Brown discharge/old blood

[Emma-louise]

Hey Ladies,

Warning - this post will have TMI!

I was diagnosed with mild Endo in June after a laparoscopy, and have been put back on the pill (Desomono or something... basically Cerazette). I seem to suffer with what me and my partner call 'Gunk' - as in its dark brown sort of old blood. Its hard to describe, but I get it easily 3 months out of 4. I have told my Gp and consultant, neither were bothered.

I have found its become worse - as in i have pain with this 'gunk' now as I'm mega stressed (exams and house buying). I haven't had a proper cycle for along time due to the pill etc, and my last bleed lasted nearly 2 weeks (roughly 3 weeks ago).

I guess i just want to know if I'm the only one who has this?

Thanks

Emma

[Impatient]

Just a quick google or checkin the searchbox of this forum, would have showed that this is absolutely normal.

It is still the same menstrual lining - just minus the oxygen (which makes blood red) because it is taking longer to exit the uterus or womb. Happens naturally as we get older approaching menopause anyway.

but being on the pill or other hormone period controllers causes the same thing to happen.

If your cervix is blocked with cervical mucus which isn't runny (happens with progesterone pills) then there is insufficient lubrication and blood and lining which may normally flow out quite easily before when it is fresh, gets stuck for longer inside and the longer it is stuck the darker it gets as it looses the oxygen contents and it tends to get stickier too and less runny.

It can wait all month in there and only come out when you next have a period and sufficient lubrication to shift iton its way - or it can come out in dribs and drabs over days or weeks after a period. Gravity will help, keeping active will help.

The bleeding you need to be worried about is fresh bright red bleeding which struggles to clot and leaves you bleeding bright red for days and can be a very heavy flow. If the periods are bright red, runny blood lasting two weeks then that is something to mention to your GP as there are blood clotter drugs you can take to try and stem the tide.

But old brown blood is normal and nothing to be concerned about at all.

Think about when you have had a bleed on fabric or cut a finger.... at 1st the stain or wound is red, as time passes it gets darker and darker. A blood stain not washed out immediately, goes brown.

A scab on a cut goes brown. The loss of oxgen in the cells is the only cause of this difference in appearance.

The brown gunk from the uterus will not cause you pain.

Having endo, periods and recovering from recent surgery on endo can cause you pain.

changes in hormones can cause pain too.

slow to escape brown stuff is a nuisance and looks bit gross compared to the fresh stuff, but nothing to worry about.

[Hidden]

Hi, yeah as Impatient says, sounds perfectly normal. It's usually just old blood and if you're periods are really light/non-existant it basically takes a while from leaving your womb to showing when you wipe/etc. Im on the POP so dont really have periods but get this most months when I would normally have a period or even when I would ovulate.

Youre always best to ask the question and this is probably the best place to ask it!

[Emma-louise in reply to Hidden]

Yer i thought so, thanks. Im also on the POP and have found its got progressively worse and just eventually wondered whether it was actually normal or not. Just very irritating, wish i could have a normal cycle without the pain

Thanks too Impatient, so informative and helpful as usual!

Xx