Coming off tamoxifen early to have a baby
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FUBC: I went to a fertility doctor, but she said that tamoxifen actually increases fertility (but you don't want to get pregnant while taking it of course). Have you heard otherwise?
She ran some tests and looked at my ovaries and really wasn't worried even if I waited 5 years. I just don't want to wait that long and maybe we would even have time for 2 children if we wanted to go that route.
Best of luck, fd1! I'll be sending positive thoughts your way.
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Miranda,
My Oncologist's nurse mentioned something about it but again, it's not healthy for the baby getting pregnant when taking tamoxifen.
I hope you'll take a moment and think carefully and maybe get a 2nd opinion and if you can afford it, go for an egg retrieval before you start tamoxifen.
Chances of getting pregnant do go down with age. I personally regret that I didn't freeze my eggs when I was in my early 30s. My insurance would have covered it at the time too.
I also hope that one day laws with change and insurance companies will be forced to cover egg freezing for women under 45 and dx with BC, just like they cover mastectomies and reconstruction.
Lots of luck to you :-)
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update: I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant with boy/girl twins. I hit 5 years as a survivor this month. My question is for those like me that took the break from tamoxifen...when did you go back in after the baby was born. A day? A month? I'm just thinking of hormones and such are crazy after the baby or in my case babies arrive, I wasn't sure if there was a waiting period.
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HELP! CALLING ALL LADIES THAT HAVE HAD BABIES AFTER TREATMENT!
I'm a nervous wreck. My onc tested my tumor markers, they have always been in the 20s for the ca 27.29.
This time they drew them, I am 6 months pregnant with twins and they came back at 45. All the literature that Ive read said that pregnancy can elevate tumor markers benignly.
That still doesnt stop me from being nervous. Did anyone else have elevated markers when they were pregnant. My cea was completely normal. Just that stupid ca 27.29 was raised. I'm waiting on a call back for her to tell me what she thinks.
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No +ve tests yet..... only 3 months but really hoping for the miracle. I am not a patient lady.... sigh.
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sorry tatasis- I have no answers to your question. But hugs!
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My Dr called and said she wasn't worried. That it was most likely the pregnancy. Here's what I've found on line. Would still love to year from anyone tho.
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I usually get my CA125 drawn at the GYN at my yearly visit, and have a transvaginal ultrasound of my ovaries at the same time. I had this done early during my second pregnancy (less than a month along) and it came back elevated. It really threw me for a loop, and my anxiety went through the roof.
I went to see my Oncologist (he monitored me closely during both of my pregnancies, both post BC) and he was upset that the OB had even done this test during pregnancy. He said that pregnancy throws several of the tumor marker tests off. The CA27-29 marker is also one of those that is often elevated as a result of pregnancy.
When I had my tumor markers drawn after my baby was born, they were back in "normal" range.
My post BC babies are now 13 And 8. I was 27 at Dx and I'm now 17 years out from my Dx and still cancer free.
Congratulations on your pregnancy. Babies are a blessing, especially after a cancer journey.
(((Hugs)))
Tracy
P.S. I stopped Tamoxifen after 2 years to have my first baby. I didn't go back on it until August of this year after a ADH diagnosis
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that's a great story Tracy
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Hey There TataSister! Congrats on your pregnancy! That is amazing! What was your onc's opinion on stopping your hormone therapy to get pregnant? I was diagnosed a year and a half ago and have been on tamoxifen for a little over a year and zoladex for 10 months. My husband and I just got married and want to start a family within the next few years. Waiting the full 5 (now 10!) years on tamoxifen is so daunting. Anecdotally my oncologist mentioned that I should do at least 3 years of hormone therapy before 'taking a break' to have a baby.
Any insight would be helpful!
Thanks,
M
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first of all let me say Tracy, you just made my day. not only sharing your tumor marker story with me, but that you had two babies after dx. you're story just calmed me down for the next 3 months of this pregnancy. I won't worry so much now. thank you thank thank you. I've read they they can increase but I just needed to hear from a fellow survivor. sometimes it's good to just hear it from someone who has lived it.
Melissa- I did 6 months of tamoxifen alone before adding Lupron shots. then I was on that hormonal combination (tamoxifen + Lupron) for a total of 3 years. then I was cleared to try for baby number 2 and wound up with twins. I'll go back on tamoxifen for my remaining 7 years after the twins arrive. there's tons of research online. it's called a pregnant pause.
It's a scary thing to get rid of that safety net of tamoxifen at first, but so worth it when you see a test that says pregnant. For me it was not letting cancer dictate my life anymore. I'm so glad I took the plunge. Albeit a scary one, but worth every second.
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i was diagnosed at 34 when my son was 2. we were trying for a second child. i have seven embryos frozen. i really really want a second child. i am on lupron shots and middle of chemo.i am thinking of a pregnancy pause in 2 years but obvioulsy i am so scared since my cancer came after pregnancy.
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Hi everyone, I'm 3 years and 5 months out from my BC diagnosis. I was 31 and my son was a year old. I've been cleared by my MO to stop tamoxifen (farreston is actually what I take) and do IVF and use one of the 5 frozen embryos. I've been on the farreston for 2 years and 5 months. My cycle started today. I'm supposed to stop my farreston and take a birth control pill for 21 days. I'm frozen in fear now that the time has arrived. Everyone morning when I take my farreston, it makes me feel like I'm doing something to prevent BC from returning. It's a security blanket that I'm having a hard time mentally parting from.
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let us know how it goes novaring. So happy for u. Best of luck
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It's faint.... but I think it means success! Still 1 day early so I will check again tomorrow.
Meeting with my oncologist on Jan 11 so hopefully this is real and we don't have to debate whether or not to restart Tamoxifen just yet!
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It's faint.... but I think it means success! Still 1 day early so I will check again tomorrow.
Meeting with my oncologist on Jan 11 so hopefully this is real and we don't have to debate whether or not to restart Tamoxifen just yet!
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Congratulation Clarrn..thats a great holiday gift
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Hi Tatasis,
I'm 8 months pregnant right now and also had my ca 27.29 tested at about 5.5 months pregnant. My levels had also increased markedly (even more than yours). I wasn't sure if the increase was due to being off tamoxifen or from the pregnancy. The literature I found had stated that it was normal for it to rise in first trimester but I didn't know about other trimesters. My onc immediately called asking if I had any pains, headaches, bone aches etc. He made me stressed, and now at 8 months pregnant I obviously have all kinds of pains!! Like you I wanted to post on here immediately, but fearful of bad news and a resulting stressful pregnancy I didn't say anything and have tried to ignore it. My onc asked me to get re-tested two weeks after I give birth, so I'll check back in here then to let you know the results. I'm not sure if they will have gone down that quickly. If they are still high, I may ask to re-test again in case they are slowly going down.
This is a particularly anxious time for me, as I was diagnosed with bc at 8 months with my first pregnancy
I was hoping to try and breastfeed for at least 6 months before going back on tamoxifen (since I wasn't able to bf my first child) but I guess that will depend on my results. According to your literature, lactation can also cause an increase?? Hmm... Sending good thoughts for both of us -- we need to relax and do our best to have a healthy pregnancy. Congrats on the two little ones on the way!! Love to you!0 -
Hi ladies,
I've never posted here but I've followed this thread for about a year now. All the encouraging stories gave me so much hope!
I've been off tamoxifen since August and started trying in October - just found out I'm 6 weeks pregnant! I didn't have any meds to shut down my ovaries during chemo & also didn't harvest any eggs prior. It was such a whirlwind back then (as we all know), I had just had a baby 5 months before my diagnosis so it wasn't a major concern. I knew I was already blessed & didn't want to waste time on any additional tests, just wanted treatment to start ASAP. I had 4 cycles of chemo and a year of herceptin. I was on tamoxifen for almost two years before coming off to try. I was a little paranoid about coming off the meds so I went to see two different oncologists who specializein this. Both gave me the all clear to start trying - as well as my own Oncologist.
So here I am 6 weeks pregnant after all the treatment and no fertility help - it CAN happen!! I know it's early but I just wanted to spread a little hope to all of you trying out there! So many times I wondered if I'd even get pregnant...also expecting it to take A LOT longer than two months of trying.
Hope this helps!!
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dear all,
You are all so brave! Congratulations! You deserve all the hapiness in the world!
I am 38 now, dx at 36. I already have a 4yo girl.
I would love to have one more baby.
I had a small and low oncotype idc with no nodes, so I didn't had chemo.
I am on zoladex and tamoxifen for 5 y, so I have 3 more to go before try to conceive again (at 41! I hope it's not to late).
I'd like to know if any of you didn't have chemo, only tamox, or tamox+zoladex, and had success in conceiving?
Be happy!!!
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hi ladies!
I followed this board a long time ago and it gave me lots of hope on having children. I had a bilateral mastectomy after having stage 2b IDC, chemo and a year of tamox. 3 years after tamoxifen I got pregnant and now have a healthy 2 and a half year old boy. I'm pregnant again with my second and due in the new year!!
I came back to this board though because I just found another lump in the same breast and the ultrasound looked very suspicious... so I go for a biopsy tomorrow.
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SKD, I'll pray for good news from your biopsy!!
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I found out I have a reoccurrence of IDC,.. but possibly in my lymph nodes. I meet with the surgeon tuesday to see what is going to happen next and I'll probably be induced early.
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Very sorry to hear SKD. You are in my prayers dear.
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Hi everyone, just wanted to share my experience....
Despite my young age and reassurance from my onc that chemo would not greatly affect my ability to later conceive, I was diagnosed with infertility after my BC treatment. Although I still have regular periods, my egg quality/supply was greatly diminished. I was scared and felt rushed into chemo without seriously considering my options to freeze eggs before treatment. My onc's confidence mislead me into thinking that it most likely wouldn't affect me. Well, it did. Now my only option is adoption or donor oocyte. We have opted to try donor eggs and it's not a cheap or easy process.
I guess I just wanted to reach out and let other young ladies know that still want to have a family someday - please don't rush into treatment without talking to a fertility doctor. Highly consider egg freezing. I was worried about cost, but the cost down the road if you are not able to conceive is much worse. Oncologists are so focused on the present situation and ridding the cancer, that they forget to think about quality of life after treatment. We are just thrown into this whole process. I was just doing what the doctor told me. I didn't have time to think or research... But the whole reason we are fighting and trying to beat cancer is to work for our dreams of having a longer and happier life. Having a family is a dream for many of us young people.
I also was not aware of resources that are available to us. I strongly feel that this is something my oncologist or the cancer center should have informed me of. Livestrong has a fertility program to help offer discounts to breast cancer patients for egg freezing and for post treatment fertility issues. Please look them up and apply. They have been so helpful to me for post treatment fertility and my costs of trying donor oocyte have been reduced some.
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I was also told my fertility would have an 85% chance of being fine, but my FSH levels sky rocketed to 13-15 which is higher than most clinics will let you use your own eggs.
But my oncologist let me off my tamoxifen to try for six months and we are now 6 weeks pregnant!
In hindsight, I do wish I had slowed down during the fertility talk and had frozen some eggs as this baby is no small miracle in my mind.
Good luck to everyone and prayers for SKD!
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SKD, I'm so sorry you are dealing with this at the same time you will be caring for a new baby. That's just not right. Sending all my strength and wishing you a complete return to health
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fightfortwo_ I sent you a private message.
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I had my ultrasound yesterday. I am 8 weeks but measuring only 7. No heartbeat even with ultrasound transvaginally. I go back on the 27th to confirm either way, but it doesn't look promising. I am devastated.
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clarrn
Life is so unfair. 0
