Wonder if any of you can comment or give advice. I started chemo (FEC100 followed by T) and I was told that my periods would stop. I am/was pre-menopausal with a clockwork cycle that ran perfectly every 28 days. Today, 10 days after I would have been due, I am having the mother of all periods. It looks and feels very much like a real period, very heavy, which happens to me every few cycles.
Can I ask if this is normal or typical? It worried me as I was seriously not expecting it, because I didn’t come on the day I expected to, I just assumed that the onc was right and they had gone forever.
I was told my periods would stop as well - if they ever started again as I had a contraceptive implant prior to diagnosis - but low and behold got my period just as the side effects from FEC number 2 were kicking in.
I suppose it varies person to person, but I am assuming it will slow down as treatment progresses?
Thank you very much for your replies, they helped a great deal.
I was/am just shocked at how heavy my period is (and the fact that I had one at all), chemo nurse said that I need to keep an eye on it and keep them informed if it stays this heavy and if it causes me to get tired. Question is, how will I know if it is chemo or period making me tired?
We have to play so many guessing games don’t we? :womanhappy:
I was also told my periods would stop, which they did eventually. Was also told that they may also come back too. Mine stopped prob around my 3rd Fec. I finished my Tax treatment in January 2014 and up until Feb this year, I thought they’d stopped forever! But I had a light period in Feb. Not sure if this is a one off - so I’ll have to monitor it. But the breast care nurse said it was a sign my body was returning to normal after all the chemo etc.
Each case is different. I was sure I’d gone thru the menapause etc as I’d gone thru all the hot sweats palava - mostly due to treatment though. But apparently I was proved wrong only a couple of weeks ago !
Speak to the Breast Care nurse - they are always on hand to offer good advice. X
Hi Sue?
Thankyou for letting us know,always nice to hear from ladies further down the road from us with advice and experience.i think mine is on the same way as yours,as I had a 2nd period after my 2nd FEC and was minimal,so I reckon by FEC 3 i doubt if I’ll get one.
Amazing how it takes practically a year then for your body to get back to normal after Chemo.
Hope you are well?
Hugs Rachel X
I’m just having 6 x FEC, and was also told my periods would stop. However the first 2 cycles brought with them the worst periods I have ever had, then the 3rd was just spotty and now after the 4th cycle they have stopped altogether.
I’m not sure what will happen when chemo ends - I should be starting hormone therapy so I guess that will see them off.
Hi - hope everyone is doing ok at the moment and managing to enjoy the Easter weekend. My experience is similar too - I had heavy periods that coincided with my first 2 FEC treatments (just what you need!), then nothing since. Think that’s probably it for me as I am 53 xx
Hi. Hunnybee,
I think it’s normal I asked my consultant if it was alright for you to have your periods back again and said yes, for some they come back and some don’t. My period stopped on either the 2nd or 3rd chemo I’m sure, stopped for about a couple of years then it came back for about 3 or 4 months, but was a lot lighter and only lasted 2-3 days, it has now stopped again I reckon about another 4 months, it kind of worried me because I thought your periods stop for good, just seen my consultant the other week and asked then, but seems to think it’s fine, maybe just keep a note of when your on them and how long they last for, if worried ask to get checked out. It does sometimes worry me all this.x
I to were perimenapausall, no period for 6 months then the mother of all 9 days after FEC 1. I measured loss at about 400mls (normal for a period is (80 approx) and a drop in Hb from 137 to 118, I felt very compromised. At Hb 118 it was still deemed appropriate for me to do FEC2. I did and became very symptomatic of anaemia. My team was really not that interested.
What I did find, when doing a lot of researching is “Dexamethasone” could be the culprit in a lot of these incidences as it causes thickening of the uterine lining.