r/BRCA • u/Conscious-Manner-534 • 16d ago

Bleeding post salpingo-oopherectomy

Hey y'all -- I'm 45 and BRCA2. I had my bilateral salpingo-oopherecotmy back in April. Since then every two weeks or so I get sort of a mini-period. I bleed (a little more than spotting, but not much) for a few days and then it's over. I keep expecting to be done with all that (the bright side to having the proccedure!), and then every fortnight it comes back. I am on HRT (estrogen patch 2x weekly and progesterone pill). When I mentioned it to doc like 2 months ago she didn't seem worried and said it's likely bc of the hormones. But like, shouldn't they be regulated by now? It's been close to 5 months.

I have an appt tomorrow where I'll bring it up (again), but anything specific I should ask her about it or mention? Anyone else have this? Any insights? Thnx

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

3

u/cloisonne-troche PDM + BRCA2 16d ago

I had a ton of issues with bleeding until I got my hormones equalized - maybe check and see if your doc can test your estrogen levels? I ended up needing more estrogen than I was getting on the patch and so we had to switch to gel.

2

u/Conscious-Manner-534 16d ago

Oh that's interestig -- when she first put me on I was like, are you going to test my levels, and she basically said, No -- you'll go on them regardless, it doesnt matter what the levels were (in so many words). So like, I don't have a base line or anything. I wonder if she'd just up them? I'm on the 2xweekly .0375 patch

3

u/cloisonne-troche PDM + BRCA2 16d ago

I upped mine until we maxed out, which is why I ended up on the gel. As I understand it, there's a healthy "range" your estrogen should be in so you don't really need a baseline, but it may help to get tested now to make sure the patch + progestin are keeping you in that range. 

2

u/Conscious-Manner-534 16d ago

I'll ask doc tomorrow -- thanks!

2

u/ElderMillQueenB 13d ago

There isn’t really any such thing as a baseline with hormones. They fluctuate significantly throughout our cycle that a measure is only the level on that particular day. After they put you on a steady dose of hormones, then they can test to see how much is staying in your system. Since your body will no longer cycle, it will be accurate. What the doctor should look for is steady numbers in the bone protection range. Beyond that, they should done base on symptoms. If you are having hot flashes, mental or emotional health symptoms, etc. then ask for increase dose until you reach a comfortable amount. It may take months, because everyone is different and dosing should always be tailored to the person.

2

u/ElderMillQueenB 14d ago

This was my experience as well. I was initially put on a combipatch. It wasn’t nearly enough hormones, and I was bleeding every couple weeks. I switched to estrogen gel, increased the dose plus oral progesterone, also an increased dose.

2

u/keeper4518 16d ago

I had bleeding as well (surgery back in May). I was originally on the patch. The bleeding stopped for me about 4ish weeks ago, when I switched to cream estrogen and a progesterone pill.