Cancer Survivors Network - Chemo induced menopause or not....... - Comments

Dang girl! It's always

pitt — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:17:59 -0500

Dang girl! It's always going to be something, isn't it? I'm coming off a really bad couple of days and just the thought of being on the tamoxifen phase has me chomping at the bit. A new reality...that's what we're living in. Hang in there, Pitt

Yes, you're right

mimivac — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:44:36 -0500

For us triple negs exercise and diet is our Tamoxifen. That's why I feel so damn guilty whenever I put an unhealthy morsel in my mouth or skip a day of exercise. I had to practically glue myself to my seat last night at the movies to stop from getting a nice, fluffy box of buttered popcorn. I swear I could barely enjoy the movie.

Mimi

pitt — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:07 -0500

Triple negative...now everything makes sense. I've read so many of your posts regarding nutrition, etc. I remember reading in some scientific studies that for triple negative bc very simple changes in reducing fat intake and increased exercise significantly reduce recurrence rates; whereas for hormone receptive bc those results would be neglible... although, I still am a proponent of "every little bit helps." Yes - for me the road will be to put me into menopause once I am finished with Tamoxifen...so be it. As I said before, every little bit helps. Pitt

It upset me too

Dawne.Hope — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:35:04 -0500

I'm having a hard enough time taking it. I've read about all the adverse side effects, I know what can happen, but it seems, at least for now, that taking it is the best option for me. To have someone push you and highlight all the bad, and then give you some misinformation is not helpful! Ugh. People mean well, but it really isn't helpful. There is so much information out there that it is hard to sort out the good from the false. One reason why this board is so helpful.

Thanks again! :)

Dawne, I was a little disturbed

mimivac — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:18:02 -0500

that this lady would "push you" to stop your medication -- over misinformation at that. I'm not saying that she didn't have a bad experience on Tamoxifen, but cancer is so individual. Your experience may not mirror mine and people should never advise someone to start or stop something based on anecdotal experience alone. My 2 cents.

Mimi

thanks mimi! this is along

Dawne.Hope — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:08:56 -0500

thanks mimi! this is along the lines of what I'd read but the lady I talked to seemed so confident. thank you for the information!

Hiccup LOL

jnl — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:26:03 -0500

Hiccup

LOL

No problem, Leeza

mimivac — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:24:01 -0500

BTW, are you still drinking with the beetles? :)

Thanks again Mimi for this

jnl — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:30:17 -0500

Thanks again Mimi for this information. For some reason, I thought tamox thru you into menopause because so many had written that it did. Thanks for clearing that up.

Leeza

Hi Pitt,

mimivac — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:56:27 -0500

I think you have a good plan. Tamoxifen, then induced menopause and an aromatase inhibitor is standard of care these days, I think. I am not on any hormonals since I am triple negative. I would love the extra protection, though...

Mimi

Mimi - after Tamoxifen

pitt — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:48:01 -0500

Mimi, does your doctor plan to put you into menopause after your tamoxifen treatment? Mine does so I was just wondering. After tamoxifen (5 years) then we are going to shut down my ovaries to put me into menopause so that I can do 5 years of an aromatase inhibitor. I'm just curious if you will continue on something after tamoxifen. Pitt PS I'm 38 so they want to go ahead and induce early menopause to continue treating me for longer-term success rates...

Tamoxifen and menopause

mimivac — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:43:33 -0500

Just wanted to add a note to this discussion. According to breastcancer.org: "Although it causes hot flashes, tamoxifen does not make you menopausal. About 20% of women will have irregular periods on tamoxifen, but only a few stop their cycles entirely. Tamoxifen will not cause early menopause unless you're already on the brink. After you stop taking tamoxifen, your body usually goes back to where it was before. Tamoxifen does not stop ovulation — it actually increases ovulation. This is probably true even at the low daily doses that you take for breast cancer treatment. At higher doses, tamoxifen is in fact used as a fertility treatment."

I went into chemo-induced menopause and have not had a period since January 2009. My doctors are all confident that my cycle will return. My onc. says that it takes about a year and she expects me to start menstrating in December or January again. I don't know...

Mimi

periods

CypressCynthia — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:24:07 -0500

In 1987 when I was diagnosed (at age 33), no one checked my hormone levels but I can tell you what happened. I had 6 months of chem and 7 years of tamoxifen (I know it's 5 years today but I was a guinea pig back then). I had no periods for at least 2 years and thought yeah I'm done with that. Then they came back regularly until I was 43 when they stopped again. My younger sister was 40 when she was diagnosed and her periods stopped and never came back.

Hi Eil. I don't know if this

pitt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:57:43 -0500

Hi Eil. I don't know if this helps or not, but my oncologist told me that after my treatments I will take Tamoxifen for 5 years. At that point, she will shut down my ovaries and put me into menopause so that I can then take an aromatase inhibitor for another 5 years. Yes, the tamoxifen stops your cycle, but that doesn't mean you are menopausal yet. At any rate, you should discuss this with your oncologist and find out if he/she has plans for you post-Tamoxifen. Good luck! Pitt

OK I feel dumb ...

Dawne.Hope — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:25:34 -0500

I don't have any thing to add ... only more questions! I've heard the chemo-induced menopause is common. One thing I hadn't heard until last week, was that tamoxifen will permantly stop your periods. Talked to a woman who had the type of cancer I had last week and she was pushing me to stop the tamoxifen because it would completely stop ovary function. Until then, I thought that tamoxifen only stopped estrogen from being absorbed in the breast. Didn't think Tamoxifen alone would completely stop periods forever. And definitely didn't think they would completely shut down my ovaries.

I'm confused! Reading through all these posts, just raised more questions and made me more confused. Moopy ... that's funny about the doctor in STL! :)

Any further info would be appreciated. Appreciate you all!

Chemo induced menopause or not.......

Eil4186 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:05:53 -0400

Hi everyone, I have been meaning to pose this question for a long time but never got around to it. I had my last period after my second treatment of Adriamycin/Cytoxan. That was July 2006. I had a bit of spotting six months after that but since then nothing.

However, according to my bloodwork I am still premenopausal. (Estradoil=99 FSH=12)
So I am wondering if its the tamoxifen that is stopping my period. My primary care doc said if you don't have a period for 12 months you are menopausal. My oncologist said I could still get my period back and I am not menopausal. At a conference I recently attended the oncologist who was the speaker told me that you are considered menopausal with no period for 12 months WITH NO hormone manipulation (and he said tamoxifen is considered hormone manipulation).