What is spotting for a week or so before AF indicate?

I have PCOS and always was very irregular ( 3-4 AF's a year)

Since having my DD, my AF's are pretty much coming every month, but often I spot for a week before a real AF arrives, and sometimes AF will come 2x a month...

Does anyone know what this is indicative of ?? Thanks

Re: What is spotting for a week or so before AF indicate?

I went to the dr TONIGHT for my issues...and I know we have been dealing with similar ones.

The last issue was that I spotted for 7 weeks.

Ugh.

Dr said I need to pick my battles. He said there is nothing harmful going on so I could either

A. Go on the pill
Dont want this because I was getting constant yeast infections, never wanted to BD and gained weight.

B. Take provera every month to avoid spotting, crazy long cycles.
Dont want to do this becuase provera is called the PYSCHO pill in my house. Out of all my IVF drugs, provera was the WORST.

C. Deal with it.
The choice I am taking.

He said I am probably not ovulating so that my progesterone is flucuating(sp?) which is causing either the spotting, or lack of period for months at a time. He said it is annoying, but not harmful so I kind of need to choose which of the annoyances I want to deal with given those three options.

Re: What is spotting for a week or so before AF indicate?

This is something I have an issue with too and was just talking to another poster about it.

For me, the spotting starts right after ovulation (5-7dpo) and lasts until day 28-29 when I start full flow.
My RE thinks it was being caused by polyps in my fallopian tubes....which I just had removed this month. I didn't have any spotting this month, but he also removed a lot of tissue, so who knows if that will be the case going forward.

It could also be low progesterone. Have you had your levels checked? I took progesterone for one month and it didn't help me.

I hope you get something figured out....let me know if you do! Good luck!!!!

Re: What is spotting for a week or so before AF indicate?