Beating the blues without antidepressants
Just wanted to share with others feeling down and depressed as a result of menopause or post treatment.... My GP had prescribed an antidepressant for my hot flashes and low mood. Crying a lot and constantly anxious. Anyway stubborn me didn't want to take antidepressants as I live with a husband who has bipolar and I needed to keep my mind clear even with the tears. I've been taking NeuroCalm for months. 1 tab at night to help sleep. My naturopath suggested I take 2 or 3 per day to help with anxiety. Up the dose a week ago and I feel like a new woman. No more crying over spilt milk. Actually feeling rather chilled and don't give a shit about much. 🙄 Still have hot flashes but not as bad. Hope this helps someone xx3.6KViewsSign in to react to this post27Comments
Tamoxifen version 4 and a fantastic week
Like a bad movie that should never have had a sequel let alone 3, here goes round 4. i've had another little Tamoxiholiday after getting into quite a serious funk a couple of weeks ago. This time I have ditched everything, the drugs, the drugs to counteract the side effects of the drugs, all the vitamins and supplements as well. I didn't really think they were doing anything anyway after 10 months of taking them. Each time I go off it, the side effects give a little and take a bit longer to kick back in. This time after two weeks, they ALL GAVE UP. I have had the best week ever since D Day. That's right, no hot flushes for a week. No foggy brain. A week of no aches and pains, no creaking clicking joints, no funky mood swings, no hot doona dance (and that was not in a good way either) :smile: Sleep, glorious, unbroken sleep and, even a bit of mojo coming back. :wink: I went for a decent trail ride up through the mountains on my horse and was not crippled the next day. The only thing that didn't return quite as well as it has been previously is my short term memory, which is somewhat disturbing but it's not terribly bad. I've been on a bit of a high actually. So, so good to feel normal again. Kind of like a good drug you want more of :blush: So I am really dragging my feet on popping that pill again. The best thing is that I have been able to do some serious, clear headed thinking and soul searching. I have decided this will be the last time. If I can't get it under control there won't be a version 5. I am content with this decision and am not prepared to spend 10 yrs feeling like a moody, teary, achy, no mojo, foggy space cadet for an extra 6% maybe. If it comes back will I blame myself? I have heard and read of too many recurrences even after doing all the right things for years so I don't think so. I would never have known either way. Quite frankly given the amount of spread that was already there I think I'm going to be pretty lucky if it doesn't reappear even with the drugs. Let's hope the chemo did it's job. That's not meant to sound negative of morbid just realistic. My onc has handed the reins over to me and I am to call him if I want to try any of the other drugs. Apart from that "see you in 6 months". I think he's given up LOL Anyhoo all that being said I really do want to do everything that has been recommended. I am hoping going into it feeling this good in mind and body, and armed with some tips and ammo from my new found friend in the UK , it will get sorted. I am off to have a glass of wine. (ok, it's the third one) So cheers to giving version 4 an absolute red hot crack and slapping this bitch into submission. Thanks you for listening once again lovelies. xoxoxoxo Theme song for the day................White Snake.................Here I go again.158ViewsSign in to react to this post6Comments
Early Days on Letrozole
So, I started taking Letrozole on the 1/6/18. My oncologist says I have to be on it for 10 years as several ongoing studies are indicating cancer preventing benefits beyond the seven year mark. It's a watching brief though, so I'm prepared that the advice might change in this time. Three days after starting it my ankles started to ache. A lot. It got worse and started to wake me up at night. Whether I exercised or not didn't make any difference. I took some osteo-panadol for when it was really painful but I didn't fancy living on that, so on the advice of many people here, and my oncologist, I started taking krill oil. Within a few days the pain was down to a manageable level. Hooray! Three weeks later though the ache ramped up. At exactly the same time my hot flushes, which had subsided to a bearable level after chemo, suddenly got a lot worse. Longer, stronger and now with extra bonus sweat! I persisted with the krill oil for another week but there was no change. So in my personal clinical trial, I came off the krill oil for a (painful) week, and then started magnesium. Again on the anecdotal evidence from the good folk here, many of whom say it helps. I also had a foot, ankle and lower leg massage at one of those mall massage joints on the same day as I started magnesium. It was utter bliss having my aching ankles worked on! Something changed, because again the ankle pain subsided to a bearable level. Now whether this was something to do with the massage, or the magnesium, a combination of both, or my body simply adjusting to the rapid withdrawal of oestrogen, I simply don't know. My oncologist says no evidence that magnesium works on anything other than cramps. However I'll keep taking it for a couole more weeks and then stop. I'll observe what happens and then, if the pain returns, I'll move on to the next thing in my 'clinical trial', which is curcumin. The onc says her patients have reported success with that. There'll be a magnesium spray test at some point as well! My ankles still ache but it's at a lower level at the moment. All our bodies are different, der, but I thought I'd share my experiments in managing Letrozole side effects. It might be useful to someone! K xox6.7KViewsSign in to react to this post373CommentsPost Chemo Life
This is my first week clear of the three week chemo cycle. I am officially finished. Next up for me is a bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction in three weeks Everyday this week I have felt my anxiety increasing. I can't identify any specific reason. It's really interfering in my day to day life, sucking out the enjoyment of activities that have previously been pleasurable. It's colouring every waking minute. I don't sleep well at all. It's over four months since I had a decent night's sleep. I'm almost looking forward to the 8 - 10 hours on the operating table because I'll be 'asleep' for more than 3 - 4 hours straight. My eyes have been twitching for weeks and weeks. I've just noticed tonight that three more fingernails have started to discolour. My nails and fingertips are so sore, doing basic household chores hurt. I have to wear gloves to do a lot of them. Folding laundry is like rubbing my hands on sandpaper. Some of my fingertips are starting to feel a bit numb. Several of my toes are turning dark brown and are sore as well. The chemo induced menopause is awful. My skin is terribly dry. Over the last few days my knees have started to ache when I move them after I've been still for a while. Is that menopause? Could the anxiety be menopause related? The f*****g hot flushes are making me miserable. Mostly I have them for 12 hours a day, from about 8pm to 8am, but today, all day as well. It's bloody distressing. And I hate the freezing chills that often follow. I am never a comfortable temperature anymore. I used to love going to bed. Now I enter my bedroom and look at my bed like it's a battlefield. And now that chemo is over, I've had to return to 'normal duties' and find my brain is comprehensively unable to process the multi-tentacled beast that is my seven person two dog household. I am making mistakes. This is basically a big whinge, sorry. I suppose I just have to pull up my big girl undies to the armpits and get on with it. I've treated my BC to give me the best chance of a long life, and these side effects are the price I have to pay. My oncologist is sympathetic but disinterested. Do I work with my GP to try to manage these issues? I am seeing a counsellor for the emotion stuff, I hope that starts helping soon. I'm interested to hear how other's immediate post chemo weeks were. Reassurance I suppose!730ViewsSign in to react to this post33Comments
Premature menopause: Hot flushes and night sweats
Please share your tips, tricks, and most effective methods for managing persistent hot flushes and night sweats? I've taken to rinsing my (thankfully bald) head under cold water, fanning myself for a minute, and re-rinsing. While I have no problem rushing to the sink or shower while at home it unfortunately isn't something I can do on the go. The hot flushes are so overwhelming that I'm anxious about leaving the house in case one causes me to faint. The heat consumes from the thighs up, with focus in the head and chest. They are causing my vision to lapse, my head to spin, nausea, and not only a layer of sweat to coat me but also form beads that will drip from me. The night sweats are so intense they wake me and my routine has become a matter of sleep when I drop and hope I get a few hours in. I've read the Menopause and Breast Cancer BCNA information booklet and am following their tips for managing these things. It's been almost a month since they started and I have taken the tips; wearing loose clothing in layers, carrying a fan, sipping water, cutting out caffeine, and I exercise for as long as the aftermath of chemo pain and stiffness will allow. But nothing seems to be working to lessen the intensity. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.633ViewsSign in to react to this post29Comments
The Chilly Towel - wrap it around your pillow
I have for many years used a body pillow (very long pillow 148cm x 50cm) to help with back issues when I lie on my side. Since bc and rads, I find that my chest gets so hot with the pillow pressing up against that area. Before I started rads, I found this product called the Chilly Towel. https://chillytowel.com.au/ invented by, you guessed it, a bc survivor. It's a big chamois that you keep slightly damp and in the fridge when you're not using it. So I have now discovered that if I wrap the Chilly Towel around my body pillow, I have beautiful cool comfort against my chest at least for some time while trying to fall asleep. It doesn't drip like a face washer can, but it does leave my nightie a little damp - very bearable in summer heat. It can of course be used for many other things to help keep you cool. I have had it wrapped around my elbow to help with inflammation and of course on the rads site. Keep cool everyone!146ViewsSign in to react to this post1Comment
Hot flushes
Hi there - for the last two years during and after menopause I have had the worst hot flushes at night. Cover on cover off all night, even to having a towel with me. BUT since the two DCIS's have been removed - nothing! zippo. Even my brain has had the fog lift, no PMS'y feelings. Has anyone else noticed that? have looked it up but couldn't find anything, if at all its been the other way. Julie.1KViewsSign in to react to this post30Comments
Anyone tried the Ladycare magnet to ease hot flushes?
Just came across an article in Daily Mail in the below link. Claims magnets worn in underpants reduced chemopause symptoms. Checked out the website. Maybe dodgy but as I am still enduring hot flushes every 20 mins 2 years after starting chemo I would try monkey wee if they said it had a chance of reducing my symptoms. Well ok, maybe not monkey wee....... But even a placebo that works would be welcomed. Anyone tried it yet? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5146007/Can-magnets-really-ease-effects-chemo.html ; and https://www.ladycare-uk.com/how-ladycare-works/ ;75ViewsSign in to react to this post1Comment
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