Off HRT and feeling terrible!

I hear you!  The same thing happened to me.  Immediately, the patch was removed without a tapering and within 24 hours, I was having hot flashes every 7 to 15 minutes.  In my case, I also experienced a Prodromal symptom which I can explain only by stating that it was a feeling of great unease, agitation, nausea, like severe flu symptoms.  If I was in the middle of something, which I usually was, this was quite distracting to say the least.  I still have this 2 years later but now they occur about 1 time an hour.  The heat flush that followed was of course when if alone I riped off my clothes and looked for a breeze and a cold drink.  It sucks big time.  It can take me from having a joyous moment to feeling like I need to lie down. 

This "Change of Life" is indeed a change of a major sort.  I so miss HRT.  I have very little energy, no sex drive (am single and well, I think not having a sex drive will keep me from ever wanting one now).  Whenever I am upset by any news, immediately I get a hot flash, hey, am having one right now just thinking about it!  Very power, this estrogen, and had I the money I'd seek bioidenticals because the quality of my life has suffered.  I have no energy because my sleep is disturbed. 

After a hot flash, I feel like I need to shower and change clothes but how many times can one do that in a day?  I feel your pain.  Two years later, at age 52, I do now they are lessening but still present. 

But taking HRT with ER positive breast cancer would be pushing it.  Especially since I opted out of Tamoxifen, Evista, and a few others which only made me feel ill and old, and I have to work and function being alone so that is a risk I have to live with.  There are others who will come here to give you ideas, such as a med called SSRI which may help you somewhat. 

To PM, click on the person's name (listed in blue near the post.)  In the upper right corner (in blue) it says 'Send member a private message'.  Click on that, and you can post.

SSRIs are a group of meds, which some find helpful.  I take sertraline (Zoloft) because I have something like PTSD.  

The usual choices for women with classic LCIS are:

a) watchful waiting

b) watchful waiting + antihormonals

c) Bilateral prophylactic mastectomies.

In this small 2005 study,people had a variety of perceptions and choices.

The patients' perception of lifetime risk for invasive cancer was variable. Surgeons performed the majority of counseling. Fourteen patients (35%) were placed on a selective estrogen-receptor modulator. Eleven patients (28%) had bilateral mastectomy. Three patients had unilateral mastectomy. Screening recommendations included an annual mammography (64%), a professional examination (64%), and a monthly self-breast examination (75%).http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15862506

This means that about 30% of this group chose watchful waiting alone.  That is also a very valid option for some people.

It is a very personal decision.  No one can tell you what the right choice is for YOU. 

There is no rush to make any decisions.  You are NOT in the position like our invasive cancer sisters, who sometimes only have weeks to decide what to do.  I've been diagnosed with LCIS since Dec 2005, and I'm still not sure if I will be pursuing PBMs eventually.

You may not know if antihormonals will make you feel worse.  In fact, the Evista info page says women who have hot flashes are not barred from taking Evista.  Side effects do not happen for EVERY woman.  If you wish, you can try some antihormonals, and stop taking them if they aren't for you.  It is YOUR choice.

Ann: Now you got me worried  that Evening Primrose Oil won't always work for me. I have noticed that every time I "slack" for just a few days, my hot flashes flare up, so perhaps I just need to keep taking it religiously. But now that I know it might stop working, I am going to start looking into another safe alternative......