Letrozole and tearfulness

Thanks @arpie I have shied away from questioning the benefit of various aspects of treatment so far. I already knew with my pathology that going without chemotherapy was not a viable option. But I am going to have to be convinced that these AIs are worth it!

Hi @Vangirl   I was quite teary & emotional whilst going thru menopause (over a 10 year period from 45-55) - so I reckon any change to your hormones can bring it on, plus just the general stress of what we are going thru - and haven't we been thru some!  

I also had a couple of serious meltdowns whilst going thru Rads .... I was taken off to a private room at one stage & the psychologist brought in, as I just couldn't stop - but there was an actual reason for both - not that that made it any easier to cope with!!

My 'final' burst of tears was on my last day of rads, where I realised just how dependent I'd become on them over there previous 4 weeks of daily treatment!  I was blubbing on the table, with a snotty nose  all (face down) BIG TIME for the whole session - and the girls were wonderful, giving me big hugs when I got off!!  (So be prepared for that one!   ;) )

(BTW, having your appointment delayed/cancelled etc it DEFINITELY OK for a meltdown!  AND crying in movies is totally OK too ..... I reckon it just shows we have excellent empathy for others!)  

All the best with your chats with the professionals xx

@Brenda5 isn't it embarrassing?! I was crying on the radiotherapy table the other day and the radiologist tried to ask me if I was okay, just had to mumble something and make a dash for the changeroom. 

To me it makes sense there would be a monthly cycle to it. Our bodies have been working to that schedule for many years - there's probably stuff other than oestrogen involved.

I am on Tamoxifen and probably going to change to Letrozole in two months. Not looking forward to it although I sort of am if it will knock off some of the side effects of the former. Yes I have bouts of tears (which I suppress) and depression. I find it can be a monthly thing even though I haven't had a period in years. My body is still figuring out menopause. Sometimes the tears sneak up on you for no apparent reason. I was in the movies and a trailer came up of MaMaMia2. For no reason the music had me crying. How embarrassment. To this day I have no idea why it upset me.

Thanks @kmakm and @kezmusc I will book in with the counselor. It just doesn't feel like there's a specific reason for all this bawling. Today I nearly lost it because the receptionist at radiotherapy told me they were running 40 minutes behind schedule!
I already went through menopause long before the cancer, starting at the tender age of 37, or possibly earlier (I didnt realise anything was happening til I came off the pill). As soon as I got my cancer pathology I stopped taking the pill (I'd gone back on it as a form of HRT) but obviously I was still making just enough oestrogen to coast along with. I thought I had got lucky and was feeling pretty smug because they measured my FSH before I started chemo and it turned out I am now in full menopause (at 42!). Didn't realise the AI drugs can send you back in for a second go-around!
I had to stop taking my antidepressant because a major side-effect was sweating and I couldn't cope with it - the chemo was making me sweaty enough already (or who knows, in hindsight, maybe it was just the lack of oestrogen). 
What sad pills are you on @kmakm ? I may need to revisit that option. 

You always make sense @kmakm,

I've found this to be a pretty common event.  Although it is less often now than at the start.  Normally preceded buy a hot flush, then boom, tears for no reason, tears for a not even a particularly sad song, tears because i thought I smelt something burning in the kitchen last night, tears for ..well whatever.  15 mins later all gone.  Weird huh?

Has your cancer treatment put you into menopause? If so, it could be that. As the Letrozole dries up the last remaining drops of oestrogen in your body, menopause symptoms ramp up again. Menopause can make you anxious, irritable, quick to anger, depressed and give you mood swings... And that's all without a cancer diagnosis! So maybe your body chemistry is in turmoil while it adjusts and for you that's manifesting in your emotions.

I haven't had this specific reaction but I have gone from being a rather dry eyed individual to being the opposite. Currently it's ridiculously easy to upset me; I feel absurdly tender.

Definitely talk to your doctors about it. I'll bet they recommend counselling. Which certainly won't hurts. 50% of people diagnosed with BC will develop depression. Get on it quick if you think that's what's going on. My life is considerably better since I started taking the sad pills. I don't want to be on them forever but I need to process what's happened to me and feel fully recovered before I try to come off them. I deeply resent my compromised quality of life and I need time to come to terms with it.

Make any sense?! K xox

Phew! Thanks @Artferret feel better reading your comment.

There were a few annoying side effects when i started, extreme tiredness, feeling teary but after about a month it eased. I think it's due to stress  mainly,  knowing that you're about to embark on 5 years worth of this damn drug and not knowing what side effects you're going to have. Even now after nearly a year on it i still get the odd anxious feeling. Sometimes i can pin point what the issue is most of the time i can't but that's also another side effect. I never got that feeling before. Hang in there, as i was told by my oncologist no point swapping to another AI as sometimes the side effects can worsen, particularly in the case of cholesterol.  I found it took a good 6 months for my body to really adjust to the drug and even now it still throws me the odd curve ball. You are definitely not down to your last marble!

Thanks @Afraser am seeing the oncologist on Monday and will bring it up.