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DianneS · 11-29-2009, 02:37 PM

Hi Debra,

I was taking the AI's with breakfast and vitamins, which I always take in the AM. I did the same thing when I began the Tamoxifen.

Why would I feel ok for the first week or so on hormone therapy and then begin to feel like crappola? I felt so tired I was not walking or anything that required activity. The nausea didn't hit me with the Tamoxifen like it did with the arimidex. So, nausea with the AI and extreme fatigue & weakness and spacey on Tamoxifen.

My onc says it is up to me if I want to take it or not. He says a 4-6% benefit might be seen as a lot for some women and he is encouraging me to take it but the final decision is up to me. I hate that! Four to six women out of a hundred that could benefit is pretty small. Yup, I'm on the fence...I understand about se's but thought I would get better over time as I took the Tamoxifen, not WORSE! I began it Nov 6 and quit 16 days later, and two days later felt so good. Looked much better, too!

I am thinking like Celeste, maybe it's not a good thing to screw with the hormones and if there aren't any scientific groups studying the weakly ER women, why are we subjected to hormone therapy that works for strongly ER women? Besides, I am concerned that everyone gets the same dose pill, whether you are 100 lbs or 400 lbs. Doesn't make sense.

Arrgghh.

Dianne

11-29-2009, 02:37 PM	#14
DianneS Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 327	Re: The weakly er+ group Hi Debra, I was taking the AI's with breakfast and vitamins, which I always take in the AM. I did the same thing when I began the Tamoxifen. Why would I feel ok for the first week or so on hormone therapy and then begin to feel like crappola? I felt so tired I was not walking or anything that required activity. The nausea didn't hit me with the Tamoxifen like it did with the arimidex. So, nausea with the AI and extreme fatigue & weakness and spacey on Tamoxifen. My onc says it is up to me if I want to take it or not. He says a 4-6% benefit might be seen as a lot for some women and he is encouraging me to take it but the final decision is up to me. I hate that! Four to six women out of a hundred that could benefit is pretty small. Yup, I'm on the fence...I understand about se's but thought I would get better over time as I took the Tamoxifen, not WORSE! I began it Nov 6 and quit 16 days later, and two days later felt so good. Looked much better, too! I am thinking like Celeste, maybe it's not a good thing to screw with the hormones and if there aren't any scientific groups studying the weakly ER women, why are we subjected to hormone therapy that works for strongly ER women? Besides, I am concerned that everyone gets the same dose pill, whether you are 100 lbs or 400 lbs. Doesn't make sense. Arrgghh. Dianne __________________ Three years and 5 months NED Dx: Aug 2008 right breast IDC with 50% of tumor DCIS, Stage II or IIA, tumor size: 2.1 cm Grade 3 8/9 Richardson/Bloom test ER+ weakly positive Alred Score: 4 (suggesting I would strongly benefit from hormone therapy) PR-, HER2 positive +++ No vascular invasion No lymph nodes involved Surgery: Sept. 9, 2008 -Modified radical mastectomy, right breast. I chose to have a simple mastectomy on the left. Began Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin November, 2008. Finished T/C March 2009. Finished #16 Herceptin Sept. 09. AI's and Tamoxifen made me sick. Began natural Tamoxifen which is Quercetin, I3C and a combo of other supplements. I am also a DES Daughter. There is now a link between DES exposure in utero and breast cancer!