Your treatment may change your periods (menstrual cycle). Your periods may stop or become irregular. The amount of bleeding you have during a period may also change; it could be more or less.
It is important to know that even though your periods may stop or come less often, it is still possible to get pregnant.
When you have your period, you can use tampons if your platelets are at least “50” and your neuts are at least “1”. Follow the directions in the package of tampons to know what type to use and how often to change them.
If your platelets or neuts are too low, you should not use tampons. Use sanitary pads and change your pads often. Putting a tampon in your vagina can rub, scratch or tear the delicate lining inside. This could cause bleeding or infection. Also, if a tampon is left inside for too long, it could cause infection.
Your platelets may be very low at times while you are getting chemotherapy. This could cause heavy bleeding during your periods. To prevent this loss of blood, your oncologist may recommend controlling or stopping your periods during your treatment. This is done by taking birth control pills or a contraceptive medication called Depo-Provera.