Dear friends
I was diagnosed in April 2008 at the age of 46 with stage 2, grade 2 breat cancer. I had an axillary maastectomy, chemo and radiotherapy and since January 2009 have been on tamoxifen. I haven’t had one proper night’s sleep since!!! Arrgh… Putting aside hot flushes and night sweats, my problem is that the maximum I sleep at one time is 2 hours, then I lie awake for ages, then back to sleep etc etc… I’ve tried so many therapies, both complementary and orthodox and still no luck… I have just over 3 years to go on Tamoxifen but am not sure that it’s worth it. My prognosis for recurrence is 37% without the hormone therapy and 45% with it. I can’t help thinking that the damage from not getting a good night’s sleep might be outweighing the 8% difference. Any thoughts please? Any advice at all gratefully received.
So sorry to hear what you are going through. I have just had 9 weeks exactly like that and it was driving me crazy, to the point of considering giving up the tamox (in fact for 2 days I didn’t take it, just so I could get a decent nights sleep).
Not sure if it was coincidence or not, but last Monday I was back to my deep, spiritual yoga class and that evening slept for 10 hours with only one quick loo break. I have been sleeping fine ever since. The classes had stopped over the holidays, and it had ended up being an 8 week break, I am sure the change in pattern was down to the yoga. My sleep had begun to improve slightly, but yoga made a fairly dramatic improvement. This last week I am really starting to feel more like my old self.
Good luck, maybe speak to your onc about your stats, perhaps sleeping properly and mental well-beign is more important.
Forgot to say too that about 5 weeks ago I started taking 5-HTP after a recommendation on this site and they seemed to improve the situation too. Can’t be sure if it was a placebo effect or not. Onc seemed to think they were fine.
I totally sympathise. Been on the blasted drug for a year and never get a decent night’s sleep. This is awful when you have to work full time and so frustrating. Wish I had an answer. I’ve cut the tam dose in half but not noticed any difference. It is 10 times worse after even a couple of glasses of wine so even life’s little pleasures are diminished. Is it worth it? I don’t know. In my case out of 100 women, 11 will get recurrence on tam and 16 without. I think about all the women taking it when only a few will really benefit. Still I am too scared to stop altogether. I hate the sweats and I hate the insomnia.
alex
xx