Turkey Tail?

You might vet more responses/replies if you asked/posted question's about 'Turkey Tail' in the 'Complimentary/Holistic Forum or the Alternative Forum.

A couple of additional thoughts... There are several generic versions plus the name brand med for each of the 3 A/I's, and often someone who has a bad reaction to one, might not to another -- even the exact same med, just made by a different company. This is because they all use different fillers in their version of the drug. You can see who makes your Aromasin in the fine print info' on your RX bottle. Sometimes trying one made by a different company can make a real difference in SEs. Sometimes different pharmacies have contracts with different generic companies, so switching pharmacies might be necessary. You can always ask the pharmacist who makes the one they have and compare it to yours.

Also sometimes taking a bit of a break and then getting back on the med helps with the SEs.

Kicks, I could be mistaken, but I think what she meant was that she'd dreaded possibly hearing a story like mine -- not your suggestion.

I am sorry you are dealing with this, and so young. Side effects are hard, but I believe from my own experience that you can feel better than you do, even on treatment.

I am another one who refused AI's after bilateral + recon. I had basically the lowest OncoType DX score in history so I felt somewhat safe. Nonetheless, I wanted to feel like I had supported my survival if it ever came back, so I pursued some carefully chosen, alternative anti-cancer measures. Regardless, the beast was back with a vengeance in three years. (To be fair about the OncoType, I presented with both ILC and IDC, but they only ran the OncoType on my IDC tumors-- and it's the ILC that recurred.) Innumerable, extensive bone mets, pericardial mets, and a sprinkling around my right ovary. Total hysterectomy, pronto, so I could start on Femara right away. (You can see my other treatments in my signature.)

During these 6+ years on treatment, I have diligently tended to my side effects with complementary measures, just like dlb823 said. I follow a protocol which I developed with the help of an ND and hundreds of hours of my own research, and still continue to tweak. I believe my efforts to support my body through this are a huge part of the reason I am doing as well as I am, but at the same time I know for dang sure that it was a cancer drug that yanked me from the brink of death (when the beast suddenly invaded my biliary tree in October '13 and began shutting down my organs) to where I am now, going on my third year of NED.

I experienced insta-pause after the hysterectomy, and yes, it is hell. I had had some hot flashes before the surgery, but these were another beast altogether! After a year of non-stop hot flashes and insomnia which caused me to have anxiety and depression (on top of PTSD symptoms from the diagnosis and surgeries), I finally relented and took a low dose of Lexapro. WELL. The sun came out again and the hot flashes totally disappeared, in less than a week. I got my life back-- and was able to continue on the AI. I weaned off Lexapro two years later, verrrrry slowly, and the hot flashes and other issues never returned.

I felt like total c.r.a.p. for a year after my BMX + recon surgeries. It's just A LOT. I get it, I really do. I will tell you what has helped me most. My plastic surgeon was concerned that I still felt SO bad four months after my last surgery. He advised me to hydrate like crazy, to take alpha-lipoid acid and a probiotic daily, and to eat blueberries, salmon, and "every dark green leafy thing in sight." I got right on it, and sure enough, all of that helped. (I still go out for salmon on salad greens when I feel sluggish.) Wheatgrass juice shots were a revelation (I now mostly use a powdered form). Then I discovered a terrific supplement called Inflamma-less by Irwin Naturals (I get it on Amazon), which *profoundly* shifted things for me. Eases joints and pains, lifts my mood and brain fog, supports gut health and digestion, and gives me energy. I take two in the morning and two at night, without fail. I have recommended this to many people, including other BC patients, who now swear by it. For PTSD type symptoms, I started taking Adrenal Health by Gaia (proceed carefully with small doses of this one if you are on an SSRI, though). I have taken these two supplements daily for years because they are absolutely gamechangers for me, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Naturally, you need to do your own checking on stuff before deciding what to pursue for your own use, but this is a glimpse of what has helped me. I truly hope something here in all of this helps you.

I would just urge you to get in a rock-solid place mentally and emotionally BEFORE you make decisions that affect your life so profoundly. You owe that to yourself. Please try to be as kind to yourself and your precious life as you would be to a friend in great need. I wish you well!

Kbeee- how did you know it had returned? How do they test if you have the BMX? I'm considering BMX vs. Lumpectomy.