my first blog
Wow what a great way to connect with other survivors! I was diagnosed with early stage grade 3 breast cancer in 2008 (aged 32). My youngest daughter was 10 months old and I had only finished breast feeding her 3 weeks before I accidently felt a lump. I had a lumpectomy, 4 rounds of A/C chemo then 7 weeks of radiotherapy. Some days were a bit of a challenge with 2 young kids but they gave me every reason to stay positive and just get though it. I am now 2 and a half years through a 5 year stint on Tamoxifen and I hate it. So many times I have just wanted to throw them in the bin but the thought of getting cancer again scares the shit out of me, so I will keep taking them :-)
Comments
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Hiya, I think I just sent a message to you saying "Hi Catherine" he he he I blame the chemo brain LOL
I tried Tamoxifen but it didn't work and I am on Zoladex now but am thinkng of having the surgery to remove my ovaries very soon...a bit over the massive Zoladex needles!
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My doctor said i should go on zoladex, but i'm not sure whether I want extra side affects on top of the Tamoxifen ones. And massive needles sound scary...
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My doctor said i should go on zoladex, but i'm not sure whether I want extra side affects on top of the Tamoxifen ones. And massive needles sound scary...
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Hi there girls,
This is my first post. I too am considering zoladex - i have been on tamoxifen for 6 months following mastectomy and chemo - i became increasingly anxious and depressed on tamoxifen so i have recently changed antidepressent meds and low and behold feel heaps better BUT now have no hot flushes, minimal fatigue and my period has returned after not having it for 5 months - i'm worried the new drugs have stopped the effect of the tamoxifen even though i'm really glad to feel heaps better. My cancer was ER+/PR+ > than 90% of the cancer cells had hormone receptors and each cell had many scoring 3+ (the highest score) Have just started to feel better since the diagnosis (10/06/09). Oh what to do????!!!!!
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Hi Tasha and Belinda,
I'm a generation older than you both but am on Tamoxifen - since January 2007. I was diagnosed at age 50 - found a lump 22 days after my big 50. I always told myself that I would never have change of life symptoms so when I was put on Tamoxifen the same strategy applied. Unfortunately I still have a few hormones hanging about and in effect still haven't gone through change of life. (My poor dear old mum was 56 when "everything dried up".) So the 5years on Tamoxifen will most probably still stand with me. I haven't been able to ask anyone my age how they handle the side effects as most have gone through the "change" and are on Arimidex. I have only recently heard of Zolodex so don;t know much about it. The only physical side effects I experience are the occasional night sweat and of course some infrequent bleeding. Yesterday I had surgery (hysteroscopy D&C) again. For me any bleeding necessitates this procedure just to check out if there are any "bad guys" hanging around. I went for 9 months without any bleeding then when my poor mum passed away recently the hormones came out to play again . I would be keen to know what side effects you have from the drug. XLeonie PS The option of ovary removal was not for me as I have a bleeding disorder and my Gyne is hesitant to cut anything that he can avoid.
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Katrina,
I would be worried that the Tamoxifen wasn't doing it's job...Some anti depressants do block the effectiveness of Tamoxifen there is an awesome site called "drug interactions checker" or something like that, you'd have to google (sorry...chemo brain!) and you put in the drugs you are on and up pops any interactions! maybe try that?
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After injection 2 it all started...hot flushes, moodiness, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, everything you would expect from Menopause in one lovely hit! But that was 3 months ago now and I am kind of getting used to it! The vaginal dryness and loss of libido I believe will be long term but like I said it's something all ladies go thru eventually...only difference being we can't take any estrogen boosters like HRT or othe natural stuff! bummer! Also keepng in ming my estrogen levels were 1800 before I started Zoladex now they are 58 a MASSIVE drop I such a short time! I think my body is in shock!!
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Hi Leonie
I hope you are recovering well from your surgery,and sorry to hear about your mum.
Like you I had no signs of menopause,age 51, when I received my diagnosis December 2009. I had my last period the day I started chemo. Nothing since then and I started Tamoxifen the minute my chemo was finished, in fact the same day I started radiotherapy. The chemo gave me the menopause symptons and stopped my period but things have really "hotted up"so to speak since I have been on the Tamoxifen. I suffer sweats on an almost hourly basis - worse after a hot drink ( like the cup of tea I am having right now). I haven't had any bleeding and I am probably more focussed on the other pain I am experiencing. I am hoping that the sweats and temperature changes will settle down in time but who knows? So 4 years and 9 months to go. I also have days when I want to throw them in the bin but we have to do what we have to do.
Kay
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Hi Ladies
Hope you are all travelling well, I did just want to mention that although most of a woman's estrogen is produced by her ovaries it's also produced in other places, mainly adrenal gland, fat cells and breasts (if still remaining). So even if you have your ovaries removed there is still a possibility that you will still be required to be on some sort of hormone therapy. But check this with your oncologist, because everyone is different.
xx
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Yes that's true...Aromatase inhibitors! I have been blocking that part out! LOL My oncologist has mentioned those and they sound simular to Tamoxifen (although they work to block the estrogen produced by the adrenals) ...but cause joint pains...although I think you can still take Tamoxifen after you've had your ovaries out and there are 3 or 4 different types/brands of aromatase inhibitors that are slightly different so if you find you can't take one you have a few to choose from...I was hoping there was some way around that LOL I am going to ask my oncologist about indolplex/DIM which is a natural option....although I don't think (actually I am 99% confident) he won't go for it.
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Hi,
The anti depressants that are NOT ok in conjunction with Tamoxifen are Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft. The ones that are ok are Efexor and Lexapro. I know this because I saw my oncologist last week and asked him as my GP put me on anti depressants. If you type in anti depressants and Tamoxifen into google scholar, you will find all the recent research on the different anti depressants and their results. Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Sara
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