There's already a mess going on. Why do I get spotting instead of my period? What reasons

There are several reasons why menstruation occurs but does not begin. Some of them are normal, others indicate a developing pathology that requires urgent treatment. This may be due to hormonal imbalances. A woman should not self-medicate; she should urgently see a gynecologist.

Inflammatory diseases

Another reason for the appearance of spotting menstruation is inflammatory diseases that affect the organs of a woman’s reproductive system. The resulting inflammation disrupts their functions, which is why the nature of menstruation may change: spotting appears without bleeding. In most cases, inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system begin due to hypothermia.

Most often, menstrual irregularities are observed in patients. This pathology is characterized by inflammation of the uterine mucosa, disruption of most of the functions of this organ. With this disease, menstruation may occur for more than two weeks, and then never come.

The inflammatory process can also occur against the background of a sexually transmitted infection entering the body. Its presence can be recognized by the appearance of the following pathological symptoms:

pain in the lower abdomen;
burning when urinating;
spread of itching in the intimate area;
the appearance of whitish, yellowish, greenish discharge with a foul odor;
feeling of discomfort during sexual intercourse.

If menstruation is anointed, but does not begin, and a woman experiences any of the listed symptoms, she should immediately consult a gynecologist. Otherwise, the developed pathology will threaten serious complications, which may result in infertility.

Obesity

With rapid weight gain or excess weight, the function of the hypothalamus is disrupted. As a result, the hormonal background changes, menstruation begins to smear, but does not begin. This process often leads to the complete disappearance of menstruation and loss of reproductive function.

It has been established that when excess body weight is reduced by 10–15%, the cycle begins to recover. In this case, at first the menstruation is smeared with a brown color, then the menstrual flow gradually becomes normal.

Admission and withdrawal of COCs

Spotting may occur when taking birth control medications. Changing the nature of menstruation is a normal reaction of the body to oral contraception. This is due to the fact that the main effect of the medications is to prevent ovulation by reducing the amount of estrogen produced. Reduced levels of the hormone cause the endometrial layer in the uterus to not develop, which is why periods are smeared brown and do not bleed.

This reaction of the body is considered normal if spotting menstruation occurs for no more than 3 months in a row. In this case, spotting can be observed throughout the entire cycle. If this phenomenon occurs longer than the specified period, you need to consult your doctor about changing the medication.

Stopping COCs can also cause spotting. Stopping the drug leads to a gradual normalization of hormonal levels. The reproductive system recovers slowly, so instead of menstruation, spotting may occur. Most often, at the initial stage of withdrawal, the COC is applied for 3 days, and then menstruation gradually becomes standard.

Emotional experiences

The nervous system is involved in the production of hormones, regulating the function of the hypothalamus, so menstruation after stress may take longer to begin, manifesting itself as a brown spot. It has been proven that a short-term stressful state provokes an increase in menstruation, and a long-term stress provokes a decrease in the volume of discharge and the duration of critical days.

If, under the influence of stress factors during menstruation, brown spotting begins, the woman should try to cope with nervous tension on her own or seek help from a specialist.

Constant stress causes hormonal imbalance, which leads to the replacement of full-fledged menstruation, and then to its complete absence, disruption of reproductive function.

Climax

Brown spotting instead of menstruation appears in women over 40 years of age. At this time, many begin perimenopause, during which normal menstruation is replaced by scanty discharge. After some time they disappear and menstruation stops.

Establishment of menstruation

In young girls, when their periods are just beginning, spotting instead of menstruation is considered normal. It occurs due to hormonal changes. Most often, there is no ovulation in the cycle, which is why scanty discharge appears.

However, such periods can be considered normal if they last no more than 1 year after menarche. If the brown spot is observed for a longer period of time, the girl needs to see a doctor, as this may signal the development of pathologies.

The girl's tactics in this situation

If it smears and you haven’t had your period for a long time, you should immediately consult a doctor to diagnose the problem. The most commonly used methods for this are:

blood analysis;
conducting a test for hCG;
measurement of basal temperature;
Ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
thyroid examination.

Depending on the accompanying symptoms, other diagnostic methods may be prescribed; in some cases, consultations with specialists of a different profile are necessary.

You should consult a doctor if your periods are smeared with brown for a short time, but the situation repeats every cycle.

In both cases, the gynecologist will diagnose the cause of such a disorder and prescribe appropriate therapy, taking into account the factor that caused the problem, as well as the individual characteristics of the girl’s body. In order not to aggravate the condition, you must fully comply with all the specialist’s recommendations and do not self-medicate.

The female body is a well-coordinated mechanism, the smooth operation of which is a sign of the absence of pathologies in it. In normal health, women experience menstruation every month, with an interval of 21-35 days. On average, 3-7 days and represent a detached inner layer of the uterus with blood.

For each woman, the concentration of menstrual flow may be different; to a greater or lesser extent, it may be scanty or. But if spotting occurs instead of menstruation, the temperature rises and pain in the lower abdomen appears, in 90% of cases such bleeding should not be classified as a regulation. In this article we will find out what this can be, in what cases scanty menstruation is the norm, and when spotting is a sign of problems in the body.

When spotting is normal

When a woman has already left puberty and has not reached menopause, that is, her body is at the peak of reproductive function, her menstrual cycle should be regular, and the onset of menstruation should be expected every 21-35 days. At this time, the uterus gets rid of the endometrium and blood that have accumulated inside it during the previous cycle.

If during the entire period of regulation, which is an average of three to seven days, no more than 50 ml of blood is released, this is normal. During the first one or two days, the most abundant bloody discharge occurs, then its intensity decreases, and a brown spot appears. In this case, brown discharge is formed due to the fact that less blood is released; it no longer flows through the genital tract as quickly as in the first days and during this time it is oxidized under the influence of oxygen, acquiring a dark brown tint. If spotting is observed at the beginning or end of normal menstruation, and the woman regularly visits the gynecologist and does not have any pathological symptoms, there is no need to worry about such discharge. They could be caused by the following reasons:

alcohol abuse;
use of hormonal drugs and contraceptives;
psycho-emotional overload;
stress.

Also, hormonal changes in the body during adolescence and during the decline of a woman’s reproductive function can cause the appearance of brown spotting instead of menstruation.

Now let’s look in more detail at why periods are smeared and this can be the norm at different periods of a woman’s life.

During adolescence

From 8 to 16 years old, girls experience puberty, during which the ovary matures and the production of sex hormones stabilizes. Since the level of hormones responsible for the normal course of menstruation fluctuates somewhat at this time, then. It is quite natural that during this period there may be a change in the nature of menstruation.

During formation, critical days appear with a delay, and instead of bloody-mucous discharge, menstruation is sometimes smeared. If this situation occurs 1-2 years after the first menstruation, there is no need to worry about this, since in this way the functioning of the ovaries is adjusted. After the uterus has fully adapted to the new hormonal balance, both the regularity of menstruation and the nature of the discharge will stabilize.

Climax

After 45 years, the supply of eggs in the ovaries begins to deplete, therefore, against the background of a decrease in estrogen levels, ovulation begins to occur not in every cycle, and over time, menstruation does not occur at all, and menopause begins. During the period, uterine bleeding may often begin, menstruation comes with a significant delay or several times during the menstrual cycle.

When ovulatory function is impaired, menstruation may be accompanied by spotting. Due to hormonal changes, brown spotting may appear periodically between menstrual periods. When there have been no periods for more than a year, and then they suddenly appear, you need to consult a doctor, since this is no longer a regular period, but uterine bleeding that requires medical attention.

Pregnancy

If, and for 1-2 weeks, menstruation is smeared with brown, but does not begin, this may mean that the woman has become pregnant. To confirm this version, it is enough to take a pregnancy test. If 2 stripes appear on it, then the test is positive. You should immediately go to the doctor, since such spotting against the background of a delay can be observed when the fertilized egg is poorly attached, which in the future threatens miscarriage.

Sometimes it can appear in pregnant women on days that were previously critical for them, if the corpus luteum, which appears at the site of a ruptured follicle, produces an insufficient amount of progesterone, a hormone necessary for the normal consolidation and development of the fetus in the uterus.

If for some reason a woman cannot take a pregnancy test, then you should pay attention to additional symptoms, which can, against the background of brown smears, confirm conception:

nausea to the point of vomiting;
may feel dizzy;
changes in blood pressure;
appetite decreases or appears;
general weakness;
breast enlarges;
nipples hurt, their color and shape change;
taste and olfactory preferences change.

If brown discharge in the form of a spot occurs in pregnant women on the day of the delay, this may be a sign not only of spontaneous abortion that has begun, but also of the fertilization of the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity. During implantation, the vascular network in the uterine wall is damaged, which causes the release of a small amount of blood, which oxidizes and turns brown.

If accompanied by severe pain, general weakness, fever and pale skin, and the pregnancy test is negative, an ultrasound should be performed immediately, since such symptoms characterize an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic fetal development can only be eliminated surgically. This should be done as early as possible, since an ectopic pregnancy threatens rupture of the fallopian tube, internal bleeding and death.

If spotting appears in the third trimester of pregnancy, this means that labor is beginning and the woman urgently needs to go to the hospital.

After childbirth

When the baby is born, postpartum discharge and lochia continue for about 2 months. The period required for and the nature of menstrual flow in the future will depend on the method of feeding the baby. If a woman is breastfeeding, then menstruation will not begin until complementary foods are introduced or until the lactation period has completely stopped (this period is individual for each woman in labor). If the mother switched the baby to artificial formula from the first days, then the critical days will begin as soon as the hormonal balance in the woman’s body is restored. Since this happens gradually, it is quite natural that they may be scanty and spotty. If a woman is not breastfeeding, the lochia has stopped, and six months have passed since the birth of the child, but there are no periods, you should definitely consult your doctor.

Scanty, spotting discharge also accompanies curettage; in this case, it is caused by hormonal disorders.

Medicines and contraceptives

If you take oral contraceptives and estrogen-containing drugs for the treatment of infertility, brown spotting may appear instead of menstruation during the first 2-3 cycles. After this period, the body adapts to the new hormonal levels and the cycle should normalize.

Taking antibiotics, tranquilizers and vasoconstrictor medications can cause changes in the nature of menstrual flow. Even some herbal decoctions and tinctures can cause spotting during menstrual periods.

Intrauterine methods of contraception also cause some women not only to have scanty periods, but also. As a rule, after 2-3 cycles the body adapts to the IUD, and critical days proceed as usual.

Stress and other factors

If you spot your period, before suspecting the presence of a pathology and after excluding pregnancy, you need to check whether the following factors are the cause of the spotting:

strict diet or fasting. Since adipose tissue is also involved in the production of estrogen, its sharp decrease disrupts the hormonal balance in a woman’s body. With severe weight loss, amenorrhea may even occur, requiring drug treatment;
psycho-emotional shocks and stressful situations;
unbalanced diet;
lifting heavy objects;
working in factories with harmful chemicals;
physical and mental fatigue;
moving, changing climate zone.

Pathologies

Spotting instead of menstruation can signal the development of serious diseases in the female body. If a woman has taken a pregnancy test and the test is negative, she should immediately go to the doctor, since spotting may be a symptom of the following ailments:

diabetes mellitus, diseases of the thyroid gland, liver, gall bladder and diseases causing metabolic disorders;
cardiovascular diseases and problems with the circulatory system;
spotting can be a sign of a pathological condition of the uterus and its appendages (tumors, inflammation, polyps, cysts and fibroids), and it can also indicate the presence of endometriosis. All these diseases can lead to hormonal imbalances and cause adhesions, disruption of normal blood circulation, which leads to problems with the outflow of menstrual flow;
sexually transmitted infections and diseases;
mental disorders;
vitamin deficiency and anemia.

Any changes in the nature of menstrual flow should alert a woman; special attention should be paid to spotting, which has an unpleasant odor, pink, black or dark brown color and is accompanied by strong discharge in the lower back. If you notice these symptoms, you should immediately make an appointment with a gynecologist.

When to see a doctor

If you have scanty periods and spotting between menstrual periods, you should definitely consult a doctor, but there are a number of symptoms that require immediate medical attention:

if the discharge has a strong smell of rotting flesh or rotten fish;
if there are clots in the discharge;
if there is itching and burning in the vagina;
when body temperature rises;
if your lower abdomen and lower back hurt;
if the daub lasts more than 10 days.

In order to promptly seek help from a gynecologist, experts advise keeping a diary in which to note your critical days and their features.

Diagnosis and treatment

To determine the cause of spotting during menstruation, the doctor can prescribe a number of tests and examinations, but the first thing the woman herself should do if her period is spotting is to take a pregnancy test. If it is negative, you need to reconsider your daily routine, exclude stress factors, and only then assume the presence of pathology.

In the absence of pregnancy or ectopic fetal development, to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe a blood test for hormones, general urine and blood tests, a smear for microflora, as well as an ultrasound of the organs of the reproductive and excretory system. If cancer is suspected, a CT or MRI may be prescribed. In some cases, consultation with an endocrinologist, urologist or immunologist may be necessary. If the cause is psychological, a visit to a psychotherapist may be necessary.

The treatment method that may be needed to eliminate spotting and normalize the menstrual cycle will depend on the cause of the changes. In some cases, rest and a change in gastronomic habits will be enough, but in more severe situations, medication may be required. Self-medication in this case can lead to loss of precious time and have a detrimental effect on a woman’s reproductive function.

Spotting instead of menstruation is a common reason why women often go to the doctor. Indeed, such a symptom cannot be ignored. The regularity of menstruation and the nature of discharge indicate the state of women's health.

Causes

There are a number of reasons – pathological and non-pathological – that lead to changes in the nature of menstruation.

Taking medications

Starting to take hormonal contraceptives often leads to changes in the cycle and the nature of normal menstrual flow. The body must adapt to the supply of hormones from the outside. Hormonal treatment may also be the cause. For example, after Duphaston, a change in the nature of menstruation is often observed.

If spotting instead of menstruation lasts for more than four months, a consultation with a gynecologist is required. Probably, the selection of the drug was made incorrectly or the drug is not suitable for a particular woman due to the characteristics of the body.

Spotting may also be a consequence of taking blood thinning medications. As a result, there is an increase in the volume of discharge, menstruation becomes longer and turns into prolonged spotting.

Pregnancy

Spotting instead of menstruation also occurs. Very often, conception occurs unexpectedly for a woman. While waiting for menstruation, she observes only spotting, which may be implantation, occurring when the embryo attaches to the wall of the uterus. At the same time, other signs of pregnancy appear: the girl’s chest hurts, weakness or excessive drowsiness appears, a change in taste preferences, and, of course, a delay in the end.

Such a symptom is also possible when the embryo is implanted into the tissues of other organs, and part of the endometrium emerges from the uterine cavity during normal menstruation.

If you suspect, you should do this. A positive or negative result will answer many questions, but regardless of the outcome, a visit to the doctor is necessary.

If pregnancy is confirmed and a woman has red spotting, this is a dangerous sign. There is a risk of miscarriage, so the expectant mother requires emergency medical care, which will help save the child.

Gynecological diseases

Spotting instead of menstruation is often a consequence of a malfunction of the reproductive system.

The following reasons are possible:

Inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system. Endometritis, endometriosis, adnexitis - all this can cause scanty discharge instead of normal.
Infectious diseases that are sexually transmitted through unprotected intercourse. This could be gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and others.
Benign tumors. This , . But in this case, spotting more often appears in the middle of the cycle, but there is also a change in menstruation.

Other factors

Other factors influencing the nature of normal discharge:

stressful situations;
flights and climate change;
weight loss or gain;
previous colds;
disruption of the endocrine system.

What to do?

If the next menstruation, or rather its change to scanty discharge, bothers a woman, she needs to go to the gynecologist.

The doctor will conduct an examination and find out the cause of what is happening. The following diagnostic methods are used:

general blood and urine analysis;
vaginal smear to check for infections;
ultrasonography.

Sometimes, to determine the diagnosis, consultation with other doctors is required - an immunologist, an endocrinologist, a nutritionist. Once the cause is discovered, the woman will be prescribed therapy.

Every woman needs to know that she should not turn a blind eye to problems in the reproductive system. Advanced inflammation or infections will negatively affect women's health and reproductive function in the future.

Video about the causes of scanty discharge

Violation of the monthly cycle happens to every woman. Brown spotting instead of menstruation makes you worry about your own health. But is it all that serious? Why do my periods smear but not start?

All processes of the menstrual cycle are influenced by hormones. Balance is very important for the normal functioning of the reproductive system and the health of women in general. With a high amount of estrogen and or go in a strange way, namely, there is a brown spot. At the same time, an insufficient amount of estrogen in the first phase of the cycle interferes with the normal functioning of the genital organs. Therefore, a new egg does not develop and ovulation does not occur. The endometrial layer in the uterus does not thicken. When the time comes for the next menstruation, there is simply nothing to reject. Instead of the usual discharge, there is a brown daub. To restore a full menstrual cycle, it is necessary to adjust the balance of hormones. Moreover, in case of serious violations, it is very difficult to do this on your own. You need to know which hormone is missing, in what dose to take and for how long. There are many factors that cause hormone imbalance. And people call them reasons.

At the same time, there are situations when hormonal imbalance occurs deliberately, and brown spotting instead of menstruation is the norm.

Scanty brown discharge while taking contraceptives

Their main task of birth control pills is to prevent ovulation. Insufficient estrogen interferes with the birth and development of the egg. There is simply no ovulation. In addition, low estrogen levels in the first half of the cycle prevent the development of the endometrial layer in the uterus. Then, instead of menstruation, scanty brown discharge appears. It takes three months to get used to the new living conditions. Bloody discharge occurs throughout the entire menstrual cycle. They can appear any day. Doctors regard this situation as normal. But if brown discharge continues to appear instead of menstruation for longer than 3 months, the question arises of replacing the drug.

Spotting due to pregnancy

A missed period is considered the main sign of pregnancy. But this is not always the case. Due to the individual characteristics of a woman’s body and the influence of various factors, ovulation may not occur in the middle of the cycle, as is customary, but closer to the end. Then the hormonal background does not have time to adjust. At first there is a slight delay, then scanty brown discharge. Progesterone is responsible for the successful development of pregnancy during the first 3 months. It is its deficiency that causes brown discharge instead of menstruation when conception occurs. The further fate of the fertilized egg depends on how much it can increase. High probability of failure. In case of an unsuccessful pregnancy, the test results may turn out to be false. In the first 2 weeks, one line will appear if there are tangible signs of pregnancy. If a woman wants to keep the child, she should seek help from a doctor.

Bloody discharge can also occur in the presence of an ectopic pregnancy. Then, in addition to strange brown discharge, there is general weakness, dizziness, severe pain in the lower back, lower abdomen. The situation becomes life-threatening if the scanty brown discharge turns into severe bleeding.

If your monthly cycle is disrupted with unusual discharge, you should visit a gynecologist instead of menstruation. Better to play it safe.

Severe nervous exhaustion

Menses are smeared brown instead of normal discharge due to nervous tension. Especially when it comes to stress. The nervous system is not given much importance, but it is the one that is involved in the production of hormones. The part of the brain that regulates processes is the hypothalamus. It is connected to the central nervous system, and it, in turn, gives instructions to the internal organs and systems about the required hormones. Severe tension, or, as they say, overload, leads to negative processes in the body. The monthly cycle is disrupted and brown discharge appears. Your period is coming but not coming. Moreover, short-term stress leads to heavy bleeding, and long-term stress leads to the absence of normal menstruation.

Constant nervous exhaustion causes hormone imbalance. Spotting instead of full periods is observed at first, then menstruation does not come at all. You should pay special attention to your psycho-emotional state.

Brown discharge after antibiotics

Taking some medications has a mediocre effect on the monthly cycle. These drugs include strong antibiotics. It is a misconception that antibiotics only affect the intestinal microflora, cause dysbiosis and nothing more. Modern medicine has proven the connection between these medications and cycle disorders. Antibiotics affect the liver and pancreas, which, in turn, can lead to changes in hormonal levels. In addition, antibiotics affect the nervous system. . At the same time, very often the periods are smeared brown, but do not come fully. After prolonged use of antibiotics. Especially in the form of injections, the menstrual cycle definitely gets disrupted. In other cases it can be done without it.

Gynecological diseases

Disturbances in a woman's menstrual cycle are caused by sexually transmitted diseases - chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, etc. A woman experiences increased discharge with an unpleasant odor. During menstruation there is bleeding. If you miss your period for more than one cycle, the disease has become chronic. In addition to brown discharge, pain in the lower abdomen, weakness, general deterioration in well-being, and fever are disturbing.

Hormonal imbalance in a woman’s body provokes various gynecological diseases. Protective functions decrease, immunity decreases, the number of pathogenic microorganisms and altered cells increases. Pain in the lower abdomen, spotting instead of menstruation may be a sign of:

All diseases are diagnosed in a doctor's office; it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis on your own at home. And delaying a visit to the doctor can result in serious health problems.

The cycle is disrupted due to inflammatory processes in the genital organs. Then, for a month, the woman has clear discharge in increased quantities, and instead of menstruation, bloody discharge or spotting begins. In addition, there is pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, intestinal upset, and sometimes the temperature rises.

Brown discharge instead of menstruation should alert you; if it lasts for several days, full menstruation does not begin. Otherwise, we are talking about a slight hormonal imbalance, when the uterus is not yet ready to shed the endometrial layer, droplets of blood are released gradually. Under the influence of the acidic environment of the vagina and oxygen, it turns into brown discharge. The same situation may be present when after menstruation the smear continues for several days. There is nothing dangerous in this, but you can reconsider your lifestyle.

Smirnova Olga (gynecologist, State Medical University, 2010)

Not every woman can boast of a stable menstrual cycle, but a slight delay of a few days does not always mean pregnancy or severe hormonal imbalance. When brown discharge occurs instead of menstruation, it is important to pay attention to its characteristics and accompanying symptoms, which we will discuss in this article.

Characteristics of the norm

When the discharge is brown in color for up to three days, there is no reason to worry. For many women, spotting begins shortly before menstruation, gradually acquiring the features of natural bleeding characteristic of the regulation.

Pathology should not be suspected if the following characteristics of secretion occur:

homogeneous consistency (small clots);
reddish or brown tint;
insignificant volume (daily days are enough);
absence of itching and burning;
no unpleasant odor;
occurs a few days before menstruation;
Not every cycle is noted.

The main factor in the appearance of brown discharge with blood instead of menstruation is a hormonal imbalance. It can be provoked by the woman herself. Certain conditions can affect the functioning of the reproductive system.

Effect of drugs

Not only hormonal therapy or birth control pills provoke abnormal secretion at the very beginning of the cycle. Spotting instead of menstruation may result from taking the following medications:

Antibiotics. The medications themselves do not directly affect female hormonal levels. But the failure occurs due to the impact on the vagina. After prolonged use of antibiotics, beneficial microflora suffers, which can affect the functioning of the uterus and ovaries. Hence it is insignificant. The main reason is the delayed maturation of the egg.
Antiulcer drugs. In most situations, the stability of monthly bleeding is affected. Often provoke a change in the duration of the cycle, as well as a delay against the background of brownish marks on the daily.
Hemostatic agents. Doctors prescribe these medications for heavy monthly bleeding. But violation of the dose or non-compliance with instructions often causes pseudomenstruation, and sometimes a complete absence of menstruation.
Antidepressants. The drugs reduce the intensity of menstruation. With a significant duration of the course of treatment, a situation arises when there is brown discharge for three days, but there is still no period. With antidepressants, a delay of up to three to four days is allowed.

Women who take diuretics, psychotropic, and anabolic (steroid) drugs are also at risk.

Wrong lifestyle

Loss of monthly menstruation may occur due to:

smoking;
drinking alcohol;
drug addiction;
long-term intoxication;
labor in hazardous production;
great physical activity.

At first there may be a slight delay, but with a loss of strength and immunity, spotting during the expected menstruation cannot be ruled out. The problem can only be solved by completely giving up bad habits, changing jobs and starting a healthy lifestyle.

Abrupt climate change

A banal move can provoke abnormal blood secretion. Most often, women suffer from this after a long flight to another climate zone. You should go to the hospital if pseudomenstruation lasts for more than a week, and their general health worsens.

Poor food

Such a load on the body in the form of a lack of essential microelements in most cases provokes a delay of several days. With a sharp decrease or increase in weight, periods sometimes disappear completely. A failure for 2-3 days with scanty brownish secretion indicates that there is not enough iron in the body. Its deficiency causes dark blood color.

Stress and overexertion

Great physical exertion and nervous shock provoke problems in the functioning of the central nervous system, which is responsible for the course of the entire monthly cycle. The problem manifests itself individually. Some women suffer from heavy brown discharge instead of their scheduled periods, while others experience no menstrual bleeding at all.

Against the background of physiological factors, the appearance of brown discharge instead of menstruation in a week is allowed only if there is no pain or discomfort. It is extremely important to see a doctor if you do not have menstruation in the second month.

Age-related changes

The appearance of scanty brown discharge instead of menstruation is often associated with puberty or the decline of the reproductive system (menopause):

Teenage feature

During puberty, the monthly cycle is just beginning to stabilize, so ovulation does not occur all the time. Because of this, menstruation is absent, and instead the girl notices minor ones. Can be observed along the same lines. This situation is the norm exclusively in the first 12 months after menarche.

Climax

Around the age of 40, women gradually lose their ability to bear children. The functions of the ovaries fade away, provoking spotting secretion, which has nothing to do with menstruation. Premenopause does not have a strict time frame, so its appearance is possible earlier – at 35 years of age.

Girls and women who, in addition to unusual secretion, suffer from painful sensations in the lower abdomen, discomfort in the genitals and other unpleasant symptoms need to undergo diagnostics.

Probability of pregnancy

It is also necessary to consider the appearance of brown discharge instead of menstruation as a sign of pregnancy. Therefore, you first need to do a test or check your blood for hCG. And then look for other possible reasons.

When fertilization occurs, a spotting character may appear, a brown, dark shade if delayed. Conception can only occur during the period of ovulation, but it must be taken into account that sperm remain active in the vagina for up to 7 days.

You can assume early pregnancy if you have brown discharge instead of menstruation and a slight ache in the lower abdomen or pain in the mammary glands.

With two stripes on the test, it is necessary to evaluate the duration and volume of secretion. In a normal situation, the brown spot should disappear on the third or fourth day if the woman is pregnant. A duration of more than a week indicates an acute lack of progesterone, and a real threat of miscarriage is indicated by a scanty bloody secretion within 10-14 days.

If such a symptom is present, it is very important to get tested for hCG and rule out ectopic pregnancy.

Some patients may experience more than just aching pain in the lower abdomen. Sometimes the chest hurts and there is brown discharge, which indicates negative processes in the womb.

After childbirth

Postpartum recovery occurs differently in patients, but it cannot happen too quickly. If you are not breastfeeding, your period may appear after several cycles. And before this period, the appearance of brown-red discharge instead of menstruation is quite acceptable.

After childbirth during lactation, there may be no monthly bleeding even for a year. This is how the body protects a woman from pregnancy so that she can fully feed the child. The reproductive system sometimes produces insufficient quantities when the baby gradually switches to complementary foods and lactation decreases.

Hormonal drugs and contraceptives

Modern contraceptives contain hormones. Therefore, the female body needs some time to get used to new conditions. Dark brownmay be characterized by an adaptation period, which lasts for several months.
If blood continues to be released for more than three months, you need to visit your gynecologist.

A strangely long-lasting secretion with blood clots and a delay can be caused by:

lack of hormone dose;
violation of instructions;
skipping a pill;
excess dose;
drug intolerance;
presence of bad habits or diseases.

Most often observed in women are hormonal ones, Postinora or Agesta. These are popular emergency contraceptive medications. The girl begins to suspect pregnancy, but conception does not occur. The cycle should be restored, but for this it is necessary to avoid taking such pills again for several months.

The intrauterine device also requires the body to get used to it. But sometimes it causes pathological secretion due to:

incorrect installation;
peeling of the product;
introduction of infection.

Therefore, this type of birth control requires medical supervision. It is highly undesirable to buy medications on your own.

After operations

In most cases, unclear blood secretions and delayed menstrual bleeding are typical for patients who have undergone surgery on the following organs:

uterus;
ovary;
Cervix;
fallopian tubes.

It may also be accompanied by the release of a small amount of blood:

abortion or incomplete miscarriage;
laparoscopy for ectopic pregnancy.

volume of surgical intervention;
duration of the procedure;
proximity of the intervention area to the reproductive organs;
patient's age;
presence of complications;
general health;
recovery rate.

Surgeries that do not affect the main female genital organs (abdominal cavity) can affect the reproductive system. You should expect your period after surgery when recovery and healing are complete.

Signs of pathology

Sometimes the delay occurs due to serious hormonal imbalances and the development of gynecological diseases. It is worth highlighting the following reasons for brown spotting instead of regular menstruation:

inflammation of the pelvic organs;
infection;
neoplasms (benign and not);
ectopic pregnancy;
spontaneous abortion;
other negative processes.

Symptoms that indicate pathology:

soreness in the lower abdomen;
increased body temperature;
redness of the external genitalia;
discomfort during sexual intercourse;
long delay (from 10 days);
absence of menstruation for two months or more.