Postmenopausal Bleeding With Hormone Replacement Therapy

Women who opt to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) when they are in menopause may experience post-menopausal bleeding.

Identification

• If you have not had a menstrual period for six months or more due to menopause, and not because of some other factor, if you resume bleeding, this is considered post-menopausal bleeding.

Effects

• The hormones that you are taking will stimulate the urine lining much the same way that your natural hormones did before you reached menopause. This can cause bleeding. How much or how often you bleed will depend on the individual.

Prevention/Solution

• Adjusting the dosage of your HRT may stop the post-menopausal bleeding, according to Menopauseatoz.com.

Expert Insight

• Dr. Mary Gallenberg of the Mayo Clinic notes that hormone therapy that contains both estrogen and progestin is apt to cause monthly post-menopausal bleeding.

Considerations

• There are other causes of post-menopausal bleeding that are not related to HRT, including fibroids or uterine polyps; cervicitis or endometritis, which are uterine infections; abnormal growth of the uterine lining, which is called endometrial hyperplasia; and endometrial cancer. Your physician must make the determination of what is causing your post-menopausal bleeding.