Herbs

@Romla. I’ll let u know how I go with it. @kezmusc maybe curcumin could be worth a try for u. Sound like u r getting to that time when u need to take a break - it the meantime wine, a ciggie and a deep and meaningful with the dog sounds like the next best thing. xoxo

Am sorry to hear how tough things are atm @kezmusc and am ok with a rant - we all do it at some point.So rant away if you need to - all good.

I didnot do chemo and am on Letrozole after radiotherapy.The first few months joint pain and aches were a problem esp in the morning but once I got moving they eased down a lot.My sons were basket ballers and I remembered with some injuries they were told to keep walking on the side of the court  which I thought harsh at the time but we learnt you could walk thru some injuries if you kept moving. That’s basically how I tackled the first few months on Letrozole- a daily one hour walk sometimes 2 and not sitting around too much as things would seize up. I found 10-15 minutes I could push thru it and I am no athlete. 

I also did a gentle stretch/balance class twice weekly which was brilliant as it worked on every joint from head to toe.My first class was the day after radiotherapy ended and I went home and slept the afternoon whilst people many years older than me went off to morning tea - I was quite embarrassed. My surgeon swears by yoga and he is 50+ with a very busy practice and fits in a walk between the two hospitals he works at and his practice - think he uses it for thinking time as well as to relax.

I have read that those who have had chemo have a rougher ride to begin with because chemo drugs wreak havoc on the body including the joints but I really believe you can get through this if you make sure to keep moving.Not easy on a wet winter’s day plus the cold plays it’s own havoc on our bones.My first walk had a steep part which I found hard but gradually it got better possibly as I got fitter.

I hope supplements help - I take Krill Oil daily since Hormone Therapy started but can’t say if it’s helped as have not been off it.I also take Caltrate Bone and Muscle Health but learnt Calcium not great for the heart so am switching to just Vitamin D3 based on the Herbs app. I have osteoporosis and have 6 monthly Prolia jabs since commencing hormone therapy to avoid another fracture.But I don’t think Tamoxifen causes bone thinning like Letrozole. I have heard some good reports about Curcumin for joint pain which might be worth reading about on the Herbs app too.

Not sure what else I can tell you but am more than happy to listen and answer/ share anything that might help.My strongest advice from my experience with Hormone Therapy is try to keep mobile and physically active as it has made a big difference for me - a former couch potato who’d rather read a book than exercise.Best wishes. XO

Yeah @Romla  it is actually Krill oil that I;m taking, just couldn't remember the name of it before. Poor whales. 

So I have been taking this concoction for about 10 months and It's done bugger all anyway for the joint pain.  Just had to go and spend another couple of thousand dollars on another mattress (bought one just before diagnosis) so my hips can hopefully stop freezing up in bed.  Can't afford my stinking scans now, they'll have to wait coz I really, really need some sleep.

Sorry if I sound pissed off but I would really just like at least one definitive answer on something along the way. Here take this it will help, or not don't take it because it will do do this. Not the constant "we have no idea really" if anything will effect or help anything else

 Any way I'm coming up to week 13 of Tamoxifen and this last week has been a really hard slog. Nothing I take seems to help and I got a F*****g head cold as well (so much for all the vitamins)  First time I've been sick in about 3 years.

 I have only managed one day at work this week so far and have had to cancel all my weekend riding lessons due to brain malfunction, I think I have yelled at everyone in my family today and I am sitting here with a monster anxiety attack trying to string sentences together and work out whether I want to scream, sweat or go howl my eyes out in the shower.

The other option is a glass of wine, a cigarette and go talk to the dog. That could be the winner. 

So tapping out of the drugs again and I think I'll ditch everything else as well this time around.  Apologies for the sad rant but thanks for listening. 

xoxoxo

Could you let me know how you get on with Curcumin please ?

@Romla great to get a review on it. I’m hoping it will help with my arthritis and any possible aches from tamoxifen when I start it. Does have anti cancer properties too which is a bonus. 

Great @"Kiwi Angel" - I know a couple of ladies here having great success with it - one with arthritis and the other a pinched nerve.Can’t remember details but remember reading that Indians suffer less from an ailment because they consume a lot of turmeric which contains Curcumin.Hope it helps you.

@Romla - I actually have just been looking at curcumin as an option. 

Try Krill Oil not fish oil - my medical oncologist told me it’s a greater source of omega3 and better for hormone therapy joint pain even though it means some poor whale has less Krill in the ocean for supper.Might pay to have a Dr google on the difference between ordinary fish oil and Krill oil as to their efficacy.

@kezmusc It will be interesting to see how u feeling coming off them if it changes anything. I have found this app to be quite good and have a list of vitamins that I want to try for various reasons to check. I think tamoxifen has properties that are supposed to improve your bones so that must relate to the over production of calcium. The last thing I need in my life is a kidney stone. I’m just going to go with my vitamin D, aged garlic and fish oil and I’m looking into a few others but the correct food might be enough. 

So I jumped on the app and says it can cause Hypercalcemia .  So symptoms of that are:

Symptoms of hypercalcaemia range from mild to severe. They may include increased thirst and urination, stomach pain, nausea, bone pain, muscle weakness, confusion and fatigue.

Sounds like tamoxifen anyway LOL!

Maybe that's why I get heart palpitations now.  Grrrrr