Estrogen blocking medication

Hi there sorry to hear of your problems I too had awful side effects with letrozole I've been switched to exmestane which is so much better it may be worth talking to your doctor about feeling tearful  it's no surprise as what your going through is awful but I take venlaflaxine which i call my happy pills it really keeps you cope with everything hope this helps big hugs xx

Hi, thanks so much for your reply.  I'll bare in mind about speaking to my doctor and won't rule out taking something to help if it continues :) 

X

I found that things did get significantly better than the first shock of menopause. I am on exemestane and zoladex. Brands made a big difference to exemestane so the pharmacy just gets me the one that is the least troublesome.

I did continue to get mood swings and didn't really feel like me from them (sad, anxious, flashes of anger) so about 2 years after I started the zoladex, I asked to go on a low dose of antidepressant, and that has been amazing, I am on the lowest dose and have not felt the need to increase it. It just makes me feel like me again. I still get a lot of fatigue and other than pacing myself, I suspect I will have that for as long as I am on the treatment. I'm 2 years since all my main treatment stopped and I still have days when I need a sleep at lunchtime, or I can't do much a day of the weekend as I have overdone it during the week.

I also still have loads of other menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal atrophy, dry skin...) but I find those, although not great, more manageable now that the mood issues are resolved.

I was getting a lot of anxiety alongside a hit flush, which made it feel like a panic attack, and that has gone now. I just feel very hot!

Can I ask what antidepressant you are in please?

Which brand of exmestane did you find was the best it's early days for me I've still got herceptin treatment and bone infusion which I had to have a day apart last week which wiped me out just as I was starting to feel myself again it's taken nearly a year plus I've got to sort my heart damage out from chemo but hey we are still here xx

Thanks for your reply.  That's reassuring to know it does get a bit better with time.  Also useful to know about antidepressants helping.  I might consider it if things don't settle as it's really tough to live with the mental affects of it most of all.  Like you sat the other menopausal symptoms are also rubbish but it makes sense that they would be easier to deal with if the mood stuff was under control. X

Hello dear I'm on venlaflaxine it was advised by oncology it was a better one to deal with flushes too I was taking sertraline but this is marvellous it really does help I was always against taking them xx

Hi Lucy don't be afraid to take them I'm on venlaflaxine it was advised for hot flushes too I never wanted to take them as I was worried it would change me as a person as it it did for my dad but in those days antidepressants were not good at all modern day medicine is so much better look how its helping  us breast cancer patients take care stay strong you will beat this xx

Many thanks I'm on sertraline with no improvement but gp had asked me to try venlaflaxine. I realise it's very individual response but interesting that it helps hot flushes . Many thanks for your reply xx

Yes it's really helped also oncology said I could take black cohosh too Aand changing to exmestane has been such an improvement xx