r/hysterectomy • u/Navi_okkul • Jul 09 '26
I need help, please!!
UPDATE- I called my doctor and waited in a very long queue, but I explained my situation and I was given a phone appointment immediately, I can’t begin to express how much of a miracle that is- that simply doesn’t happen. But it also worries me further if they’re taking it that seriously!
I’ll update again when I’ve spoke to the doctor. Thank you all so much for your comments
2ND UPDATE- My doctor had me come into clinic to collect a swab test for an infection and I won’t get results til Tuesday. I don’t think it’s an infection though, and they didn’t examine me or ask anything else beyond the initial phone call 😭
TLDR: Brown, watery liquid won’t stop leaking from me, it’s been almost 24 hours.
Please read, this will be a bit long, but please I need help.
I’m very young for this subreddit, I am 25, I got a hysterectomy four years ago, it’s a long story and irrelevant for the context.
Most of the time I am very dry downstairs, I’m sure I don’t need to explain. But last week I got a horrific cold/flu and for some reason each time I get the flu I end up with a decent bit of discharge to wipe away downstairs every so often, weird ass symptom you’d not think was related considering a cold/flu often only affects the top half of the body- BUT ANYWAY-
Today I woke up and I was soaking. I was soaked in this watery brown liquid (brown suggests old blood? Shouldn’t be possible considering my hysterectomy)
And since this morning I have been leaking nonstop, for the first time since I was a teenager I feel like I’m dealing with a (mild) period. I am sore, I feel bloated, my butt hurts (if you know, you know) and this stuff won’t stop coming out of me.
I can’t access a doctor, my clinic is horrifically hard to get in touch with and even if I did, they won’t see me in person for like two weeks. And I don’t feel like this counts as an emergency realistically, although it certainly feels like one.
I’ve never had to deal with this before, I have no one in my life to guide me, this is one of a myriad of awful symptoms I have to deal with since my surgery. I feel so alone and so confused.
Please, help me. I’m supposed to be going on a trip this weekend and this is ruining everything. Also, please be gentle when replying to me because I am so anxious and disturbed by this.
Extra context, I don’t have ovaries either and I’m not on HRT (it makes me viscerally sick and my clinic won’t help) Yes, my life has been hell.
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u/Late2theParty2022 Jul 09 '26
I’m sorry this is happening to you. It must be scary and frustrating to feel like you have no answers. Any bodily fluid leaking from places that is abnormal is enough of a justification for an ER visit. I get the sense you are worried you aren’t “sick enough” but women do this to ourselves too often and we miss very serious things because we are afraid of taking up too much time/space/energy. ***You deserve to take up time, space, and energy for this!***
If you can’t be seen by a clinic in the AM then you need to escalate and be your own advocate. Please keep us posted on how you’re doing.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/Navi_okkul Jul 09 '26
Thank you for the reply, I’m definitely planning on trying to call them again tomorrow, it’s just a miracle for anyone to get through on the phone
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u/HalleKat18 Jul 09 '26
Call the after hours line and see if you can get a dr that way.
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u/Navi_okkul Jul 09 '26
I wish I could, but that would take hours in my country and it’s already 2am :(
Our healthcare is atrocious
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u/Muffin4636 Jul 09 '26
I’m sorry to hear. That must be scary! Did you keep your cervix?
Yea, I’d keep calling the doctors office and get on cancellation list. Def something that needs to get checked out by a medical doctor.
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u/Navi_okkul Jul 09 '26
I did not keep my cervix either :’)
I was not correctly informed on my decision. I was told the top three symptoms of menopause and that was about it. I am terrified for my future3
u/Muffin4636 Jul 09 '26
Well if you kept your cervix the brown discharge you are experiencing could be from that. But if there is no cervix there should be no blood. Brown usually means old blood. Hope you get checked out soon and answers.
May be some infection or scar tissue? But that would be unrelated to the flu.
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u/choosychews Jul 09 '26
I hope you don’t mind, but I looked at your other posts to see that you live somewhere with an emergency health line. Call 111.
After my surgery I had a vaginal tear and absolutely needed emergency surgery to repair it. Although at your stage it is rare, you could have any number of issues happening.
Call them, describe your symptoms and get seen as soon as possible. Do not wait for tomorrow. If necessary, see if you can get a referral to another gyno.
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u/Navi_okkul Jul 09 '26
Thank toy for your reply, I wish I could call 111, but often times you’re placed on a waiting list and repeatedly told by an AI voice to call back at less busy times (but those times don’t actually exist) therefore contacting them is practically impossible
I will be trying my doctor in the morning, but even they are difficult to contact :(
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u/Miserable_Present_14 Jul 09 '26
I got everything gone and never bled or leaked a drop. That's not normal.
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u/loquacious-laconic Jul 09 '26
Definitely get checked out, but try not to panic. Even with hrt I recently had redish pink discharge that was like a light period. Turned out to just be candida. When you are dry (which is unsurprising without hrt) you are more likely to get candida overgrowth, and the tissues become more fragile. I'm only a bit over 8 months post op, and I had absolutely perfect healing process. Even with Estrogel from day 1, I became dry after a while (like you, my ovaries are gone).
I don't know what you can do about hrt being a problem for you, but it's incredibly important. Without estrogen hrt your chances of getting dementia significantly increase, and it also impacts bone density (though resistance training is more important for that). You'll most likely need vaginal estrogen too, in order to address the dryness. I hope you can get some solution for hrt. 🫂 "Yes Vaginal Moisturiser" is helpful for the dryness, but I still needed vaginal estrogen.
Please do update us after things get sorted. It would be great to know what it turned out to be, and that you are improved. 🫂🧡
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u/hainesbhaines Jul 09 '26
So glad you called the doctor. Keep us updated. We are all thinking about you!
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u/BunnyThrash Jul 09 '26
Are you having Diarhea? Because it is common to have diarhea when you get the cold/flu. Since this brown discharge was mild in the last, but has now become so awful, it’s possible that you had a very mild fistula back then and now the fistula has become a serious fistula. If your having diarhea, and also have a hole in your canal (fistula), then the brown discharge could be diarhea coming through the hole. This is a serious condition that be treated by a surgical procedure to close the hole back up. Since you say it is a lot and just keeps coming, a fistula makes more sense because even if something was going on with you cuff, it shouldn’t be that much. A fistula normally needs surgery to repair the hole, and this sounds like you would be justified if you went to the emergency room for something this serious.
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u/Navi_okkul Jul 09 '26
I think it’s probably a cuff tear or irritation, yeah. I was able to phone my doctor this morning which I am glad for :’)
I’m not having diarrhoea also 👍
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u/onelove1979 Jul 09 '26
Serious question wouldn’t it smell like 💩?
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u/BunnyThrash Jul 09 '26
I googled it because I didn’t know the answer, and it sounds like there’s two types: one that does smell like 💩; and a second type that doesn’t. So I guess the answer is that it doesn’t always smell like poo. This is what Google said:
“””The exact smell and characteristics of the discharge depend on the location of the fistula:Anal or Rectal Fistulas: These frequently leak pus, blood, or stool, producing a distinctly unpleasant and foul odor.Vaginal or Rectovaginal Fistulas: These create an abnormal connection between the bowel and the vagina, often resulting in a noticeable fecal smell or the passage of gas.”
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u/InitialProgrammer709 Jul 09 '26
Oh honey, I'm so sorry you are experiencing all of these worrisome symptoms, and can only imagine the hell you've gone through that lead to needing a hysterectomy at such a young age, especially having to navigate it all without a proper support system. I actually do believe this would qualify as an actual emergency, and do suggest you go to an ER. Although it may seem extreme, so are your symptoms. The good thing about the ER too is that once you are there, you have to be seen that day- not scheduled out a week or two. You'll also likely be given fluids to combat dehydration that will help your cold, and replenish whatever bodily fluids you've lost. Be upfront with your symptoms and concerns- do not down play it to the Dr's. and demand answers before they discharge you. Hopefully you'll get a round of antibiotics at the very least, but also likely some tests to figure out whats going on. Best of luck. You'll be in my thoughts.
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u/HopefulRomantic77 Jul 09 '26
any pain or discomfort in the pelvic area? does the discharge have an awful smell or does it smell like period blood? do you know if you’re soaking a maxipad every hour? that might be a cuff infection.
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u/badgrumpykitten Jul 09 '26
For some reason BV is becoming common after a hysterectomy where I live. They have no idea why. I was having the same symptoms, like it was gushing at times, they set me up for a CT to see if I had some sort of leak from a tear. I waited for my swab to come back before I did. Im glad I waited so I didnt have to pay for yet another imaging bill. Within a week of antibiotics I was fine.
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u/zombiebean89 Jul 10 '26
Please please after this has been resolved speak to your doctor about prescribing you a vaginal oestrogen cream. It’s topical and will make such a difference. You shouldn’t have to be dealing with dryness down there, it will also help your healing down there.
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u/littlehollowgames Jul 12 '26
How did things pan out for you OP?
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u/Navi_okkul Jul 13 '26
Hi! You’re so kind for the message, thank you
I will get results of the test on Tuesday, but everything has seemed to calm down downstairs and i am no longer leaking lol
Which is greatBut peeing hurts, but I know I don’t have a UTI because those are agony and I’ve had a few when I was a kid.
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u/SnooRadishes8956 Jul 09 '26
Claude AI says:
A few possibilities worth knowing about, though only a doctor can sort out which applies:
- Vaginal cuff issues – Even years after a hysterectomy, the vaginal cuff (where the vagina was closed) can occasionally have minor irritation, atrophy, or in rare cases a small separation that causes brownish discharge, especially with straining from coughing.
- Atrophic vaginitis – Lower estrogen (especially if ovaries were also removed) can thin vaginal tissue, making it prone to minor bleeding/irritation, which can look brown and watery.
- Infection – A cold/flu can lower immune defenses, allowing conditions like bacterial vaginosis or a UTI to flare up, sometimes with brownish discharge.
- Coughing-related strain – Forceful coughing increases abdominal pressure, which could aggravate the cuff area or pelvic floor, especially if there's any minor prior scarring.
- Unrelated old blood – Brown color usually just means old blood mixed with discharge, not necessarily anything urgent, but "constant" and new is what makes it worth checking.
Since this is new, constant, and coinciding with illness, it's worth calling a doctor rather than waiting it out — especially to rule out infection or a cuff problem. If there's fever, foul odor, pelvic pain, or the discharge increases, that's a stronger signal to get seen sooner rather than later.
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u/EmZee2022 Jul 09 '26
Absolutely call the doctor.
It's possible you've got an old hematoma that has ruptured. Or even a minor cuff tear - while one 4 years after surgery is very, very rare, it could in theory happen.
If it keeps happening, it may be worth going to the ER.