Is There Anyone Here That is NOT Taking Hormone Therapy?

chenheart said:

For what it's worth
For what it's worth, I finished the entire 5 years of Arimidex in March ( or was it February??) and I had NO noticable side-effects. During those 5 years, I continued to walk 5 miles 3X a week, and go to Jazzercise classes 3X a week as well. I did 5 and 10K's, a half-marathon, zip-lined in Mexico, went to the Inauguration with 2 million ppl in the freezing cold,was in a ping pong tournament ( a semi-finalist, if I may say so!). I also go camping with 200 friends every year, at home I of course do the house keeping, cooking, laundry, love-making, and everything everyone else who lives/loves life does!!! I am not bragging at all, I am doing nothng extraordinary...but I lived before, during and after Cancer treatment, including Hormone Therapy. I hope all of your experiences with therapy keep you as healthy and active too.

Hugs,
Chen♥

I just asked the Breast Care
I just asked the Breast Care Center nurse about Arimidex and how many of the patients had problems with it, and she said only a few compared to most who had none to only mild. So, if my Medical Oncologist recomends it, I guess I will try it. I want to continue taking my Wellbutrin. I have taken it for probably 10 years. I had very few problems with going through menepause. Only an occasional asking "Is it me, or is it hot in here" LOL. It wasn't horrondus as it was for one of my older co-workers at the time, she would get a huge flush on her neck and face and be sweating profusley. My lymph node biopsy was painful, i just hope the results are that they are cancer-free. I should know by Tuesday.

tasha_111 said:

I Stopped
I stopped taking Tamoxifen last week, I am just too scared by the horror stories about it, all from reputable sources. I have an appointment with my oncologist (Dr. Charisma-Bypass) on wednesday to try to get some REAL answers.......I am also on a contradictory med 'Zoloft' so I want to know what to do about that too.........I recently tried stopping the zoloft, with very negative effects...... I know this won't help you at all, but I will be back with SOME answers on wednesday night........

Hugs Jxxxxxxxxx

ARRGH! I tried Zoloft
ARRGH! I tried Zoloft before anything else when I was DXed with depression. It gave me abdominal crampiness. I was switched to Prozac. I was on that for 3 yrs. It wrecked my libido, so I was switched to Wellbutrin. My cousin in Calif. who is not doing well at all took Tamoxafen for 5 yrs. she was taking Wellbutrin at the time, now she has mets to her bones. So, it's possible those yrs on the Tamox were not helping her. this info only came out recently. God, I hate cancer. why does everything have side effects!

Noel said:

Nope
Not taking any hormone therapy pills yet!

♥ Noel

WELL.....my experience with
WELL.....my experience with hormone theraphy has been repeated time and time again on this board, and I still don't have a definitive answer as to whether it is something I should or shouldn't do. After chemo, my onc started me on Femera, which I started the same day as rads. (I have heard that this drug should not be used while taking radiation treatment, but that is what my onc suggested.) After three months on Femera, I looked like an old lady trying to get out of a chair, or walk across the floor. I would first have to stand up, and stay still for about two to three minutes before I trusted my left hip to function well enough to keep me from falling. There were other joints that ached, but mostly my left hip. I stayed on the drug for four months, and then had my three month follow up visit with the onc. We decided to switch me to Tamoxifen, which is a different type of hormone theraphy than the AI's (Femara, Aromisin or Arimidex). I hesitated to try this, as I had so much trouble with Femara, and finally gave in to my husband to at least try it. I started taking 10mg per day (rather than the prescribed 20mg), and didn't notice much of anything. After a month a started taking 10mg twice a day. Well, after about four months on Tamoxifen, I started having side effects (hot flashes almost constantly, nausea, knots in my legs and arms which were at first diagnosed as clots, and several other small se's). I cut back to 10mg per day for another month, and about three weeks ago I finally stopped the Tamoxifen altogether. Here it is three weeks later, and I feel more like myself than I have in months. The onc was disappointed because I had stopped the med, but I think my body is squealing for a break from meds. I trust my own judgement as much as anyone does, and feel that I know my body much better than anyone at all. Therefore, for now, I am just watching my diet, exercising, taking vitamins (Calcium + D, D3, Omega Fish Oil and B6), and hoping for the best. I had no lymph node involvement, and feel that this may give me an edge on not taking Tamoxifen, and at least I know I have made a decision, and must live with it, no matter what happens. Quality of life is so important, and I am happy to be where I am today. Hugs to all trying to work through this decision. It is a tough one, but a decision only the individual can make. Good luck to all, whichever way you sway. Hugs.

Judy

creampuff91344 said:

WELL.....my experience with
WELL.....my experience with hormone theraphy has been repeated time and time again on this board, and I still don't have a definitive answer as to whether it is something I should or shouldn't do. After chemo, my onc started me on Femera, which I started the same day as rads. (I have heard that this drug should not be used while taking radiation treatment, but that is what my onc suggested.) After three months on Femera, I looked like an old lady trying to get out of a chair, or walk across the floor. I would first have to stand up, and stay still for about two to three minutes before I trusted my left hip to function well enough to keep me from falling. There were other joints that ached, but mostly my left hip. I stayed on the drug for four months, and then had my three month follow up visit with the onc. We decided to switch me to Tamoxifen, which is a different type of hormone theraphy than the AI's (Femara, Aromisin or Arimidex). I hesitated to try this, as I had so much trouble with Femara, and finally gave in to my husband to at least try it. I started taking 10mg per day (rather than the prescribed 20mg), and didn't notice much of anything. After a month a started taking 10mg twice a day. Well, after about four months on Tamoxifen, I started having side effects (hot flashes almost constantly, nausea, knots in my legs and arms which were at first diagnosed as clots, and several other small se's). I cut back to 10mg per day for another month, and about three weeks ago I finally stopped the Tamoxifen altogether. Here it is three weeks later, and I feel more like myself than I have in months. The onc was disappointed because I had stopped the med, but I think my body is squealing for a break from meds. I trust my own judgement as much as anyone does, and feel that I know my body much better than anyone at all. Therefore, for now, I am just watching my diet, exercising, taking vitamins (Calcium + D, D3, Omega Fish Oil and B6), and hoping for the best. I had no lymph node involvement, and feel that this may give me an edge on not taking Tamoxifen, and at least I know I have made a decision, and must live with it, no matter what happens. Quality of life is so important, and I am happy to be where I am today. Hugs to all trying to work through this decision. It is a tough one, but a decision only the individual can make. Good luck to all, whichever way you sway. Hugs.

Judy

Judy, I so agree with you.
Judy, I so agree with you. Quality of life is important! Glad you are feeling better!

Kylez ♥

Christmas Girl said:

Tamoxifen, Arimidex, etc. ...
I took Tamoxifen for 2 years, then was switched to Arimidex - now 3+ years and still counting...

Just like with every other possible/recommended step along the BC journey - we each decide for ourselves. No one can force us to have surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, scans... The list goes on and on. We agree, or refuse.

I always simply advise that you specifically ask your own onc about your own risk of recurrence percentage, and exactly what benefit the meds - and/or anything else - provides.

For me, the meds "hold" my risk @ 20% - which is where surgery/chemo/rads got me, over five years ago, and where my risk level will remain until I hit ten years.

The idea of taking hormone
The idea of taking hormone therapy is as individual as each of us are. There is no right or wrong answer. It is just up to us to decide what is best for us. It is interesting to read all of the answers.

Kylez ♥

Kristin N said:

NOT!
Kristin ♥

NOT!

Kristin ♥

My oncologist said he wants
My oncologist said he wants me on hormone therapy, probably Tamoxifen, after I have my radiation treatments. But, I am not sure if I will or not. Guess I will just have to keep educating myself on Tamoxifen and make my own choice.

Angie

roseann4 said:

Very personal decisions
I agree with Christmas Girl. We are faced with choices several times during this frightening journey. My first was the type of surgery (had breast conserving aka partial mastectomy). Then if I should have preventive chemo (I decided no based on my Onco test). Radiation was a given with a partial mastectomy. Finally, would I take hormone theropy. I opted for Arimidex because my tumor was highly estrogen receptive. I was VERY concerned about how the SEs would affect the quality of my life. Fortunately, I haven't had any so far. Yipee!

I listened to the opinions of my docs, my family, my friends and whatever I read on the subjects. In the end, I made my decision based on what I felt was right for me.

I hate that we have BC but we are blessed to have so many choices today to assist us in our healing. Good luck with your decisions. God Bless you, my sisters.

Roseann

Just a note. Some reports
Just a note. Some reports have stated that if you have no side effects, especially with tamoxifen, that you are not metabolizing it, which means it isn't working for you at all.

Lex♥

Butterfly Grandma said:

Tomoxifen
Hi everyone....this is my first time on here....I was diagnosed with BC in March of 2009 and had a mastechtomy...Because I had a blood clot in my calf in the past, my doctor said it was nothing to worry about, it was not the kind that causes you problems, it would dissolve and just go away....it did. I told my oncologist about this and she said no Tomoxifen or any other drug for me, because all of them cause blood clots....My surgeon and I really do think I should have this. I worry and get concerned about the cancer returning. I do go in on the 21st of Sept. to have my first mammogram on my remaining breast...Prayerfully it will be clear. During the biopsy, the tech hit bone, as there was bone in the results of the biopsy. Is that a reason to worry about bone cancer? Forgive me, I am so new at this and have many questions and concerns. Thanks for all your input!! Butterfly Grandma

Hi Butterfly Grandma! Just
Hi Butterfly Grandma! Just want to welcome you to the site. Good luck with your mammogram. I think we all worry about bc returning, but, we have to trust our doctors and have faith that we have beat it and it won't come back. Post again!

Hugs

Ritzy said:

Tamoxifen is scary stuff.
Tamoxifen is scary stuff. Some of the side effects are blood clots and uterine cancer. I just got rid of one cancer, why take a drug that might give me another? Just a question.

Sue

I feel the same
I know my Doc is going to recomend it for my treatment and after all I've read I have to wonder does it really really help prevent recurrance? I am scared of medicine anyway and reading that it can casue strokes, blood clots and yet another type of cancer then really we are just taking chances with whatever we decide. is it safe ?? is it not safe??? Honestly it all scares me!!!