Bipolar and chronic depression

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! 

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.

Most welcome.