HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Femara and bipolar-anyone?

fauxgypsy · 10-09-2007, 04:11 PM

Update

I saw my oncologist yesterday and he was resistant to changing my medication from Femara to Tamoxifen but did agree to do so. He made me sign a note in my chart that I insisted on the Tamoxifen and refused to see a psychiatrist. It's in my "permanent record" now. He would not discuss the issues with me because he was not a "psychiatrist." He did argue that it was not the Femara that could be making me feel manic. His argument was that if less than 1% of patients reported a side effect it was not a side effect (I am the queen of odd side effects, the rarer it is it seems the more likely I will get it.). I told him that I had learned to trust my body and that I was already feeling better since I was off the Femara. He would not discuss the research that Tamoxifen has been shown to be effective in helping bipolar patients. He told me that we were talking about a life threatening disease, as if I don't already know that. I told him that we were talking about two life threatening diseases. He was not happy with me and did not take the time to discuss the other problems that I am having that are not psychiatric. He did take the time to tell me that I might not be able to receive my herceptin treatments at the hospital as he had arranged for much longer. I am trying to decide where to have him refer me. I have only had two treatments at the hospital and that is not working well at all. They can't seem to get my appointments right, they seem to have no experience with the herceptin and yesterday when they accessed my port it hurt so much that I thought I would faint. He told when I changed to him that his clinic could not afford to treat me with the herceptin but they had an arrangement with the hospital and he would continue to see me. Well, not for much longer, the way he talked. I am not panicking but I am close. I still have several months before my year of herceptin treatment is over and we still don't know what stage I was and won't unless something else pops up and I hope it won't, but either way I need an oncologist that I can count on. So it looks like more change is looming. I am tired and seem to be hurting all over but particularly in my hips and feet so I'll check back later.

Leslie

10-09-2007, 04:11 PM	#17
fauxgypsy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 600	Update I saw my oncologist yesterday and he was resistant to changing my medication from Femara to Tamoxifen but did agree to do so. He made me sign a note in my chart that I insisted on the Tamoxifen and refused to see a psychiatrist. It's in my "permanent record" now. He would not discuss the issues with me because he was not a "psychiatrist." He did argue that it was not the Femara that could be making me feel manic. His argument was that if less than 1% of patients reported a side effect it was not a side effect (I am the queen of odd side effects, the rarer it is it seems the more likely I will get it.). I told him that I had learned to trust my body and that I was already feeling better since I was off the Femara. He would not discuss the research that Tamoxifen has been shown to be effective in helping bipolar patients. He told me that we were talking about a life threatening disease, as if I don't already know that. I told him that we were talking about two life threatening diseases. He was not happy with me and did not take the time to discuss the other problems that I am having that are not psychiatric. He did take the time to tell me that I might not be able to receive my herceptin treatments at the hospital as he had arranged for much longer. I am trying to decide where to have him refer me. I have only had two treatments at the hospital and that is not working well at all. They can't seem to get my appointments right, they seem to have no experience with the herceptin and yesterday when they accessed my port it hurt so much that I thought I would faint. He told when I changed to him that his clinic could not afford to treat me with the herceptin but they had an arrangement with the hospital and he would continue to see me. Well, not for much longer, the way he talked. I am not panicking but I am close. I still have several months before my year of herceptin treatment is over and we still don't know what stage I was and won't unless something else pops up and I hope it won't, but either way I need an oncologist that I can count on. So it looks like more change is looming. I am tired and seem to be hurting all over but particularly in my hips and feet so I'll check back later. Leslie __________________ In the world of destiny, there are no statistics. Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3 February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy. March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy, June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative August 7th - Brain MRI-negative August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07 July 2008-Finished Herceptin!