine/sugar/alcohol intake. We'll see how it works out.

 

[Sizzles]

Phew! I've just read this whole thread, but it was just what I was looking for!

I'm 32, took bcp for 14 years before coming off in Dec 09. Have been ttc since April '10. I've been taking Pregnacare since around then, although not so religiously early on. I hadn't noticed the spotting thing early on, but since keeping daily notes on cm etc. I've been having brown cm for around a week before my period for a few months now. I'm pretty sure I ov, due to ov pain and cd21 bloods giving a result of 'probable ovulation' (apparently borderline results, hence the hesitancy). I don't think I have a problem with LP as my cycles are fairly regular, averaging 28/29 days and I seem to ov around cd14/15.

I've just had cd3 bloods (re) done so I think I'll make a GP appointment to discuss results and also mention the spotting, as I've not previously mentioned it.

I, like others, feel that a fertilized egg would surely stand no chance of successfully implanting if what it's implanting into isn't stable. However, it is also nice to hear the (few) success stories of pg's for women with similar spotting.

 

[_Nell]

Which pre-natal, hun?

Not pregnacare, just tescos own - they looked all very similar when I first compared them tbh. I was actually thinking of ditching it and trying pregnacare before I read this.
I might just try ditch the pre-natals all together for a few cycles and see. I post on another forum (only a few spotters so this might be a better home for me ) and some ladies use diet software to check their intake from food sources.
The hardest thing with trying stuff for me will be being patient enough to give each a good 2 or 3 cycles to really see if there's any benefit.

Sizzles - is yours very much like CM then but brown, not lining or blood? Last cycle mine was thick gloop gunk like (I imagine!) lining to be. This cycle I had creamy cm, then brown-ish cm and then watery brown blood that (sorry this is gross) smells quite irony like red blood.
I've been checking lots this cycle, so much I think i've reduced the quantity enough for it not to discharge onto underwear.

 

[Sizzles]

hmm, well it starts like brown cm, but then goes more stringy and 'grainy'; as you say, like you'd expect the lining of your uterus to be. Sometimes it has 'blobs' too.
it's kind of annoying though: I'm lucky in that my periods only last a couple of days (I say lucky, it could be a bad thing and indicate another potential problem - always on the look out for problems!) but then I have days of brown gunk and am clear by the start of the fertile window. DTD as much as poss, then get a bit of a rest (not worth bd and too pooped!) before the brown stuff starts again. It really does mean hubby and I mainly dtd for 2 weeks in a month.

 

[_Nell]

sizzles that's all very much like me really in terms of how the brown stuff builds up and only having a 2 day period (3 at most but much lighter than on the BCP).
We've also fallen into a pattern of DTD mainly/only some cycles in my fertile window. I've been crampy or rather tender in my LP the last 2 cycles and the discharge gets me down, and seeing it come out post DTD

 

[star31]

hi girls

I'm totally with you all here. My spotting lasted for 11 days before my period this last month :O( Like solli i'm now trying to go au naturel and not bother with any vits whasoever. Saw the doc again today and mentioned my spotting - he said it wouldn't affect getting preggers so that's a couple of doctors who've said that now to me. I'm getting another cervical examination this Friday though just because i'm so worried about it so we'll see what that says. I've been ttc since April 2010 as well and i'm 32 x

 

[MrsPTTC]

hi girls

I'm totally with you all here. My spotting lasted for 11 days before my period this last month :O( Like solli i'm now trying to go au naturel and not bother with any vits whasoever. Saw the doc again today and mentioned my spotting - he said it wouldn't affect getting preggers so that's a couple of doctors who've said that now to me. I'm getting another cervical examination this Friday though just because i'm so worried about it so we'll see what that says. I've been ttc since April 2010 as well and i'm 32 x

Good luck with your examination! x

 

[MrsPTTC]

Hi ladies, I hope it's ok to jump in on the forum straight into this thread?
I found it while (like many of you ) frantically googling every combo of brown spotting on google.

I think this is the most useful and current thread i've found

Anyway, just thought i'd share my experience so far.....

I'm 31 and came off the BCP in May 2010 after, ooh erm 15 years.
My periods returned quickly and I've ovulated each cycle, I typically O on day 11 and my LP can stretch to 13 but is usually 11 or 12. My spotting starts from 4DPO.
To start with post BCP I don't think I had much spotting, although at that point I don't think I was as observant / worried nor checking internally. For example this cycle I have tonnes of internal brown gunk but none on toilet paper or underwear.
Initially I was comfortable with the notion the brown stuff was post pill my body balancing out hormonally.

In December I had a bleed after intercourse, I thought maybe AF had started early, heavy red blood. A few hours later nothing and AF didn't arrive until 3 days later.
My GP friend persuaded me to see my own GP.

My GP was disinterested in the brown spotting as 'normal'. I got a TTC lecture on how it was too soon for fertility tests (which annoyed me as i'd have gone to see her with bleeding even if i wasn't TTC ).
She sent me for tests, LH, FSH and SHBG to rule out PCOS and an ultrasound. Personally, with regular cycles and being slim PCOS seemed unlikely, my tests were normal.
The ultrasound I timed for 7dpo, my GP was looking for cysts but I wanted to see what my lining looked like etc around time of implantation.
No cysts, but 4 fibroids (1 had grown to an inch, double since being off the pill), these are distorting the shape of my uterus but unlikely causing bleeding.
My lining was 'normal' too at 4.9mm
No indications on the brown blood until the sonographer pulled out the TV scanner and it was covered in the gunk. I told her it was bothering me and she suggested i go back to my GP for an explanation as 'we know our own bodies'.
So (blimey this is long! ) I went back to my GP (UK) and asked her for an internal, knowing I had the gunk. Well, seeing is believing and her opinion of 'normal' spotting changed immmediately. There was so much she couldn't even take a swob. She thinks it's a hormonal imbalance and has sent me for progesterone bloods (which is today!)
I think GP's find it easy to ignore the mention of spotting, but seeing what you have and when in your cycle really makes them realise what we are dealing with.

I'm oddly hoping my test show low progesterone, although I gather the NHS solution to all is clomid and i'm not sure I want that as I do ovulate. Will cross that bridge if I get to it.

If my progesterone is normal then I plan to try maca each morning next cycle, then a B50 complex the following and if nothing improves I might give agnus cactus a go too.
So far i've only been taking my pre-natal vitamin - although I do think my spotting is a little worse since starting this.
I have also tried cutting sugar, caffeine and alcohol completely from my diet, which did nothing.

Sorry for such a long long post

God Nell that sounds horrible! Let us know how your blood tests go x