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How cancer treatment can trigger menopause

The “M” word… Menopause… yeah, we talk about upcoming changes in our life with our peers, and with our friends/family members who are older then us to understand what “it” is like. But I'd had NO idea that women going through cancer treatments could be instantly put into menopause—yes, even young women. Nobody talks about this type of menopause.

There are three ways this can happen, and sometimes cancer patients have all three methods happening to them within several weeks of each other.

Method #1: Chemotherapy
On day 15 of the chemo treatments (a day after my second treatment), I was feeling just a tad green... then, my hair decided to fall out and my body went into chemo-induced menopause—all on the same day. I felt like a package of instant oatmeal you nuke in the oven… hot! hot! hot! I remember wearing my wig uptown for the first time, and almost fainting on the sidewalk when the first “hot flash” happened… it was almost a bald woman down situation. Not a pretty sight! But funny… I sat down on the edge of the sidewalk and started laughing (it was better then crying).

Method #2: Other drugs
For example, tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment.

Method #3: Surgery
Hysterectomy/ovary removal.

Most of the time, these methods are permanent for keeping women in menopause. For me, it wasn’t, which has been a surprise. I actually did a little happy dance when I got my period back. It was a signal to me that my body was slowly returning to its normal operating system and that it was starting to become stronger and was healing. Needless to say I was more then happy to lose the “flashes.”

For women who go through this “instant cancer menopause”—it is a very stressful time and there are limited medical interventions available that will complement their cancer treatments. Thus as patients we’re left making difficult decisions re: quality of life vs. quality of health. We live with the results of the choices we made, and keep our fingers and toes crossed that we made the right ones given the information we had at the time. These are not easy choices. We have had so many changes happening to our bodies all at the same time, it is difficult to consume and digest all the medical information that is given to us and know what is right for us.

So the real menopause still awaits me… I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'd kind of like to have my periods forever now. I can’t believe I said that!

Take care
Jordan

Jordan is a Best Health reader and guest blogger. Find links to all of her posts on the Breast Cancer Blog home page.

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Posted by Jordan onFriday, August 29th, 2008 - 11:15am

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2 Comments

Michelle, you are just, just coming out of the tunnel, where you can see and feel "hope" ahead of you. It's a little like ocean waves, where you get hit, and then there is calmness and then you get hit again.

The "mental" part of the healing is what lies ahead of you... the how much to push yourself vs. how much to nurture yourself balance is a very critical and fine line. You are very, very wise not to participate in the CIBC run until you are ready... and maybe one day it will be just be a walk vs. a run when you do participate, and that's okay too. Your family has been through a lot along with you, and they have been touched inside far greater then you and I will ever know. Treat yourself and your loves one tenderly. It is important for you to know that you are still healing, and it will take severals months (years) for this process to happen. All the good drugs that they gave us, killed the bad guys, but it also killed some of the good guys too... they need a chance to heal.

And I too spent a Christmas bald, a pretty humbling experience to say the least and one I never ever hope to repeat. I am guessing your hair is just starting to come back .... every day when you look in the mirror you are greeted by a new you.... a rather strange feeling isn't it. I was very, very thankful to have hair again.

Michelle... thank you for you kind words, and be really, really good to yourself.

Take care,
Jordan

Submitted by Jordan on Fri, 2008-09-12 4:53pm.

Jordan,
I too am a survivor. A newby at best. I finished my Tx June 13th 2008. I had the entire gammet of tx's and have experienced all that you write about. My hair fell out just before Christmas. Imagine a pale hunched over bald woman. I had reconstruction using the DIEP flap proceedure. My Plastic surgeon is AMAZING! My ONC is a really sweet man who is very empathetic and understanding and a great persuader. When I started Taxotere and Herceptin I was violently ill and ended up in the hospital with neutropenia and dehydration. I still have GI issuses. He was able to convince me to continue on.
I have three kids and a husband who have really pulled together and have stepped up when it was and is needed. I am blessed. Too bad it takes something such as this to make us realize what we mean to each other.
I am planning on training for next years run. I am still so very tired and don't think that I can do this to my body right now. I unfortunately have developed LVEF and am under the care of a Cardiologist. This is caused by the Herceptin. So I too am not able to have long term coverage for reccurence.
50/50 that my heart will return to normal......only time will tell.
I am trying to put our life back together and have some "normal". I will follow your journey and offer "sisterhood" support.
Thank you for being open about BC and life afterwards.

Submitted by Michelle Dick on Tue, 2008-09-09 12:47pm.