Tamoxifen and abnormal bleeding

pleasantsa

Ladies,

Please don't ignore any abnormal bleeding while on Tamoxifen. I'm 52 pre-menopause and got to where I couldn't tell when I had a period because I was bleeding every day.

I sent my Dr. a message through the portal and she replied to stop the Tamoxifen immediately and referred me to a gyno. Long story short I have cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer). Yesterday I had a hysterectomy with all the trimmings (tubes, ovaries, etc.) I'm recovering but wanted to come here right away to warn others. I don't regret taking Tamoxifen. I believe the benefits outweigh the risks, but there are risks.

Please contact your Dr. immediately about abnormal bleeding!

BCat40

Thanks for sharing your story. I note that you state that you are premenopausal. I have had numerous doctors tell me Tamox doesn't cause endometrial cancer in premenopausal women because they regularly shed the uterine lining. Clearly this was not the case with you. Curious if any docs told you anything similar before you started.

pleasantsa

Hi,

No, I was never told that Tamoxifen doesn't cause endometrial cancer in pre-menopausal women, nor have I read that anywhere. I knew that there was an increased risk. I just wish the risk had been emphasized more because I might have contacted the doctor sooner. I thought the increased bleeding was just a side effect, until I started bleeding daily. I had no pain at all, but there was a 6 cm cancerous mass in my uterus that they saw immediately on ultrasound.

BCat40

Scary. I’m glad you caught it. Will you need any further treatment or do they consider that the surgery took care of it

pleasantsa

The pathology report isn't back yet, so I don't know the stage or the treatment plan.

Celand

I had been taking Tamoxifen for 3 years, decided to stop taking it when I fractured my ankle last April, I was ok until June when I started bleeding (I am post menopausal so not supposed to bleed), endometrial biopsy was negative for cancer, however, I ended up having a d & c in November, pathology results were uterus was ok, however, it was found that I have focal microglandular endocervical hyperplasia. My gynecologist has never seen this happen, that is scary to me especially since my August pap smear was clear. Now I am scheduled for a cervical cone biopsy in a couple of weeks to make sure no cancer present. However dr says hysterectomy is a must because hyperplasia while not cancer can turn into cancer. Meanwhile, following d & c I was massively bleeding 8 weeks after and dr put me on 5 mg of Norethindrone, which has stopped the massive bleeding for now, dr says it will be very short term that I take this as my breast cancer is ER + / PR +, I hope and pray that my cancer will not recur because of this or that I won't have any other adverse side effects of this medication. Cancer, the gift that keeps on giving!

Btw, I was 51 when diagnosed and going through post menopause transition but wasn't quite there yet, which is why I took Tamoxifen. I am now 55.