Calling all HOTTIES....................
 

Good Morning..............

This morning I'm calling all hotties. Hotties meaning HOT FLASHING WOMEN.http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...cons/icon7.gif (the only kind of hottie I could be - hehe)

I started chemo when I was 45 years old. As usual, I went through MAJOR hot flashes during that time. Once chemo was over the hot flashes soon stopped. NOW, at age 48 the hot flashes are back and they are back pretty significantly. Not like during chemo - those were wicked hot flashes - but I'm thinking normal, menopausal hot flashes.

Just curious as to who of you started menopause just a couple years post chemo?

Your resident hottie...................http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...ons/icon10.gif

Mary Jo

I had already gone through menopause before chemo. Then during chemo they came back but were managable. Now they are back with a vengence. I'm talking sweat rolling off the face kinda of hot flashes. I get several a day and they keep me up a night. Onc told me to take vit. E, doesn't seem to help much. First I thought they were from the arimides, aromasin or the tamoxifen. But I have stopped all of these due to side effects. I am l year out from my chemo and ended herceptin in Jan. I welcome any suggestions on how to deal with these as I have none. Marjo, what are you doing for them?

maybe
 

I've heard two things:

Effexor, an antidepressant, has helped some bc women with hot flashes.

Natural progesterone has helped a lot of women with hot flashes. (reference "bio-indentical hormone" thread) If you believe Dr. Lee's work, natural progesterone poses no threat to bc patients. I like his books very much for the mostpart, and np has been a godsend for me and menopausal symptoms, but it would be irresonsible for me to make any claims re: bc patients.

I believe Andi is now on np and has seen great relief.

If you pursue it I'd go to a dr.who is familiar with this and will do a prescription for compounded np from a pharmacy. Fresher, more exact dosing, and maybe safer.

TRS

TRS

Hi Debbie,

I don't do anything for the hot flashes and won't. They will subside eventually and I can live with them.

My main reason for the post was to see how old you others were when real menopause started after your chemo. As I stated earlier, I did go through chempause at age 45/46 but when chemo ended things went back to "normal." Now at age 48 I think the real menopause has started. Although young, I'm told that because I went through chemo it could be earlier.

How about the rest of you?

Mary Jo

I went through menopause real young - it started in my 30's, I was all done with hot flashes. But those terrible A/C treatment brought them back with a vengeance, especially night sweats. Now with tamoxifen I am also getting hot flashes, the worst being at night. I was waking up about 6 times a night either with a hot flash or because I was cold and needed to put my blankets back on. I started to take melatonin 1/2 hour before going to bed and it helps a lot. Since it appears that melatonin also helps fight breast cancer I think it is a great supplement to take.

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/n...-breast-cancer

great reminder about the melatonin!

THX

TRS

I don't think I ever went into full menopause during my treatment. My periods stopped for about six months, but no hot flashes. When I was on herceptin, my periods came back. I'll be 50 this coming summer. I am not looking forward to those days. I also understand neurontin can help with hot flashes.

Best,
Monica

I went into chemopause during taxol herceptin. Night sweats big time. Used a fan at night (poor DH). I had my ooph after chemo, at 39, on Arimidex. Expected the worst, was pleasantly surprised that I don't have any hot flashes, maybe an occasional warm flash. The fan is still there, but it has been unplugged for a year- LOL. I do take melatonin also.

I went through chemopause at 44 and it was permanent... probably because 14 months after finishing that I had to do more chemo and then 6 months after finishing that I had to do more, and now I take Xeloda. I have had very little time in the last 4 years without chemo - so I assume that has contributed to making it permanent.

The only thing that ever helped mitigate my hot flashes (which were never debilitating, just annoying for a couple of years) was when I started using Estrace cream to help prevent/treat vg. atrophy... the hotflash relief was noticed almost immediately, and was just icing on the cake.

Hi Mary Jo. I went into chemopause when I started treatment to this day my cycle returned 1 month w/ a vengence and haven't had one since. It took some time but the hotflashes & nightsweats have mostly subsided. Occasionally, if I am anxious I will have a hotflash but it does not happen on a regular basis anymore. That being said I am not sure if my cycle will return or if I am finished with menopause. I was 39 when diagnosed and still had a very regular cycle I am hoping it have finished menopausing.

Mar

To answer you question I went through menopause at age 49 , I reappeared after taking chemo at age 53.

So, does anyone understand the "whys" of hot flashes? I know that normally they are not necessarily an indication of lower estrogen but that of estrogen flutctuation up or down. Is this the same mechanisim with chemopause? I read someone (Andi, maybe?) saying that it i s perhaps a different issue after chemo as I recall...

Hi Marejo
 

I was diag. at 50 and at 51 I went into menopause. I am sure I would have still had a few years left to go if not for the chemo. That finished off all of my eggs I am sure. My mother went into meno. at around 52 so I figured I would follow her footsteps so I think the chemo progressed me a few years.

But most definately, the chemo will do it. I had a few years of hot flashing, not real bad and they stopped after a few years. I don't ever really remember my mom complaining much, so maybe like mother like daughter in my case. Thanks goodness for that for that.....

take care

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for responding to my post. It sounds as if chemo can bring menopause earlier. I'm sure that's where I"m at. Chemo ended Nov. 30, 2005 and those NASTY NASTY chemo hot flashes ended almost immediately. I'd say within a couple months. Nothing after that. Now at age 48 the hot flashes are back and fairly regularly - a few a day. However, they are ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like the chemo hot flashes. I mean, yes, I get hot and a bit uncomfortable but I can handle it.

So, life goes on..........I'm surely not complaining............I can definitely live with them and will http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...cons/icon7.gif

Mary Jo