Hi, ashamed to say it's quite a while since I was last here. Brief history... perimeno from early 40s with all the usual symptoms. Breast cancer diagnosis at 48, treated with surgery and then tamoxifen for 3 years, followed by anastrozole for 6 months. Both drugs either block the action of oestrogen, or inhibit it's production.
The tamoxifen caused my periods to stop (hurrah!) but there were side effects, including an overgrowth of the endometrium (I needed two hysteroscopies in that time, to check for changes).
I was switched to anastrozole because of the side effects. Anastrozole is for post-meno women, which they assured me I was. Haha! Six months after starting it, I began to bleed again. Immediately came off the anastrozole and a hysteroscopy was performed, this time showing some changes to the endometrium (hyperplasia without atypia). I was advised by the gynae department to take progestogen, to balance my oestrogen which was nearly 900pg/ml. Cancer consultant said 'No!', because my cancer is receptive to it. So I've been told to watch and wait.
So... another hysteroscopy planned for tomorrow, just 4 months after the last one. My oestrogen is still high (around 500 at the last test), and my other hormones raised too, so they think I'm neither pre- nor post-meno.
I feel rubbish. Bad headaches on and off, tiredness, mood swings, but the worst is the constant bleeding. Mostly spotting, but at certain times it's REALLY heavy, with clots, flooding... can't go out or do anything. Don't know when it's going to happen. This has been happening since March.
Rightly or wrongly I blame the drugs... I took them to protect me from cancer but my hormones are now completely messed up. I'm frustrated because I've already been through menopause while on the tamoxifen - hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, the lot! Now I'm bleeding again, and have all the symptoms of oestrogen dominance instead. And I'm worried the cancer will come back (anxiety!).
And to top it all off, I haven't even seen the consultant gynaecologist yet! I tried to get an appointment, my doctor even tried to get an appointment, but he insists that seeing him would change nothing and I just need to go for the hysteroscopies! It's like they're waiting for me to develop something more serious (cancer) before they talk to me. The bottom line could be a hysterectomy or oopherectomy. (Has anyone had this without hormone treatment afterwards? Presumably I won't be able to take anything.).
Aargh. Sorry. I just want my ovaries to shut down, preferably naturally! I started periods age 11 and I'm now 53, so I think that's enough! Sorry for the long post... :-(