help - they are mega. The last two nights (2nd chemo was Tuesday) have been terrible just one night sweat after another. The annoying thing is if you throw the covers off you suddenly feel cold! Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me. I had to stop HRT suddenly when diagnosed in July and now the chemo seems to have accelerated the sweats and flushes. There are so many of you out there with good tips, any for this?
I was dx March 2006 and am still suffering badly from hot flushes - I have tortured my GP, Onc and surgeon for something to help with them but they all say “no” that I’ll learn to live with them but 18mths down the line and they are still making my life a misery - I have electric fans in every room in the house and even bought one for work. My neighbours are now used to seeing me run of the house at all hours and think its quite funny - which as you know is far from funny.
I have them too, I keep saying to everyone “is it hot or is it me” I put mine down to the FEC giving me the menopause…I was hoping it would subside…
Pam
XXXX
i gather there’s no firm evidence that anything other than HRT (which we can’t have) works for hot flushes. However, there are some options out there - Megace, Clonidine, Gabapentine and anti depressants - all of which are being used. My troubles started with chemo and are ongoing with Tamoxifen. I’m on Clonidine now and it’s working really well for me - took a while to kick in tho. Have completely cut out all caffeine and that helped a lot too. Now that it’s under control I can see that there is a bonus in not having PMT - have to find a silver lining somewhere…
Hope this helps!
Sarah
X
Hi
I sufffer too. I take somewhere between 10 and 18 Clonidine a day and it helps only a bit however Olivia07 on here has recommended Pro Banthine and she was dripping 24x7 and was much better after but had a dry mouth (small price) so chewed gum. Some antidepressants do help e.g. Effexor. Evening Primrose Oil is useless, Sage isn’t much better. I have tried an Australian Bush Flower essence (it has no plant oestrogens in it) called Mulla Mulla but the jury is out so far. It was recommended by a BCC peer supporter and she says she was “cured” of the flushes within 3 months so I’m cynical that she had them!!! They drive me nuts in the evening, can’t enjoy a hot drink or even a hot meal sometimes. It’s the old “they can put a man on the moon but they can’t cure our flushes!!!” Grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Hi all
Me too, flushing away so much sometimes I have to go outside and lift the wig to cool down!!! Frighten anyone to death!!!
Kim x
Like you all I am having serious hot fluishes - although they definately go in cylcles of say 2 bad weeks and 2 not so bad.
I bought a chillow on the internet and find that is good at night for keeping me cool although being bald my head does stick to it when I get particulalry sweaty - lovely!!
Otherwise I have found myself outside thowing the ball for the dog at 3 - 5am in the night (thank goodness she finds it through scent and not sight) in my glorious baldness and PJs - one day I am sure the neighbours will catch me!
The wigs certaily do not help and make the flushes a lot harder to bear - I am off out today and seriously considering a nice cool cotton hat rather than my acrylic sweat manufacturing hair-piece!
Good luck I hope they get more bearable!
Hi all
Just sympathising. I had a flush during dinner last night and it put me right off my food! They seem to be increasing now during the day, up until recently it was only about 1 or 2 during the day and loads and loads at night.
It’s getting unbearable, might have to ask for something for it now.
Cecelia. x
Hi Ladies,
Nice not to feel alone, i have just started getting these sweats and was worried i had an infection (but no temperature) so oncologist today and he said probably early menopause. Just looks like i shall have to grin and bear it. I too wander the house at all hours of the morning trying to get the balance between being cool and not freezing! Keep up all the advice. I will try anything once.
Gaynor x
I can empathise totally. MIne started within days of my first Zoladex injection, and let’s face it, it’s yet another piece of sh** we’re just expected to put up with. I’ve done some research, and of the 3 oestrogens (ostrone, oestradiol, and oestriol), oestradiol is the big baddie that causes oestrogen+ onc cells to proliferate, but oestriol apparently does not (there are various peer-reviewed papers saying zero proliferation whilst others say minimal/negligible), and progesterone would help too (I’m still not convinced when they say that some tumours are progesterone +, I think they are talking about synthetic progestins, which is the pharmaceutical industries way of making money - they can only make money from synthetic products because they cannot patent anything that occurs naturally, and the patent is where a large part of their income derives). I’m in for my 2nd Epi on Friday, and am going to ask my onc if he’ll put me on oestriol - it has been used for a lomg time to relieve oestrogen+ cancer flushes caused by the treatments. Hope this helps - maybe ask your onc, and have a root through Google Scholar for papers on oestriol - they’re interesting.
Angel x
jewjew,
just had advice from a friend of mine who has been plagued by hot flushes. she said try a cobber neck wrap. apparently you soak them in water and they stay cool for 3 days and you just place the scraf round your neck. i have attached i link to one which i have just ordered. I will report back when i have tried it out, but she reckons they are fantastic and has even slept in it and got a goods nights sleep! definately worth a try.
benthamsports.co.uk/Product_Details.asp?pid=102&deptid=20&subcatid=30
Gaynor x