October 2025 chemo starters

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy monthly threads
1505

Sorry for the epic post - I’m looking for some collective wisdom please ladies..

Has anyone had problems regulating their body temperature?

One minute I’m cold, as in freezing cold hands and nose, and the next I’m boiling hot and having to stand outside in the garden.

I don’t know if this is a normal side effect of the chemo?

I’m 48 and hadn’t had any signs of menopause prior to chemo, but I’m wondering if chemo has triggered something because I’m also having night sweats.

A few nights ago I was feeling particularly hot, so took my temperature and it was 38.

Chemo hotline said A&E, so off I went. By the time I got there my temperature was normal again.

This happened again the next day, so back to A&E and this time they started me on emergency IV antibiotics just in case and then proceeded with all the blood tests, chest X-ray, urine sample, etc.

All tests came back fine! But they still sent me home with 7 days worth of antibiotics, just in case.

Just wondering if this hot / cold thing has happened to anyone else?

I also get a racing heart (although this could partly be anxiety induced).

It’s really worrying when I feel hot and keep seeing the thermometer read 38 degrees because I don’t want to keep running to A&E, but I also don’t want to miss anything serious.

Has anyone got any experience of this or advice please?

1506

I have been quite hot and cold during chemo too. I’m 41, pre menopausal and I know the chemo is pretty toxic to ovaries - I haven’t had a period since starting chemo - so I wonder if it’s a forced menopausal side effect of that?

If I’m having a hot flush I don’t worry so much now if my temperature is a little raised as I know I’m genuinely just hot, but it is very tricky. I definitely pay attention to my temperature if I’m not feeling well though.

It’s a really frustrating side effect though (although aren’t they all :expressionless_face:) i have evenings where I’m wrapping up, then stripping off 10 minutes later on repeat all evening!

1507

Thanks @rbf it’s good to know it’s not just me.

I struggle with health anxiety anyway, so anything out of the ordinary sends me into a spiral and I then don’t know what is a genuine health concern and what is anxiety induced.

It’s so hard to know what to do. I don’t want to keep going to A&E but on the other hand I don’t want to miss something potentially serious.

1508

I completely understand, it can be hard to know what’s what during this even without health anxiety - Have you spoken to your team about suffering with the hot/cold flushes?

1509

I have my regular blood tests and a meeting with my oncologist on Monday so I’ll talk to her then. I swear she must getting completely fed up with me!

1510

@poptart i had this on EC, at my oncologist appointment she said that it does cause menopausal symptoms - but annoyed as went through early menopause and done all that :woman_facepalming:t2: she said to take temp and monitor and if I felt ill with a high temp to then phone the unit, hope that helps but definitely ask Monday! Is it your last EC Monday?