menopause

I also was chemo-induced into menopause after being totally non-pre-menopausal in 1996 at age 47.  I now show on blood tests for past 2 years that I'm totally post-menopausal.  Hence a change from 3 1/2 years of tamoxifen (Feb 2007) to just this week of Aromasin.  No periods, but ironically a period every single day on cytoxin/adriamycin...no period *BANG* the first day of Taxol/Gemzar...and no period since.  Hot flashes/night sweats/weight gain immediately and hasn't gone away at all yet.  Yes, I believe being ER+ and being on hormonal anti-cancer treatments affect menopause/bc patients.   We can only 'go with the flow' .... so to speak, lol.

~juli

lago:  I now have an almost 10% bone density loss, and have taken tamoxifen for 3 1/2 years, now switched to aromasin just this week.  My primary doc is researching the bone drugs (biphosphonates) as my endocrinologist thinks my bone loss is no big deal.  I am also very vitamin d deficient, so am self-dosing with 4,000ius of vitamin d3 a day.  I hope you are getting advice about your risk for osteopenia/osteoporosis and vitamin d deficiency.  There is a vitamin d thread on here you might want to check out...very informative.  SOOOO many of us have the same issues.  (I also have daily chronic migraines, hyper-parathyroidism, hypo-thyroidism, had a parathyroidectomy in 2002, and have high parathyroid again, normal calcium, so no calcium for me).  I wish you the best~~~juli

Prescription vitamin d is D2, not what our body needs.  (I just went thru 12 weeks of the D2 treatment, and my D3 is at 13, VERY deficient)...I am going to go up to taking 5,000ius of Vitamin D3 (my primary doc agrees, endocrinologist was very dismissive).  A dexa scan is a better tool for bone density, and we all get bone scans yearly anyway to check for metastatic cancer.  This just my own .02 from my own (lengthy) experience with d deficiency and bone density loss.  Yes, weight training is great for bone strength, unfortunately I cannot do exertion exercises (daily migraines), so good for you on that one!  GOOD LUCK to you!   ~juli

Hi My name is Anne I have been thrown in to menopause and yes its no fun having extremely hot flashes that last for ever (more like a hot shower) and so far nothing can control them have tried effexor and cataopress and vitamin E and the flashes still keep coming thick and fast. Do you know of anything to help cool things down I also live in a hot climate in Queensland Australia.

Hi LouLou,

I'm just curious as to why you didn't do anything for the osteo other than stopping the arimidex.  I know we've "met" before on this board, and I thought you were given zometa???  Did your osteo still progress despite the zometa?  What are your oncs thoughts on not addressing the estrogen part of your HER2 cancer?  All 3 of the oncs I've seen say that I need some kind of hormonal suppression, even though only weakly estrogen dependent.  Boy, I'd sure like to hear that I don't need it!!!