Ladies - Bleeding after running?

Go_Deskercise

First things first - I do fully intend to go to the doctor to get this checked out

Just wondering if anybody experiences bleeding after running.
To clarify further - I'm not even talking about a lot of running (1-2 miles at lunch or after work/3-4 days a week)
I did abruptly go from no exercise to this though...

After self diagnosing myself via web search (lol), it seems that exercise can cause an extra amount of hormones and cause spotting.

I also did have surgery back in April of this year to remove some pre cancerous cells.
I have been going for paps every 6 months for a while now until I have 3 consecutive normal results to show no cancer or 'abnormal cells'

Maybe I am just pushing myself to hard after surgery? It's been 8 months though!

If I left something out or need to clarify something, feel free to let me know

rsergeant79

Interesting as I have had spotting on occasions after running! I don't have any answers I'm afraid

TavistockToad

It's not something I have ever experienced

roisinm

I used to run regularly, I slacked off but ran a 5k one time and was passing bloody urine that evening and had UTI type pain and urgency.
It passed by the next day but it never happened before and I had trained for a couple of half marathons. Was it def menstrual?

SoDamnHungry

I have, but typically it's around the time when my period is beginning or ending. Do you have cramps or pain? My personal thoughts (for me) were that the combination of jostling and activating the muscles near the uterus cause some slight contractions because it can feel like period cramps.

jenilla1

I've never heard of that. 8 months after surgery I wouldn't expect that to be the issue, but I'm no expert. Maybe it's hormones. Your doctor would probably want to know about this.

peleroja

The only time I've experienced it in a couple years of 30mpw running is for a few weeks after I had an IUD inserted.

Personally, if I had a history of issues in that area like you do and started spotting, though, I would be scheduling a doctor's appointment to ensure nothing is wrong.

lorrpb

Unexplained vaginal bleeding is a reason for a doctor's visit.

Beaudom91

Yes, when I first started running my period started the very next day (two weeks early which never happens to me) ended up bleeding for 3 of the forst four weeks of running even though I wasn't actually running that much and doctor couldn't find anything wrong. I often bed menstrual like cramps while I run/ cycle even now

sympha01

I tend to have spotty periods just in general, but once I started running I found that nothing shakes the clots loose like a run for me.

Machka9

Running doesn't trigger it for me, but then I don't do a lot of running.

However, cycling long distances sure does! Months where I've got long distance rides, I'll often have 2 periods.

It used to only happen on rides over 400 km (27 hours or less in total), but then it started happening on relatively short century (100 mile) rides too.

And if I'm about a week away from a usual start date, and I head out and do a 200 km or something, chances are I'll have an early start.

Yep, I've seen Drs ... none of whom can explain it. Just maybe hormones.

Go_Deskercise

Doctors appointment is scheduled!

So far this week:

Nov 14: went for run on lunch break (less than a mile), came back and found I had bled
Nov 15: didn't have time to run (dealing with the cable man), no bleeding today
Nov 16: stressful run today dealing with my 2 dogs and a lost dog (only .5 miles), came back found I had bled

I have done some more research on my own and have reached out to some nurses and found that this is a very common problem, which makes me feel better.

Under a lot of stress right now, brand new workout routine (going from not working out at all), insurance company changed my birth control to a different brand.

Still going to get it checked out, but I do believe stress and hormones are causing my problems

YOLO145

I have this thing where when I am stressed out, I will have spotting. Calorie def and 5x a week workouts can be stressful so...spotting.

estherdragonbat

Okay. I just had a nerve-wracking experience that was precipitated by a similar symptom. In my case, the blood was in my urine. I went to an after-hours clinic, figuring it might be a UTI. Doc even thought it could be over-exercising, but he sent me for tests. It turned out to be bladder cancer. It was caught early. And it's one of the non-invasive "good" kinds, so I'm okay. (Will be undergoing treatment to try to keep the lesions from returning, but if they do, it's 92-93% likely that they won't spread outside the bladder lining).

A friend of mine, who is post-menopausal started spotting a few years back. Also cancer. Also checked early. In her case, it was a hysterectomy, but she's fine now.

There are a whole bunch of totally minor conditions that could cause that symptom. (Including what amounts to, "we don't know why you experienced it, there's nothing wrong and it seems to have stopped. Sometimes it just happens.") But I'm glad you're seeing your doctor, so that if it IS something major, there's a good chance you'll catch it in time.

Machka9

estherdragonbat wrote: »

Okay. I just had a nerve-wracking experience that was precipitated by a similar symptom. In my case, the blood was in my urine. I went to an after-hours clinic, figuring it might be a UTI. Doc even thought it could be over-exercising, but he sent me for tests. It turned out to be bladder cancer. It was caught early. And it's one of the non-invasive "good" kinds, so I'm okay. (Will be undergoing treatment to try to keep the lesions from returning, but if they do, it's 92-93% likely that they won't spread outside the bladder lining).

A friend of mine, who is post-menopausal started spotting a few years back. Also cancer. Also checked early. In her case, it was a hysterectomy, but she's fine now.

There are a whole bunch of totally minor conditions that could cause that symptom. (Including what amounts to, "we don't know why you experienced it, there's nothing wrong and it seems to have stopped. Sometimes it just happens.") But I'm glad you're seeing your doctor, so that if it IS something major, there's a good chance you'll catch it in time.

Yes, more recently, I figured the reason I was bleeding 3 weeks out of every 4 was a combination of exercise and perimenopause.

Turns out it was polyps and precancer.

Good to get it checked.

ChelzFit

I was having this consistently for the past 4 months. I noticed if I had a very active day or ran during my workout I would bleed. Turns out my birth control was making the lining on my uterus very thin and any type of impact would cause vessels to rupture and bleed. Switched birth control and all is good.

Lizzypb88

Go_Deskercise wrote: »

First things first - I do fully intend to go to the doctor to get this checked out

Just wondering if anybody experiences bleeding after running.
To clarify further - I'm not even talking about a lot of running (1-2 miles at lunch or after work/3-4 days a week)
I did abruptly go from no exercise to this though...

After self diagnosing myself via web search (lol), it seems that exercise can cause an extra amount of hormones and cause spotting.

I also did have surgery back in April of this year to remove some pre cancerous cells.
I have been going for paps every 6 months for a while now until I have 3 consecutive normal results to show no cancer or 'abnormal cells'

Maybe I am just pushing myself to hard after surgery? It's been 8 months though!

If I left something out or need to clarify something, feel free to let me know

YES!!!! ME!!!!
Omg I'm just so excited that I'm not the only one! I too have had paps, I even complained enough to my dr that she sent me for an ultrasound and everything came back fine, so as long as I keep on my paps and ultrasound is fine then dr said she's not concerned, she thinks it's my hormones... in my opinion, I think just having adhesions from my c sections, some kind of a tiny blood vessel bursts and I bleed from running... my dr said, although it's irregular, if you notice a change, like more bleeding or a new symptom then say something and get checked out, but now it's just something I live with, not a biggie to me anymore. I don't think we are meant to be cut open, so I'm sure that has something to do with that ;-)

Lizzypb88

Also when running or any exercise you burn more fat... inside your fat is estrogen, so every once in awhile your body has more estrogen than normal floating around... increased estrogen causes spotting! Try also tracking when you get it- I get the spotting a few days before my period, and in the week that I ovulate, OR it's completely random if I run a 5k the hardest I can, then I'll spot no matter what

ruqayyahsmum

Had it happen once.....
After a few days of it happening I took a pregnancy test which was positive. I was told I had miscarried but baby was hanging on. Had to give up running, then have my cervix stitched closed, be admitted on bed rest and to be given steroids
I then gave birth at 25 weeks. It hasn't happened again

ruqayyahsmum

Oh another thing. You've had surgery on your cervix. It could be cervical erosion

My cervix is a tad dodgy and i sometimes bleed from my cervix since I had it stitched. More common for me if its taken a knock during sex in the days after my period finishes as its still sitting a bit low

Sp1tfire

I've never had that happen before! I'd ask your doctor.

MrsLannister

Yes, although I didn't connect it to the running until I read this. I started c25k about a month ago. I noticed blood after my runs, but thought maybe it was from chaffing (even though I didn't have pain). Then I started my period at an odd time and have bled for longer and more consistently than normal. What I mean by consistent is that I usually bleed heavy for a day, then spotty for a few days, then a break for a day followed by another heavy day, but this time I am bleeding constantly, but not as heavy, for over a week now.

TavistockToad

What has your doctor said @Go_Deskercise ?

lorrpb

There are a lot of things that can be signs of a serious problem or some harmless oddity. That's why we get them checked out. Just to be safe.

Go_Deskercise

Ooops forgot to post an update!

Apparently this is a very common problem that happens to a lot of women.
The birth control that I am on allows me to have my period every 3 months instead of every month.
The doctor told me this was probably my body's way of trying to have a period, but I kept taking the BC every night introducing more hormones and 'stopping' it...
The doctor advised me to go off the birth control and allow my body to have a period and "normalize".
I went off the birth control, had a period, started the birth control back up again and everything seems to be back to normal!
All it took was a reboot
Doctor has prescribed a different BC, so that I have my period every month instead of every 3 months (it was nice while it lasted) lol