hormonal depression with chemo

Unknown
Unknown
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Thanks everyone for responding about the taxol side effects. Here's one more thing. I talked to a y-Me volunteer who explained that my crying all the time might not have so much to do with my "problems" as just hormonal imbalance with the chemo menopause (I am three rounds into chemo). Makes perfect sense. I have been crying way too much, and when I was trying to stay upbeat too! Now I can use my pms coping skills to cope with my sadness and know that I don't have to think that the cancer diagnosis alone is causing me to be so down. I hadn't had anyone explain this or caution me about it and it has been so hard when I just can't stop crying (and at work too, how embarassing). Now I am ready to forge ahead. Anyone else experience this?
Best wishes to all of you for tear free days!

Comments

  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #2
    I had some of the side effects others had while I was on Taxol and Herceptin, including moodiness (crying and getting mad easily), but I had much more mild effects than most. What you are experiencing sounds like some others I have heard of. I hope your co-workers are sympathetic. When I am apologetic about being more forgetful than normal, my supervisor just smiles, says, "chemo-brain moment" and reminds me to write stuff down and check my schedule. I don't know what you could call chemo-induced crying, maybe instead of PMS, you could say CIC?

    remember, it's temporary. seof
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    I also cried a lot during chemo-at work too! In fact I still cry at the drop of a hat and chemo was done over a year ago. I am in medical menopause and until I read your posting, I never considered that the emotional episodes might be due to the reduced estrogen. Well, just add it to the list of ways that cancer has screwed up my life! Take care, and know that we are all in this together. Eileen
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #4
    Hi Joyce, I was post menopausal when diagnosed and I was not too bad till the taxanes and then I bottomed out. Woke up hating everything. A very foul mood that still shows up every so often. Yes, I would "chew" about stuff and get upset and feel sorry for myself and cry. Geez I hate it. Hopefully it will eventually lessen and leave like this whole cancer experience. Power to you
    jan
  • 3cbrca
    3cbrca Member Posts: 206
    #5
    I was put into menopause with the A/C within two treatments. I was also told that with "medical menopause" (due to chemo, surgery etc) that all of the symptoms are worse when it stops so suddenly. It makes total sense to me - I too used to have terrible PMS (although it was getting better as I got older) and I have used those skills (for me its what I eat and how much excercise I get) through all of this....
    She

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