@sarahmh Thank you for the extensive reply. It sounds like you’ve been through it! I’m sorry you had to suffer so long with depression. It is so easy for medical professionals to either dismiss it or want to medicate it away without looking at what might be contributing.
When I’ve done a quick search now about the link between hormone blocking therapy and depression the studies seem to indicate a low percentage (1-17% reported depression on Tam) but they go on to say that it’s hard to say if it’s the medication or a reaction to cancer. That may be the case for some women; not me. And, as you point out, even if a side effect is uncommon, that doesn’t make it unreal. I’m doing a little medication experiment (cut back to 10 mg) for a couple of weeks before my oncology appointment to see if it makes a difference. I’ll have to look into Exemestane as an option, too. I don’t think it would be the next step typically.
Anyway, thank you for your honesty in sharing your story.