After 18 months - Periods restarted??? Help with info

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pebee
pebee Member Posts: 317
edited January 2017 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

A question. I would like to know if anyone else has had this happen.

Diagnosed and treated with chemo, surgery, more chemo and radiation in 2011. Took Tamoxifen for a total of 32 months over 4 different spans. Stopped taking it in Nov 2014 as the side effects were bad, real bad. And, yes, I did try all of the helpful hints here.

For my periods, I was NOT in menopause when I started chemo and my last "natural" period was in March 2011 after I started the chemo therapy. Then, they stopped. From March 2011 to March 2014, I did not have a period - which coincided with the tamoxifen usage.

When I got the March 2014 period, I went in for a series of ultrasounds and they found a polyp (caused by tamoxifen) and I had a D&C to clean it out. Then, I went back on Tamoxifen, stopped it for good in Nove 2014 and got two more periods on Jan 2015 and March 2015.

From March 2015 to Aug 2016, no periods, no tamoxifen, no hormonals I got a blood test which all of the docs agreed that I was in menopause. Took Armidex for one week and went off. The side effects were immediate and bad. That restarted the 2 year menopause clock according to my OB/GYN

Then, Oct 2016, a light period. Had 2 vaginal ultrasounds - nothing. Dec 2016, a heavy period. A vaginal ultrasound showed something and I went in for a surgical biopsy and D&C - waiting on results.

So, has anyone else had this happen? Ameridex restarting the periods? or going for some time without them and then they restart? Any reasons and possible cures? So far, the docs are arguing to take out the ovaries, but I think that will cause more problems later with other body symptoms.

Any insight would be appreciated!

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  • pebee
    pebee Member Posts: 317
    edited January 2017

    Bump - anyone?????


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  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited January 2017

    I didn’t do chemo, so mine never stopped although they were lessened (lighter and less frequent) on Tamoxifen. I did have a friend though who had chemo which sent her into chemopause, and the shots to shut down her ovaries AND tamoxifen. She had no periods for 5 years but even though she stayed on the Tamoxifen for longer (it’s been 8 years since diagnosis for her), once she stopped the shots, her periods did eventually come back, so I’m guessing that you were in “artificial” menopause due to the chemo which then wore off after the effects of the drugs eventually left your body. I suspect the timing of it (in regards to the arimidex) was a coincidence but don’t know for sure.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited January 2017

    I was still getting periods during the first two months of chemo, then I was in chemopause. MO started me on Zoladex (to shut down my ovaries) and Aromasin, and my periods have never come back.

    I've heard that testing hormonal levels (especially in the wake of chemo) can produce highly inaccurate results. However, you were relatively far removed from chemo and were on break from your meds.

    Yes, I've thought about removing my ovaries, too. My OB/GYN generally does not advise ovary removal unless there's something wrong with them (e.g. painful cysts). He says that women who keep their ovaries tend to live longer.

    At some point, though, I'm going to want to stop doing the Zoladex, especially since I'm slated for 10 years of hormonal therapy. So, we'll see.

    I'm sorry that you've had problems with both Tamoxifen and Arimedex. Hope you sort it out really soon!

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited January 2017

    I didn't have chemo either, but Tamoxifen and/or the approach of natural menopause did a number on me. I had polyps, thickening, monstrous periods, biopsies, d&c and then an ooph. I did AIs for a total of ten months, and I'm back on Tamoxifen. Still have occasional bleeding, which I suspect is a polyp. Scheduled for a VUS and biopsy this month. Still, the gyn issues are better for me than the AI joint issues. Fifteen months to go.

    BTW the ooph was easy surgerywise. Losing the estrogen, not so much.

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  • Michelle_in_cornland
    Michelle_in_cornland Member Posts: 1,689
    edited January 2017

    Dump the uterus, keep the ovaries. If you don't want a cycle, just get rid of the potential problem.

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  • pebee
    pebee Member Posts: 317
    edited January 2017

    Thank you for the insights - Still waiting to see what the next round of docs will say. I am wondering if Ameridex can jump start ovaries again.


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