Forum Discussion

melp27's avatar
melp27
Member
14 years ago

my period is back!

hi everyone

few days ago i noticed that i had some slight menstrual bleeding like spotting. i was surprised as i hadnt had a period for 4 months since end of chemo. then it got more flow pretty close to the amount i used to get. am on tamoxifen. thinking i should make an appointment with my chemo oncolgist even though i havent seen him since i was doing chemo so he can just make sure my estrogen levels arent too high now that i have bleeding again. has been going since tuesday.

is it true that in SA sometimes the breast surgeons do the 6 monthly followups? because a 6 monthly appointment hasnt been scheduled with my chemo onc i guess because im done with chemo but i think there should be one so they can keep checking it hasnt spread to other parts of my body.

Am confused as it seems to be different in different states as to the process.

5 Replies

  • melp27's avatar
    melp27
    Member
    14 years ago

    i will try and get appointment with my oncologist this week but if not im needing to see my GP this week anyway so i will also tell her about the bleeding. I have a gyne doctor at RAH and am having pelvic ultrasounds regularly because i have a fibriod. It hasnt grown at all but i am having another ultrasound in june but he advised he would only want to see me if the result of the scan was abnormal.

  • Chris's avatar
    Chris
    Member
    14 years ago
    Hi Mel, I am in Sydney, and it is a year since my chemo finished. I have a 6 monthly check up with my breast surgeon amd a 6 monthly check up with the medical oncologist. These are spaced throughout the year, so that I am seeing one of them every 3 months, and I believe that this continues for at least a few years, when they drop off to yearly appointments each. I think it is important to have these check ups, so you can be closely monitored. During my 4 months of chemo, I would see the oncologist before each session, and after the last one, I had an appointment 4 months later, and are now on the 6 monthly visits. I did get treated as a private patient, so am not sure how they do it in the public system, but thought it was similar. I agree with Joy, that you should get it cheked out, however, as you are so young, it could be the return of your menstral cycle, as this does happen in many cases. If you can't see your oncologist, your GP could arrange blood tests. All the best. Love Chris xx
  • Chris's avatar
    Chris
    Member
    14 years ago
    Hi Mel, I am in Sydney, and it is a year since my chemo finished. I have a 6 monthly check up with my breast surgeon amd a 6 monthly check up with the medical oncologist. These are spaced throughout the year, so that I am seeing one of them every 3 months, and I believe that this continues for at least a few years, when they drop off to yearly appointments each. I think it is important to have these check ups, so you can be closely monitored. During my 4 months of chemo, I would see the oncologist before each session, and after the last one, I had an appointment 4 months later, and are now on the 6 monthly visits. I did get treated as a private patient, so am not sure how they do it in the public system, but thought it was similar. I agree with Joy, that you should get it cheked out, however, as you are so young, it could be the return of your menstral cycle, as this does happen in many cases. If you can't see your oncologist, your GP could arrange blood tests. All the best. Love Chris xx
  • Joy_K's avatar
    Joy_K
    Member
    14 years ago

    I think it depends on not only what state you live in but also what hospital you went to and whether you are in the Public or Private system. In the Public system in Victoria ongoing appointments are usually with your Medical Oncologist, while a friend in the Private system has follow up appointments with her Breast Surgeon and if anything comes up at these appointments she gets referred back to her Medical Oncologist.

    The actual process doesn't matter, what matters is you need to make an appointment with whoever wrote the script for Tamoxifen as you may be describing break through bleeding, but Tamoxifen can have other nasty side effects (however I don't think they manifest in the short time that you have been on the drug.)

    Perhaps you need a change to another type of estrogen suppressing medication (I'm currently on Faslodex) or even discuss surgical intervention if another tablet doesn't work.

    With love

    Joy K

  • Joy_K's avatar
    Joy_K
    Member
    14 years ago

    I think it depends on not only what state you live in but also what hospital you went to and whether you are in the Public or Private system. In the Public system in Victoria ongoing appointments are usually with your Medical Oncologist, while a friend in the Private system has follow up appointments with her Breast Surgeon and if anything comes up at these appointments she gets referred back to her Medical Oncologist.

    The actual process doesn't matter, what matters is you need to make an appointment with whoever wrote the script for Tamoxifen as you may be describing break through bleeding, but Tamoxifen can have other nasty side effects (however I don't think they manifest in the short time that you have been on the drug.)

    Perhaps you need a change to another type of estrogen suppressing medication (I'm currently on Faslodex) or even discuss surgical intervention if another tablet doesn't work.

    With love

    Joy K