Flash Periods: The Perimenopause Surprise You Didn’t See Coming

The last period I ever had was such a tease. I had already been through what I thought was the worst of perimenopause symptoms—from hot flashes to 4 a.m. wake-ups. It had been almost 11 months since my last period, and I celebrated as if it was gone forever. That stockpile of period products I had in my bathroom cabinet for years? I got rid of everything, down to the very last pantyliner. 

Then, one morning, I felt it: that telltale trickle. I got my period. I experienced what some call a “flash period”—a surprise, unpredictable bleed that can happen in perimenopause, just when you think you’re done menstruating for good.

Fortunately, I wasn’t outside wearing a white jumpsuit, like Charlotte in the “Sex and the City” reboot, “And Just Like That…” when she got her surprise period. (For once, I’m thankful I could never pull off a white jumpsuit.) But it was still a shock and a frustrating reminder that, even when you think you’ve made it to the end of perimenopause, your body might have other plans.

About the Experts

Monica Christmas, M.D., is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, director of the Center for Women’s Integrative Health, and director of the Menopause Program at the University of Chicago. She’s also the associate medical director for The Menopause Society.

Bridget Laye is the director of customer experience for Saalt, a women-owned company that makes premium reusable period products such as underwear and menstrual cups and discs.

What Is a Flash Period?

Flash period isn’t a medical term, but it’s an apt description for a very common experience: An unexpected bleed. It’s yet another nuisance of perimenopause, like crime scene–heavy periods and vaginal dryness.

“Whether you call it a flash period, a surprise period, or a last hurrah, people can go almost a full year [without a period], but Mother Nature has a cruel sense of humor—you may get another period or two before you completely stop,” OB-GYN Monica Christmas, M.D., says. 

While your ovaries are mostly out of commission toward the end of perimenopause, a flash period is a sign that your brain is still sending them signals to produce estrogen to ovulate, Christmas explains. 

Is a flash period like a normal period?

In a word: No. Flash periods, like everything in perimenopause, can be all over the map. They’re impossible to predict and can run the gamut in terms of length and intensity.

“If you’re lucky, your periods get shorter, lighter, and start to space out. Then, they gracefully go away,” Christmas says. Unfortunately, that’s not the experience most women have. Instead of flickering out, their period may get heavier and last longer. 

Christmas says a 14-day period is completely normal during perimenopause. Or, you could have a regular period, followed by a few days break, and then bleed again for an additional 10 days. “Some people may just get spotting,” Christmas says. Others may go months, like me, with no sign of a period. Then, out of nowhere, cramps and breast tenderness come on, and you need to stock up on tampons again.

A silver lining 

If you’ve been experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, or other perimenopause symptoms caused by low estrogen, flash periods can bring temporary relief, Christmas says. That’s because, during your period, your estrogen levels temporarily increase (1). The trade-off? Those symptoms are sometimes replaced by PMS-like breast tenderness, cramping, and fatigue. 

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Can HRT Help with Flash Periods?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopause hormone therapy (MHT), may help mitigate the intensity of an unpredictable period. But, the main goal of MHT is to combat symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats by providing estrogen that your body no longer produces naturally. 

Before my ovaries’ final encore, I’d filled in almost every box on the perimenopause period bingo card. From having two periods a month, and then skipping a month, to having a “is it my period or am I hemorrhaging” experience, I’d thought I’d seen it all. Thankfully, HRT alleviated most of my symptoms, which included a lighter and less frequent period. 

Can birth control also help? 

Birth control can help manage flash periods and other perimenopause symptoms. The pill delivers a steady dose of hormones to help regulate or stop your cycle, preventing unpredictable bleeds, says Christmas. 

She sometimes recommends a progestin-only IUD, like Mirena, to stop periods, thereby preventing a flash period. Sometimes, a progestin IUD may be combined with estrogen therapy, such as a patch, gel, ring, or pill, to help offset perimenopause symptoms (2). 

In short: There isn’t a one-and-done method that works for everyone. Talk to your doctor about your options. 

How to Get Ahead of a Flash Period

There’s no way to know if or when you’ll experience a flash period—or how heavy it will be. But you can be prepared for the unexpected. Don’t do what I did and tempt the menopause gods by giving away my period products prematurely. Keep a pad or two in your purse, just in case. 

Another option is to wear period underwear. Bridget Laye, director of customer experience for period care company Saalt, says many of the brand’s customers in their 40s and 50s wear period underwear to protect against flash periods. 

Others use insertable cups and discs when they’re unsure when (or if) their period will come. Laye has observed that perimenopausal women are turning to these newer period products because what used to work for them doesn’t anymore—and that’s OK. “A lot of women report tampons being extremely uncomfortable,” Laye says. “The words they use are, ‘It feels like my body’s rejecting the products that I used to use.’” 

Remember, perimenopause doesn’t last forever

The biggest thing that got me through the roller coaster of flash periods: knowing it would eventually stop. Plus, I tried to keep in mind that my teenage daughter was watching me, and I wanted her to see me being open and maintaining a sense of humor about all of it. Of course, having friends to laugh about it with makes a big difference, too. Now I’m on the other side, and I can tell you that I got through it, and you will, too. And there’s a lot to appreciate on the other side (even if I still can’t rock a white jumpsuit).