Teeth and jaw pain
Hello everyone, I had grade 3 stage 2b IDC, 2 lymph nodes involved and DCIS that was removed but margins involved. Left side mastectomy and axillary clearance. 4 rounds of chemo (had to stop early- toxicity) and 25 radiation, finishing end of May. I have been on Letrazole for 9 weeks and have many of the usual side effects. one that has just started and is quite sore is pain in my upper and lower left jaws. This is new and not something that I have ever had before. It gets worse when I eat hot or cold food and takes a while to settle after, then it is just like a low constant ache. Has anyone else experienced this? I send my love and best wishes to you all xoxo
Hormone Blockers Weight gain & GLP-1s
Hi Everyone, I am 53 yeards old and 3 years into hormone blockers and am managing (barely) all the side-effects except for one. Weight gain. I have always been fit and active and I am working out more than ever and eating incredibly healthy and nothing seems to make a difference. I have slowly increased from a size 10 to almost a 14 since commencing hormone blockers. I have seen some medical evidence that GLP-1's at a low dose have been helpful for not just weight loss but also a reduction in other side effects as well. Has anyone else had a conversation with their oncologist regarding using GLP-1's and potential benefits? I don't like the thought of taking yet another drug but I am getting to the point of worrying about everything I eat and also cannot afford to keep buying another size up! If anyone has any info on this topic or knows of any specialists in this space I would appreciate it very much, Thanks!!
Giredestrant - SERD
Hello there, Reading the news coming out of the San Ontonio Breast Cancer Symposium this year (happening right now) and there is a very positive, yet early, study on a new SERD on Early stage BC in the Lidera trial. Does anyone know about this or is part of the trial? It seems that there was recruitment in Victoria? Keen to hear.
Taking collagen powder while on Tamoxifen
Wondering if anyone can help point me in the right direction? I am wanting to take a collagen powder supplement while taking Tamoxifen. I asked my oncologist and he suggested I check drug to drug interactions online but I am struggling to get a straight answer. Next time I see the pharmacist I will ask them but wanted to know if anyone has personal experience. Thank you
Early breast cancer treatment decision
Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate hearing from others in a similar situation. I’m young, not (as) close to menopause, and recently had a lumpectomy for a 12 mm, grade 1, ER+/PR+ HER2- IDC. Margins were clear, and there was no lymph node involvement. My Ki-67 is low (10%), and I’ve been told I don’t need chemo. The surgeon noted there was no calcification and no need for PET-CT. No problematic genes. My doctor recommended both radiation and tamoxifen, but I’m feeling unsure. Looking at tools like Breast Predict for hormone therapy, the benefit to mortality risk is minimal (0.3% for 5 years, 0.7% for 10 yrs, 1.1% for 15yrs). I'm very healthy, exercise daily for years, healthy diet, don't drink or smoke. My breast are above average and their tissue is very dense. Women in my family have had rough menopause - incl. severe heart issues so I'm worried about the tamoxifen side effects, and I'm thinking an MRI (?) every 6 months is enough. Given how small and slow-growing the tumour was, and how low my recurrence risk seems to be, I’m struggling with whether I really need both/ either radiation and tamoxifen. I know they each reduce recurrence in different ways, but I’d love to hear from others who had similar pathology — especially other younger/pre-menopausal women - If you only did one (or neither), how did you make that decision? I'm meeting with the medical oncologist for the first time this Friday and keen to have an intelligent discussion that may challenge the conventional/ standard treatment. if you have any research to share - that would be wonderful! I'm grateful for any insights or personal stories you’re open to sharing — I’m feeling a bit stuck and trying to weigh peace of mind vs. quality of life. Thanks so much!
Zoladex
Hi, so I’ve just been started on zoladex and I’m wondering about side effects. I feel like I suddenly have IBS or something. I’m going to the toilet 5-6 times a day. Everything I eat is giving me stomach cramping, almost like continuous period pains. I also feel nauseous a lot. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this? Does it calm down after a while? I’m scared to start taking the letrezol as well now in case it all gets worse. I was sent home from work today, first day back, because I was doubled over in pain from the cramping. It’s ruining my life and it’s only been 2 weeks.
Nausea after 3 days on Exemestane?
I tried Exemestane for 3 days and felt really nauseaous and stopped taking it. Nausea went away next day. Has anyone else had this side effect after such a short time? I found one old post on Reddit saying the same thing. My oncologist questioned that I could get such an extreme reaction after such a short time.
Conceiving & Hormone Blockers
Hi all, I am looking for information on having children after breast cancer. I am meeting with my oncologist to discuss this further but want to understand a little more on what may be involved in trying to conceive during hormone blocking therapy. During chemotherapy, I have been on zoladex shots and once radiation finishes I will add an aromatase inhibitor. This is with a view of continuing the hormone blockers for 10 years. Thanks for your thoughts!
Letrozole - compound pharmacy
Hello I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with getting Letrozole made by a compounding pharmacy to reduce the fillers and preservatives that come with the commercial Letrozole? I am about to start Letrozole and am trying to minimise side-effects as much as possible from the get-go to increase my chances of staying on it - I am very sensitive to meds, preservatives, etc. With that in mind, I’m very interested in hearing people’s stories and experiences with compounding chemists and hormone therapy. Thank you all :)