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Q: I've been heavy periods for awhile now. however, for the past two months or so they have gotten lighter. Now this month my period was much lighter had it for less days, but started bleeding just about a week after it was over. is this normal?
A: I'm going to assume you're over forty. If you are, and your periods are changing like this, it's called perimenopause and what you're describing is perfectly reasonable for that. You can get heavier periods, lighter periods, premenstrual spotting, postmenstrual staining, cycles that are further apart or missed altogether, or cycles that are only 20 days apart. All those symptoms are consistent with the perimenopausal transition. Still, it's always a good idea to have an exam. I don't however feel you need blood tests, as some doctors recommend, because in my experience the results can be very misleading.
Dr. Alan Altman
Author of "Making Love the Way We Used To...Or Better."
Visit AlanAltmanMD.com
This is general information and is not intended as a substitute for an examination by your own personal physician.
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