Did your period come back after chemo?

kaitlin -- you might check into a non-profit organization called Fertile Hope.  My friend told me that they were incredibly helpful to her in providing information and helping her find solutions to preserve her fertility before treatment.  She thought so much of them that she is now on their board!  Best wishes to you.

 http://www.fertilehope.org/

I started chemo when I was 39, and haven't had a period since the third infusion last October. I turned 40 in June, and my period hasn't come back. My estriadol was 12, which is firmly in menopause. Who knows, though, reading these posts, what my body is doing. And I feel like you do, Lorena, that I'm too young for menopause, and even though I have two kids, I'm sort of pissed about having the decision about a third one made for me via circumstances. I know it could be worse, but still...Anyhow, the plan is five years of Tamoxifen, then an ooph, then five years of AI.

My periods stopped one month after starting chemo and returned exactly a year later. Stopped April 2007 and returned April 2008. But I am a triple negative receiving no treatment after chemo/rads.

-Ren

Thanks Susan,

          I am 50 and I would just as well not deal with periods again.  They were kind of sputtering before chemo.  I think the 4 years you have out the gate is encouraging to people.  I am ready to get back to normal

                    Barb

I had a lumpectomy, sentinel node biopsy and wide excision in Nov 07 (was 34 at the time). Underwent FAC chemo from Jan-April this year. I had my period all through chemo except for the last cycle no 6. It stopped in April, I had some hot flashes in May-June during radiation. /the hot flashes stopped when I started tamoxifen in early July. My period returned two weeks ago. So it was 4 months when I had no period. The good news is if all remains well (no recurrence) I will be able to conceive naturally in the next 3-5 years.

I'm getting my period every 6 months since chemo ended and tamoxifen started. The 6 month period is usually much longer than what I would consider normal, too

Glad I found this thread and can give hope to some of my younger colleagues. I had just turned 49 at the start of treatment and was clearly still pre-menopausal. Period stopped after 2nd chemo. Now, one and half years later (I'm now > 50!) and my period just started again!  It seems pretty normal, but I've got a call in to my gyn just to be sure.  I'm guessing that my ovaries are still going strong. I had asked my gyn at my last visit if we could do blood tests to check my estrogen levels, but she didn't think it was necessary - I'm triple negative, so tamoxifen and AIs were not in my future. Also, given my age, my chemo-pause appeared to be "real" menopause!

Edited to add:  BTW, I had my first (and only) child when I was 43! 

Oh no,

Please don't tell me that I could still get my period back. I thought that this was the only good thing that came out of this whole ordeal. I was 47 yrs old when I was dx last Nov. started chemo (4x 3wks) Jan 30th and that same day got my last period...it was the worst period I have ever had. Now I'm 48 and I haven't had a period in almost 8mths.....and I don't miss it at all. I'm taking tamox and hopefully this will keep my period at bay. I have 2 grown daughters, so I really don't need my period. So for those of you who want it back and need it back I really wish you luck. But please also wish me luck that I don't get my back lol.

period end of story

ohbother,do you get hot flashes?

Hello,

I was diagnosed at age 24 (2003), chemo -AC, cytoxan, taxotere, 35 rad. treatments, tamoxifen. I had my period during chemo. During tamoxifen, my period went away for about two years (I had surprises in between though very irregular), I had a steady period the final year I was on tamoxifen (2007). I had a recurrence in the same breast(Sep 2007).

I had expressed the most important thing to me "BABY" to my oncologist, He decided to shut my ovaries down with Lupron during chemo. this time around.

I did Gemzar and Carboplatin.

I am currently on Arimidex with Lupron.

I intend to come off everything in Dec 08, and pray to god my ovaries are ready to bounce back....

at age 29 (two years married) we wish to conceive...

take care,

Nisa

I kept my period throughout chemo and tamoxifen, as regular as ever. Bad thing about that is, I read that if you don't experience many of the side effects from tamoxifen, like loss of period, hot flashes, etc, then it is not working as well for you. So for you that are not getting your period, or are getting it sporadically, tamoxifen is probably working better for you!

I was able to get pregnant a few months after stopping tamoxifen after three years. My daughter is now 1 year old. Her first birthday and my 5 year cancerversary were the same week. Keep the faith!

I was diagosed stage III in Nov'07 at age 35, triple negative.  I started chemo jan 21 2008, last period was feb 2008, and my last chemo was 8-1-08.  Today is 11-18-09 and still no period back yet.  I still have crazy hot flashes.  All of my doctors are fairly sure that since my body handled chemo remarkably well that I'll get my period back.  My gyno told me of one of her patients that got past stage III BC and went onto have 6 children naturally!!  Excellent!!!  Although, I am nervous about getting pregnant.My husband and I definitely want children, but is it safe to stimulate cell growth in our bodies after dealing with cancer?  Thoughts anyone?

Nash (or someone else who might respond) I am very troubled right now. I'm 43, on Tamoxifen for under a year and have not had a period for 10 months. (I never had chemo, just radiation for early stage BC; I had lumpectomy last year; negative nodes). I hate that Tamoxifen may put me into permanent menopause; I may be there already?? I'm seriously considering stopping Tamoxifen temporarily and trying to get pregnant. I know it sounds crazy at my age and I already have two teen daughters. However, I'm engaged to be married next year and my husband-to-be has no children. He says it doesn't matter and that my health comes first. But we may both end up regretting not having a child together. Does anyone know the chances of getting your period back after Tamoxifen stops it for 10 months? I need some advice? I just hate that BC and Tamoxifen are taking my childbearing choices away from me and feel so helpless and confused. I don't feel like anyone understands what I'm going through.

Thanks for you quick response Nash. I'm seeing my oncologist tomorrow (Tuesday, 12/16) for a checkup. I have gone over and over this idea of potentially having another child. Truth is, I'm still undecided, but feel like the longer I keep taking Tamoxifen, my chance of ever conceiving decreases. If I go into permanent menopause, it's irreversible. My doctor also recently told me that if I don't get my period back in a few more months, he's going to consider me menopausal and move me onto one of the other drugs for menopausal women, i.e. Femara. This would close the door for sure. Maybe I just need a break from Tamoxifen to get my head straight so I don't feel like a clock is ticking away. My oncologist looks at me like I'm crazy every time I bring up the issue. He's a great doctor, best in our area, but I don't think he gets it.

Thanks BethNY and NASH. I just came back from my oncologist this morning (12/16) and he agreed it would be okay to stop Tamoxifen for 6 months, to see if I get my period back. I explained to him that I wanted to have some time to decide whether to have another child (I am 43, time's running out) without Tamoxifen making -- or taking -- that choice for me. I may decide not to have any more kids, but the longer I keep popping that little pill, the less likely I get to make the choice. And BethNY, my oncologist has requested that my OB/GYN do a FSH test. I have an appointment with her next week. Thanks all for your input.