Bipolar and chronic depression

CelineFlower

I am curious about the experiences others may have had that were DX with bipolar/depression prior to their BC DX...

Was there any added SE's because of this?

Were you able to stay on your meds?

i suppose if i go down the hormonal drug path ... im goingto be on an emotional roller coaster..

My mental health is stabalized and i intend to keep it that way.. any advice is more the welcome

be well

celine 

1Athena1

Hello, CelineFlower.

I don't think there even begins to be a one-size-fits-all solution or best course - and you probably know this from your work in stabilizing your moods. People with mood disorders are affected in different ways and to different degrees.

I had to make the difficult (that is putting it mildly) choice to treat EITHER the disorder OR the breast cancer when it came to adjuvant treatment. Eventually, I chose the mood disorder, as my life was more in danger from that than it was from the BC.

For you, the equation might be different, OR you may be able to accommodate hormone therapy well with your mood disorder. I would not go by others' experiences, including mine, as they could be highly misleading and/or cause unnecessary worry.

My only suggestion is that you come to an independent decision about whether or not you want to take hormone therapy for the sake of the BC. Once you have made the cancer decision, go on to the next step, which is seeing how you can fit one treatment with the other.

The mood meds you are on and your reaction to meds makes a difference. A psychiatrist and an oncologist should be in close contact throughout your treatment. My onc is always updating my psychiatrist.

If you do decide to go on hormone therapy, make sure to have frequent contact with a psychiatrist for a while who can help to monitor any effects it may have on mental health. It will be important to have a really competent mental health physician - hopefully someone who both knows you well and has experience or is familiar with people who undergo cancer hormone therapy.

Best of luck to you! 

CelineFlower

Athena... 

Thank you ... great post, very helpful. I am seeing an onco psychiatrist next friday.

Was it very hard for you to make the choice between meds and treatment for cancer?

I must say... i never even conceived of having that choice...

1Athena1

Celine, I had to realize that, for adjuvant treatment, it was either/or. The "medical facts on the ground" made that choice for me, if you will. I did about 18 months of Tam.

CelineFlower

I see what you mean... it was "right action' ...

wow... honestly youve given me much to think of.

I know its different for each of us but it is god to know we are not the only ones 

thank you 

1Athena1

Most welcome.

1Athena1

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