to @islandelder and @samanthavon and @roch : I'm guessing that the radiation was not a direct cause of the emotional upsets... rather the AI is the culprit. AIs mess with our hormones (and cause a dozen or so other side effects at times). I haven't acquired trigger finger (yet), but I do get infrequent bouts with carpal tunnel syndrome from the Anastrozole. Luckily, I know how to treat it by soaking it in warm water and wearing a wrist brace at night.

As noted a few months ago in this forum, because I am so hypersensitive to most pharmaceuticals, I made the decision to take only half an Anastrozole/day... much to the disgruntlement of my oncologist. I explained that most women give up on AIs after about 2 years because of the side effects. I can manage a half dose for the seven years he has prescribed. In addition, getting one's Vitamin D3 to a high level also reduces circulating estrogen and other sex hormones, according to a Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center study in 2016. I don't mind taking 2000 IUs of micellized D3 with the half dose of Anastrozole to achieve the goal.

For those whose hair may be thinning... my oncologist prescribed 50 mg/day of Biotin (50,000 mcg) for me when I was post-chemo. My hair has come back thicker than before chemo. I recently reduced the dose to 10 mg, which is still a lot. [A word of warning: if your doctor ever decides to test your thyroid, stop taking the Biotin a few days before the test or the result will imply that you are hyperthyroid which causes all sorts of pandemonium. It's just the Biotin messing with test.]

For the emotions component of estrogen reduction, the remedy which seems to suit me best is good ol' exercise... at least 4 times a week I do a fast mile walking on the treadmill which is about all I can handle with the chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy... but it does the trick for mesamanthavon I'm guessing that the radiation was not a direct cause of the emotional upsets... rather the AI is the culprit. AIs mess with our hormones (and cause a dozen or so other side effects at times). I haven't acquired trigger finger (yet), but I do get infrequent bouts with carpal tunnel syndrome from the Anastrozole. Luckily, I know how to treat it by soaking it in warm water and wearing a wrist brace at night.@

As noted a few months ago, because I am so hypersensitive to most pharmaceuticals, I made the decision to take only half an Anastrozole/day... much to the disgruntlement of my oncologist. I explained that most women give up on AIs after about 2 years because of the side effects. I can manage a half dose for the seven years he has prescribed. In addition, getting one's Vitamin D3 to a high level also reduces circulating estrogen and other sex hormones, according to a Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center study in 2016. I don't mind taking 2000 IUs of micellized D3 with the half dose of Anastrozole to achieve the goal.

For those whose hair may be thinning... my oncologist prescribed 50 mg/day of Biotin (50,000 mcg) for me when I was post-chemo. My hair has come back thicker than before chemo. I recently reduced the dose to 10 mg, which is still a lot. [A word of warning: if your doctor ever decides to test your thyroid, stop taking the Biotin a few days before the test or the result will imply that you are hyperthyroid which causes all sorts of pandemonium. It's just the Biotin messing with test.]

For the emotions component of estrogen reduction, the remedy which seems to suit me best is good ol' exercise... at least 4 times a week I do a fast mile walking on the treadmill which is about all I can handle with the chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy... but it does the trick for me.

Jump to this post