Bleeding

Hi I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago at 47 and have been on tamoxifen for 13 months. I had periods throughout chemo etc but they stopped when I started to take tamoxifen. Now have abnormal bleeding. Went to see Gp and am on 2 week referral time to the hospital. Very upset and scared and wondering if anyone else has experienced abnormal bleeding with tamoxifen. Thanks

Hi,

Not completely the same as you but I have been on exemestane and zoladex for the last year.  I had bleeding after sex last summer and was referred under the 2 week wait by my oncologist (she wasn’t worried at all, she only referred me because I was worried).  I had all the scans and a colposcopy and everything was fine.  The bleeding is just due to changes in my cervix caused by the exemestane and zoladex. I have had a few more instances of bleeding and another normal colposcopy.

For me, it’s just one of those lovely side effects I guess I have to live with!

I hope you get your appointment quickly!

Hi, I’ve had a similar experience to you. So i started tamoxifen jan 2021, my periods immedietly stopped. Then in sep 2022 I suddenly had 2 episodes of bleeding. I contacted GP and had a gyne appointment where they discovered i had polyps which were removed. My oncologist then suggested changing to leterozole and zoladex. I was worried due to osteoperosis. Gyne are happy and not concerned but Im now worried whether I should change medication.

Dear @Hardy1  ,

Your experience is nearly the same as mine. I had the coil fitted before my diagnosis due to heavy periods (I have had previous surgery to remove fibroids). I had to have the coil removed as I am HER2+ and ER+ (mildly 4/8). I had a period the first week of chemo but they stopped. I started on Tamoxifen after chemo ended in July. Since then I have had two huge bleeds/periods. I bled for 9 days and was so heavy I had flooding through my clothes and bedding. It was horrendous. I did not know where to turn. My chemo nurse contacted my oncologist, who told me to get a gynaecologist appointment through my GP. Luckily they had a cancellation so I was seen very quickly. I had to have a camera into my womb and biopsies (thank goodness for gas and air). I also had an internal scan. There was no thickening of the womb and just a few small fibroids. My oncologist said I might need injections into my stomach to shut down my ovaries but I have not heard from them since my results. 

i am hoping when I stop Herceptin that all the side effects will settle down. My consultant said I might get back to normal periods but as I am 47, I might not.  It is so hard to know what to do.

I hope you get sorted and some answers soon. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone and I have had nearly an identical experience but results were all ‘normal’. Good luck xxx