[Patricia]

Suzan and Maryanne,

I also gained weight in my breasts prior to dx. My husband and I used to joke about them, they were so much bigger than before and we thought it was fun, a present with 'age'. And then - WHAM (like Maryanne said)!! It was over. I had been on Seasonnale. This is a birth control that allows you to only have 4 periods a year. I suffered from terrible hormone induced migranes (but I mean the kind where I was vomitting, my face once looked like I had a stroke and had been paralyzed). The ob/gyn suggested it was from the Estrogen withdrawl when I took the placebos to have my period while on the pill. She advised me to just skip the placebos and continue to take the active pills and to do that for 3 mos, then have a period and then do it again. A few years later, Seasonnale came out and she immediately put me on it. It was the approved method of what she had been prescribing.

I am very suspicious that my bc was related to this method. I feel now that I should have known or at least have been more suspicious, that it was a bad practice, but I was too naive. Well.. no longer I just wished my dr had worried about it.

I too have VA, have gained weight, have had my body do a redistribution of itself and my libido is lost. Estring has helped but seems to have lost some of it's effectiveness. I have been on it 9 mos. I am looking to hear anything that anyone else has tried. I fear my time with the Estring is limited.

Hugs,
Patricia