HRT (Estrogen and Progesterone Hormone Replacement Therapy) After cancer for menopause?
Comments
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KimF said:Hi @au0rie
Not sure this is relevant to your initial post! I've been on Letrozole from the day after my diagnosis in mid January 2023 (Er+ Pr+ HER-) - it was the first thing that the oncologist suggested.
I'm a few years post menopause and had no flushes to speak of - only intense brain fog and lack of energy (blamed on adrenal insufficiency) - debilitating really.
Roll forward 2 months after taking the Letrozole, the brain fog has lifted and I'm feeling sooooo much better and my energy levels are so much better. I had a DMX a week or two after the fog lifted, and I'm still feeling fine, with no aches or pains. I'm going to start actively trying to reduce my estrogen levels more.
It's so frustrating that it's not the same for everyone - it would be so much easier it if was!
@kimF, that's great news that you do not suffer from hot flushes and the intense brain fog has lifted. So good to hear of better energy level too! x
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What is a DMX Kim?0
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I totally understand our need for oestrogen. It has so many benefits to our female bodies. I was on HRT at the time of BC diagnosis. I was told to get off of it ASAP, as my BC is Estrogen positive. Do you see an Oncologist, who you trust? Have they given their opinion? My belief is that this only applies to those of us with oestrogen positive BC. I have returned to having hot flushes(I always have a fan nearby), some aches and pains, and decreasing Bone density. I have commenced Zometa infusions to increase bone density. Natural menopause with or without Aromatase Inhibitors, can cause dryness and atrophy to our genital area. Even my Oncologist agreed that I could use Estrogen applied in the vagina, There are some off label drugs that help some of us with Menopause symptoms. I truly understand any frustration you have.1
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Hi everybody, sorry for the very very late reply. Life was so busy!@Greengirl @Abbydog oh my it was such a journey these two years trying HRT! I managed to have a nice GP who put me onto Estradiol and Prometrium in May last year (2023) but it was a horrible experience. I had dizzy spells and my body became jittery and I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. My mind was super foggy. I realized that the dose was too high (I was on 100 Prometrium and 25 then 75 Estradiol). I also got my periods back. So I completely abandoned HRT to reset my body. I felt much better after all the hormones cleared my system. I think Prometrium is the one causing most of the problems.I did go to see a cardiologist to do a heart scan to make sure my heart is fine.. it was some calcium score test which is out of pocket completely. And I did a DEXA scan showing that I am a little osteopenic. I did all these because i understand that lack of estrogen can possibly cause heart attacks, alzhemier's and osteoporosis, so I did a baseline check. The doctors don't tell us!!! We have to educate ourselves!!!Later in the year in November I had a GP put in a Mirena instead and I decided to see how I was going with it since it is meant to be confined in the womb but it actually does travel around the body. I did not start on Estradiol straight away, just the Mirena for around two months. Pretty soon after the Mirena was inserted, I started to feel horrible again. Brain fog, jittery shaky body especially my arms and hands and they felt weak. Weird symptoms indeed but I was very sure it was due to the Progesterone from the Mirena. But, I understand it takes around 3 months to settle so I persisted. At some point I really felt like getting the Mirena removed and just forget about HRT! At times I really feel like I am falling apart.Towards end of second month, I decided to use the Estradiol patches but very low dose. I actually cut the 75 patches into quarters (I know the patches come standard size but I needed to adjust my body from a low dose onwards!!!). I do feel that my body feels better! Right before I started the patches, I did see an OB and she told me that the lack of Estrogen could be why my body is reacting like this and it seems that she is right! I am on very low dose of estrogen since then and I feel better, the shaking jittery has improved more and my brain is somewhat better! The annoying thing is I get tiny bit of periods once I started the estrogen patches and I am on very low dose, so I am gonna tweak my dose till it is perfect.It was pretty much trial and error and I had moments when I wanted to just cry and give up!!! However, I keep telling myself I need the estrogen for my bone density and heart and brain!I have also gone to see my chemo oncologist to get a letter advising that I am perfectly fit for HRT. But note, I did have hormone negative HER 2+ cancer. I do not believe estrogen causes cancer! However, it may promote cancer growth. So please do your own research.Sorry for the long post but I hope it helps!!! Good luck with your journey! And please do record all the details on a notebook so you can always refer back and see how you go xoxo
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If I could go back to when I was going through menopause I would not decline HRT. The reason I declined was because of all the talk about HRT Increasing a risk of getting breast cancer. I got bc anyway!!!
It would be interesting to see the stats on how many women who had HRT went on to get bc. Nobody in the medical field has asked me whether I was previously on HRT.1 -
Hi,
I have actually been wondering this myself. I am coming up to 10 years on Letrozole for hormone + BC
I have been listening to a podcast Dr Louise Newson an English GP who specialises in menopause and from my understanding there is not enough evidence yet to give HRT to BC patients after their treatment is finished. Worth listening to and as more research comes to light and the topic of menopause is more talked about and understood hopefully down the track there will be some treatment for us and our symptoms that we now have to live with due to the loss of hormones.2 -
What is,ER positive etc I hear all these terms but what does it all mean ?no docter has told me if I have ER positive or not ,maybe someone could explain what I should ask the surgeon? or anything I could read up on please
Last year I didn't even no what clear margins meant😬🙂
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Hi @melzzs
https://www.bcna.org.au/resource-hub/articles/types-of-breast-cancer/
The link above explains all different types of breast cancer
Once your pathology is back from your surgery and followup appointment it will be explained to you what type of Breast cancer you have and appropriate further treatment
Take care
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Thankyou so much X1
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Hi @au0rei
I've just been diagnosed with Grade 2 IDC E & P +ve & Her -ve. I'm currently on HRT & been recommended to cease all.
I'm devastated not just about the cancer diagnosis but also about ceasing my HRT. Like you I've been researching the protection hormones give. I'm new to this forum & have just come across your post from last year. I hope your doing well & so hoping you can help guide me please.
I feel my only course of action at the moment is to stop the HRT as recommended by my Surgeon (surgery booked next Thursday) however I will still continue to educate myself and wonder if you had luck in finding an Oncologist or Urologist etc specialising in hormones & Menopause in Australia and how your research into HRT is going. Like you I don't know of any Doctors in Australia that would prescribe HRT to a cancer patient.
I know of the protective role hormones play for us ladies and it terrifies me to think that I'm exposing myself to cardiovascular disease, dementia, alzheimer's, muscular skeletal & the myriad of other conditions by stopping HRT to manage the recurrence of hormone receptive positive cancers. As you've said estrogen doesn't cause the cancer but rather can possibly feed the cancer & cause faster growth.
I hope this finds you well and would be so grateful for some updates on your journey please. T0
