Told I need a full hysterectomy due to reoccurring periods whilst taking tamoxifen

Hi HeidiGirl 

I'm sorry to read that you're facing further surgery and it's natural to want to see what others in your position have done.

I noticed that your post hadn't had any replies yet so responding to you will 'bump' it back to the top of the discussion list.

Wishing you all the best with whatever you decide to do.

Hi HeidiGirl,

I had a similar situation to you after I started Tamoxifen 3 years ago.  However, I stopped after 1 year of being on it because of the debilitating side effects. My predict score was 0.7% chance of recurrence if I stopped taking it, but the side effects were so debilitating that I decided to take me chances.  Within a month of stopping I started bleeding. long story short - over the course of that year, I had 3 separate bleeds, all resulting in the removal of a polyp. (2 from my cervix and 1 from my womb)  My gynaecologist told me that she treats lots of women for polyps who are on Tamoxifen and after my last polyp removal,  I too was offered a full hysterectomy.  However, I have not had any bleeding or symptoms since the last removal (9 months) so for now I have chosen against it.  I too felt it could have had huge implications regarding surgical menopause and not being able to take HRT, I would be straight back to the awful symptoms that I experienced whilst being on Tamoxifen.  It's a tough choice.  I asked this question on a breast cancer facebook group. The majority of women who had the operation advised against having my ovaries removed as they felt that made the menopausal side effects worse.

I really feel for you, as you will not know the side effects until it's too late. Sorry, I've not been of much help but I just wanted you to know that you are not alone x

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it. 

It's such a hard decision to make. I've got friends advising me on both sides. One friend from Germany has said that a full hysterectomy wouldn't be considered there unless there was a major reason. 

I may seek a 2nd opinion from another gynaecologist.