Just wondered if anyone has been struggling with low mood/depression on hormone therapy?
I’ve recently switched from tamoxifen (i’d been on that for 1 & half years) to Zoledex and Arimidex as the side effects on Tam were just too much.
I’m now suffering from really bad mood swings, bordering on depression. I don’t really want to go down the anti-depression tablet route - mainly becuase I feel i’ve had that may drugs pumped into me I don’t want any more!
Does anyone know of anything else I could do/take that might help? I’m already active and the exercise def helps - but not enough! I’m 32 years old and feel like I should be getting my life back and moving on - but can’t move on feeling like this!
I am on this combination and have been for 3.5 yrs and had to resort to prozac (the lowest dose) in the end. I had tried all sorts of remedies first but ended up in tears at oncology check-up one day as I was absolutely at the end of my tether. I wanted a break from the drugs but as I have bone mets, she said it was too risky. My onc knew this just wasn’t ‘me’ and she knew I had tried other stuff so persuaded me to sort of give in and try the prozac. They made a big enough difference to make me human again and when I tried to wean myself off them last year, it lasted 3 weeks before I went back to them as I was the complete woman from hell.
As far as I’m concerned, taking a low dose pill a day to make me a nicer person is the lesser of two evils!
I was on letrozole for 18 months and it completely fuddled my brain so the clinic changed me to arimidex and now my brain has switched back on and I’m a ‘nice’ person again. I did try a low dose of prozac for 2 months which removed the symptoms at first, and then disturbed sleep something shocking - vivid dreams etc. So perhaps your clinic could recommend a change from arimidex - apparently people react very differently to the various AI drugs. Worth asking.
Good luck, it’s grim isn’t it?
I had the most awful dreams, almost psychotic, when I was switched to the generic arimidex when that became available. Had to get the onc to write to GP to prescribe the original brand. Within 3 days I was back to normal…I don’t mind taking the prozac and plan to keep the other AIs in reserve til I need to switch. Hopefully that will be a long time off!
Hello Carly
I’ve been diagnosed with low mood/depression too although I’m triple negative so no Zoledex or Arimidex.
My GP has referrred me for CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) which uses psychology rather than more tablets - could be worth a try?
Hope you get this reply cos I’m new and they’re not posting me yet. Before cancer been off and on anti-depressants most of my adult life. They’re all ok for a short course I find but If you could get CBT or other talking therapy it might be better in the long run. Waiting for mine now again as I never cope too well without oestrogen at the best of times.