Why wont they give me ESTROGEN?

DonnaDio

bj crump..thanks to you also!!!

DonnaDio

Momo...Recently got on black cohosh and REALLY has helped me for hot flashes.. my Natural Dr suggested this 180 mg and get it at a good health food store.

Mantra

Interesting thread. I've been debating whether to resume using my vagifem and progesterine cream. Part of my feels it okay given my cancer was er/pr negative. Yet the box says it is not to be used in patients who have had cancer. So do I? Or don't I? I'm out of the country for a few more months and tried to call my oncologist but he hasn't called back. I said he could call collect. I also left a message asking if I could get his fax number so I could fax him my question. Again, no reply. So I'm sitting here with the box and can't decide what I should be doing. I can't stand the dryness and burning and when I was on vagifem and a progesterine cream before being diagnosed with bc, it really helped alleviate my problem. Yet if vagifem is going to clear up one problem only to create a much more serious one, then I am certainly not going to use it.

Nordy

I love that I am not the only one with this issue! I had my hyst/bso 2 months ago, so recently came off of pelvic rest - only to find the pain and discomfort that I had had when I was on chemo 4 years ago!!! UGH. My med onc is SO against anything natural - as "it is not monitored by the FDA"... blah blah blah... Because you know THEY have done such a great job making sure that we put things in our body that are good. HA. Anyway, I started using a phytoestrogen cream that got rid of the constant crying that appeared about 2 weeks out - it is called Emerita and you can find it online - or I bought my in Whole Foods. I love it - and even though they suggest you use it twice a day, I have only been using it once - so that my onc can't get too upset about it. Then, I also started increasing my intake of soy since the most recent study that came out said that it was safe for BC survivors (but only the non genetically engineered kind). The soy has helped with the hot flashes. NOW, the only thing I have left to conquer is the vaginal dryness/pain. My onc did say if it remains a problem that he would prescribe the vaginal estrogen cream. I may take him up on it. I am going to try 2 more things first: vit. E suppositories and a paraben free lube called, "Yes" that I found online. I am awaiting its delivery as it is being shipped from overseas. I will let you all know if it helps. In the mean time - I love reading what has worked for everyone else and am glad to hear that the vaginal estrogens do indeed work. I may be following your lead shortly if I can't manage this without a prescription! But I agree - I have thought of switching docs for the sole purpose of finding one who is more on board with me regarding using things that occur in nature (soy, black cohosh, evening primrose oil) vs giving me something that is concocted out of a bunch of chemicals in a lab. So far, he has given me some free reign (begrudgingly), but is eager for me to stop using the cream... even though it is helping and even though he admits that it is better for your liver to utilize a cream. Thanks for being so open!