If you have gone 6 months to a year with no period, prior to this, there's a chance this might happen to be your last 'period' even though it was actually a discharge and small clot. Once our cycles become so far apart and irregular, it's common to experience either an extremely heavy period, or just a very small amount that doesn't resemble a period at all. These are usually signs that menopause is definitely beginning and any lingering eggs will be released sporadically (with many variations of a menstrual 'flow') during that year.

After a full year with no period, most periods do not resume, so doctors like women to get a check up to make sure it was just a straggler egg that was released, causing the bleeding. Although your mother began menopause a few years later, it's not too uncommon to do so in your mid to late forties.

Don't be embarrassed at all to talk to your doctor, as you'll feel better if you can be assured there's nothing to worry about. As well, you should feel comfortable being able to discuss menopause with your doctor, and if you don't, perhaps you can find another doctor that you might feel more at ease with. I liked my former doctor, but did end up switching to a female doctor about the same age as me, who was recommended by one of my friends. She makes me feel very at ease with any personal questions I have about menopause, which is how it should be.

Yes, I also like my doctor but for things like pap smears and all that stuff, I saw a female colleague of his. Easier for him and easier for me.

Get brave and you'll feel a lot better. The discharge was probably brown due to it being slow (blood goes brown, doesn't it, when it's not in flood.) My very first ever period was brown and I could not for the life of me figure out how I was ______ my knickers. Turns out I wasn't. My mother hadn't mentioned periods until I started them.

I also you are not too young for the menopause. A friend of mine started hers VERY early. Poor sod. Give me periods over hot flushes any day.

It never hurts to get a doctor's input but...I too have had some brownish discharge as I'm going through perimenopause. I just chalked the color up to my '(reproductive)insides slowly dying'. lol. (I try to humor myself whenever I can...) I should also add (just in case others wonder, and because they may notice same thing too) that...at such times when I had this odd discharge, the odor was incredibly strong and quite foul...so much so that I'd be sitting at my desk working on my PC and suddenly stop and think 'ugh...what is that awful smell?!' And then I'd realized it was coming from me. ;-(

I had that too as I went thru perimenopause. It's just because the blood is old, because it is flowing slowly.

Make sure you still use birth control until your dr tests your hormones and tells you for sure you are safe.