Has anyone had any success with herbal rememdies to reduce hot flushes. I have been given different advice re phyto-oestrogens that I am now officially confused.
Hi Elle
I tried Evening Primrose Oil but it made no difference at all. Some people use sage, but that’s not recommended for Er+ BC. Lots of people on here have success with various different low dose anti-depressants, but unfortunately it’s a case of trying them all until you find one that suits. I’ve had some strange SEs with some of them, everything from vivid dreams to even worse insomnia than I started with!
Sarah x
Hi Elle,
With evening primrose oil, you have to take a large dose, I can’t remember how large, someone else may know, and then try it for three weeks. If it has no effect then give up as it’s not going to work for you, if it does work then you can try slowly lowering the dose until you find the minimum amount that works for you.
I have used menopace. This is a bit controversial as some will say that if you are Er+ you should not use it. But my onc said that it’s safe as long as you are taking tamoxifen, as the tamoxifen will stop any phytoestrogens causing any problems.
At the moment I am taking citalopram, a low dose anti-depressant which is working for me. I tried amytriptiline, but that made everything worse. You could take a look at my thread - called something like Experiences of low dose anti-depressants for hot flushes. I’ll try to find it and bump it up for you.
Hi Elle
You need to be a bit careful with herbal remedies, as they often have the same active ingredients as the manufacturered chemicals. For example, St John’s Wort is a herbal anti-depressant which has a very similar effect to Prozac and I know Prozac is contra-indicated with Tamoxifen, so you really do have to be careful.
If you are thinking of a specific remedy, do a bit of your own research and discuss it with your oncologist or even your GP before going ahead and taking it, to avoid the risk of compromising your treatment.
There are several drugs that have been tested alongside Tam that can really help with reducing the SEs, so if you don’t get on with one, they can try another. In general these are most commonly prescribed (in much higher doses) as anti-depressants, but in the dosages used to help with hot flushes, which are much lower, they don’t have the same negative side-effects as on the anti-d dosage. Many people have tried amytriptylene (sp?), citalopram, and a number of others whose names I can’t remember.
my accupuncturist says that if i get hot flushes when i start tamoxifen then he has had some excellant results with accupuncture
Hi OAL
Purely out of nosiness, but how do you cope with acupuncture if you can’t stand needles?
Sarah x
Just wanted to say, Good thread! I’ve been on Tamox for 3 months now. Very emotional and lots of hot flushes… i haven’t tried anything yet, felt like i should be a soldier and just cope with it… not sure that tactic is working though…
Sarah X
with great difficulty. My guy has treated me for nearly 30 years and have built up a trust. There has only been twice where he has not been able to treat me because we could not work round it.
The other trust relationship i have managed is with the lady who tattoo’s my eyebrows, its more like a pen than a needle but it has still taken a long time for me to be able to have it done. I have the treatment over 4 sessions instead of two for me to be able to cope. I lost my eybrows some time ago, probably due to thyroid problems
Thanks ladies but unfortunately still none the wiser. Have done the prescription meds for a related condition and they did help but I would like my brain back as can’t blame it on the chemo anymore.
Sarah I know what you mean with the soldiering on and crying at the drop of a hat or anything for that matter.
I have had two conflicting opinions from Oncologists and breastcare nurses. If they can’t agree what hope do we have of understanding all this.
Elle
I suffered really badly with hot flushes last summer. I had been on the tamoxifen for about 3 months. Having tried anti-depressant, which made me feel extremely unwell, I was refered to our local homeopathic hospital. I have been on a remedy for almost a year now and things seem to be more under control. From having flushes where I almost passed out I am now down to only 1 or 2 mild ones a day.
The homeopathic doctor also looked at other health issues, like my asthma, extreme exhaustion and also the panic attacks I was having among other things. Apart from a few relapses I am now feeling completely different. I rarely need to use my ventolin inhaler, and don’t get the sudden exhaustion coming over me.
Whether the homeopathic medicine has worked or if it is psychological I don’t know, or care, as long as I am feeling better.
If you’re having bad SEs, have you tried swapping the brand of Tamoxifen? I know some ladies have had real problems on one brand which have been significantly reduced when swapping to another. It’s not as simple as “Brand X gives you bad SEs, Brand Y is much better” because some people get on better with one brand and others get on better with another.
Give it a go, see what happens.
hi all
ive been on tamoxifan for almost 3 months now and get horrid hot flushes. i am started taking citalopram 2 weeks ago and am hoping that may ease things in time. i am very low and the worrry that these hot flushes are here to stay is depresssing. i am scared to take any of the herbal stuff because of the conflicting advice. i am er positive.
ive tried a few practical things to try n help - ive invested in cotton sheet for the bed, a fan for my bedroom (with a remote control) and a friend of mine advised me to wear strappy tops underneathe any dark coloured t shirts and tops to tey to prevent damp patches from the sweat.
another friend suggested hand fans. need to get one.
gosh i hope between us we can crack this!!
claire
dreading these hot flushes. I never had them at all when i went through menopause, but I saw freinds suffer with them. Will be having accupuncture if I do get them.
But I did have one silly idea. Normally when i get hot and the sweat pours off me whilst drumming I do everything I an to cool down. What if i tried just carrying on through it, what if I got my body used to being hot and sweaty, would that make hot flushes any more bearable, or are they a different sensation altogether?? i am not starting tomaxifan for ages so it will be some time before they kick in.
Old n lumpy, I see you’ve not yet started tamoxifen, you might be ok, I’ve been on tamoxifen since end Nov, and apart from a few warm moments at night (and I literally mean a. couple!) I’ve been ok, not everyone gets the SE, so just wait n see.
sorry so many of you are having these problems, take care all x
Hi there - I was really suffering with hot flushes/night sweats. I was waking several times a night for up to hour each time. My oncologist wrote to my GP and I have been prescribed 40mg of Megestrol suspension . After a few short weeks I no longer get day flushes and only occasionally wake with minor night sweats.
feel as if i am melting still - anyone got any inspirational ideas???
This probably sounds a bit daft, but I am not sure if I am having hot flushes or not. I am not dripping with persperation, but every now and again I get a hot feeling from my back upwards that seems to last a few minutes and moves through my upper body and makes me feel like I am sitting by a fire, but then passes. Is this a flush or is this just me getting hot due to the humid weather. I have been on Tamoxifen fifteen days now.
SGL, that might be the extent of your hot flushes, and if so that’s really good. I don’t go bright red so other people don’t notice, (I think embarrassment just makes it even worse) and although I do feel rather hot and sticky in the mornings at least don’t wake up drowning. Long may it stay as mild as this.
Thanks choccie, I hope thats the full extent of my “tropical moments” lol xx
Hi SGL
I seem to getting similar experience to you. I suddenly get too hot, particularly at night, so throw the quilt off. After 5 or 10 mins I cool off and put the quilt back on and go back to sleep (usually). This often happens 2 or 3 times per night and seems to happen regardless of the weather. It also happens occasionally during the day, but like ChoccieMuffin I’m lucky that it’s not noticeable to other people because I don’t go red.
It’s the sudden-ness of that feeling of being too hot that I suspect is the give away that it is a hot flush of some sort. That and the fact that although I’m sitting in an air conditioned office it suddenly feels uncomfortably warm - but nobody else feels it!
Sarah x