Can I please hear from anyone, good or bad experiences?
I am 18 months into hormone therapy, it’s not getting any easier. My cancer was 8/8 oestrogen positive. I was 48 when diagnosed, I don’t want recurrence and I am now pressing on with Zoladex and Examestane but it’s been so hard, at the beginning I stopped everything for 8 months because I felt so bad I didn’t really give any amount of hoots as to what happened - but I know this is the best current available treatment to prevent recurrence. I don’t sleep, I feel crap, my joints hurt, I am hot all the time, regardless of whether I survive or not I jjust completely resent the fact that I have had cancer. My oncologist and BCNs are suggesting I try Venlafaxine but I worry about trying it - am I being stupid? Thoughts anyone, please?
Hi J , I started taking Venlafaxine with Tamoxifen when I was diagnosed over two years ago and I feel great! Barely a side effect in sight , if I miss one then I feel awful so I know they work , give it a go! Xx Jo
I’m on letrozole so can’t help you there. But also I take amitriptyline, which was originally given for tension headaches, but I think the oncologist would have prescribed them anyway, because they help with sleep and stress. Maybe worth asking?
I took my first dose of this today - almost 14 months into taking Tamoxifen. The first few months I was fine but these last few have been terrible for flushes and night sweats. These past few weeks I’ve been having major flushes about every 20 minutes during the day and they have ramped up in intensity as well as frequency. So, went to see the Dr yesterday and she had no hesitation in prescribing this, Said it has a very good track record for this purpose.
Too early to judge obviously but I have to say I’ve not had a significant flush since about an hour after I took my first dose - I’m on the slow release 75mg. I have felt rather tired today and slightly nauseous but hoping these side effects go away. Will report some more as things progress.
The dose they are suggesting for me is 37.5mg. I am thinking I will give it a go as getting quite desperate for some relief, mainly from the sweats and tiredness and worrying.
Well, on day three I have to say I’m pretty happy. Any flushes I have have been very minor and I’ve not had any horrid night sweats over the first two nights. Have to confess that I did feel a little ropey on Saturday, very tired and a bit spaced out but that seems to be clearing now. I find that the more active I’ve been the less tired I feel. I didn’t imagine that it would have kicked in so quickly and I’m impressed. I definitely feel a lot more chilled out about other things as well.
I’m still holding off the Venlafaxive - have them in the cupboard but very wary to take them. I took one back in August but after an hour I got a headache and felt very nauseated which lasted all night. I am quite aware that if these were side effects from the Venlafixine they would stabilise if I were to press on with it and continue regularly, but I felt to weird and spaced out the following day, and did not want to risk continuing it at that point as I had an interview.
Venlafaxine started working straight away for me. Some side effects for the first few days: nausea, headache and sore throat, but none if these since and I’ve been on it four about 4 months. The only thing is I now have insomnia I’m currently on 37.5 mg once per day and i take it in the morning (if I’m awake). I’ve heard that doubling the dose can help so I’m going to try over Easter weekend.
Hi all I was on sertraline for depression soon after diagnosis in September 2014. Didn’t get on with tamoxifen or exemestane. Diagnosed with bone mets just before Christmas and have been on zoladex, letrazol and Ibrance.
Onc knows I had awful dripping sweats with the other drugs and gave his blessing for me to stop. When he suggested this new regime he offered venlaflaxine as one of its side effects is to reduce hot flushes. I was anxious about it because I’ve read all sorts of Scarry stuff on Dr Google, but so far so good. Nothing scary, moods pretty steady and flushes, although slowly increasing in frequency and intensity, are so far manageable.
We all react differently to these medications and whichever cocktail we’re on. My thoughts are that we already have cancer so if there’s something on offer to make it easier, grab it with both hands!
Ps I was 47 when diagnosed, er+ 8/8, 7x8cm tumour plus a 2cm one and spread to 26 lymph nodes.
I’m currently on 37.5 mg once per day and i take it in the morning (if I’m awake). I’ve heard that doubling the dose can help so I’m going to try over Easter weekend.