What are my hormones doing??

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Hi I posted this on another thread (Periods after chemo)which has been going for a several months, but I am not sure if anyone has seen my latest posting so I thought I would post on a new thread.

My periods have not returned as yet since I came off Zoladex in January. I have to say I expected them to come back before now as I had a period 10 months after they stopped on chemo, despite being on tamoxifen. They then put me on Zoladex so I would be without periods for 2 years after treatment, hence why I came off the Zoladex. I have to say the hot flushes are far more bearable since I came off the Zoladex. What is strange is some weeks they are hardly noticable in the day and other weeks they come back with a vengence. I also feel really hormonal at times like I need to have a period. I also feel like my ovaries are trying to do something at times or I have a mild period like stomach ache. The intense PMT feeling goes for a while then comes back.

I am due to see my consultant next week and I am keen to know what my hormone levels are doing. I notice my blood test form is only to measure Oestradiol. I am wondering why he does not want to look at the other hormone levels like progesterone, FSH, LH, as surely this would give an indication as to whether my periods are trying to return or not.

I would like to know if anyone is in a similar position to me, and whether you feel like you have PMT on and off (without the periods!). I also would welcome any information/ advice on what other younger women have measured hormone wise in their routine blood tests.

Thanks Boo x

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Hi Boo

I’m in a similar position, though not on Zoladex - yet.

I started taking Tamoxifen in February, 3 weeks after finishing chemotherapy, alongside rads. Because I’d been pregnant and just had a baby, I didn’t have a period through chemo anytime soon after.

Last week, I had a period. My onc had said he hoped they wouldn’t return, and thought at my age (39) they wouldn’t. Like you, I have been feeling hormonal in a cyclical sort of way, with sharp ovary-type pain a couple of weeks before this period, so I guess that was ovulation. I had hot flushes for a couple of months when I started Tamoxifen, but they have stopped completely, which kind of ties in with ovulation returning.

I called my onc last week, left a message and chased yesterday, but am still waiting for him to get in touch and tell me the way forward. I’ll let you know when he does. BTW I haven’t had any bloodtests to check hormone levels but what you say makes sense - they should do the usual fertility-type tests to check our levels.

On the one hand I’m terrified of having oestrogen in my body. On the other, I’m so relieved to be feeling ‘normal’! xxxx Jane