Hello ladies,
I was dx dec 07 WLE/SNB rads, tamoxifen and zoladex and just about to return to work, I have been given dusolepin by my GP and have been taking 50mg daily for about 2 months and to be honest apart from a few major attacks of crying have been doing OK I take my tamoxifen in the morning and only have a few hot flushes. I take the dusolepin before bedtime to help me stay asleep and it also take the edge off the panic that always seems to build in the wee small hours.
I scarily found out yesterday that some oncologists say that dusolepin can inhibit the usefullness of tamoxifen. I did take them with me when my onc gave me my treatment programme and the BC nurses saw them too. I took them again when I started rads. Now I’m beginning to worry as they just glanced at them and said they were fine. I really like both my BC nurses and onc and feel they give me excellent treatment but…!!!. Needless to say I didnt take it last night and not sure if its because of lack of drugs but beginning to panic!!! Any help or additional info would be really gratefully received as I cant get hold of anyone until Tuesday due to the Bank Holiday. Typical!!!
Love Shonagh xx Oh and Happy Easter too. S x
Thanks for that Jo, I’ll definately consider that if I have meltdown over the weekend. Hoping someone has the answer but think it may be one of those issues with a zillion different answers. Cheers. S x
Hi Shonagh,
I take three Dosulepin tablets every evening. My GP prescribed them while I was on Tamoxifen and she didn’t seem to think there was a problem. I also take Citalopram in the morning and diazepan and temazepam as needed (plus a few others!!). I have an anxiety disorder and insomnia and need all that to keep me ticking along. I’m sure the effects would be minimal or the doctor would have noticed. Why don’t you check with your onc and GP – one thing less to worry about!!
Good luck to you,
Jacki x
Thanks for that Jacki, I have taken zopiclone for the last two nights rather than the dusolepin bt am finding the days a ittle harder to cope with, notsure if its my imagination or not. I think the 50mg must be taking the edge off my expected stress levels.
Thanks for replying, I have temazapam for occasional use too. Sleep was a bit hit and miss before this but without help I have no chance these days.
Thanks for your help it is much appreciated in a bit of a bleurgh!!! time.
Love Shonagh xx
Hi Shonagh,
No thanks needed – we’re all in this together !!
Jacki xx
Hi Jacki,
God I never thought the day would come when I was p****d off it was a bank holiday monday. I’ve managed to sleep because of the zopiclone but cant believe how much difference the dusolopin has been making. I’ve not taken it for 3 nights now but feel like I’m having a mini meltdown. I know my GP is going to go spare with me when he finds out I’ve not taken it but the stress of the tamoxifen not working and the stress of melting down is a double edged sword.
I’ll be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow with the phone and all my numbers ready to ring everyone. Think I will start at the BC Nurses. Poor women hope they have had a good weekend in preparation for mini meltdown me!!!LOL
Love Shonagh xxx
Hi Shonagh
Sorry to hear you are having a hard time coming off the dosulepin so quickly!! I feel awful!
Make sure that you speak to an onc tomorrow and not just a BC nurse because remember my actual GP said they were Ok so a nurse would probably say the same.
Maybe if it’s only a small risk and they make you feel better then you could take them?
Let me know how you go on.
Alise x
Hi Alise,
Alise,
Dont worry hun, you were only giving me information I wasnt aware of.
I’ve looked it up on the net and there is info out there that says there is a possibility of reduction in endoxifens in your blood stream so I’m going on a bit of a mission. Only problem is I am going back to work in a week so think that may have something to do with the stress levels. I have a feeling I am going back on them until at least i am back in a sleeping pattern. I am having zoladex injections so the amount of oestrogen is minimal at the minute and the literature doesnt say they stop tamoxifen working they can reduce the levels of endoxifens in the blood stream which binds to estrogen receptors on cells which slows the growth of any re-occurring cancerous growth (I’m quoting from a 2005 article on the encyclopedia britannica on line) I havent suddenly turned into a medical genius!!LOL
I think its a matter of weighing up my short term benefits over my long term risks.
I’ll let you know the result…Watch this space!!!
Love Shonagh xx
Hiya Shonagh,
I cannot manage without my various meds - they get me through the day (and night). I was on Zoladex for several months, but they were making me even more depressed and I got to the point where I had suicidal thoughts. My consultant wasn’t sure he wanted to put me on Zoladex because of my history of depression (even though I’m 100% ER+ and PR+), but I wanted to give it a go. I’m sure you’re aware that depression is one of the side-effects of Z.
For ME, I will continue taking whatever mental health meds I need to, even if they reduce the benefits of my hormone therapy drugs. I can’t see the point in living a life of anxiety and depression but being cancer-free. (Hope to achieve both!!)
My only advice would be to talk to your doctors before giving up on the dosulepin. I’m sure they can explain things to you, and hopefully allay any worries you have.
Let us know how things go!
Jacki x
Hi Jacki
You have been a rock, I tried without them last night and got to two o’clock and gave up ended upwith a zopiclone, I know they arent addictive in themselves but when you are desparate for sleep its the thought of a clear nights sleep that beconme addictive doesnt it. I have put a call in to my breast nurses to ask for help. I spent most of yesterday evening looking into it and have printed out some pretty technical things. the upshot seems to be that some SSRI and triclycics can reduce the endoxifens and some dont and even the cancer backup website says it needs more investigation.
I have telephoned my BC nurses who are excellent and am waiting for them to contact me. The zoladex so far seems ok but i can definately tell the difference with the hot flushes without the dosulepin. Its not a problem at the minute as I can strip off but it will be interesting next week when I’m back to work!!!LOL half of them dont even know I’ve got a tattoo on my back…this is going to be interesting.
I am looking into some hypnotherapy an or reiki healing to perhaps try and get to grips with the anxiety/insomnia issue once and for all and perhaps get my OH to block any website I could get scarey info from!!LOL
Cheers hun, its been lovely to have a calming voice, I’m considering having tghe overies out after the 2 years zoladex as I will still be pre menopausal and didnt have chemo. Its early days yet, only 3 months from dx to return to work. I am completely on your wave length about taking pills, i dont see the point of being anxious and or depressed either. I just need that re assurance from my BC nurses and onc before its back to normal…whatever that means.
Will let you know the outcome. Love Shonagh xx
Awww, bless your heart!
I have been on Zolpidem for years. I have never been addicted to them, but their effectiveness has worn very thin over time. Now I have to use something else along with them to get the ‘small window of opportunity’ when I feel tired enough to fall asleep. I often think that the psycological effect of taking the sleeping pills, sort of ‘I’ve taken the pills, now I’ll feel tired’ thing works too!
Would definitely recommend the alternative therapy route – aromatherapy has helped (eg lavender oil on my pillow) relaxing cd’s etc. Anything that helps is a real bonus.
Know what you mean about the hot flushes on Zoladex. I had tops strewn all over the house where I stripped off quick! Never got that bold at work fortunately, but my cardigan came off and went back on again a million times a day!
Glad you are able to talk to your BC nurses and onc. I’ve never been ashamed or embarrassed by my mental health probs. If you met me, you’d never know I had them, but it’s an illness every bit as hard as cancer to deal with. In fact, I have found cancer ‘easier’ for many personal reasons.
Always glad to help if I can. You can p.m. me or drop a line here if you need any support.
love,
Jacki x
(((((Shonagh))))) - I’m sorry to hear you’re having a difficult time of it. I think any return to work after a break is stressful, even at the best of times. I’m sure you’ll feel better in a few weeks. As for the crying and mini-meltdowns, I’ve been like that at various different stages but particularly in the early months after my dx. I think it’s healthy to let tears out. I’ve not fought against it as that just bottles everything up. I’ve had several times where I wake up and am sobbing away in the middle of the night.
It’s not actually that long since your dx and there needs to be an outlet somewhere for all the emotions and feelings that we have. It does get easier to come to terms with as the months go by. When I can’t sleep, I tell myself that it doesn’t matter so long as I’m lying quietly and getting rest. That takes the pressure off me feeling that I have to fall asleep and I just go through nicer things in my head (usually shopping lists for fun things, birthday presents etc!)
Two sayings that I think I found on here have helped me to focus on the present rather than worrying about things that may or may not happen in the future.
“Focus not on what you have lost nor that which you desire for the future. Cherish what you have now because that is all you can ever be certain of.”
“I refuse to fall into the pit of despair. I will change my dreams and appreciate all that I have now.”
Take care of yourself and remember that you can always come here to offload!
Nicola xx