Menopause after breast cancer

Posted by sue417 @sue417, Jul 25 12:30pm

Hi
It has been 7 months since they took me off my H.R T. I was on it for ten years. I felt fantastic, I have just started having wicked symptoms. Anxiety. Depression, sadness, fatigue, mood swings. It's crazy.I feel like I am going crazy some days.I just want to feel like myself again. I saw my general practitioner yesterday , so she has referred me to an Endocrinologist which I will have to wait 2 to 4 wks to see. In the meantime I am taking lorezepam .When the panic attacks hit. I do vagifem for dryness but it doesn't do anything other than address the vaginal dryness. I do not understand why the cancer clinics do not have support for women after treatment. My hp does not believe in anti Depressant which is so wrong

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Hi
Anyone that's hormone postive breast cancer and was on hrt prior. What are you taking for menopause systems and us it working. I have wicked hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety plus fibro. Awaiting a dr appt to get meds.

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@sue417

Hi
Anyone that's hormone postive breast cancer and was on hrt prior. What are you taking for menopause systems and us it working. I have wicked hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety plus fibro. Awaiting a dr appt to get meds.

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I feel your pain, although I have not learned yet if my breast cancer is hormone related and I am dreading finding out. I am on HRT and I have been very happy and content with it. I do not want to go off! So I will be very interested to read any helpful responses to your question.

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@marywc

I feel your pain, although I have not learned yet if my breast cancer is hormone related and I am dreading finding out. I am on HRT and I have been very happy and content with it. I do not want to go off! So I will be very interested to read any helpful responses to your question.

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Hi
Have you had surgery or biopsy yet? If I can tell you anything it is be proactive in getting on something soon after they take you off hrt. My story has been a nightmare . My gp thru me out of his practice after my 1st surgery yelling at me . I had to many health issues. It was very traumatic when I found a new dr 2mths later she was worse, refused to give me any meds to help. So I delisted from her now I have a new young g.p had a 1 hr 1st meeting and he still wanted to wait 4 wks before giving me anything. He wants me to track daily all symptoms I see him this week to review then he will put me on a med. I have complicated fatigue from radiation fibro. Menopause symptoms. He wants to put me on 1 med for all. It's been very difficult. I have been trying to get help since may 1.

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@sue417

Hi
Anyone that's hormone postive breast cancer and was on hrt prior. What are you taking for menopause systems and us it working. I have wicked hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety plus fibro. Awaiting a dr appt to get meds.

Jump to this post

I think I understand what you’re asking. I was on Hormone replacement therapy and loved them too. I had a very mild to no menopause symptoms ( I was 60- now 61). Found breast cancer at mammogram, I had lumpectomy on left breast and reconstructive surgery on both. A second surgery due to missing margins. 15 days radiation, then started anastozole(sp) - put me in a tale spin mentally and physically. Took a vacation from it and took about a month to get right. I am a low dose of duloxetine to help with anxiety. I started a new AI exemestane and is agreeing better with my body. I am going to acupuncturist to help with joint aches, sleep issues and fatigue. I also do a healthy yoga and a. Breathing yoga. I’m doing well- but it’s a “new” normal. Acupuncture was a game changer. Ask me other questions if you need to.

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@celestebradham

I think I understand what you’re asking. I was on Hormone replacement therapy and loved them too. I had a very mild to no menopause symptoms ( I was 60- now 61). Found breast cancer at mammogram, I had lumpectomy on left breast and reconstructive surgery on both. A second surgery due to missing margins. 15 days radiation, then started anastozole(sp) - put me in a tale spin mentally and physically. Took a vacation from it and took about a month to get right. I am a low dose of duloxetine to help with anxiety. I started a new AI exemestane and is agreeing better with my body. I am going to acupuncturist to help with joint aches, sleep issues and fatigue. I also do a healthy yoga and a. Breathing yoga. I’m doing well- but it’s a “new” normal. Acupuncture was a game changer. Ask me other questions if you need to.

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If you had mild to no symptoms with the ALs why did you do accupunture? I am thinking on doing something for my hip area discomfort and hot flashes that aren't terrible but they do wake me up at night too many times. Did you needed accupunture because of something else ?

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@claudiaovando1

If you had mild to no symptoms with the ALs why did you do accupunture? I am thinking on doing something for my hip area discomfort and hot flashes that aren't terrible but they do wake me up at night too many times. Did you needed accupunture because of something else ?

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Mild to no symptoms was prior to cancer being found.

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@sue417

Hi
Anyone that's hormone postive breast cancer and was on hrt prior. What are you taking for menopause systems and us it working. I have wicked hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety plus fibro. Awaiting a dr appt to get meds.

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Sue, your experience sounds horrific! I am so sorry. My 4 mm area was found on a mammogram. Because I knew I was starting Medicare on September 1st I have waited and I have my biopsy on September 18th. It’s been 6 months since they saw something suspicious. The radiologist thinks it’s DCIS. I’m still hoping they’ll say, “oh it’s nothing after all”. “They” are not happy I’ve waited 6 months but I was so close to being on Medicare I decided to wait. I’m very curious and interested to know if it has grown and by how much. DCIS - if that’s what I have - is non invasive and considered stage 0. If it has not grown in these past 6 months and if it’s non invasive and if it’s stage 0, I’ll be tempted to say, “can we just keep an eye on this and see what has happened in the next 6 months?”

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@sue417

Hi
Anyone that's hormone postive breast cancer and was on hrt prior. What are you taking for menopause systems and us it working. I have wicked hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety plus fibro. Awaiting a dr appt to get meds.

Jump to this post

I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0, grade 3 in mid May. I had two tumors in the left breast. I was ER positive so immediately went off my estrogen patch. Within a few weeks I was experiencing hot flashes and night sweats and I was miserable. My bilateral mastectomy was scheduled for August 20 and I was not getting any sleep so my primary prescribed a low dose of anti anxiety med, along with an anti depressant. I guess there's some evidence that the antidepressant can help with menopause symptoms. I decided to wait until I was done with surgery to start the antidepressant med and just used the anti-anxiety med leading up to surgery which took the edge off my anxiety. This worked well for me. Hope this information helps.

REPLY
@marywc

Sue, your experience sounds horrific! I am so sorry. My 4 mm area was found on a mammogram. Because I knew I was starting Medicare on September 1st I have waited and I have my biopsy on September 18th. It’s been 6 months since they saw something suspicious. The radiologist thinks it’s DCIS. I’m still hoping they’ll say, “oh it’s nothing after all”. “They” are not happy I’ve waited 6 months but I was so close to being on Medicare I decided to wait. I’m very curious and interested to know if it has grown and by how much. DCIS - if that’s what I have - is non invasive and considered stage 0. If it has not grown in these past 6 months and if it’s non invasive and if it’s stage 0, I’ll be tempted to say, “can we just keep an eye on this and see what has happened in the next 6 months?”

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Hi
Mine was d c I s also hormone positive her2 negative stage 0.
But the thing is when they removed it and they did the pathology. They found a microscopic break in one of the walls. So that meant I had to have radiation and then. I had a second surgery for my sentinel nodes. Because they had to see if anything went there.Luckily they only removed one and it was cancer-free.And it was the only one that lit up with the die they inject. Radiation they don't tell you how Severe the fatigue can get. I am five months out and it's been pretty tough but I also have fibromyalgia and dealing with the loss of 2 family members and 2 friends during my treatment. I hope it goes well for you

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@rylee2019

I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0, grade 3 in mid May. I had two tumors in the left breast. I was ER positive so immediately went off my estrogen patch. Within a few weeks I was experiencing hot flashes and night sweats and I was miserable. My bilateral mastectomy was scheduled for August 20 and I was not getting any sleep so my primary prescribed a low dose of anti anxiety med, along with an anti depressant. I guess there's some evidence that the antidepressant can help with menopause symptoms. I decided to wait until I was done with surgery to start the antidepressant med and just used the anti-anxiety med leading up to surgery which took the edge off my anxiety. This worked well for me. Hope this information helps.

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Hi
What anxiety med are you on if I may ask

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