I’m 46 and have just finished my heady 8 months of dx, mx, chemo and rads. Grade 3, 8/20 node involved, oestrogen +ve and so as my rads finish and I hope life is returning to semi-normal Zoladex hits me next week.
What can I expect? Read all about the side effects, mood swings and depression from me are all that my hubby, 8 & 11 yr old kids will need after these last few months.
How have you got on? Should I just try to ignore everything, put on the ‘I’m fine’ face to my friends/work colleagues/rellies and think I am OK?
Any pointers much appreciated.
Izzi xx
Tip 1 - get some Emla cream to apply about an hour before the injection and you won’t feel a thing !!
It has altered my moods etc, etc and I have had to go on to prozac to try and ease the hot sweats and bad temper. Tried all sorts but this is the only thing that helped me deal with the SEs. If I don’t have the prozac I become such a moody cow it’s untrue. They are my true chill-pills!! You may not get SEs as badly as I did - I’m sure people post for help when they are struggling and there are thousands who have the jab with little or no major SEs. Don’t put on a brave face if you don’t want to - when anyone asks my OH, he tends to say I’m holding my own but have a few issues with SEs and leaves it at that. It’s all personal choice but don’t hesitate to ask for help if you are struggling.
I have been having the jabs since Sept 08 when I was 43 and apparently will have them as long as they work.
Good luck. Liz
hi all.
ive been on zoladex for a year now. my gp sprays the area first this numbs it and i cant feel a thing. my se seem to get worse with the more injections i have. for me the mood swings effect me more then anything.one day i can feel great and the next crying.i just hope at the end of it all its done the job. some people have no se at all. i sailed through rads and didnt feel any different. we are all different. good luck with it xxx gaynor
Hi Izzi
I had zoladex after my primary dx when I was 41. I had terrible hot flushes - I mean really really bad! These used to get me down but they did improve during the second year of Zoladex. It also used to cause me joint pain but only noticeable first thing in the morning. I used to have the injection without using the numbing cream or spray - no, I’m not brave, it just didn’t really hurt as it is (usually) given in the stomach.
Since my secondary dx 3 years ago (age 46) I had Zoladex for a couple of months before having my ovaries ablated (so I could go onto Aromatase Inhibitors) and haven’t suffered any noticeable menopausal symptoms other that the creakyness! I guess this is because I was nearer my natural menopause the 2nd time around so it may be that you won’t have too many SE’s - I hope so!
Nicky
Thanks for your thoughts. I will wait and see until I see what SE’s I actually get, but I’ve been worried about the depression bit. 2 years of enforced depression sounds horrible after what has been a bad 2 years for me (breast cancer in the last 8 months was just icing on the cake).
I want to beat this bc and everyone says to stay positive, but is this possible on Zoladex?
Izzi xx
Hi izziwhizzi
Have to say I haven’t had any significant side effects from the Zoladex after the first 2 or 3 months when I got a few night sweats. Certainly no depression, in fact still my usual cheerful self, so don’t worry it may be fine for you. The only ongoing problem I have is poor sleep, but that’s normal for menopausal women anyway, so at my age (51) I would probably be suffering that anyway.
My top tip for Zoladex is to have a local anesthetic before the main jab, that way you don’t feel a thing.
Sarah x
Hi, I have just finished a year of Zoladex and 3 yrs of Tamoxifan. (Now on Letrozole as had ovaries out). I had no real effects on zolidax, no depression but I am on prozac anyway as it seems to reduce the hot flushes. The worst hot flushes were after the chemo. No other problems at all on Z but I would say that I never had the ‘numbing’ cream and I usually wished I did as it hurt a little. Worse if there is not a lot of fat around abdomen area. Good luck!