Flushes
Flushes I am sure it has been discussed many times but can anyone tell me anything that will help the flushes to decrease.
I am on tamoxifen and the last few nights its not just been flushes but total soaking wet sweats.
Does anyone else find that they make them anxious too, i am beginiing to think they bring on anxiety attacks, i wake panicking.
it gets me so sad remembering what life was like pre-BC and wanting to go back to nice cool sleepy nights but knowing i can’t.
Ruthx
liverbird Hi Ruth,
Nothing to do with this subject, but I stupidly managed to delete your email address, so if you want to reach me you know where I hang out, please let me have yours again
thanks
Rheta
hi liverbird you dont say how long you have been on tamoxifen but I take them and zoledex and I had what I would call mean hot flushes every night(about 20plus) at first for about 8 weeks and now 5 months down the line I do not get any they gradually faded away, which is what I was told would happen they used to keep me awake all night and dont get me wrong I still get them but prob just a couple every few nights its great, and the zoladex on top of tamoxifen I thought would be a lot too handle as the latter shuts off your ovaries and makes you menopausel and if that was the menopause I hope it will be that easy when I have my natural one,if I dont have it whilst this treatment drags on for 5 years,which hopefully I will.when I say its 5 months on I mean from the start of treatment so for 3 months now its been ok. lol debbi x
Hi Liverbird,
I was just about to post about night sweats when i saw this so thanks for starting the thread
I haven,t started tamoxifen yet, but i have been having loads of night sweats these past few weeks, think its to do with chemo killing off my ovary, i only have one ovary as i had a hysterectomy last year
someone mentioned getting a chillow pillow so i will have a look at them
I know what you mean about life pre BC, but hang in there girl they say that the flushes and night sweats decrease
take care
Vitamin E My Onc has suggested that I try taking Vitamin E Supplements (make sure you take ones that don’t contain soya/soyal oil- read the labels!) I’ve only been taking them for a few days and havent noticed an improvement yet but it might take a week or so to work. My GP has just prescribed me with Venlafaxine tablets 37.5mg a day (low dose). Its normally used for depression and anxiety, but he said that it will put an end to my hot flushes. I hope so and if they make me happy and curb my anxiety attacks to boot, thats great! Worth a try. Also there has been much talk of the Chillow Pillow. I havent tried it yet but it gets lots of recommendations on these boards.
Factsheet Hi Liverbird
Sorry that you are suffering with hot flushes at the moment.
There is a list of helpful tips included in the fact sheet link below that have been recommended by other women and may help you cope better with hot flushes and night sweats.
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/menopausal_symptoms
_jun_2006_0.pdf
Hope you find this of use.
Kind regards.
Forum Host
Breast Cancer Care
i have once again been unable to down load that site you gave me the add for duh, any ideas??
thanks for your help been on tamoxifen since July 31st and 7 months chemo. It finished off my periods not had one since Feb but i still feel hormonal at times.
Always found the fact sheets produced by BCc excellent, i picked one up on CMF chemo an dit was very informative.
If anyone wants a chillow pillow cheap they can have mine, i hated it.
Bought it during chemo and the very hot summer and i found it uncomfortable and it got hot as slipped down all the time.
I stayed at relatives recently and next to a radiator which was cold during the night fantastic for hot flushes, also my metal headborad.
ruthx
Try this Hi Ruth
Sorry you are having difficulty down loading the information.
It may be worth trying the site below which should take you to the page where you can down load the fact sheet from.
breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php?page_id=702
Hope this helps.
Kind regards
On-line forum host
Breast cancer care
avoid alcohol !! I hate to say this but alcohol seems to make night sweats worse - it certainly does for me. When I mentioned that I thought this was the case to my occupational health doctor she said that I was right.
So…if you do drink a couple of glasses of wine during the evening, you might want to try doing without and seeing if it makes a difference.
I’m so sorry I can’t come up with a more enjoyable suggestion !!
kate
ref night sweats Hi Stella
have just read your post about night sweats .
I have been on Tamoxifen since the end of Sept and instead of them getting better it is getting worse, it is bad during the day but night time is worse, hardly get any sleep so I am always so tired feel like never get back to a normal life again.
I had just read up on Venlafaxine, which I was going to ask doc about Just wondered how you were getting on with them , and if they work,
I am due to see my onc on Mon 18th dec so I want to have some questions ready for him, and ask about these tabs, my own gp gave me clonadine which don’t help at all.
Have been unable to return to work so far as I felt I just couldn’t cope with the tiredness.
Give anything to be back how I was before bc
Any advice greatly appreciatted
love liz
xx
managing night sweats Hi girls
Just thought I’d share my own ways of coping with night sweats.
I had been on HRT for 12 years, following a full hysterectomy and removal of ovaries, neck of cervix and anything else the gynaecologist thought might be malignant at the time ( all was benign, thank goodness!)
When I was diagnosed with BC, the HRT patches were flung in the bin PDQ, to be followed by full- on menopause symptoms.
I could not sleep at night, and cannot under any circumstances sleep under a duvet. I now sleep under 1 cotton sheet, and 1 blanket, with, on very cold nights, a light counterpane. I do not pull them over the edge fo the bed, so that ther eis always a cool edge to the bed. I could not cope with my other half sleeping next to me, as he has the effect of a hot- water bottle, and on advice from the BC nurse, took the fairly drastic step of putting 2 pillows down the centre of the bed, ( it is a super- king size bed, so there is enough space to do this) OH does not like this much, but I can claim I’m doing it on medical advice. He has an extra blanket folded double on his side, by the way. I do not have a chillow pilow, but do have 2 ordinary ones, so I can switch a red- hot one for a cool one.
I would say I still get some hot flushes, but they are not drenching, as the previous night sweats were. It’s one instance where being bald helps, as you do lose heat better through your head, so don’t wear anything on your head at night either.
Hope this helps - let us know if any of it works!
Good Luck
Photolady