Bioidentical hormones and breast cancer

I had a lumpectomy and partial radiation. I am not going on hormone blockers because of the terrible side effects AND my radiologist said I was a low risk
There’s so much talk about how our bodies need estrogen and i want to go back on HRT even though I was er+, pr+, her2-
But I see mixed messages
If I go on biodentical i feel it would be my best best. The hot flashes. Night sweats and lack of sleep are making it hard to “live” again. All my doctors say the minimal estrogen I was on prior to the breast cancer have nothing to do with my diagnosis yet why is it so hard to get back on!!!????

I miss my HRT!!!!!
I’m right there with you. I had small er/hr+ cancer/ lumpectomy & 5 radiation treatments 5 months ago and was on low dose HRT for 20 years. I miss my hormones! I am also not taking the hormone blockers either as I was told I was a low risk. The night sweats, sleep problems, mood swings & difference in my skin is driving me and everyone around me crazy. I want my hormones back! I’m thinking of going to a Chinese doctor for help.
I realize the hormones fueled my cancer, but if it took 20 years to be the size of a pea…if I take them again I’ll be in my 90’s by the time I get another slow growing hormone one. It goes against everything you read & the docs are saying so it’s just personal risk I can’t decide on.
Everyone’s journey is so different & I am thankful every day mine was found while it was so small. What to do? I miss my hormones!

Each and every person has to decide what is best for them in a cost vs benefit decision. @mre0503 you are not late to the party, you just got it started again.😂 you should make this decision with your doctor, there definitely is a wide range of beliefs about this among doctors. I am 20 years out from initial diagnosis and admit to struggling mightily with the hot flashes but my doctor said there was no safe level of estrogen for me. I took endocrine therapy to block estrogen for a total of 15 years. My journey started pretty young, in my 30s, and I had a pretty aggressive cancer so my choices were different than someone already in their 70’s, not harder, just different.
I love your statement that my body and mind are not the same, truer words have never been spoken. Like @sue417 I take an antidepressant (sertraline) that really does help a lot. Would this be something you are open to trying? Has your doctor mentioned the benefits to mood and hot flashes?

Most people don't realize we already had bio-identical hormones before the late Dr. Actress "discovered" them.
My breast tumor was estrogen-fed, so I have to take estrogen suppressors for 10 years. So far so good. At 63, I'm frankly surprised that I had any estrogen to suppress. As far as osteopenia/osteoporosis go, I have the start of osteopenia in my left femur, but it can be reversed at this stage. I was told to do weight bearing exercises for the rest of my life, to counteract the ill effects of suppressed estrogen on the bones. On the flip side, I am getting absurdly buff, but I seriously do not want to risk breaking a hip. It took a full 6 months after treatment ended to have enough energy to go to the Senior Center gym, but I go every day now.

I was on Vagifem for years before my breast cancer. They told me to stop taking it once diagnosed so I did. Afterwards about 5 months after diagnosis I got cystitis, then 2 UTI's (one of which I was actually passing huge blood clots) and simply put a very unhappy vagina and vulva. Went to the Gyn and she said I could use vaginal estrogen in much smaller doses. So I am using Estradiol cream, and it's ulta low dose and I am not even using the prescribed amount I'm using less. When I was going through menopause and well into my 60's I used 400 mg Indole 3 Carbinol and it was amazing, it totally got rid of my hormone imbalance. For breast cancer survivors they recommend DIM it can give you some mild headaches but some say it's as good as AI's but without the side affects and bonus it alleviates much of what you spoke of. DIM is a more stable version of Indole 3 carbinol. I feel your pain! I had to beg for this estradiol but I'm glad I did! Bonus I had a great checkup with the GYN, she got a great sample from my cervix and all looks good 🙂

@sue417 my view is that if our estrogen/estradiol is sufficiently suppressed, we will have the same side effects whether natural, pharmacuetical or other approach is used.