I have had a lumpectomy, radiation, and am about to start hormone therapy and after reading about it I am scared. I have osteporosis, inner ear problems which cause dizziness, and have had dvts twice. Is there any one med that is better than others. My sister in law takes anastrozole and is having no trouble. Does anyone have any tips for me? Is there anyone my age going through this? Would appreciate any feedback.
Diz
Hello Diz,
How are you doing? I also was wary before starting hormone treatment. However my oestrogen receptor score was 8 out of 8 so knew it made sense to give it a good shot even with side effects.
You will find specific information on different hormone treatments on this site. The main 4 treatments are Tamoxifen (can be used by pre menopausal and postmenopausal women) and the 3 Aromatase inhibitors Anastrazole, Letrazole and Exermestane (used mainly by post menopausal women but can be used by pre menopause women if ovaries are removed or temporarily shut down by medical means.)
All the treatments aim at reducing oestrogen impact on our bodies and can have similar side effects. However people’s reactions to different treatments are individual. So, you may have a different response to Anastrazole to your sister. Are the medics suggestibg a particular treatment for you?
Tamoxifen does not tend to have a drastic effect on bone density. The Aromatase inhibitors tend to impact on bone density which is important if you have oesteoporosis. Hence, this is something you can discuss with medical staff.
I do not have oeteoporosis but I am oesteopenic. However, I am also having Bishphosphonate infusions every 6 months as adjuvant breast cancer treatment which should have a beneficial impact on bone density.
Take care Diz x ?