Since stopping me Tamoxifen 2 weeks ago, my sanity has returned, but I am still experiencing hellish hot flushes, joint aches, headaches etc…
I’m seeing my oncologist on Friday to discuss Hormone Therapy.
I’ve been reading other threads with interest.
WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT IF ONCOLOGISTS/ NURSES ETC READ THEM TOO?!!!
Out of interest, could those experiencing hot flushes let me know how many they have over 24 hours.
thank you
emma
Hi Emma, mine are definitely worse at night whilst sleeping, they wake me up. So bad that my chillow pillow heats up and feels like a hot water bottle! During the day they are bad when I am getting dressed, cooking or shopping. Perhaps 4/5 times a day but terrible at night. I’m taking sage extract but I don’t think it’s helping!
Well I’m off to bed, hopefully I’ll get a couple of consecutive hours sleep before a flush wakes me!
Since 9am this morning I’ve had 13 flushes - half of which were so severe I could barely see straight.
I am dreading the weather getting any hotter. I’m wearing the thinnest of t-shirts and cotton pj bottoms around the house - any more clothing and I feel like I’m suffocating.
Interesting what you say about the chillow pillow loupylou…
I alternate wet flannels at night! When I wake up I swap the cooked one for the cold one in a bowl beside me.
Any other tips more than welcome!
Emma, your wet flannel reminds me of when I was pregnant and used to overheat, I did the same and it was very effective.
I think I’ve come off really lightly with flushes. I notice getting a bit warm occasionally but my temp regulation has always been really rubbish for years, so perhaps that means I’m not as badly effected by temperature fluctuations now. I do still play the duvet game a couple of times a night but usually manage to get back to sleep pretty easily. But this could be just because I’m still on chemo and haven’t started the loopy pills yet. I await it with great anticipation. Or to rephrase, I’m dreading it.
hi ladies,
i have just started rads, 5th of 15 today, i thought i had gone through the menopause, early because of past treatment i have had, but i am now experiencing hot flushes at night, i have been assured it is not the rads, i am not on any meds, but have been told its the side effects of chemo even though i finished that 29th april,
any ideas or suggestions,
thanks liz xxx
I’m 4 years on from my diagnosis, nearly 3.5 since finishing chemo & rads and am suffering as badly as ever with flushes. For 3 years on Tamoxifen I got them day and night. Switched to Femara in January this year and the daytime flushes stopped but night sweats are so bad I can’t sleep well at all. The day flushes have just recently started again since I have had shingles.
I have tried the chillow - which is great until it warms up with your body heat, the space-age Climarelle duvet, pillows and mattress cover - which don’t work at all, cotton garments, and nothing seems to help. I am considering filling a hot water bottle with cold water and ice to see if that works! I think we just have to wait it out!
Jo
Drat just lost a response somewhere! The other thing I have is none of those aerosol facial mist sprays. I bought s Avene one from Boots with a £5 voucher. It’s quite nice to have a spray over face/chest espmif it’s been in the fridge. I’ve also just seen something on Victoria Health by Temple Spa which I might have a go at. Don’t know if you’re the same Emma but one minute I’m boiling and all the duvet is off and the next I’m shivering and can’t get warm. It’s the most awful feeling x
Hi All
Thought you might be interested in one of our factsheets which is available here:
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/Menopausal_symptoms_and_breast_cancer.pdf
It contains some useful hints and tips on dealing with hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms, it might be a helpful read for you.
Hope this helps a little.
Best wishes.
Louise
Facilitator
Hello Emma
My flushes started whilst on chemo last year. Started Tamoxifen last August and they got increasingly worse. I get between 10 and 14 through the day. They happen more when at work (stress related - I think!). Through the night 2 or 3.
Beverley xx
Mine are very similar to yours Beverley - maybe a dozen or so a day, two or three every night. I had my first one in the night after I’d had my first Tax. I was quite scared - thought I was running a fever until I took my temp and it was normal!
Luckily I don’t sweat with mine, I just get very hot.
I was only having a few a day until I went on Tamoxifen three weeks ago but they’ve increased in fequency since then.
I was pre-menopausal before starting chemo in January but haven’t had a period since February and as I’m 45 my onc doesn’t expect them to return at all.
Jane xxx
Morning Jane/Alto - I too was pre-menopausal and turned 46 in January.
Beverley - how do you manage so many at work???!!!
I’ve just read that stress can increase their frequency and duration. I am under considerable stresses surplus to the cancer hassles. Maybe it’s time I considered antidepressants.
Loupylou - duvet on, duvet off, duvet on, duvet off… ARGH!!! All night I’m either boiled or frozen.
Well, unless I have another flush within the next 15 mins, I can report a total of 20 flushes over the last 24 hours…
13 from 9am till bedtime at 11pm, then 7 through the night.
Hello Emma,
When mine are bad, I get flushes every forty minutes throughout the day. I can just about set my clock by them. At night they wake me every two hours.
I started taking citalopram a week ago to try to get some relief, having tried various other things over the years with mixed results(started tamoxifen Oct 2007). Now the daytime ones are slightly less frequent, and not quite so hot, and I am waking every three hours rather than every two. So some relief, but not brilliant.