Hot Flashes

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Gramma44
Gramma44 Member Posts: 28
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
This is an amazing website and I'm hoping some of you can offer me some more advice. I am 60, postmenopausal, and was on Tamoxifen from Feb 2002 until May of this year when I was switched to Femara. On Tamoxifen I had hot flashes occasionally and night sweats averaging once or twice a night,sometimes less, but never really bad. On the Femara they are much worse - everytime I STOP doing something like walking, or just moving around a lot, I break out in a sweat that can last for a half hour. Of course the weather is warmer now too, but I don't think that has a lot to do with it. Night sweats don't wake me up, they are a result of getting up and going to the bathroom and then going back to bed, or just tossing and turning too much. Does anyone else have hot flashes/sweats like this? Has anyone found a SAFE hot flash remedy? I'm hoping these will eventually decrease as they did on Tamoxifen but for now it's really a nuisance!!

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  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #2
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    Hi! I've been on Tamoxifen since 2000 and have had hot flashes since then. I have to say, they've never eased up and it seems lately, they're increasing in frequency, maybe because of the heat and humidity. I've tried a few meds but I got side effects from them so I just sweat it out!(No pun intended!)I was hoping after the end of the Tamoxifen to go onto the Femara or one of the other drugs as a continuing safety . I didn't think hot flashes would be bad with them. I'm very disappointed but will do whatever I have to to prevent a recurrance of BC. Sorry I can't be of help but at least you know you're not alone! Good luck!! HUGS!! Cathy
  • lindaecc
    lindaecc Member Posts: 1
    #3
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    I also have been on tamoxifen since 2001 and have not found the hot flashes or night sweats decreasing, i take vitamin e per doctors instructions and that helps some. Good luck!!
  • Gale7
    Gale7 Member Posts: 12
    #4
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    Gramma 44: Hi it's Gale 7 again. I had really bad hot flashes when I began Femara and I had stopped taking estrogen after diagnosis in January. I have been on Femara Since the beginning of May. They are just now beginning to lessen. As I told you I do walk everyday and they seem to be much better on the days I exercize. Just some thoughts. Hope all is well and getting better everyday.
  • mom62
    mom62 Member Posts: 604 Member
    #5
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    I became menopausal through chemo at 41. I had terrible night sweats and hot flashes. I am on Effexor for them. It's an antidepressant but works wonders for them (low dosage). It was perscribed by my oncologist. Perhaps you could ask your doctor about it. I am on Arimidex for 5 years (been on it about 3 1/2 months now). Best of luck.

    Terry
  • marbleslab
    marbleslab Member Posts: 24
    #6
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    HI. I'm 54 and have been on Arimidex since Jan '03. My onc had put me on Effexor to help with hot flashes. And it DID help for about a year, but then the hot flashes kept increasing. She switched me to Zoloft about six months ago and they have been much better. The hot flashes have just started increasing again. I'm thinking your body becomes accustomed to medications after awhile. I noticed one of the other responders did very well on Effexor. Our bodies are so unique, it may just take a "try and see" for four months or so on either Effexor or Zoloft. Hope they get better.
  • sassysally
    sassysally Member Posts: 150
    #7
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    I had hot flashes too, ask your oncologist about possibly putting you on effexor. It will reduce your hot flashes to nill. Effexor is an antidepressant that is used in cancer patients for hot flashes.It Worked for me. I have had bc three times so know what youre going thru.

    42 and still hanging in there!!!! good luck
  • lw2320
    lw2320 Member Posts: 3
    #8
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    Hi I understand what you are saying and have great sympathy for your condition. I am like some of the other women. My oncologist put me on effexor. It has worked wonders. Still have an occasional one but not near as bad. good luck.
  • Gramma44
    Gramma44 Member Posts: 28
    #9
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    lw2320 said:

    Hi I understand what you are saying and have great sympathy for your condition. I am like some of the other women. My oncologist put me on effexor. It has worked wonders. Still have an occasional one but not near as bad. good luck.

    My thanks to all of you for your input. I'm hesitant to take yet another prescription drug (I seem to have so many) so will take Gale 7's advice and see if increasing my exercise helps. I was hoping some of you might have had luck with "natural" remedies but it sounds like effexor is the thing that is working for all of you. Maybe time and exercise will help - if not, I'm going for the effexor!!
  • bevwells
    bevwells Member Posts: 4
    #10
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    I'm 43 and have been on tamoxifin for about 1.5 years. My doc suggested taking vitamin E before bed. Take 2 tablets (ea tablet is 400 IU, so you should take a total of 800 IU). It seems to help.
  • hounddog
    hounddog Member Posts: 115
    #11
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    Hello I went through a total of four chemo treatments last year and it kicked me in to menapause I'll be at work and I start sweating like all get outs. They can not put me on anything because they are afraid it will bring my cancer back.
    Marilyn
  • Gale7
    Gale7 Member Posts: 12
    #12
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    Hi Gramma 44 and also Cathy: I have recently experienced much less in the hot flashes area and on the Femara. For awhile it was really bad. They have reduced considerably and I do believe walking everyday helps.

    However, I have days with terrible arithritic pain. I read that aspartame in Equal can help but I don't sweeten things very much. I don't want to take any other drugs other than Ibuprofen once in awhile when I am having severe pain. Any similar experiences???? Best Regards, Gale7
  • lilyinapond
    lilyinapond Member Posts: 1
    #13
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    I am also postmenopausal. Had breast cancer in 1995, chemo for 6 months. I also had cancer in lymph nodes that were removed. I was on tamoxifen until about a year ago when my oncologist changed me to femara. I can't say my hot flashes got worse, just that they have always been bad....particularly in the summer. Tossing and turning, covers on and off, up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night have become the norm. I am so tired of this. I think I asked my doctor about effexor at one time and he didn't recommend it. I wondered if you have started using it or anything else and has it helped? Did you also have some depression issues? I have been experiencing periodic depression, but think if I could start sleeping better, it might help.
  • Gramma44
    Gramma44 Member Posts: 28
    #14
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    lilyinapond said:

    I am also postmenopausal. Had breast cancer in 1995, chemo for 6 months. I also had cancer in lymph nodes that were removed. I was on tamoxifen until about a year ago when my oncologist changed me to femara. I can't say my hot flashes got worse, just that they have always been bad....particularly in the summer. Tossing and turning, covers on and off, up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night have become the norm. I am so tired of this. I think I asked my doctor about effexor at one time and he didn't recommend it. I wondered if you have started using it or anything else and has it helped? Did you also have some depression issues? I have been experiencing periodic depression, but think if I could start sleeping better, it might help.

    Hello Lily and Gale 7. Lily, your symptoms all sound like what I'm going through. No, I haven't asked my onc yet about the effexor although I know my neighbor tried it & she didn't like the way it made her feel so I've been putting off calling the onc on it. I see my regular dr tomorrow and will ask him what he thinks. I have been trying the suggestion of 2 Vitamin E before bed but can't be sure if there is a difference or if the nights are just cooling off more. The hot weather has definitely bumped up my sweats. I also am suffering some depression, and have for a while. I just have no desire to do anything. I do find falling asleep much easier on the Femara than on the Tamoxifen, but it's the night sweats waking me up that cause the loss of sleep now. I do on occassion take ambien to help me sleep when I get desperate but I'm afraid of becoming addicted to things like that. Anyway, that's where I am at this point. Maybe with the depression we are suffering we DO need to be on Effexor or Lexapro.
    Gale I did want to address your arthritic pain issue. You and I have discussed this before and as you know I do take vioxx for my arthritis but now am coming to the conclusion that tamoxifen and now the femara are probably the cause of increased pain. Another question for my dr tomorrow. Meanwhile, I read an article by a dr whose column appears in our paper and he suggested mixing 8oz of grape juice and 1 tablespoon of liquid Certo (which is used in canning fruits) and swears it relieves arthritis pain, and people have written in to his column saying it worked for them. So I started doing that this week. Doesn't taste bad either so I'll let you know if it works. I'm sorry to go on so long. Just had a lot I wanted to cover. By the way Lily, I'm glad to hear that you have been a survivor since '95. Always good to hear!

    Sharyl

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