Hot flashes have once again become unbearable!

cahjah75
cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
in Breast Cancer #1
I finished rads on Tuesday and have been on Arimidex since the first week in January. I and my gyn know the risk I took in taking hormone replacement therapy while having a family history of bc but here I am again with hot flashes that leave me soaking wet any time of the day. I still have very little hair so my head just sweats down the face and the neck. My clothes get so damp and then a few minutes later I actually feel chilly. Afterall, it is winter still and quite cold. I dress in as few clothes as possible and layers but sometimes all I want to do is scream! I think my husband lets it go in one ear and out the other. In the car I turn on the cold air and crank the blower. At home I use a fan but it's still so aggravating! I seem to be tolerating the Arimidex ok but can't stand the hot flashes. I will be 62 in 2 days and have been having these awful flashes since I was in my 40's! Any suggestions that I could ask my onc or gyn??
Char
«1

Comments

  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #2
    Oh, Char, how annoying and frustrating!
    I'm on Arimidex too (since last July). Fortunately for me, I only experience the hot flashes once in a while--a couple of times at night and once in a while during the day. I think I've heard someone here mention some type of antidepressant that can help. Maybe they could chime in or maybe your doctor knows. I hope you can get this under control. Sounds like it's definitely affecting your quality of life--and that sucks.

    Good luck--keep us posted if you hear of anything.

    Hugs, Renee
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #3
    Hi Char
    It sounds like what
    Hi Char
    It sounds like what i was going thru before they took me off the tamoxifen last week (maybe 2)? Luckly they are less intense now...but no mistake about it that there still there.
    My doc said antidepressant work great for those frustrating hot flashes but since im not a drug type person and only take drugs when i absolutely have to, i suffer threw it but thats just me. But if anyone has any other suggestion that might work...id probably try it.
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #4
    missrenee said:

    Oh, Char, how annoying and frustrating!
    I'm on Arimidex too (since last July). Fortunately for me, I only experience the hot flashes once in a while--a couple of times at night and once in a while during the day. I think I've heard someone here mention some type of antidepressant that can help. Maybe they could chime in or maybe your doctor knows. I hope you can get this under control. Sounds like it's definitely affecting your quality of life--and that sucks.

    Good luck--keep us posted if you hear of anything.

    Hugs, Renee

    the name of the drug i have
    the name of the drug i have read about on here that helps some women with hot flashes is effexor.but i make sure to always talk to all my drs about my different drugs cuz i certainly dont want negative side effects.
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #5
    jo jo said:

    Hi Char
    It sounds like what
    Hi Char
    It sounds like what i was going thru before they took me off the tamoxifen last week (maybe 2)? Luckly they are less intense now...but no mistake about it that there still there.
    My doc said antidepressant work great for those frustrating hot flashes but since im not a drug type person and only take drugs when i absolutely have to, i suffer threw it but thats just me. But if anyone has any other suggestion that might work...id probably try it.

    I am on Tamoxofen and I do
    I am on Tamoxofen and I do have the Hot flashes. Not as bad as you. I am on Effexor. I was already on this drug way before my DX, so I can't tell you if it help or not, except I don't seem to be as bad as you meaning all day and night. My flashes come and go. They do drive my husband crazy. I have a fan by my bed and I suffer more in the summer not to say that the winter is all that great. I wear summer tank tops and carry a long sleeve shirt with me. Its been about a year now that I have been on Tamoxifen. I was told it would get better, I just don't know when ....
    Kathy
  • cindycflynn
    cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
    #6
    Here's what I tried
    When I started chemo I began to get a lot of hot flashes, and wanted to avoid taking any medication unless I had to. My doctor suggested 800 mg of vitamin E, and it seemed to help quite a bit.

    When I started on Tamoxifen, however, the hot flashes ramped up to a whole new level, and the vitamin E wasn't cutting it. I agreed to try the Effexor. I read about it and was concerned about the withdrawal side effects, but after talking to my doctor I agreed to try a very low dose, which has now eliminated most of the hot flashes for me.

    Definitely talk to your doctor to see what might be able to help you.

    Hugs,
    Cindy
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    cindycflynn said:

    Here's what I tried
    When I started chemo I began to get a lot of hot flashes, and wanted to avoid taking any medication unless I had to. My doctor suggested 800 mg of vitamin E, and it seemed to help quite a bit.

    When I started on Tamoxifen, however, the hot flashes ramped up to a whole new level, and the vitamin E wasn't cutting it. I agreed to try the Effexor. I read about it and was concerned about the withdrawal side effects, but after talking to my doctor I agreed to try a very low dose, which has now eliminated most of the hot flashes for me.

    Definitely talk to your doctor to see what might be able to help you.

    Hugs,
    Cindy

    Char .. Please speak with your doctor ..
    hot flashes ... are horrible, and to be wet in a matter of winter === unbearable. There has to be some help to counter balance your hot flashes. Maybe the Vitamin E that Cindy suggested is your answer ? check check with your doctor. If he/she states there is 'nothing' can be done for you .. RUN, WALK to the nearest exit, and find yourself a new Doctor.

    I am sorry .. Myself, I layer my clothing and it is tolerable right now during the cooler months .. Watch out during the summer, I get a little bittttttchy!

    Hoping you find a solution - fast :D

    Vicki Sam
  • 2Floridiansisters
    2Floridiansisters Member Posts: 384 Member
    #8
    VickiSam said:

    Char .. Please speak with your doctor ..
    hot flashes ... are horrible, and to be wet in a matter of winter === unbearable. There has to be some help to counter balance your hot flashes. Maybe the Vitamin E that Cindy suggested is your answer ? check check with your doctor. If he/she states there is 'nothing' can be done for you .. RUN, WALK to the nearest exit, and find yourself a new Doctor.

    I am sorry .. Myself, I layer my clothing and it is tolerable right now during the cooler months .. Watch out during the summer, I get a little bittttttchy!

    Hoping you find a solution - fast :D

    Vicki Sam

    OMGosh I get these too,
    In the middle of the night I end up yanking all my clothes off and tossing them on the floor. I get so hot I feel awful like I'm gonna burn up and there's my poor husband laying there freezing cause I turned a fan on. I use to take Effexor and then I gave it up because I was afraid of adding more meds to my everyday life but now after reading it can help I might just get back on it. I'm miserable. Thanks for posting this thread.
  • robinsong611
    robinsong611 Member Posts: 4
    #9
    terrible hot flashes
    Being someone that was already taking Effexor for depression and still having debilitating hot flashes, my onc checked on the most recent info she could find and has me taking Neurontin along with the Effexor. It has possibly helped with the amount of hot flashes I have in a day, but not the severity. My research nurse, who is awesome, told me to try black cohosh which is sold over the counter and has been used and proven to reduce hot flashes by up to 70%. So I recently purchased under the name Remifemin which is completely hormone free and safe for women with a history of breast cancer. It also states it will help with mood swings, irritability and related occasional sleeplessness. Have not taken long enough to know if it works but am hopeful. Anyone who would prefer a natural supplement rather than another RX may want to give it a try or look at more info at remifemin.com.
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #10
    robinsong611 said:

    terrible hot flashes
    Being someone that was already taking Effexor for depression and still having debilitating hot flashes, my onc checked on the most recent info she could find and has me taking Neurontin along with the Effexor. It has possibly helped with the amount of hot flashes I have in a day, but not the severity. My research nurse, who is awesome, told me to try black cohosh which is sold over the counter and has been used and proven to reduce hot flashes by up to 70%. So I recently purchased under the name Remifemin which is completely hormone free and safe for women with a history of breast cancer. It also states it will help with mood swings, irritability and related occasional sleeplessness. Have not taken long enough to know if it works but am hopeful. Anyone who would prefer a natural supplement rather than another RX may want to give it a try or look at more info at remifemin.com.

    Hot Flashes!!!
    I've been having Hot Flashes for 10 years! I went into immed. menapause as soon as I started Tamoxifen. I was on Tamoxifen for 5 years then many mos. of Femara then many months of Aromasin. I've been off everything since Oct. 2007. The hot flashes seemed to slow down for a while but have been back in force for quite a while. I'm HOT, then I'm cold. Everyone laughs at me at work!I tried Effexor but it caused me to have blurred vision. I tried Neurontin and it gave me an immediate headache. I decided the hot flashes were more tolerable than the side effects of these drugs. I must say, I'm really tired of this. I tried Vitamin E for a few years and I can't say it helped. I mentioned it several times to my GYN and she said some woman never fully stop having hot flashes! I guess I'm one of them. I will continue to ask because new treatments come up.I hope this doesn't discourage you> Good luck!!
    HUGS!!! Cathy
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #11
    cinnamonsmile said:

    the name of the drug i have
    the name of the drug i have read about on here that helps some women with hot flashes is effexor.but i make sure to always talk to all my drs about my different drugs cuz i certainly dont want negative side effects.

    I don't have hot flashes
    I don't have hot flashes Char, but, like cinnamonsmile wrote, I know some have mentioned they take effexor for the hot flashes. Talk to your oncologist and gyno about it. Hoping you find something that helps you soon!

    And, congrats again on finishing rads!
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #12
    cruf said:

    Hot Flashes!!!
    I've been having Hot Flashes for 10 years! I went into immed. menapause as soon as I started Tamoxifen. I was on Tamoxifen for 5 years then many mos. of Femara then many months of Aromasin. I've been off everything since Oct. 2007. The hot flashes seemed to slow down for a while but have been back in force for quite a while. I'm HOT, then I'm cold. Everyone laughs at me at work!I tried Effexor but it caused me to have blurred vision. I tried Neurontin and it gave me an immediate headache. I decided the hot flashes were more tolerable than the side effects of these drugs. I must say, I'm really tired of this. I tried Vitamin E for a few years and I can't say it helped. I mentioned it several times to my GYN and she said some woman never fully stop having hot flashes! I guess I'm one of them. I will continue to ask because new treatments come up.I hope this doesn't discourage you> Good luck!!
    HUGS!!! Cathy

    Thanks for
    the suggestions. I will ask my gyn and onc when I see them. I tried Effexor many years ago for depression but it didn't help me. I've also tried Neurontin for pain and depression but didn't take it long. I've never tried the Vit E. I have heard of Remifemin and that might be an option......
    Char
  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    #13
    I wear sleeveless tops year round, if that tells you I suffer
    from them, too. I have reusable ice packs that I put under the pillow at night - when I flip the pillow it's always cool. I bought a cushion from QVC - I call it my 'cooley cooler' to sit on.

    Here it is, freezing in NY, and I stick my hand out the window at an angle to aim it toward my face (temperature control).

    And I pant and complain. Sorry - no really helpful suggestions, just sympathy.

    Sue
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #14
    sbmly53 said:

    I wear sleeveless tops year round, if that tells you I suffer
    from them, too. I have reusable ice packs that I put under the pillow at night - when I flip the pillow it's always cool. I bought a cushion from QVC - I call it my 'cooley cooler' to sit on.

    Here it is, freezing in NY, and I stick my hand out the window at an angle to aim it toward my face (temperature control).

    And I pant and complain. Sorry - no really helpful suggestions, just sympathy.

    Sue

    Chillow
    I don't have hot flashes (just lucky, only had minimal flashes during menopause), so I don't know if this is any good, but there is a pillow called a Chillow that is supposed to keep your pillow cool. I wonder if that's what Sue is describing? http://www.chillowstore.com/

    I've been thinking of getting one for my husband who always complains about being hot in bed (don't even go there . . . )

    Suzanne
  • SusanEliz
    SusanEliz Member Posts: 50
    #15
    Hi Char
    Sorry, I havn't had the great joy of experiencing hot flashes just yet, but I'm sure my time is coming soon. I just wanted to send yuou some warm wishes that this will finally get under control for you- it seems like you've been dealing with it longer than most. I hope one of these lovely ladies will have a solution you can take to the doctor's office.

    Best regards,
    Susan
  • bunya
    bunya Member Posts: 11
    #16
    Effexor's the one!!
    Right after my dx of Invasive ductal/lobular breast cancer I reluctantly had to give up my HRT and very soon afterward started with hot flashes every 20 minutes of everyday. My ob put me on 75mgs. of Effexor XL and withing 5-7 days the hot flashes stopped. So about a year later I stopped the Effexor cold-turkey just cause I wanted to eliminate some meds in my daily life and for about a month I had severe vertigo daily and my hot flashes returned full force. Went back on Effexor XL again and plan to stay on it. I'm 61 years old and a year and 1/2 in remission. I WOULD recommed taking Effexor XL because it does work. Best of luck!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #17
    cahjah75 said:

    Thanks for
    the suggestions. I will ask my gyn and onc when I see them. I tried Effexor many years ago for depression but it didn't help me. I've also tried Neurontin for pain and depression but didn't take it long. I've never tried the Vit E. I have heard of Remifemin and that might be an option......
    Char

    Sorry Effexor didn't help.
    Sorry Effexor didn't help. Vitamin E has helped several. Update us as to what your doctors tell you to try.

    Good luck!
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #18
    bunya said:

    Effexor's the one!!
    Right after my dx of Invasive ductal/lobular breast cancer I reluctantly had to give up my HRT and very soon afterward started with hot flashes every 20 minutes of everyday. My ob put me on 75mgs. of Effexor XL and withing 5-7 days the hot flashes stopped. So about a year later I stopped the Effexor cold-turkey just cause I wanted to eliminate some meds in my daily life and for about a month I had severe vertigo daily and my hot flashes returned full force. Went back on Effexor XL again and plan to stay on it. I'm 61 years old and a year and 1/2 in remission. I WOULD recommed taking Effexor XL because it does work. Best of luck!

    Bunya
    thanks for your comments. I just turned 62 on Monday. I too had to stop HRT after being dx. My hotflashes have gotten so bad that my bald head drips and my clothes get wet and then a couple of minutes later I'm actually cold. It's like this all day long and while sleeping too. I do have a "cool pillow" and "cool case". They help keep my head a bit cooler but not my body. I will definitely ask my gyn about the Effexor XL.

    I thank all of you for your comments and plan on calling my gyn tomorrow!
    {{hugs}} Char
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #19
    cahjah75 said:

    Bunya
    thanks for your comments. I just turned 62 on Monday. I too had to stop HRT after being dx. My hotflashes have gotten so bad that my bald head drips and my clothes get wet and then a couple of minutes later I'm actually cold. It's like this all day long and while sleeping too. I do have a "cool pillow" and "cool case". They help keep my head a bit cooler but not my body. I will definitely ask my gyn about the Effexor XL.

    I thank all of you for your comments and plan on calling my gyn tomorrow!
    {{hugs}} Char

    I feel sorry for you Char.
    I feel sorry for you Char. I can't imagine feeling like this. Hoping that your gyno can give you some meds that will help you a lot. Let us know.


    Noel
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #20
    Noel said:

    I feel sorry for you Char.
    I feel sorry for you Char. I can't imagine feeling like this. Hoping that your gyno can give you some meds that will help you a lot. Let us know.


    Noel

    Called gyn
    yesterday and have an appt to see him 2 weeks from Monday. I guess I'll have to suffer til then. I brought my little fan with me to scrapbooking today. LOL
    Char
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #21
    cahjah75 said:

    Called gyn
    yesterday and have an appt to see him 2 weeks from Monday. I guess I'll have to suffer til then. I brought my little fan with me to scrapbooking today. LOL
    Char

    Char .. you do what you have to .. fan and all
    layering clothing also helps. If all fails, put on a pair of shorts, and tank top!


    Vicki am

Discussion Boards