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v-ness · 05-01-2013, 04:58 PM

hi julie. i got my first hot flash my first 5 minutes in the chemo chair (october 2009) and they've never quit since. i was having over 30+ severe ones per day. my onco prescribed Effexor, which made a slight difference temporarily. then in my desperation i found research that showed a med called Oxybutynin that is for bladder incontinence also served to curb hot flashes in up to 75% of the women taking it. so i asked my onco for it and it cut my hot flashes by half in number and quite a bit in severity too. unfortunately it makes you dry, so you have to drink a ton of water, but that's good for you anyway. other than that, i never had a single side effect from it. they told me to take it 2x a day but mostly i only take the one during the daytime and just rely on a fan and a cold room at night. i will try to find the study for you. i know how miserable it is. if i forget to take my little blue pill, my body reminds me in the nastiest way. i feel for you. valerie

05-01-2013, 04:58 PM	#4
v-ness Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: western ma Posts: 280	Re: Hot flashes every 5 minutes??!! hi julie. i got my first hot flash my first 5 minutes in the chemo chair (october 2009) and they've never quit since. i was having over 30+ severe ones per day. my onco prescribed Effexor, which made a slight difference temporarily. then in my desperation i found research that showed a med called Oxybutynin that is for bladder incontinence also served to curb hot flashes in up to 75% of the women taking it. so i asked my onco for it and it cut my hot flashes by half in number and quite a bit in severity too. unfortunately it makes you dry, so you have to drink a ton of water, but that's good for you anyway. other than that, i never had a single side effect from it. they told me to take it 2x a day but mostly i only take the one during the daytime and just rely on a fan and a cold room at night. i will try to find the study for you. i know how miserable it is. if i forget to take my little blue pill, my body reminds me in the nastiest way. i feel for you. valerie __________________ 8/09 - IDC 1.8 cm triple positive, lumpectomy left breast 10/09 began chemo (taxotere & carboplatin) and weekly herceptin. 1/21/10 finished chemo, continued on herceptin every 3 weeks until 10/2010. 2/10 began 7 wks of radiation 6/10 mom dies of primary peritoneal ovarian cancer 8/10 got my last remaining ovary out 10/10 mammogram all clear 3/11 MRI shows 5 'spots' in right breast, largest 1 cm unidentifiable on US needle biopsy proved the largest to be old inflamed cyst -phew! 7/10 switched to Arimidex 8/9 switched to Femara - allergic to arimidex Femara made me lose hair quickly so switched to Aromasin Aromasin made my hair fall out too and the bone pain was too much. back on Tamoxifen 1/2013. blood clot from trains and planes 5/2014 so on coumadin per onco for as long as i am on tamoxifen tamoxifen was supposed to be up with my 5 yrs in may but my boyfriend was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer so i am staying on tamoxifen indefinitely because i want some ammo against BC, given the stress. lost my husband in only 10 wks in 2007 to stage 4 esophageal cancer. cancer's screwing with another man i love 2/2016 - 6yrs in remission, off tamoxifen and off coumadin - yay!