Can chemo trigger a second menopause?

[liioo]

Have a relative (female, 65) who had chemo last year. Thankfully recovered. But unfortunately seems to have had some personality changes since. Hard for her, and everyone around her.

The family are saying that the chemo has triggered a 'second menopause'. Is this something that can happen?

I know that chemo can trigger early menopause, but she has already been through menopause. But I have also read that chemo (and of course, the stress of cancer and treatment) can cause personality changes, struggles with mood etc.

Is it actually a second menopause, or is the family more using that as a description of what the effects feel like?

Thanks for any advice. I suppose I'd just like to understand more but can't ask. It's a little difficult to deal with her moods and temper. I want to be kind, of course.

To add: have googled but not finding anything.

what do they mean by second menopause? You can only have a second menopause if you've restarted periods etc which doesn't sound likely. I don't really know what they mean and suspect they don't really either

My Dd is just about to start zolaplex which is a drug often used as an adjunct to chemo for treating breast cancer. It puts you into a temporary medical menopause as a side effect. Might that be a drug which she is having??

But yes I agree you can’t have a second menopause. But if they’ve been reading the side effects leaflet they might be confused

Treatment can include hormone suppressors.

So the remaining oestrogen after menopause could be further depleted by ongoing medication.

Stress/anger/mood are all effects of menopause and if she's suffering from them, people might just be describing it as a second menopause due to that.

Or, the toll that chemo has taken on her body is a big change, just like menopause is a big change.

I suppose the cause of her change is pretty much irrelevant though - it's happened and it would be better to try and move forwards somehow.

I sometimes say I've had a "double menopause" because the chemo put me into menopause then I have to take further daily meds, possibly for the rest of my life, that further reduce my levels of progesterone & oestrogen, thereby enhancing menopausal effects. This is because my cancer was hormone-fed so perhaps there could be a similar situation?