Vitamin E for hot flashes

Balentine
Balentine Member Posts: 393
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I also meant to tell Kay...I have been taking vitamin E the past few days and it has helped with the hot flashes tremendously...they are shorter and further apart. I don't get near as many now so maybe that really does work. Try it out. Maybe it does not work for everyone. I don't know. But please ladies be careful about taking SSRI's for hot flashes if you are taking tamoxifen...it can be an inhibitor to tamoxifen. God bless.
Lorrie

Comments

  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #2
    Glad the Vitamin E is
    Glad the Vitamin E is helping you Lorrie!
  • Sally5
    Sally5 Member Posts: 87
    #3
    Thanks
    Balentine,

    Wow. You are a wealth of information. Thanks. I was told no to Vit E, them yes E is good. (I read your
    post (earlier.) I am about to start Tamoxifen. (Not looking forward to it). Sorry to ask. ---> What is
    SSRI. I haven't learned all the "lingo".

    I am 7 weeks after surgery. I feel like my brain never stops... A lot of what ifs...

    Thanks
  • Balentine
    Balentine Member Posts: 393
    #4
    Sally5 said:

    Thanks
    Balentine,

    Wow. You are a wealth of information. Thanks. I was told no to Vit E, them yes E is good. (I read your
    post (earlier.) I am about to start Tamoxifen. (Not looking forward to it). Sorry to ask. ---> What is
    SSRI. I haven't learned all the "lingo".

    I am 7 weeks after surgery. I feel like my brain never stops... A lot of what ifs...

    Thanks

    SSRI's are anti-depressants
    SSRIs are anti-depressants and many of them can inhibit or cause the tomoxifen not to be as effective. I am a poor metabolizer of tamoxifen so I am going to talk to another oncologist to see if there is something else I can take that will work.

    I am assuming the post you read earlier was the one that said...read this before taking vitamin E...yes...I try to be proactive and do alot of research on the internet and in the book store about things that can help prevent recurrences. You have to be your own advocate in all of this and try to control what you can...everything else...leave to God and trust Him to take care of it. That is all you can do.

    Did your onc test you for the genotype CYP2D6 to see what kind of metabolizer you are? I am telling everyone this now ....before you take it...ask for the test and then you can make up your own mind if you still want to take it. God bless!
    Lorrie
  • Sally5
    Sally5 Member Posts: 87
    #5
    Balentine said:

    SSRI's are anti-depressants
    SSRIs are anti-depressants and many of them can inhibit or cause the tomoxifen not to be as effective. I am a poor metabolizer of tamoxifen so I am going to talk to another oncologist to see if there is something else I can take that will work.

    I am assuming the post you read earlier was the one that said...read this before taking vitamin E...yes...I try to be proactive and do alot of research on the internet and in the book store about things that can help prevent recurrences. You have to be your own advocate in all of this and try to control what you can...everything else...leave to God and trust Him to take care of it. That is all you can do.

    Did your onc test you for the genotype CYP2D6 to see what kind of metabolizer you are? I am telling everyone this now ....before you take it...ask for the test and then you can make up your own mind if you still want to take it. God bless!
    Lorrie

    Thanks, Balentine
    Balentine,
    Yes, I read about the Vit E. Thanks about the SSRI's.

    I just took a blood test to see if the Tamoxifen will metabolize well for me. I think you mean that. Next appt, I'll find out. (July 7th)
    It seems that one cure...... causes another complication. (Don't get me started). I have to be grateful for so much. It could be worse.

    **Question for you: What is anyone's choice if they don't want to take it. I was told once I am menopausal... then I will switch to something else.

    Thanks Balentine. I do look so much up. I am shocked just how many "of us" there are and how many different types of cancer there are.
  • Balentine
    Balentine Member Posts: 393
    #6
    Sally5 said:

    Thanks, Balentine
    Balentine,
    Yes, I read about the Vit E. Thanks about the SSRI's.

    I just took a blood test to see if the Tamoxifen will metabolize well for me. I think you mean that. Next appt, I'll find out. (July 7th)
    It seems that one cure...... causes another complication. (Don't get me started). I have to be grateful for so much. It could be worse.

    **Question for you: What is anyone's choice if they don't want to take it. I was told once I am menopausal... then I will switch to something else.

    Thanks Balentine. I do look so much up. I am shocked just how many "of us" there are and how many different types of cancer there are.

    Will find out on 7/1
    I am going to an appt 7/1 with a second onc for a second opinion on my options for what other treatments might be available. HOwever, from my research I do not think there really is another proven therapy...soooo...I am also going to talk to him about what he thinks of me having a mastectomy on my other breast to improve my chances of not getting bc in my other breast. I think if I am not doing tamoxifen that this may be my best option. I hate to do that but I also don't want to worry about getting bc in my other breast and since I don't want to take the tamoxifen with all its side effects and being ineffective for me, I feel I may not have any other choice.

    Yes....tamoxifen is for pre-menopause and arimidex is for post-menopause....they key is....how do you know when you are post-menopausal....there is a test but how do you know when to have the test done? That scares me too. If you are taking tamoxifen and you are post-menopausal, you increase your chances of getting bc from what I have researched. That is why if you are closer to 50 and still pre-menopausal, they are prescribing the tamoxifen for only 2 years now instead of 5 and then if you don't have your period for those 2 years, they will do the menopause test and if you are in full menopause then they will switch you to the arimidex or femara I believe it is called.
    Lorrie
  • Sally5
    Sally5 Member Posts: 87
    #7
    Balentine said:

    Will find out on 7/1
    I am going to an appt 7/1 with a second onc for a second opinion on my options for what other treatments might be available. HOwever, from my research I do not think there really is another proven therapy...soooo...I am also going to talk to him about what he thinks of me having a mastectomy on my other breast to improve my chances of not getting bc in my other breast. I think if I am not doing tamoxifen that this may be my best option. I hate to do that but I also don't want to worry about getting bc in my other breast and since I don't want to take the tamoxifen with all its side effects and being ineffective for me, I feel I may not have any other choice.

    Yes....tamoxifen is for pre-menopause and arimidex is for post-menopause....they key is....how do you know when you are post-menopausal....there is a test but how do you know when to have the test done? That scares me too. If you are taking tamoxifen and you are post-menopausal, you increase your chances of getting bc from what I have researched. That is why if you are closer to 50 and still pre-menopausal, they are prescribing the tamoxifen for only 2 years now instead of 5 and then if you don't have your period for those 2 years, they will do the menopause test and if you are in full menopause then they will switch you to the arimidex or femara I believe it is called.
    Lorrie

    Thanks
    Thanks again Lorrie,

    I wish I wrote to you sooner. Just this week, I found out that I am not... close to menopause.. Some blood test. Tamoxifen is the best for me... I am told.

    ** My concern is the side effects of endro metr. or uterine cancer... I feel like my cancer research is like my part-time job... The monkey on my back...
  • Balentine
    Balentine Member Posts: 393
    #8
    Sally5 said:

    Thanks
    Thanks again Lorrie,

    I wish I wrote to you sooner. Just this week, I found out that I am not... close to menopause.. Some blood test. Tamoxifen is the best for me... I am told.

    ** My concern is the side effects of endro metr. or uterine cancer... I feel like my cancer research is like my part-time job... The monkey on my back...

    Try not to worry
    about the other side effects...if they told you that you are a good metabolizer then tamoxifen is the best thing for you if you are pre-menopause. The side effect of possible uterine cancer is a small percentage so you cannot dwell on that.
    Lorrie
  • Wolfi
    Wolfi Member Posts: 425
    #9
    Tell your doctors
    Lorrie,

    I would just like to remind everyone to check with your doctor before staring any vitamins (like E) to make sure they won't cause you any problems. I am not able to take E pills because my cardiologist said he wouldn't recommend it.

    Make sure all of the medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements (along with their dosage amount) are listed in your medical records. If you have a problem it will be easy for your doctors to determine if it is due to an interaction of medication.

    Thanks.
    Wolfi
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #10
    Wolfi said:

    Tell your doctors
    Lorrie,

    I would just like to remind everyone to check with your doctor before staring any vitamins (like E) to make sure they won't cause you any problems. I am not able to take E pills because my cardiologist said he wouldn't recommend it.

    Make sure all of the medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements (along with their dosage amount) are listed in your medical records. If you have a problem it will be easy for your doctors to determine if it is due to an interaction of medication.

    Thanks.
    Wolfi

    You are so right Wolfi. We
    You are so right Wolfi. We should never take anything unless we run it by our oncologist first.
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #11
    Wolfi said:

    Tell your doctors
    Lorrie,

    I would just like to remind everyone to check with your doctor before staring any vitamins (like E) to make sure they won't cause you any problems. I am not able to take E pills because my cardiologist said he wouldn't recommend it.

    Make sure all of the medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements (along with their dosage amount) are listed in your medical records. If you have a problem it will be easy for your doctors to determine if it is due to an interaction of medication.

    Thanks.
    Wolfi

    Vitamin E
    Thanks to Belatine and Wolfi, I will check with my dr b4 starting vitamin E for the hotflashes. Mine are not bad during the day, but at night and it does keep me up alot.

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