hot flashes gone already?
 

Well I have been off Taxol for a month now, and last week my hot flashes stopped. Could it be that my ovaries are working already? I thought if I was going into menopause that the hot flashes would continue for awhile. I guess I could have my estrogen levels checked to see. Is that the only way to check if you are menopausal? I have not had a period since the start of Taxol, but I usually only had one or two a year anyways. I thought for sure that this would put me into menopause for good. Maybe it still will, but at least for now the hot flashes are gone.Thanks in advance for any input:

Hi Laurie,


My hot flashes stopped also about 1-2 months after my last Taxol. I had my first period about 3 months after. It was absolutely horrible and after 2 weeks of a very heavy cycle, they had to put me on meds to stop it. My doc said that some people still ovulate all through chemo, but don't have a period. Then when it finally does start, its a doozey. I was a little disappointed at first, because I suffered with those hot flashes for all those months. I almost just wanted it to stay away for good. I do have to admit though, that I feel much better now that things are back to normal. The aches and pains aren't as bad, no hot flashes, and my weight seems to be coming off, slowly but surely.

Love, Kelly

Having your hormone levels tested can only tell you what they are at that time. Mine were tested in January, showed that I was in menopause, and I had my first period in a year last week. It was a year to the week of my last one. My hot flashes did seem to slow the past few months.

Susan

My hot flashes also stopped soon after finishing taxol, and I was told that this was a good sign that I wouldn't be in permanent menopause (I was er/pr- and 37,so was hoping to get my period back). Unfortunately, I never got it back. I have had my hormone levels checked 3 times, about 4-6 months apart and every time they have come back indicating I am in menopause.


Laurie

The only way to tell for sure is to get your hormone levels tested. Do NOT let them only test LH and FSH. Ensure that estradiol is also tested. I was not a hot flasher (although I am known to be flashy at times) but I got my period back about 7 months after my last taxol treatment (and I was 46 years old). This was a diaster for me because I am 50% ER+ (PR neg) and was deemed postmenopausal due to LH and FSH readings only and was on Arimidex (of which you must be postmenopausal) so, therefore, this drug was doing nothing for me because I probably had enough estradiol in my system to not be postmenopausal but not enough to get my period back yet. To remedy this (because I have hormone positive cancer too which many of you responding to this message do not), I got my ovaries removed within about a month of the 1st period I had (plus I had two "spots" on the left ovary which were later deemed to be a double ovulation that "looked" funny most like due to the chemo/treatments etc).


Estradiol levels are the key along with LH and FSH. You are young enough for your cycles to come back.

Best to you

I only did 2 tac and then rads and then 6 cmf. Have been in chemopause for 2 1/2 years, since I did the tac. I was having what I thought was hot flashes before, but found out those were just warm flashes compared to what I go through now. And since they put me on cholesterol meds they are even hotter. People around me can tell when I'm having one because my face turns red.