Menstrual period issues during and after chemo?

Lettinggo

Hi ladies, thank you for all the wonderful posts.  I get on our site everyday - it keeps me going to know, cheer and pray for all you brave ladies out there.  I am on my 2nd chemo, aside from the nausea, fatigue, constipation issues, I found that i started to spot first and then now it has become a full period.  But i am not supposed to have one until the 20th of this month.  My period has always been very regular.. i am 44 by the way and just diagnosed in January.  I also would like to know from the ladies in my age group who are done surgery and chemo if their period just stopped or if it has come back after chemo.  Some doctors say chemo will shut the ovaries down while others say it may still linger and then stop and then it may come back.  what are your experiences?

Take good care of yourself and thank you all so much for sharing!!

Leanne

mdg

I was 45 at dx and I was having my period during my first chemo.  I never had another period again.  I started tamoxifen a month after chemo.  Last year I had to have ovaries out because of some cysts, but I never had a period since March 2011. 

kcat2013

I'm 34, so a bit younger, but I had my  period start right before first chemo and then proceeded to have periods every 2.5-3 weeks for the first 9 weeks or so of chemo.  Fun times   My MO said that is not common to have periods increase in frequency (vs having them stop altogether), but that once I started in on Taxol the periods might stop.  She was right, haven't had a single period since starting it. 

crazyride43

I was 43 at diagnosis, and always had very regular periods.  When I first started A/C chemo, had two really heavy, messy periods in a row.  Yuck.  Then Taxol stopped them altogether for six months.  They started back up again right at the end of rads in Sept 2012, and they have continued since then while taking Tamoxifen, although somewhat unpredictably (skipped a period last year although I did get the cramps LOL).  I think I must have very sturdy ovaries!  Bottom line, I think we are each different when it comes to how our bodies will respond to all these treatments.

Lettinggo

Crazyride43, thank you very much for your input.   I appreciate it.  that is good news for you.  Having the period and your ovaries function will give you the youthful look and feel we all want.  wishing you a  long and happy life! btw, mine right now is very heavy too. we will see what happens when i go through taxol.