Hi everyone
After having a lumpectomy last year and now having monthly zoladex injections which have caused chemical menopause at the ripe age of 36 for 10 months . Is anyone else suffering with the side effects...
Weight gain, depression, hair loss, cant sleep, hot flushes, dry skin?
Seem to tick everything in the box. Taking anti depressants (amitriptyline/venlapaxine) to stop myself going bonkers and sleep but still feel like it will never end.
The hormone therapy is worse for me than having the cancer . It effects every day life in every way. Getting told to have an early night and take a deep breath by people doesn't cut it. It feels like I'm the only one on the planet that knows how crap it is and no1 is listening.
How does anyone else get through the day? Any pointers ? Is anyone else going through this aswell?
Kez x
Hi Keza87 I am so sorry to hear you are having side effects from the zoledex. I do know exactly how you are feeling. I have been on zoledex and anastrozole for 9 years. It is exhausting!! I do not have breast cancer, I have endometrial stromal sarcoma, but the treatment mirrors that of breast cancer because it is oestrogen positive.
I am also taking amitriptlyne to help with the side effects. I was taking 10mg, which although really did help me to sleep, I was also making me exhausted, I felt like a zombie. I have halved the dose to 5mg and it still helps me to sleep, but I don’t feel as exhausted.
The lack of oestrogen has also caused me to have osteopenia, which is the start of osteoporosis. I now have to have denosumab injections to strengthen my bones. This comes with its own side effects, it’s a vicious circle. If you haven’t had a bone density scan already, it is worth mentioning to your oncologist, as it is good to have a base scan to compare with future scans.
For me, the hot flushes, brain fog, and aching joints are the worst. I did gain an awful lot of weight, but over the past year I have managed to lose 3 stone whilst following the slimming world plan. My joint pain increases as the day goes on, the evenings are the worst, as I find that if I sit for too long my joints become very stiff and painful.
Although this is not an easy path, it has saved my life! I have recently had my yearly scan, that has shown that my cancer is stable and inactive. This news is the only thing that makes it all worth it. Oh and I avoid all of the menopause adverts that tell you that women don’t have to suffer with menopause, they can take HRT to make it all better! They have no idea what it’s really like to live without oestrogen.
