Hi Dr. Grief. I am a 51 yr old female and have only experienced night sweats regarding periomenopause. So when I see spotting now, starting three days ago, after having finished my full menstrual period six days ago (last Saturday), I am a bit alarmed. I ve never spotted before and wonder if it s related to being a 51 perio female, OR, if it s related to my struggling to eat and drink as I recover from a viral flu this last week. I vomited violently a week ago and then proceeded to lose full, and I mean complete, loss of bowel control for the next three days. I drank Gatorade for four days because I found water utterly revolting and couldn t get it down me. In all, this past week has been real hell on my body and so stressful in the extreme. I am recovering now, but I have an delayed gastric emptying which seems to be causing the ongoing bloating and sore stomach and sore intestines, which in turn causes my inability to eat and drink. I can still drink Gatorade but not water. I am not electrolyte-imbalanced due the Gatorade (my doctor also checked) and my urine is only a light gold so I am not severely dehydrated but very, very dry in the mouth, and I am weak in general and unable to do much due to have a terrible stomach ache which worsens when I eat a spoonful of beans or applesauce or mashed potatoes. This spotting is the latest thing and here is my question: am I bleeding internally because of stomach or intestinal damage over the last week, or is this just my first-ever perio spotting?...It is also a fact that my periods have regularly started 3 weeks apart, almost to the day, for the past four years (they used to be 28 days apart almost to the day previously, all my life). But this last period started four weeks after the previous one, a stark delay to my amazing regularity, and it was light but not that much different in that respect. What do you think, Dr.? Thank you for your time. Julie G.