menstrual cycle after chemo

fighting4five
fighting4five Member Posts: 71
in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone
I was wondering for those of you who were not already in menapause,when after chemo did your menstrual cycle return and was it normal?
I had Taxol first then 4 treatments of f/a/c my last chemo was on Dec.13 I did not have a period while on chemo.December 7 I had a very light period followed for a pinkish discharge for about a week and now a very heavy period with bad cramps.
My onc said this is normal after chemo but im a little worried that something may be wrong. (after the breast cancer I worry about everything) I will start taking Tamoxafin on January 3 so I also want to know what your cycle was like while on Tamoxafin before becoming menapausal?

Comments

  • Cinkal
    Cinkal Member Posts: 161
    #2
    I finished chemo in July and
    I finished chemo in July and got my first period December 5th. It was a pretty normal period. I am wondering if I am back to a normal cycle. I think I bled a little more than usual, but the bleeding had been getting a little heavier before the cancer.
    I know what mean about worrying. It is so hard not too.
    I am not on tamoxifin, so I can't help you there.
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #3
    Very normal periods for me
    I did 4 rounds of Taxotere/Cytoxan in 2009 when I was 40 -- I was and still am nowhere near menopause.

    I only menstruated about every 2 months during and immediately after chemo -- but, by 3 months after finishing chemo, my periods were back normal and regular like the moon.

    I've been on Tamoxifen for 2 years now, since just after finishing chemo, and it hasn't affected my periods at all. Even Tamoxifen can't deter my Aunt Flo!

    Listen to your oncologist when he/she says what you're experiencing is normal -- I know I don't have to tell you that chemo really REALLY screws with your body, so of course it's going to affect your periods too, and it's going to take some time for your body to readjust.

    I always thought of it as my body's way of saying, OMIGOD, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T PROCREATE WHILE YOU'RE DUMPING ALL THOSE CHEMICALS INTO ME! I'M GOING TO SHUT DOWN MY REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM, JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T!

    (Or maybe it's just MY body that talks to me like that? :-)

    Traci
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #4
    TraciInLA said:

    Very normal periods for me
    I did 4 rounds of Taxotere/Cytoxan in 2009 when I was 40 -- I was and still am nowhere near menopause.

    I only menstruated about every 2 months during and immediately after chemo -- but, by 3 months after finishing chemo, my periods were back normal and regular like the moon.

    I've been on Tamoxifen for 2 years now, since just after finishing chemo, and it hasn't affected my periods at all. Even Tamoxifen can't deter my Aunt Flo!

    Listen to your oncologist when he/she says what you're experiencing is normal -- I know I don't have to tell you that chemo really REALLY screws with your body, so of course it's going to affect your periods too, and it's going to take some time for your body to readjust.

    I always thought of it as my body's way of saying, OMIGOD, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T PROCREATE WHILE YOU'RE DUMPING ALL THOSE CHEMICALS INTO ME! I'M GOING TO SHUT DOWN MY REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM, JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T!

    (Or maybe it's just MY body that talks to me like that? :-)

    Traci

    Traci
    I wish some other people's bodies would tell them not to procreate while their brain cells are disengaged. We made a quick retail trip yesterday late afternoon and at LEAST 6 people walked out in front of us with their kids, you are just as hurt in a crosswalk if you walk in front of a car that can not see you as anywhere else.

    I am older,48, no more periods, don't miss them, thought I might

    Jennifer
  • Nashville5
    Nashville5 Member Posts: 6
    #5
    Just finished.
    Had a period for the first two months of chemo, then it quit. I'm 40 and no where near memopause. Just finish chemo on Dec. 15 and so far nothing. But alot remains to be seen. Onc Dr. said I wouldn't start Tamoxifan until after my surgery at the end of Jan.

    All that to say the two periods I did have were both very different from normal (for my anyway).
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #6
    no period here...
    Hi -- I finished chemo on July 7th of this year. My last period was April 15th. I harvested my eggs right before my first chemo, so now i wonder how my ovaries are doing. Going to see GYN the 24th of this month to check on them (i'm on tamoxifen; 5th month). I hear most people get it back - I am only 33. I was dx at 32.
  • patti anne
    patti anne Member Posts: 101
    #7
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    no period here...
    Hi -- I finished chemo on July 7th of this year. My last period was April 15th. I harvested my eggs right before my first chemo, so now i wonder how my ovaries are doing. Going to see GYN the 24th of this month to check on them (i'm on tamoxifen; 5th month). I hear most people get it back - I am only 33. I was dx at 32.

    never came back
    I was diagnosed in January of 09. Had a mastectomy, chemo and radiation. Finished chemo in May of 09 and started Tamoxifen in Sept of 09. I actually started my period on my first day of chemo. Yeah, what fun THAT was. :) I never got another period and still haven't. I was 42 at time of diagnosis. I don't think it will come back and I'm ok with that.

    Patti Anne
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #8
    patti anne said:

    never came back
    I was diagnosed in January of 09. Had a mastectomy, chemo and radiation. Finished chemo in May of 09 and started Tamoxifen in Sept of 09. I actually started my period on my first day of chemo. Yeah, what fun THAT was. :) I never got another period and still haven't. I was 42 at time of diagnosis. I don't think it will come back and I'm ok with that.

    Patti Anne

    Ihavent had anything since
    Ihavent had anything since my first chemo, I got my period during my first week and it was a killer with a migraine, nasty. Traci my bodies way of saying sistah ya wont miss me! But I 'm getting my last shot in. My friend who had BC 20 years ago went on tamoxifen a few years after her diagnosis as it was new for this. Anyway she said her periods were much lighter, she still got hot flashes. But managable.
  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #9
    My periods came back about 2
    My periods came back about 2 months after I stopped chemo. I've been on Tamoxifen for a year. My periods were very regular pre cancer. Now, they are a little different. I call them "irregularly regular". I go 5 weeks between then 3 weeks between then 5 weeks...etc. etc. The period after the 5 week break is really heavy and the one after 3 is very light. Go figure. The GYN did tell me they will continue to get more regular the further out from chemo you get.
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #10
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    no period here...
    Hi -- I finished chemo on July 7th of this year. My last period was April 15th. I harvested my eggs right before my first chemo, so now i wonder how my ovaries are doing. Going to see GYN the 24th of this month to check on them (i'm on tamoxifen; 5th month). I hear most people get it back - I am only 33. I was dx at 32.

    I don't know as I didn't
    I don't know as I didn't have chemo, but, it seems that most do not get their period back.

    Hugs, Megan
  • weazer
    weazer Member Posts: 440
    #11
    missingtexas said:

    My periods came back about 2
    My periods came back about 2 months after I stopped chemo. I've been on Tamoxifen for a year. My periods were very regular pre cancer. Now, they are a little different. I call them "irregularly regular". I go 5 weeks between then 3 weeks between then 5 weeks...etc. etc. The period after the 5 week break is really heavy and the one after 3 is very light. Go figure. The GYN did tell me they will continue to get more regular the further out from chemo you get.

    Never Came Back
    I started when I had my first chemo.March of 2009 Blead like a stuck pig and HORRIBLE Headache and pain throughout my entire body, found out on my next chemo that I was allergic to treatment, however we found a way to work it out so my body could tolerate it.
    But never had my visitor again.....Don't miss it, and with the help of my antidepressant my side effects are minimal....mood swings hot sweats etc, so no complaints
  • debi.18
    debi.18 Member Posts: 850 Member
    #12
    weazer said:

    Never Came Back
    I started when I had my first chemo.March of 2009 Blead like a stuck pig and HORRIBLE Headache and pain throughout my entire body, found out on my next chemo that I was allergic to treatment, however we found a way to work it out so my body could tolerate it.
    But never had my visitor again.....Don't miss it, and with the help of my antidepressant my side effects are minimal....mood swings hot sweats etc, so no complaints

    Not yet
    I was still taking the birth controll pill when I was diagnosed, but since I'm ER & PR positve, I had to quit taking it. I had one period after I quit, then started Taxol. Finished taxol the end of October and still haven't had one. My ONC says it might come back and it might not. Will be starting tamoxifen soon, so I kinda doubt it will come back - not that I'll miss it~
  • Skd
    Skd Member Posts: 1
    #13
    Did the same chemo as you
    Did the same chemo as you (fac x3 taxol x3) I had my periods through 5 of my chemos but then it stopped for 5 months and now they are somewhat regular, I get them between 25-33 days! I harvested my eggs for back up too so hopefully we can get pregnant naturally.

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