Hi @FionaM So sorry you had to go through this. I will write my experience and you can take it or leave it, whatever feels right to you.
Firstly I was put on to the Menopause After Cancer Clinic at the Royal Womens. It was all done via telehealth. However I will tell you what they did for me and then you can just discuss with your GP. I was having 24 hot flushes every day. Very little sleep and my confidence drop dramatically. I was embarrassed to go out. The MSACC put me on a low dose Citalopram tablet. It made me feel nauseous but dropped my hot flushes to less than eight a day. The nausea was supposed to disappear but it didn't. After two months I chopped the 10mg tablet in half. The nausea eased off and the hot flushes stayed reduced. Win win. However, two months later I had to have my Zoledronic acid shot (I get nauseous with it) so dropped the Citalopram altogether so I would not have two lots of nausea. I planned on taking it again after the Zoledronic settled but my hot flushes were stable at less than eight per day so I have stayed off the Citalopram. That was three months ago. I also get the high anxiety just before and during a hot flush and have not found relief for this.
My Psych is in Geelong so close enough for you to see however she is happy to do telehealth/phonecalls. She helped me tremendously. I got my metastatic diagnosis at the same time my hubby got a prostate cancer confirmation. We had to support each other whilst coping with our own and each others health issues. It wasn't easy and was a double shock. We scrambled through it but it wasn't easy. If you want the name of my Psych I can message it to you as we are not supposed to use our medical professionals names on the forum. She accepts the mental health care plans so it is cheaper.
Sleeping is important as it helps your body and mind heal. I did a sleep study with Monash University/Peter McCallum centre/Bendigo Health, and this was what they found. Stay away from electronic devices for at least an hour before you go to sleep. Read light hearted material, do book crosswords or jigsaws, do craft, whatever helps you relax but is not screen time. Try to go to sleep the same time each night and wake at approx the same time every morning. When you wake get up and into the natural light for at least twenty minutes. Do not have naps during the day if you can avoid it. Sometimes I struggle to follow these instructions but constantly get back to them as they have helped me.
Hope some of this is helpful.
I am not on AI's as my cancer is hormone negative but have a drug infusion for my cancer every three weeks which has its own side effects. Fortunately my Onco admits the drugs can cause all kinds of issues and she works with me.
Sending big hugs
