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Breast Cancer and Menopause



At some point in every woman's life, her hormone production drops below the level required to continue her periods. Some women welcome the end to monthly bleeding, bloating, and inconvenience. But others find that menopause:
Menopause that happens suddenly because of breast cancer treatment can cause uncomfortable and extremely upsetting side effects, including affecting your ability to have children, sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently. All of which can be stressfull and upsetting.
There are different kinds of menopause. If you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, it's important to understand which kind of menopause you may be experiencing:
  • natural menopause, a normal part of the aging process
  • medical or surgical menopause that is the result of chemotherapy or ovary removal
  • "cold turkey" menopause from being taken off hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after you were diagnosed with breast cancer
The good news is that there are ways to manage symptoms and live more comfortably with menopause. By the way, I have found all those scary things I heard are not true. I was pushed through menopause so quickly at 43 my head was spinning. I am doing really great. I am exactly the same as I was pre breast cancer. That is the way that I feel, no boobs, no uterus and no ovaries. But I am in great shape!
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