Depression post treatment

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Ninette
Ninette Member Posts: 2
edited July 2018 in Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts

My name is ninette and I am 38 years old (married and have a 13 year old boy) - 7 years ago I was diagnosed with invasive DCI I had a mastectomy and reconstruction of right breast while reduction in left

After I stayed on tamoxifen for 5 years now I am off tamoxifen but now I am not happy .. nothing seems to make me happy ... I feel down all the time and with the stresses of life I am unable to cope well

Can it be another form of cancer causing me to be depressed

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  • Peregrinelady
    Peregrinelady Member Posts: 1,019
    edited July 2018
    Hi Ninette, so it sounds like you are about 45 now. Have you been through menopause? The drop in hormones could be a contributing factor to depression. I am not a dr. obviously, but I will say vitamin D and magnesium helped me tremendously when I suffered depression after a misdiagnosis. Also, I did go to a counselor. PTSD can happen at any time after a trauma. No, I do not think this is another cancer, but you should consult a dr. if your symptoms persist. Take care of yourself.
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  • Ninette
    Ninette Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2018

    hello , actually no I am still 38 so I didn’t reach menopause yet. But I have no idea why am I always needing to cry . This has been going on for last 4 months

    I do t want to go to a doctor because I can’t handle more medicines honestly

    I know this sounds weak bas I just don’t want the hassle of this now and it’s costkt as well in my country and we are having financial difficulties these past year

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  • Peregrinelady
    Peregrinelady Member Posts: 1,019
    edited July 2018
    Oh, I see I misread about your age. You were very young at your first diagnosis. Sometimes the whole experience of having cancer doesn’t hit you until later. Maybe you were strong at the time and your emotions are just now coming out. Are there any kind of support groups in your country?
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  • Toscaxoxo
    Toscaxoxo Member Posts: 18
    edited July 2018

    Hi, Ninette.

    Please consider having your thyroid levels checked. It's a simple blood test--not very expensive at all. It is common for breast cancer to mess up your thyroid function. In my case, I was really, really depressed and felt "off"--it turned out to be hypothyroidism. Now I take one pill per day to even out my levels and I feel so much better!

    Hugs to you,

    Toscaxoxo

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  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 1,632
    edited July 2018

    Ninette is smart to recognize her symptoms of depression - Tosca has good advice about getting a check up.

    Peregrine is right about getting help from a counselor or support group which may not cost too much. You’re worth it! Especially with being mom to an undoubtedly energetic teenager, you need to take care of yourself.

    Even though more medication may not be the preferred choice, sometimes a short course can break the downward cycle and get brain chemistry back in balance. If sleep is disrupted, which typically happens, it seems to make everything worse so maybe a visit to the doctor is a possibility. Let us know what you decide to do.

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