Acupuncture Anyone?

Hi, Kim.  I've been receiving acupuncture treatments regularly since I started Tamoxifen in late June (and would have started earlier, esp. leading up to surgery and afterward, if I had known how helpful it would be!).  I went for help with three primary things:  hot flashes, trouble sleeping, and a sort of constant nervousness that was wearing me out.  For the first couple of months, I went twice a week, and now go once/week.

In terms of outcomes:  I have definitely noticed a difference with the hot flashes (I only notice them once or twice a day now, and they're very mild and manageable), and this is turn has helped with my sleep, as I think it's the flashes that wake me up.  Now, it's true that this could also just be my body just getting used to the Tamoxifen (I've read of other women who have hot flashes and other SEs initially but then these go away after the first few months).  Who knows for sure.

The biggest thing I've noticed, though, is just how deeply acupuncture relaxes me, at least during the treatment and for some hours afterward.  And while I'm agnostic about the whole meridians and qi stuff, I figure that even if it's just giving me some deep relaxation, that's an invaluable benefit (though I do hope it's strengthening my qi and overall health as well!).

One last thing, as it sounds like pain is the main thing you're seeking relief from:  I've had killer headaches the last week as I'm going off coffee (caffeine withdrawal -- agh!).  Anyway, at my last appointment, I told my acupuncturist I had a huge headache, and she said, "Oh, I think we can do something about that."  And sure enough, with just two needles on my left hand and wrist, the pain lifted.  It was really amazing.  Didn't make it go away altogether, but it became much more manageable and I could finally relax again.  About 10 years ago, I went to a different acupuncturist for chronic headaches specifically, and it helped me quite a bit with pain then, too.

Hope that helps, and I also help you're feeling better soon!

No, not at all.  The needles are quite thin and are not inserted deeply.  I've rarely even had any bleeding, and those times it stopped almost immediately.  If the prospect of infection worries you, though, you could put Neosporin or similar on the needle sites right after treatment.  Someone suggested that to me when I was concerned about being treated on the side where lymph nodes had been removed.

Kim,

I just started acupuncture earlier this week to help with pain I have been having from bursitis in my shoulder.

So far it hasnt noticeably helped that, BUT I do not seem to feel as depressed as I was. For something like two months I have been soooo down about being stage 4. It started after I finished radiation for the metastasis in my C-spine-- seemed like that was the end of pro-active tx, all they are offering me now is Arimidex. Heidi's rapid downward spiral started around then and that affected me a lot too. She was dx'd stage 4 around the same time as me and we had chatted a bit on the stage 4 boards. I really feel like I have lost a friend. But since starting the acupunture I have not been as teary as I was.

The acupuncturist told me that he can also treat me for the cancer itself using acupuncture with moxibustion, 3 times a week for 3 months. I have been checking online but so far the only information I have been able to find has been about acupuncture for pain relief and relaxation. I am wondering if anyone here has heard of that.

Lisa

I also had good relief with accupuncture from joint pain caused by Femara. I ultimately decided to quit the drug...but the accupuncture got me through the clinical trial I was participating in...Best of luck!

Really helped for my neuropathy...just took the edge off

I did accupuncture for about 5 weeks before starting Chemo and did one session during most of my 6 round of chemo.  I can't know if it was the accupuncture but I had almost no nausea and other than a serously low blood count after the first session handled the chemo very well.  Mostly I had fatigue and a slight bit of nerapathy.  My spirits were upbeat through most of it. I also found the accupuncture very very relaxing.  I also did Gi Gong with my accupucturist weekly if I could make it and a very very gentle yoga for cancer patients.  While I was at it I threw in a Reiki session and after I finished chemo I got attuned to do the Rieki myself since I had a oppportunity to do first level for just $100. I figured that was two massages, if it worked I could help myself and others for the rest of my life and if not, well I have thrown that much away on massages that did not do much for me.  It is a bit hard sometimes to accept the Reiki as a real thing but I felt better then I had felt in at least a year after I was attuned and a pain I had been having in my hip was gone for the whole day and did not hurt as much after that.  I really seem to feel something these dyas that I would assume is my energy body.  A kind of force field around my body and funny little buzzings in spots.