Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark, ARNP, EdD

What is spotting?

According to Susun Weed, spotting is any vaginal bleeding other than menstrual flow. It may be just a few drops of blood or enough to fill a minipad.

Is it vaginal bleeding?

Isadore Rosenfeld, MD, cautions to always make sure the bleeding is coming from the vagina and not the rectum or bladder.

What causes spotting?

*A major cause of spotting is menopause, which can lead to dry vaginal walls and some spotting. You may bleed after sex (intercourse). The bleeding could also be due to ovulation, miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, polyps, infection, or cancer. Chances are the spotting is just the tail end of your menstrual period, especially if you're having hot flashes and cold sweats. Because it could be cancer after menopause, be sure to have a gynecological exam.

If you've got pain in your lower abdomen and some spotting, it could be fibroids, benign tumors in the wall of the uterus. Pain that comes on slowly, and you have a fever and vaginal discharge can be due to a pelvic infection

If you're alcoholic or have severe liver disease, you may have spotting because there's too much estrogen in your body.

If you're pre-menopausal, vaginal bleeding between periods may just be due to a variation in your cycle or could be due to an underactive thyroid (you'd have dry and rough skin, feel tired and sleepy if this is the case.) If you're on the Pill, bleeding can be unpredictable.

Emotions or stress can also wreak havoc with your menstrual flow. Check to see if you've had a recent crisis, such as a death, broken love affair, or loss of your job, for example

What is the medical treatment for spotting?

Birth control pills are often prescribed, but may not be advisable if you're over 40.

What herbs may be helpful?

Michael T. Murray, N.D. Suggests using tea tree oil (health food or herb store) for a vaginal infection. It's also soothing and may help if you've have a dry or itchy vagina. Follow the directions on the label. He also suggest dong quai as a toner and balancer for the female glandular system. One teaspoon of a 1:5 tincture is recommended.

Try ingesting one of the herbs below for several weeks and see how it works before trying another. Find them at a health food store. Buy the purest, freshest and most standardized products available.

Ginger root - try a cup a day

Red raspberry leaf - try two cups a day

Cinnamon - put cinnamon sticks in a cup, add boiling water and steep

Chaste tree - follow directions on tincture bottle

Yarrow - try a cup a day

Nettle leaf - try a cup a day

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Sources and Other Resources:

Michael T. Murray. Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs, NY: Morrow, 1994.

Isadore Rosenfeld, Symptoms. NY: Bantam, 1994.

Susun Weed. Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way. Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Publishing, 1992.

This article is for information purposes only. For treatment, contact your health care practitioner