I'm on Tamoxifen but started my period, What's Up??

frog08

I've been on Tamoxifen since the end of March. I finished with chemo in January/2004, finished with radiation March/2004. I have not had a period since last September. Since my tumor was estrogen positive, I was in hopes that my period would never come back. I'm 43 years old and was not menopausal before chemo. Doc said tamoxifen would probably throw me into early menopause, so no need to take out ovaries. Meds would prevent production of estrogen. However, I started my period this morning, so what's up. Called doc. He's on vacation. GYN doc can't see me until Monday. Anybody have anything they could share with me. I'm scared! This means the cancer could be growing again somewhere??!!
Thanks, Linda

sassysally

Frog, this does not by any means mean the cancer is growing somewhere else. This just means that your body is getting back in sync. The first time I had cancer was in 1991 I was 28 and all the way through chemo and beyond my periods kept coming like clock work. I was ER positive. I had my son when I was 33. Take a deep breath. It will be ok. Go talk with your GYN. I finally had my ovaries removed at the age of 40 for they became cyst filled. I subsquently had cancer at 36 and again at 40, but it had nothing to do with my ovaries. When they removed my ovaries there was no cancer in sight there. Take it one day at a time, but just because your period came back is no reason to think that the cancer has returned. I was clean for 8 yrs after the first occurence, and 4 after that, and am now back to 3yrs. It is good to get things checked. Don't panic.... it will be fine. This is just your body telling you it is getting back to normal after all that it has been through. HUGS ...by the way I am now 42. If you have any questions, email me at RSMITH2@new.rr.com

Sassy

frog08

sassysally said:

Frog, this does not by any means mean the cancer is growing somewhere else. This just means that your body is getting back in sync. The first time I had cancer was in 1991 I was 28 and all the way through chemo and beyond my periods kept coming like clock work. I was ER positive. I had my son when I was 33. Take a deep breath. It will be ok. Go talk with your GYN. I finally had my ovaries removed at the age of 40 for they became cyst filled. I subsquently had cancer at 36 and again at 40, but it had nothing to do with my ovaries. When they removed my ovaries there was no cancer in sight there. Take it one day at a time, but just because your period came back is no reason to think that the cancer has returned. I was clean for 8 yrs after the first occurence, and 4 after that, and am now back to 3yrs. It is good to get things checked. Don't panic.... it will be fine. This is just your body telling you it is getting back to normal after all that it has been through. HUGS ...by the way I am now 42. If you have any questions, email me at RSMITH2@new.rr.com

Sassy

Thank you so much for your response. I just had a check up in July and everything was ok, but I guess I got a little freaked out when I started. I hadn't had it in over a year, and didn't expect to see it again. It is really heavy. Maybe because I haven't had it so long?? My cancer was really aggressive. It had already invaded 3 lymph nodes, so my first thought was to panic, because I knew that the estrogen was pumping through my body again. Thank you so much for your encouragement. It was just what I needed to hear. It was just a reminder to me that we are never certain of tomorrow, a reminder of all that I've been through in the last year. Thank you again for your encouragement. Linda

bevwells

The same thing happened to me. I'm 43 now and went without a period for 21 months! I was on tamoxifin for about 18 months when I got my period (in July 2004). I haven't had another one since. I'm have a biopsy done in Nov. to be sure everything is ok down there. It's scary, but that period was as normal as any period except very heavy. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm getting mixed facts about tamoxifin and periods. One person says you shouldn't have periods when on tamox and one person says it's not the tamox that is stopping your periods.