tamoxifen and post meno bleeding? need advice

mymountain

Has anyone had experience with post menopausal bleeding while on tamox?  I did take a month long break (from tam)to go on vacation.  I just got a full on period.  I am post meno and had a uterine bx, d&c in August with negative pathology due to some spotting.  But this is a real period with moderate bleeding and mild cramps  (last "real" period was 2 years ago).  Any ideas?  I'mthinking of just waiting it out for a week or two to see if it goes away. 

Thanks all for reading and and advice

MM

tiff2008

mymountain,

Hello.  I've had a similiar experience this week.  I've been taking Tamox for 2.4 years with no breaks, my last reg period was in Aug, 2009. Two wks ago I had to have a D&C (due to lining thickening), hardly any spotting afterwards.  Well then on Saturday night I started what feels like a reg. period and it's pretty heavy.  I called my gyno and she said "lets just wait a few more days to see if it goes away" "unless it gets a lot heavier, than call her back".  I'm sure everything is ok with you...but to ease your anxiety you could call your doc. if it would make you feel better.  I know that always makes me feel a little better.

Good luck to you.

Tiff

mymountain

Thanks Tiff,

Our situations sound similar.  I did take a tamox break for about a month because I wanted to be hf free for a vacation. The bleeding has slowed to a bit of spotting, so hopefully thats what caused it.

Thanks for responding

comingtoterms

Hi mymountain. I too, had a similar experience.  Almost a year post chemo with no periods and then bam!  I have been getting them again; they are reminiscent of adolescence with the cramping, and they are extremely heavy.  My bloodwork says I am menopausal, but my body doesn't seem to agree!  Keep an eye on it, have a pelvic sonogram at least once a year.  I don't think the docs necessarily believe that bloodwork is a true indicator of whether or not you are menopausal.  I am 50 and was getting my periods regularly before my diagnosis at age 48.  Good luck to you!  Darn that Tamoxifen!  Tammy

mymountain

Thanks Tammy,

I get the tv/ta ultrasounds yearly and just had a hysteroscopy d&c in august so this was a surprise, plus i'm nearly 54.  for now, i'll mention it to my onc at next weeks appt, but hopefully it will go away and not return

leaf

I've been on tamox since July 2006. I was declared postmenopausal 1.5 years ago from blood tests.  (I only have LCIS so there was no chemo.)  I had about 5 bouts of uterine polyps, both before and during tamox.  Some were removed in-office, and some in a D+C. Last D+C was about 2 years ago.

I just started having a very light pink discharge.  I called my gyn and she wants me to do another  pelvic ultrasound. Sheesh.

victorious

Hi All,

 I was glad to see this thread.  I am 62 (in a few weeks) and my onc switched me from arimidex to tamox because of bone loss.  I hae been on it about 4-6 weeks and have developed a very tender cervix and ovary (one was removed).  I called my onc and he said to stop tamox immediately and if the symptoms do not go away go see my gynocologist.  I am kinda scared becasue of the risk factor of developing cervical/uterine  cancer from tamoxofin.  I am hoping that I was not on it long enough for that to happen!  So many other weird things have happened to me (allergic to chemo meds ...the list is long!). So I am a bit hypersensitive I suppose. The first time he wanted me to switch to tamox I said no.  Thenhe kinda talked me into it and now I am wishing I would have stuck to my guns.  Oey Vey! But reading that some of you above have gotten actual periods, my symptoms are minor in comparison.  It does hurt though.  Like when I sit down I can feel pain inside from the impact of sitting. 

Jelson

victorious,

tamoxifen is associated with increased risk of endometrial aka uterine cancer, not cervical cancer. 

http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/r/reprocancers.htm and when I googled tamoxifen cervical cancer, I found reference to a study where they found high dose tamoxifen killed cervical cancer cells

http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Womens-Health-Weekly/2001-10-11/200110113332WW.html

I started tamoxifen in Sept/09 after I was about 3 years into menopause. Along with the other women who have posted, I get yearly vaginal ultra sounds and have had one d&c due to endometrial thickening. I may have to have another one in January.The d&c would be to check for abnormal cells, rather than waiting for bleeding to occur. I did not switch from another hormonal to tamoxifen and have not taken a tamoxifen break, and have not had any spotting. If I were you I would be concerned about the pain. Go make that appt with the gyno, you may have something else going on unrelated to the tamoxifen.

Take care!

Julie E

victorious

Jelson,

Thanks for the info ....and will check in with my gyno!  Good advice. 

 Victorious

mlkelly58

I am happy to see this post, too!  I went into chemopause at age 49 and haven't had a period in 3+ years - until last week.  I have been on Tamox for 2.5, can't go onto an AI because the chemo induced menopause caused osteoporosis.  I have had bleeding for the past week.  Had pelvic/tv ultrasound last Friday, but won't have results until Thursday.  The waiting is killing me.  I had all of these unintended consequences!!

leaf

I am 1.5 yr postmenopausal, on my 5th year of tamoxifen, with vag bleeding.  My pelvic ultrasound came back thinner than it was last time. (I had endometrial polyps at least 3 out of the last 5 years, plus endometrial polyps pre-tamoxifen.)   So you can have vaginal bleeding with a thinner endometrium.  Maybe the tissues are thinning and cracking and causing bleeding or something.  Glad I don't have to have another D+C.

Crossing my fingers for you, Mary.  Hang in there.

wallycat

I am in a similar boat.

I started tamoxifen in July 2007 and turned 50 that year.  No chemo but also no period.

In 2009, I had a little spotting in October....then nothing.  In January 2010, I switched to Armidex (samples from doc) for 4 months, no period.  I had expected the arimidex to go generic but it did not, so I switched back to tamoxifen.  In June I had the light spotting and all the earmarks of a period.  In July, again, in August I had an endometrial biopsy....b-9.  September, 1 day period, October nothing and this November, spotting again.  It is now December and I feel I will have another period (albeit only a 1 dayer, but still...).  

I'm nervous taking an AI because now I will be 54 and not sure if I am in menopause or not (periods due to tamoxifen or would naturally have started).  I also did not like the studies that came out of san antonio conference about AI and heart disease.

Always something.............sigh.

leaf

Well, I just got a call from my gyn, and I did win a D+C for Jan.  What a prize! I've already had several  dear departed Polly the Polyps.  One of them (in the past) was coming out of my cervix, so my gyn said I was giving birth, hence the name Polly the Polyp.  They've all been benign so far.  If this one isn't (and I am not extensively anxious; in the literature the incidence is about 1% for women like me), then I'll name her something else other than Polly.

Jelson

Leaf,
I hope you don't have another polyp but if you do, how about naming it Pandora? her story has to do with a "box" after all, although I think she opened it rather than came out of it!

Julie E

leaf

Great idea, Julie!  I like that!  (You instinctively knew a requirement was that it start with a P; I'm Pleased!)  The gyn said I was 14mm.  and they may have been comparing my lining at some other point.  This is a ritual about every 1.5 years.  I'm fully expecting a polyp; that's what all my others were.  You made my day, Julie!

mymountain

Hey, my post was revived!

Are any of you pmb'ers in line for a hyst? I have my next US Friday and will plan the TAH/BSO for Feb, or sooner if the US shows more changes.  I can finally say I'm done fighting with my uterus and the ovaries aren't doing me any favors either...so out they go:(

mlkelly58

Leaf, sorry you have to go through the D&C again.  Did your pollups show up in an ultrasound or were they found when you had the D&C?  Will you be done with Tamoxifen soon since you are in your 5th year?

Best of luck to you!

Anonymous

my mountain---I haven't had PBMs, but I did have a TAH/BSO--PM me if you'd like. Any chance you can have it done by lapro surg instead of open abdominal?

Anne

leaf

At least 3 of my polyps showed up in pelvic ultrasound.   One was hanging out of my cervix, so no ultrasound was needed. http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/78/topic/702896?page=1#post_876199. I've had endometrial polyps removed *before* I started tamoxifen.

I'll be done with my 5th year of tamoxifen next summer/fall.

mymountain

Anne,

I sent you a pm

kira66715

Just returned from the gyn: and I'm getting another D&C in January for polyps as well.

Leaf: I never named mine, but I did have one at the cervix before.

I had polyps since 2006--dx with bc 2008 and had first D&C 2 months after tamoxifen. Now, 2.4 years after starting tamoxifen, I had the endometrial biopsy for bleeding--it's regular, but she's thorough, and it hinted at a polyp.

Well, she printed up a picture of two polpys--each over 2 cm, and said we'd schedule the procedure--she does hysteroscope with it as well.

I am not pleased at all about this repeat performance, but I know it's better to be safe.

Kira

mymountain

Kira,

How many bx's and d&c's have you had?  I just had a d&c in Aug and then had bleeding again in Oct.  My US yesterday was close to what it had been in June, except that in addition to the 15mm endo stripe, the lining in very irregular.  I'm actually more worried about an ovarian cancer and want to eliminate this worry so I'm going for the full monty.  Just sick of getting poked and prodded every few months.  I hope I don't regret it:(

You could name your polyps, Holly and Polly if they are twins, lol 

kira66715

My Moutain,

  I had a D&C/hysteroscopy in 2008--two months after starting tamoxifen.

I had had the hysterosonogram in 2006 and was loaded with polyps, and my--now former--gyn said that menopause would take care of them, yet they were literally coming out of my cervix. I was 47 then, no sign of menopause.

Had a biopsy back in 2006.

 Fast forward to 2008, I'd come to her with a breast mass, that she blew off, and when it was cancer, she kept saying "But, it couldn't be felt!" (Then why was I in your office?). So, I went for my routine pap, and the polyps were huge, and she said she'd check me again in 6 months. I got a new gyn, and was in the OR a couple of weeks later.

This year, she did the biopsy as part of the routine gyn appointment, and it was normal, but indicated polyps. Sure enough: Holly and Polly--two big ones.

I'm half way through tamoxifen, and really sick of this, and wonder if a hysterectomy is in my future.

  She gave me a picture to take home: it did impress my dh, and I have no idea what to do with it.

  I'm sick of the poking and prodding also, and hate procedures and anesthesia. And I have lymphedema, so I have to go into the procedure wrapped and with all sorts of NO IV/BPR warnings on my arm. I broke my lymphedema hand in October, just got the cast off, and am rehabbing the hand, and just don't want to deal with one more thing. Of course, it's my dominant hand...and now the twins...

Kira

D4Hope

I take my tamoxifen every day and once a month I get a reddish brown discharge. Is this normal. I get two ultrasounds a year.

kira66715

D4Hope,

I've been getting very light, but regular tamoxifen periods--and they only last a few days, and are mostly darker colored.

If you get the two ultrasounds, it sounds like your gyn is following you closely.

Kira

Anonymous

d4hope----my oncologist said while on tamox, 25% will continue with regular periods, 50% will have irregular periods, and 25% will stop altogether. Mine became very irregular and very light. I got in the habit of taking minipads with me everywhere I went, just in case. A yearly transvaginal US is a good idea, so it sounds like you are being watched closely, which is good.

D4Hope

Thanks ladies. I thought I would be done with pads, oh well LOL.

mymountain

Just  a note of caution. Please don't ignore any post meno bleeding  If you are post menopausal or without a period for 1 year, all bleeding needs to be investigated which can mean more than one uterine bx, colposcopy, d&c, ect..per year.  Also if your dx is ILC,  mets occuring more frequently in GI and GYN organs than other subtypes of bc is reported.

Getting rid of it all will give me one less thing to worry about (I hope!)

Kira,

I'm sorry about your arm, go figure it had to be the one with LE to be broken:(.  Hope you are healing well.   I plan to write all over my right arm before I go for my surgery