Hi all
I am hoping to get some advice from someone on the following -
If you were on zoladex and tamoxifen and then had ovaries removed, did you find the menopause symptoms any worse after the op than before the op? Also were you switched from tamoxifen to arimidex after the op?
Also does anyone know if they take you off of tamoxifen to have surgery because of the risk of dvt?
Thanks in advance for replies!!
Hi Lolly,
Not able to answer your question but thought I could cheekily ask one of my own.
Why don’t they just remove ovaries if you are about menopause age, surely no ovaries = no hormones = problem solved?
I can’t for the life of me (I’d like to argue chemo brain but probably just dim) work out the whole ovary/tamoxifen/armidex thing. Surely ovary removal solves the whole thing if you are the right age? Why do they do ovary removal for some but still give them tamoxifen/armidex?
Hi Lolly
I am on zoladex and tamoxifen and my oncology/surgeon team are in the middle of discussing whether I can have my oopherectomy. I was 39 at dx (40 now) and the reason they are dithering about is due to possible bone thinning in later life due to an early menopause, although my GP has said as long as they know it may be an issue and they can monitor and treat it if needs be.
I intend to hassle them until they cave in, I cant bear the thought of starting periods again and going through another menopause in X? years time.
There have been a few threads on this subject and I am in touch via e mail with a lady who had her rads at the same time as me who was in her late 30’s and had her oopherectomy months ago and for her the symptoms are no different than the zoladex.
I dont know if this will be of any use.
Good luck with your decision. S x
hiya, cant say wether its worse on not because wasnt on medication before hand but im 36 and because of family history all the team were very supportive of ovaries being removed - I can say that the side effects havent been anywhere near as bad as I anticipated. Think they still if you arimidex because it acts as some sort of key to hopefully block cancer cells (well that’s how it was explained to me), having ovaries removed if hormone senstive cancer is a really good step but you still need the pills as even with ovaries out your body produces a small amount of oestrongen.
Good luck with persuading them to let you have oop. xxx