Will menopause start while on chemo?

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laurissa
laurissa Member Posts: 773
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm 49 pre-menopausal with regular periods. My chemo drugs are Cytoxan and Taxotere. 6 rounds every 3 weeks. Do these put me in menopause now? I dread getting hot flashes, never had them.

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  • jennytwist
    jennytwist Member Posts: 896
    #2
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    Chemo put me into menopause
    Hi Laurissa,
    I had dose-dense chemo - every two weeks for 16 weeks. I had one period about in the middle and then nothing. The Dr said I would go into menopause. I'm 55 and was still as regular as when I was 21!!! No signs of menopause at all! -My oldest sister didn't get done until she was 60 so I guess it would have happened late for me as well. I know some stop for a while and then start up again - I think that depends on your age. I'm taking tamoxifen now too and one of the side effects is hot flashes - so I'm hot flashing from both the menopause and the tamoxifen - I recently took a fan to work! I'm thinking we are all different with how our bodies react to this - ask your Dr - I'm sure he/she will be able to give you the info - it probably also depends on what chemo drugs you are taking. I had the two you are on + Adrimycin (spelled?).
    take care-
    Jenny
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #3
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    jennytwist said:

    Chemo put me into menopause
    Hi Laurissa,
    I had dose-dense chemo - every two weeks for 16 weeks. I had one period about in the middle and then nothing. The Dr said I would go into menopause. I'm 55 and was still as regular as when I was 21!!! No signs of menopause at all! -My oldest sister didn't get done until she was 60 so I guess it would have happened late for me as well. I know some stop for a while and then start up again - I think that depends on your age. I'm taking tamoxifen now too and one of the side effects is hot flashes - so I'm hot flashing from both the menopause and the tamoxifen - I recently took a fan to work! I'm thinking we are all different with how our bodies react to this - ask your Dr - I'm sure he/she will be able to give you the info - it probably also depends on what chemo drugs you are taking. I had the two you are on + Adrimycin (spelled?).
    take care-
    Jenny

    Laurissa .. Yes You probably will go into menopause ..
    Thank God it's cooler .. I started with the hot flashes in August - taking 3 to showers per day .. peeling off my clothes at night .. I am on 18 weeks of TCH - and Herceptin. I have not had a period .. since starting chemo 9/8 ... I am in my 40's .. so this all confusing .. However, I am hopeful that once I finish my chemo treatments in late December - all my CHEMO side efforts will be a distant memory.

    Bi-lateral mac'ty is my option, rads may not be needed.

    Call onc and see what he or she presribes for you. Did you Onc give you any literature regarding your treatment, clinical trial information or general reading materials?

    Best Wishes, and remember to layer --


    VickiSam
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #4
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    I was on the same thing and
    I was on the same thing and my Dr told me it would force me into "early" menopause and it did. Suddenly I had no periods and lots of hot flashes. I want to say we will get used to it but I don't know. I will be starting Tamoxifen soon and my Dr says it will cause more hot flashes.
    I turned 48 exactly a month after beginning chemo. Before this I thought I had a few more years before this happened! Whatever it takes to be cancer free is worth it.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #5
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    elm3544 said:

    I was on the same thing and
    I was on the same thing and my Dr told me it would force me into "early" menopause and it did. Suddenly I had no periods and lots of hot flashes. I want to say we will get used to it but I don't know. I will be starting Tamoxifen soon and my Dr says it will cause more hot flashes.
    I turned 48 exactly a month after beginning chemo. Before this I thought I had a few more years before this happened! Whatever it takes to be cancer free is worth it.

    I had the same regimen
    Every organisms is different.
    I had my last period after my first Chemo. This regiment forced me into early menopause. Along with side effects of Chemo it was awful. I did not realize that it is permanent. My oncologist never mentioned induced menopause as a side effect of Chemo.
    I hoped that periods will come back it did not happen during radiation.. Now being on tamoxifen, I got to the point that I am menopausal at the age of 47.
  • Deb1969
    Deb1969 Member Posts: 165
    #6
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    New Flower said:

    I had the same regimen
    Every organisms is different.
    I had my last period after my first Chemo. This regiment forced me into early menopause. Along with side effects of Chemo it was awful. I did not realize that it is permanent. My oncologist never mentioned induced menopause as a side effect of Chemo.
    I hoped that periods will come back it did not happen during radiation.. Now being on tamoxifen, I got to the point that I am menopausal at the age of 47.

    Im 39, had my second round
    Im 39, had my second round of Adriamycin/Cytoxen. My onc said it would more than likely bring on early menopause. My period came this Sunday but was very light lasted for only two days. I guess everyone body is different, well just hafta wait and see what happens.
    Deb
  • e_hope
    e_hope Member Posts: 370
    #7
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    YES...YES...YES....
    I am 36 and had Cytoxan and Adromycin and Taxotere.. and My period stopped after the first treatment.. Luck me.. I went to my very first chemo with my period and never got another one.. Its been 5 months.. no one can tell me if it will be gone for ever or not.. and the hot flashes suck.. and mine are worse since I finished chemo...
    LOL.. I think my hubby is going to move out of our room because I have to sleep with all the window open and the fan on.. and still some nights I am sweating to death..

    Good luck..
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #8
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    e_hope said:

    YES...YES...YES....
    I am 36 and had Cytoxan and Adromycin and Taxotere.. and My period stopped after the first treatment.. Luck me.. I went to my very first chemo with my period and never got another one.. Its been 5 months.. no one can tell me if it will be gone for ever or not.. and the hot flashes suck.. and mine are worse since I finished chemo...
    LOL.. I think my hubby is going to move out of our room because I have to sleep with all the window open and the fan on.. and still some nights I am sweating to death..

    Good luck..

    Yes
    I am 45 and started my period the first day of chemo 3/10 then had another one 4/2 and another one 4/19 and nothing since. I live in Maine and in March I was sleeping with the window open and a window fan on but had to keep my bedroom door closed so the heat would not be on all the time. Hot flashes are the worst--it is your whole body that sweats and it sucks. I found that jersey sheets are the best they soak up the sweat and you don't wake up all the time like when I had regular cotton sheets on. At work I have a fan on all the time and some of the other women are freezing and are wrapped up in fleece blankets.

    I only have to deal with a 6 year old and not a husband and sometimes that isn't easy either.

    Margo

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