Surgical vs medical menopause

Can't help you - I went through natural menopause at 44 with no negative SEs. Except for a few weeks (which were not 'fun') I did not do HRT. I was 63 when DXd.

(Nothing to help but does 'bump up' your thread.)

I've done monthly lupron shots since July and doing well. I get hot flashes at night and minor joint pain but that's it

I was on Lupron for about six months before I had my ovaries removed. I had been in 'chemopause' for about five months before that. My symptoms (OMG HOT FLASHES!) were pretty much the same chemopause/Lupron/surgical menopause. I knew I wanted them out as couldn't really deal with having blood tests and shots every 28 days. The surgery was not bad, but I did have two lime-sized uterine fibroids removed (they weren't planning on removing as did not show that large on US), and the surgeon insisted on two-weeks off work, which I was more than happy to take.

Almost two and a half years later and I *think* the frequency of my hot flashes is getting less. I also think it may be meditation (I'm at 40 days in a row.)

Let me know if you have more specific questions!

Well, I've been in "medical menopause" almost two years now: monthly Zoladex shots (so I can take Aromasin even though I was pre-menopausal). Yes, there are hot flashes (sleep with the ceiling fan on), and moodiness (addressed through Celexa -- an SSRI). But, otherwise, nothing. I also get my port flushed while getting my Zoladex, so that's convenient. (I'm keeping my port for five years, post-diagnosis.) Plus, I get to check-in with MO's nurses and tell them how I'm feeling. Luckily, MO is just 10 minutes away, so it's not really inconvenient. I could get my ovaries out, but OB-GYN isn't that enthusiastic. He points out that women who keep their ovaries tend to live longer.

RE: vacations, you can work around those, depending how long you'll be gone. I don't get my Zoladex shots exactly four weeks apart or anything like that. Sometimes, it's more like every five weeks or whatever works best for me. MO's scheduler is pretty flexible.

I had one Zoladex shot and said no more because I didn't want to be tied to going to my doctors office every 28 days for who know she how long. I had a hysterectomy due to large fibroids and have been thankful I did that. I wasn't in menopause and have to take Aromasin. Hot flashes have been ok. Join the pain is mild, and insomnia comes and goes. I'm dealing with sadness right now, and I don't know if it's from the drug or the past year. Good luck

I am struggling with this same decision right now. I'm on an AI (exemestane) and I have had 4 Zoladex injections. I have currently a little joint pain, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, and fatigue but that could be from the AI. I thought I'd be fine with getting the injections but that does become a little bit of a pain in scheduling etc. I'm starting to feel like a pin cushion. Plus, with the last one I got some shooting pains in my abdomen near the injection site. I called the nurse and she said that I may have irritated a nerve. Has anyone experienced that? Thinking of doing this for the next 5 years is making me start to consider oophorectomy. I would love feedback... And best to you Falconer!

Falcolner,

If I were to get an ooph, it would be my OB/GYN who would perform the procedure. He'd be willing to do it if I wanted it done. Right now, I get my Zoladex shots in my abdomen. But, they've never hit a nerve, just a blood vessel every now and then.

Following this! I'm 32. My doctor is giving me the choice between tamoxifen or "menapause inducing shots" and arimidex. Damned if I know what to do...

I think what your oncologist recommends is sometimes based on not only your diagnosis, but your age and how long you can be on these medications until you would naturally go into menopause. So, that may be different for each of us. I don't know if this is helpful, nem126, but the reason my doctor recommended an aromatase inhibitor and ovarian suppression injections over tamoxifen and injections was based on a trial that showed slightly better outcomes (survival rates).  After my surgery (bilateral mastectomy) almost a year ago, he started me on tamoxifen as a starting point. We assessed my side effects and then he tried me on the aromatase inhibitor. For me I had some joint pain on the tamoxifen and there was some concern that it might be worse with the aromatase inhibitor. But it was about the same.  I then began the Zoladex injections. You don't necessarily have to have your treatment plan set in stone, there can be time to reassess. I am 38 and went into chemopause and since I don't plan to have any more children I am seriously considering doing the oophorectomy.

I'm 36 and been in medical menopause now for a year thanks for zoladex and arimidex. Initially I had hot flushes, bone ache, insomnia but all have gone considerably over time. It's very manageable and I want to keep my ovaries because i would like to have children at some point in the future. Plus it's another op and I think I've had my fair share over the past two years.

nem - the trials are the SOFT and TEXT, here is some info. There are some important considerations regarding age in these trials - specifically that it is more unusual for much younger women to develop breast cancer, it can be more aggressive in those younger women, the study population age is skewed to more of a perimenopausal age group, and all of this may have an effect on the trial outcome. This is good information to discuss with your oncologist.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1412379#t=article

http://www.ascopost.com/issues/june-25-2014/exemestaneovarian-suppression-reduces-recurrence-vs-tamoxifenovarian-suppression-in-premenopausal-breast-cancer/

I had a total hyst/ooph at 45, not even perimenopausal yet, due to fibroids in the uterus too numerous to count. I had a history of ovarian cysts as well, with a ruptured one about the size of a lemon in my 20's. The pathologist found a 3cm pre-malignant mass in my right ovary after the ooph that had been undetected by the TVUS done six months earlier. It was either missed, which is consistent with my imaging history - mammo missed my palpable 2.6cm breast cancer, and MRI missed my large positive node, or it grew to that size after the TVUS. Nine years after the TAH/BSO I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so this surgery may not have reduced my risk - but it is possible that I am an outlier. My tumor was 96% ER+, and highly Her2+ so it is hard to say which aspect drove the growth.

So, everyone... this might be a dumb question but... I am assuming with Tamoxifen you likely still get your period, with shots and AI you probably don't?

Assuming chemo hasn't affected it.

I went into instant menopause as soon as I had my mx and started on Tamoxifen. SE I attributed from meds but could be from that as well. I was 49 when diagnosed and had not entered at all into menopause before then yet. Of course had one when I had my mx and that was all I ever had.