Vaginal Spotting

Options
cjafarm
cjafarm Member Posts: 44
edited September 2020 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

I was taken off of Tamoxifen two years ago because it caused a big drop in my blood platelets. I'm 65 and went into menopause at least 10 years ago.


This morning I started spotting. Will make an appointment Monday morning.


Has any had this happen after not taking Tamoxifen for some time?

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited September 2020

    Hi cjafarm, sorry you're experiencing this! Just dropping by to give your post a "bump" into the Active Topics in the hopes of getting you some answers.

    Hope this helps!

    --The Mods

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited September 2020

    Vaginal spotting is different from uterine spotting but how we can tell is impossible. If it is vaginal spotting, it could be atrophy and your skin is cracking and bleeding in the vagina.

    Tamoxifen can increase uterine lining and can cause polyps and fibroids, which can cause uterine bleeding.

    I ended up with 3 polyps on an incidental finding and never had spotting. Some gals have posted that their atrophy caused spotting.

    Best to you.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cjafarm
    cjafarm Member Posts: 44
    edited September 2020

    Thanks Wallycat for the response. I needed someone.


    By Saturday afternoon, I went from spotting to flowing. Saw my doctor early Monday morning and she did an initial exam. Had an ultrasound in the afternoon. Received a call from her in the late afternoon to ask about preferences for scheduling a biopsy.

    US report - Uterus normal in size. Thickened ill-defined endometrium, measuring 18mm. Cervix within normal limits.

    Anechoic left ovarian cyst measuring up to 4.2 cm which measured 2.5 cm in 2017. Normal color. A slow growing ovarian cystic neoplasm is difficult to exclude.


    DAMN tamoxifen!



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited September 2020

    Just to walk you off the ledge a bit (yeah, I know, hard to do), I was in an ovarian cancer study in Seattle and the director told me they had a 70 year old lady who actually ovulated. The cyst resolved within 3 months on its own. Of course, it needs to be evaluated, but just hope you're not jumping to the ugly place right away. I'm sure tamoxifen is stirring up things and a thick endometrium is number one that it is noted for.

    Ovulating never stops, according to these studies, it just becomes more and more...and more infrequent. Lovely.


    Post back and let us know what happens.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cjafarm
    cjafarm Member Posts: 44
    edited September 2020

    Wallycat,

    You nailed it! I was walking that ledge and it seemed to be a narrow ledge.

    On Tuesday, I had my annual and final appointment with my breast cancer oncologist. He had read the report and spent the majority of our appointment talking about it. He was great and very comforting. He reminded me that all of my blood work for the last two years, including now, was great. That vaginal bleeding is giving me a heads up that something needs to be checked. If I do need a gynecological oncologist he warned me that there is only ONE in the Des Moines area. Hard to attract doctors to central Iowa.

    On Thursday, I had a biopsy. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and that thing hurt. This was a new gynecologist for me and she too was wonderful. Her whole staff was great. She said based on the results we have a Plan A and a Plan B. And we'll know which plan we will use when the results come back next week.

    Neither doctor thinks I can blame the Tamoxifen for the the thickening since I have not taken for almost two years.


    Results should be known next Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm going to enjoy a beautiful fall weekend.


    cja



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited September 2020

    Best to you.

    I am not a doctor but I have to disagree with their rendition on tamoxifen not being blamed for the thickening. That is what tamoxifen DOES. Our bodies can reabsorb some of the lining once we're off the medication but it takes time, and sometimes, I suspect women will get a bleed to thin the lining. Always requires verification that that happened. Tamoxifen acts like estrogen in the urogenital area but as an anti-estrogen through-out the rest of the body....and there are enough pubmed peer reviewed articles that show women get thicker linings taking tamoxifen. You should print it and let them read it. grrrrrrrrrrr.


    We are finally getting some clean air up here in the PNW. My heart goes out to all the places dealing with the blazes.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories