HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Hot Flash question.........................

Merridith · 10-22-2006, 01:43 PM

Hi Marejo:

Sooooooo.............you're not enjoying those short private visits to the tropics? (I feel like I've got a membership at Club Med!)

You can find out definatively if you are in menopause (but with no hot flashes) by having your blood drawn and tested for certain hormone levels. They can tell if you are peri-menopausal, in full blown menopause or somewhere in between.

A very significant amount of female hormones come from your ovaries. If these were not removed, and you are young enough they could have gotten over the shock of chemo and started functioning again - you could have become pre-menopausal again. This is important to know as because even if you are ER negative the standard protocol is to take homone suppressing pills such as tamoxifin (although tamoxifin might not be as useful as if you are ER+ - you will have to weigh the benefits of this with your doctor.)

But hopefully your body has just gotten used to the hormone change and has given up torturing you with those awfull flashes.

10-22-2006, 01:43 PM	#3
Merridith Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Canada Posts: 116	Hi Marejo: Sooooooo.............you're not enjoying those short private visits to the tropics? (I feel like I've got a membership at Club Med!) You can find out definatively if you are in menopause (but with no hot flashes) by having your blood drawn and tested for certain hormone levels. They can tell if you are peri-menopausal, in full blown menopause or somewhere in between. A very significant amount of female hormones come from your ovaries. If these were not removed, and you are young enough they could have gotten over the shock of chemo and started functioning again - you could have become pre-menopausal again. This is important to know as because even if you are ER negative the standard protocol is to take homone suppressing pills such as tamoxifin (although tamoxifin might not be as useful as if you are ER+ - you will have to weigh the benefits of this with your doctor.) But hopefully your body has just gotten used to the hormone change and has given up torturing you with those awfull flashes.