Why Am I Getting Brown Discharge Before My Period

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) can cause from mood swings, munchies, and more. Learn about the symptoms, causes and treatments of PMS.

Causes of Spotting and Bleeding After Periods

Spotting after a period ends but before the next one begins is common and can occur because of the drop in estrogen that occurs before ovulation. Unlike heavy menstrual flow, spotting involves only small amounts of pink or dark brown blood—not enough that you’ll need a pad or tampon.

You may notice spotting every month or only in between some periods. Some don’t experience it at all.

While spotting after a period can be perfectly normal, bright red and/or more significant bleeding between periods could be a sign of a more serious health problem like a miscarriage or a hormonal condition. Bleeding after a period along with vaginal discharge can be a sign of an infection.

This article goes over the most common reasons for spotting and other bleeding between periods. You’ll also learn when to call your healthcare provider.

Verywell / Jessica Olah

What Causes Spotting and Bleeding After a Period?

Hormonal fluctuations are one of the most common reasons for bleeding between periods. This can be anticipated and unconcerning, such as with use of birth control or in perimenopause. Or it may be due to a hormonal condition like thyroid disease the requires medical attention.

Spotting and heavier bleeding between periods also have a variety of other potential causes unrelated to hormones, including inflammatory conditions, cancerous and noncanerous growths, and more.

Birth Control

Bleeding between periods can happen because of your birth control method and how you use it. The reason? Shifts in your hormones, particularly estrogen.

• Oral contraceptives: Starting, stopping, or missing birth control pills can cause spotting, or what’s known as breakthrough bleeding. Low-dose or extended-cycle pills are more likely to cause this.
• Other hormonal birth control methods: Irregular vaginal bleeding can happen if you’re using a contraceptive patch, implant, or injection, especially if you miss a dose.
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs):Intrauterine devices may cause occasional spotting, especially right after you get it inserted. Some people have occasional spotting for the first few months after an IUD has been put in as their body is adjusting.

Some people are more likely to get spotting from birth control than others, such as people who smoke or tend to forget to take their birth control pill on schedule.

Pregnancy

Menstruation temporarily stops during pregnancy. Spotting or more substantial bleeding can happen after your last period, sometimes before you even know you are pregnant and not to expect your next one.

There are a few different causes, some of which are serious:

• Implantation bleeding: Spotting can happen when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus and begins to grow.
• Miscarriage: Bleeding that happens early in pregnancy—especially if it’s heavy—may mean that you’ve had a miscarriage.
• Ectopic pregnancy: This occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. One of the signs is vaginal bleeding. An ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency.

Hormonal Conditions

Irregular periods or spotting are common in perimenopause, the transition into menopause. Your body’s sex hormones are fluctuating and your usual menstrual cycle is no longer as predictable as it once was.

That is normal and expected. But, there are hormonal medical conditions that can cause spotting and heavier bleeding between periods, too. These require treatment:

• Thyroid disease: Low or high thyroid levels can affect other hormone levels and lead to problems with your menstrual cycle, including irregular bleeding or even missing your period altogether.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): This hormone imbalance affects ovulation and commonly causes irregular menstrual cycles. The hormonal imbalances caused by PCOS can lead to bleeding between periods, which can range from light spotting to heavy flow.

Common Infections

Infections are another common cause of bleeding between periods. The tissues in your reproductive system are very sensitive, so inflammation there can easily lead to bleeding. This can be more likely after having vaginal sex.

Spotting can be a sign of:

• Vaginal, cervical, and uterine infections and inflammatory conditions
• Sexually transmitted infections (e.g. chlamydia, gonorrhea, and genital warts)
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

An infection may cause vaginal discharge along with spotting. Depending on what is causing the infection, the vaginal discharge can be white, yellow, or green.

Other Causes

There are also some other potential causes of spotting and other bleeding between periods:

• Medications (e.g., anticoagulants and tamoxifen)
• Gynecological procedures (e.g., a Pap smear)
• Injury (e.g., putting foreign objects in the vagina, sexual trauma)
• Uterine prolapse (when the uterus comes through the vagina) or uterine polyps (growths in the uterus)
• Endometriosis (abnormal growth of uterine-like tissue outside the uterus)
• Uterine fibroids (growths in the uterus that are not cancerous)
• Cancer (e.g. cervical cancer, uterine cancer, uterine sarcoma, ovarian cancer, and vaginal cancer)

Can Stress Cause Spotting Between Periods?

Stress can affect your menstrual cycle. Sometimes, being under a lot of stress can make your period late or early. You might even miss a period. It’s possible that you could have bleeding between periods that’s related to stress, but research on this is lacking.

Is It Spotting?

A healthcare provider will only consider vaginal bleeding “spotting” if you see it before or after your period and it does not require you to use a pad or tampon. Heavy bleeding that lasts a few days or even as long as your typical period is a greater cause for concern.

A slight tinge of blood on toilet paper or a little bloody stain in your underwear is probably spotting. Unlike period bleeding, which is bright red to slightly dark red, spotting can be lighter (pinker) or darker (brown). Older blood is usually brown or even close to black.

Normal Menstrual Bleeding

Normal menstrual bleeding lasts for about five to seven days. The average menstrual cycle has about 28 days between periods, but it’s normal to have a cycle that lasts anywhere from 21 to 35 days.

If the egg that’s released during ovulation is not fertilized, your period will start about two weeks after you ovulate. During your period, the uterine lining sheds because it’s not needed to support a pregnancy.

People who menstruate get to know their cycles with time, both in terms of how long the bleeding lasts and how much bleeding is typical. Although it may seem like you are losing a lot of blood, it usually only adds up to around 2 to 3 tablespoons per period.

While your period is the only time during your cycle when you should expect bleeding, a little spotting between periods can happen and can be normal. For example, some people have spotting during ovulation.

However, if your cycles are irregular and you’re not sure if the spotting is related to ovulation, talk to your provider. They can help you figure out why you’re bleeding between periods and whether it’s a cause for concern.

What Is Ovulation Bleeding?

This type of bleeding occurs just before or after your period when your estrogen levels dip. It’s not technically spotting; rather, it’s considered part of your period. Ovulation bleeding may happen at this point in the menstrual cycle because estrogen and progesterone levels are fluctuating as the ovary releases an egg.

When to Worry About Bleeding After Your Period

Occasional light spotting between periods may not be a reason to worry. However, frequent, unexplained vaginal bleeding between periods is something to talk to your provider about, especially if:

• You have not gone through puberty yet
• You could be pregnant
• You’re past menopause
• The bleeding is more like or heavier than a regular period rather than just a drop or two of blood
• The bleeding comes with other symptoms like a bad-smelling discharge and intense cramps

It can be useful to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar or app. This information can help you and your healthcare provider figure out whether any spotting or bleeding outside your cycle is a concern.

If you need to use feminine products, keep track of how many you go through in a day. This can give your provider a sense of how much you’re actually bleeding.

When Is Bleeding Between Periods an Emergency?

If you are bleeding between periods and also have a fever, dizziness, bruising, or pain, seek emergency medical care—especially if the bleeding is very heavy and you can’t stop it.

Summary

Many people experience spotting or bleeding between periods. Most of the time, a little bleeding when you’re not on your period is not a reason to worry.

However, if you’re also having other symptoms like pain, spotting between periods can be a sign that something is wrong.

If you have any vaginal bleeding, light or heavy, tell your provider. That’s the only way to find out for sure what is causing it and make sure you get the right treatment.

18 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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2. Villavicencio J, Allen RH. Unscheduled bleeding and contraceptive choice: increasing satisfaction and continuation rates. Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:43-52. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85565
3. Sanders JN, Adkins DE, Kaur S, Storck K, Gawron LM, Turok DK. Bleeding, cramping, and satisfaction among new copper IUD users: A prospective study. PLoS One. 2018;13(11):e0199724. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199724
4. Breeze C. Early pregnancy bleeding. Aust Fam Physician. 2016;45(5):283-286.
5. Hosseini R, Asgari Z, Moini A. Unexpected outcome after expectant management of ectopic pregnancy in two persons. Iran J Reprod Med. 2013;11(12):1027-1030.
6. Saran S, Gupta BS, Philip R, et al. Effect of hypothyroidism on female reproductive hormones. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Jan-Feb; 20(1):108-13. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.172245
7. Sinha U, Sinharay K, Saha S, Longkumer TA, Baul SN, Pal SK. Thyroid disorders in polycystic ovarian syndrome subjects: A tertiary hospital based cross-sectional study from Eastern India. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(2):304-309. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.109714
8. Bautista CT, Wurapa E, Sateren WB, Morris S, Hollingsworth B, Sanchez JL. Bacterial vaginosis: A synthesis of the literature on etiology, prevalence, risk factors, and relationship with chlamydia and gonorrhea infections. Mil Med Res. 2016;3:4. doi:10.1186/s40779-016-0074-5
9. Sutter Health. Vaginal discharge.
10. Urology Care Foundation. Benign (not cancerous) urethral lesions.
11. Nezhat C, Li A, Abed S, et al. Strong association between endometriosis and symptomatic leiomyomas. JSLS. 2016;20(3):e2016.00053. doi:10.4293/JSLS.2016.00053
12. Khan AT, Shehmar M, Gupta JK. Uterine fibroids: Current perspectives. Int J Womens Health. 2014;6:95-114. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S51083
13. Nebgen DR, Rhodes HE, Hartman C, Munsell MF, Lu KH. Abnormal uterine bleeding as the presenting symptom of hematologic cancer. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(2):357-363. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001529
14. Nagma S, Kapoor G, Bharti R, et al. To evaluate the effect of perceived stress on menstrual function. J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(3):QC01-QC3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2015/6906.5611
15. Jain V, Chodankar RR, Maybin JA, Critchley HOD. Uterine bleeding: how understanding endometrial physiology underpins menstrual health. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022;18(5):290-308. doi:10.1038/s41574-021-00629-4
16. Grieger JA, Norman RJ. Menstrual cycle length and patterns in a global cohort of women using a mobile phone app: Retrospective cohort study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(6):e17109. doi:10.2196/17109
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Additional Reading

• National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. Vaginal bleeding between periods.

By Tracee Cornforth
Tracee Cornforth is a freelance writer who covers menstruation, menstrual disorders, and other women’s health issues.

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Why Am I Getting Brown Discharge Before My Period?

Brown discharge before your period may be due to starting birth control, implantation, uterine fibroids, vaginal infections, or menstruation.

A menstrual period (menstruation) occurs when the lining of the uterus is shed through a flow of blood. It’s a crucial part of the menstrual cycle, which is a normal and healthy process that prepares your body for a potential pregnancy. Menstrual blood is composed of blood, cells from the uterus lining (endometrium), and vaginal secretions.

The hormone-driven menstrual cycle typically lasts 28 days. The first day is the start of the period (bleeding), which usually ends after about three to five days. This time in your cycle is also referred to as menses. Somewhere around day 14 ovulation , when an egg is released from an ovary, occurs. If an egg is not fertilized after this stage, hormone levels drop, and the egg begins to dissolve around day 25. The next period starts, and the innermost endometrial lining is shed along with blood.

In addition to bleeding, other signs of menstruation can include:

A common question that worries a lot of women is, “Why is my discharge brown?” It’s normal to sometimes experience brown discharge before, during, or after menstruating. It may appear as brown spotting, which is the presence of blood during stages of your cycle that is not typical. This darker discharge is usually a thicker consistency and slower flow than typical menstruation and is usually caused by old blood coming from your uterus.

In rare cases, brown vaginal discharge before your period may be cause for concern. If you’re experiencing abnormal vaginal bleeding of any kind, talk to your doctor so they can rule out any underlying conditions.

Signs of abnormal vaginal bleeding

Abnormal vaginal or uterine bleeding occurs when you bleed:

• Between periods
• For too long of a period (hypermenorrhea)
• For too short of a period (hypomenorrhea)
• Too much (menorrhagia)

While it is usually normal, getting brown discharge before your period can also be a sign of abnormal vaginal bleeding.

Causes of brown discharge before period

There are multiple causes of bleeding between periods. So, what does brown discharge mean? If you experience brown discharge before your period, it may indicate:

1. Birth control

It’s common to experience irregular bleeding during the first few months of being on a form of hormonal contraception, or birth control, such as:

• The combination contraceptive pill
• The contraceptive patch (Ortho-Evra)
• The progestogen-only contraceptive pill
• The contraceptive injection (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate)
• Contraceptive implants
• The vaginal ring (NuvaRing)

Bleeding between periods is a common side effect of all forms of hormonal birth control , which may include brown spotting before period. Although it can be worrisome, this bleeding is rarely dangerous and should subside after three months.

With birth control pills, you may experience irregular bleeding if you don’t take them at the same time every day.

Other side effects of hormonal birth control may include:

• Breast tenderness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Changes in sexual desire

2. Implantation

After implantation, when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus at the start of a pregnancy, some blood vessels in the endometrium may break down. Sometimes, this can lead to brown discharge consisting of old blood. As opposed to a regular period, bleeding from implantation is light and only lasts a couple of days.

3. Uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are nonmalignant (non-cancerous) growths of muscle and tissue that grow on your uterus. Fibroids may cause no symptoms, and these may only be found by a doctor during a pelvic examination. In rare cases, fibroids can grow out from your uterus, twist, and its blood supply can get cut off. The degeneration of the twisted fibroid can cause pain and brown vaginal discharge.

4. Vaginal infections

Several different vaginal infections may cause brown discharge before your period, such as:

• Bacterial vaginosis causes an overgrowth of bacteria in your vagina.
• Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI ) caused by a parasite and is spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
• Vulvovaginal candidiasis , commonly referred to as a vaginal yeast infection, is an infection that causes vaginal soreness and abnormal vaginal discharge.

5. Menstruation

The brown discharge before your upcoming period may just be blood left over from your last period. Blood that’s stayed in your uterus for a while turns a brownish color. It’s common for it to come out at the very end of your period. However, it may not show up until before your next period. Brown period blood is more common with lighter flows, as it takes longer to leave your body.

QUESTION

Tests for brown discharge before period

If you see your doctor to address brown discharge before your period or any other kind of abnormal vaginal bleeding, they will likely have you take some tests. The testing they choose will depend on your age and whether or not you’re pregnant.

To find the cause of your bleeding, your doctor may perform an ultrasound exam of your pelvic area to look at your uterus and ovaries. They may also perform an endometrial biopsy, which is a test of your uterine lining to check for a change in cells, which can lead to cancer. A hysteroscopy, a procedure that involves inserting a camera into your uterus, is another possible test you may have.

If your bleeding is heavy, your doctor might also check your blood count to see if there’s been significant blood loss.

Treatments for brown discharge before period

Brown discharge before your period may be due to normal causes and may not require any treatment.

If your doctor determines brown discharge before a period is abnormal bleeding, treatment may include:

• Placing an intrauterine device (IUD)
• Birth control pills
• A dilation and curettage (D&C)
• A hysterectomy
• An endometrial ablation

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about brown discharge before period

Why am I having brown discharge before my period?

There are many reasons you may have brown discharge before your period. The simplest and most common explanation is that brown period blood left over from the previous period first comes out as your period contractions begin. This is a common occurrence before the period. You might also have brown vaginal discharge in the first few months after you start using hormonal birth control, or when you stop using it, because hormonal contraception can disrupt your menstrual cycle. Brown discharge can also occur after sexual intercourse, which is not a great concern unless accompanied by other symptoms.

Brown spotting before period can be a sign of pregnancy. If you have very light bleeding or miss your period, and/or if you have other pregnancy symptoms, you might want to test for pregnancy. Uterine fibroids , which are benign growths in the uterus may cause brown discharge, but they are usually harmless, unless you have other symptoms such as pain . Vaginal infections can also cause brown vaginal discharge, but usually, you will notice other vulvovaginal symptoms first, such as odor, itching, or pain. If you are menopausal, see your gynecologist without delay if you notice spotting.

Why do I have brown discharge instead of my period?

If you have brown discharge and get no period, pregnancy may be likely. Get tested right away if you have reasons to believe you may be pregnant. Young girls who have just started menstruating may experience this until cycles become regular, or those on the brink of menopause may have just spotting as bleeding becomes scanty. Hormonal birth control methods can also cause you to skip a period and just have spotting.

Other possible reasons for brown discharge with very low or absent period flow are stress, weight changes, or intense exercise. Brown discharge without normal period flow and irregular periods can be caused by certain conditions that affect the reproductive system, such as hypomenorrhea, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome . Infections can cause brown vaginal discharge too, but infections typically don’t interfere with periods, and will also have other telltale signs and symptoms.

Do you count brown blood as the last day of your period?

You could count brown blood as the last day or the first day of your period depending on when it occurs, because it can happen before the start or at the end of your period.

Does brown discharge mean first period?

Brown discharge can mean the first period for a girl on the cusp of puberty. Usually, there is scanty bleeding initially, so it takes longer to come out from the uterus and is more likely to turn brown. However, first period and menstruation patterns are unique to each person; some may have just spotting for a couple of months or longer before the heightened hormonal activity settles into a normal rhythm and regular menstrual flow starts. Some girls may start having normal flow from the very first period. Both situations are normal.

What kind of discharge comes before your period?

Vaginal discharge is primarily made up of cervical mucus and vaginal secretions. Generally, there is an increase in discharge just before a period, and it is white to pale yellow in color, with a creamy consistency. It may also be tinged with old period blood and become a brownish discharge. If you have discharge that is green, yellow, gray, or any other unusual color, and/or you have symptoms such as itching, irritation, or foul odor from the discharge, see your gynecologist.

Medically Reviewed on 10/11/2024
References

American Family Physician: “Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Associated with Hormonal Contraception.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Diseases Characterized by Vaginal Discharge.”

Center for Young Women’s Health: “I don’t think I have “officially” had my period yet, but I recently had 3-4 days of brownish black discharge. I didn’t see any blood in the discharge, but could this have been my period?”

Center for Young Women’s Health: “Menstrual Periods.”

Familydoctor.org: “Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.”

KidsHealth: “PMS, Cramps, and Irregular Periods.”

Memorial Care: “What Color Is Implantation Bleeding? Experts Explain.”

Michigan Medicine: “Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding.”

Mount Sinai: “You Asked It: Help! My Period Blood is Brown.”

National Health Service: “What causes bleeding between periods?”

Womenshealth.gov: “Uterine fibroids.”

American Fibroid Centers. “What does discharge look like before period?” Dated: March 14, 2024.
https://fibroidexpert.com/blog/what-does-discharge-look-like-before-period/

Yang H, Zhou B, Prinz M, Siegel D. Proteomic analysis of menstrual blood. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2012 Oct;11(10):1024-35. doi: 10.1074/mcp.M112.018390. Epub 2012 Jul 20. PMID: 22822186; PMCID: PMC3494145.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3494145/

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