Hot Flash Forum!
Comments
-
what do you all wear on a daily basis? I'm in southern california and it's warm here already. Some days seem brutally warm, then I realize it's just me and it's only in the 70's. Between my warm wig and the hot flashes, I find myself wearing a tank top or cpplmac/underamor top every day, then taking a jacket off & on all day as needed. I guess summer will be sun dresses with the same routine. I just feel like a can't wear any of my pre-chemopause clothing. Long sleeves are definitely out!
0 -
jenlee - Only short sleeves and skirts for work now. the warm weather here in AZ has definitely upped the sweating part of my flashes. I am paying attention to drinking more for sure.0
-
I also live in a warmer climate, South FL and also like skirts even for everyday casual, they are cooler than capris. Clothing fabric is important too, absolutely no polyester which for some reason some manufacturers are switching back to (probably because it is cheaper). I am off caffiene (except morning cup of tea) and sugar. I drink a lot of water, eat cold watermelon and since I live alone constantly adjust the A/C.
0 -
I find myself buying more and more lightweight linen. I am learning to live in peace with the wrinkly look because the fabric is what I need to be comfortable in the Texas heat. I have several basic linen pieces from JJill. I love their linen shorts, and I find I can wear their long-sleeve lightweight linen blouses on hot days when I must work to keep the sun off my left arm (LE). This year, I wore their black linen pants all winter long because I would get too hot in places where heaters were on.
The more you wash linen, the better it gets -- softer -- and the less it wrinkles.
0 -
lulu - do you think linen is cooler than woven cotton? I love linen blouses but they seem to wrinkle so much.0
-
I think air moves through lightweight linen better than through woven cotton.
0 -
My oncologist does not approve of the use of Estroven to help my night sweats. Instead she offered a prescription for Effexor which is actually an anti-depressant. It seems kind of scary for me to try a depression drug when I am not depressed (just hot and bothered
Has anyone tried this before? Any advice for me or information on side effects? 0 -
anne - My onc offered me the same. I decided not to do it.0
-
I don't take anything but my hot flashes are not too bad.
0 -
Anne, I posted a short answer on the Bottle o' Tamoxifen thread about the Effexor. I tried it and I think it MIGHT have helped the hot flashes, but it was very bad for my thinking, and I had suicidal thoughts, along with tremors & jitteriness, and I think some other SEs (I can't remember a lot of things these days - I had been put on so many different meds to take care of SEs from other meds that my brain was pretty non-functional for several months). Anyway, my PCP, MO and I agreed I should get off of it, but then I had withdrawal even with a slow taper, so it took a month to get off of it. Very scary time for me. That being said, there are a lot of women who do very well with Effexor. It just seems my body reacts to pretty much every medication I have taken since my first dose of chemo.
"The North American Menopause Society recommends the use of venlafaxine as a first-line alternative to hormone replacement therapy in women with menopausal symptoms, regardless of breast cancer history" and it is also used for neuropathic pain (did not help my chemotherapy-induced neuropathy), fibromyalgia, and some other things in addition to the FDA-approved indications of depression, anxiety and social phobia disorders.
0 -
Hi everyone---have glasses back on---- read Linda's post----i'm going to pull from memory post anesthesia so here goes.
Most drugs are metabolized by the liver and excreted either through the kidneys and in some cases through the lungs and skin. Some drugs are excreted through the kidneys unchanged. We can be tested for many drugs metabolism in the liver by what is called DNA testing for known routes of metabolism. There are many known routes , but only a few that can be identified by testing. They are 2D6, 2C9, and 2C19. 25 % of all drugs take a first pass through 2D6. We can have an absence of a route, or be a slow , medium , or fast metabolizer at each identified route. We can have drugs that compete for access to a pathway. I first got interested in learning about this when Dh's chemo wasn't going well. I learned the above plus much more. The FDA required that pathways be identified for all drugs starting about 12 years ago and be published in the PDR and formulary. What that means is docs and pharmacist could look at drugs and understand which drugs were competing for the same pathways.
When I first brought the above to my DH's Oncs attention his jaw dropped and he said "i don't even know this ". Six months later a nurse was telling us how they had a seminar teaching the above and that patients would be tested to see if a drug would actually work on them.
I got my counselor interested early on after my learning. While he can't prescribe, he works closely with docs that do. It has totally changed his practice of 35 years. Every month since he was initiated into DNA testing for known routes , he has become a greater supporter of it for the use of psychotropic drugs. Rather than getting real technical----any drug that effects a change in brain chemistry is a psychotropic drug. Way back in the early pages when I cut and pasted all the drugs, That's what I'm talking about. All the snri's &ssneri's and the rest. ---Linda effexor's in there.
If we don't know how our bodies metabolize these drugs, we don't know how we will respond. My DH's problem caused me to also find out why the AI's and norvasc and Norvasc &cytoxan had such a problem for me.
So, ask your doc's for testing of these routes 2D6, 2C9, and 2C19 before starting a new drug----if you are denied by insurance ----use these words--If I have an adverse reaction to a drug prescribed that could have been avoided by knowing how the drug would be metabolized>>>you are responsible. You only need to be tested once . After that all drugs perscribed can be evaluated against the first testing------all drugs,
As time goes on there will be more pathway testing available, as there are with other drugs such as coumadin.
well that's about it sheila
0 -
Sheila, I actually teach a course in pharmacogenomics, and still couldn't get that MO of mine or any of my other docs for that matter, to do any genetic testing. I told MO that I have no faith the tamoxifen would work because of this, she STILL won't test, even though she wants me on the tamoxifen. She is the one who also did not do testing before chemo, and I swear that she did not recognize adverse effects after the first dose when she should have stopped it right then and there. Now I am just plain angry at her - she could have prevented a lot of things but didn't listen to me when I KNOW my body! Will it take a lawsuit to get their attention? You are so right about needing to be tested only once.... I am so frustrated. I have not felt well since my first chemo in Oct. 2010, and am unwilling to even TRY anything else for relief - would rather suffer the known than spend more time experiencing MORE SEs. Sorry about the grumbling.... still tired, in pain, not sleeping well, not able to do fun things. Well, maybe a few fun things...!
0 -
Linda, sorry it's taken so long to respond. Idiot doc's --A test is available to see if a drug works and they refuse to do it. It's what I call paint ball therapy. Let's throw the drugs or treatments at the patient and see if it sticks. It's the antithesis of what the were taught about the scientific method. Too much of medicine is that way right now. In 5 years testing will be the norm. Now , we have to threaten, cajole, beg.
Idiots. Think lawsuit--yep !. Try Genelex, it's a drug checker site and more. They have a 30 day free trial. Only drug checker available to the lay person that identifies cytochrome 450 pathways and drug interactions. If you do the free trial remember to do the "how to use video". I missed that did lots of work by hand , then saw the video---sheesh---Duh---woulda been allot easier. I think from another post you just graduated your students or finished the year--congrats --sheila
0 -
I haven't posted on this site for a while cause - actually I didn't have any hot flashes for a couple of months - really! And even slept through the night... well, they are back again.... but for the last couple of days I have taken my puppy out for a walk in the morning- it is still cool but when I get home I'm just so hot and I cannot cool off.... I took a cold shower and still I was just sweating like crazy. I had to be across town and turned the air conditioner down to 70 and had two fans on high blowing on me - this all coming out of a cold shower! I couldn't put on make up as sweat was just streaming down my face..... Finally got dressed and with in about half an hour I was feeling dizzy and nauceous and another hot flash.... it has been like that off an on all day. Anyone have anything like this? I just can't figure out what to do.... No I'm not on anything right now.... Thanks.
0 -
Stanzie----when you say your not on anything right now----does that mean no drugs at all? If you took any drugs has it been within 24>>48>>72>> 1 week>> 1 month?
Essentially will stand by until you repost. sheila
0 -
I'm not on any of the drugs like tamoxifin or the anti-estrogen.... the only thing I take is low dose thyroid med and med for MS - neither of which would/should cause this... Does that help? I've been on those meds since 2002... Thanks
0 -
Stanzie, what I read is a change of activity b/c of a new puppy? But if symptoms persist beyond that one walk then it might be time to get levels rechecked and you. When I went to see 3 Jays and Chrissy B. I was exposed to more sun than usual. Came here and complained of dry flashing---it felt equivalent to heat stroke. I would not sweat. Well my antihypertensives say to avoid sunlight. It took hours to subside. it was basically, driving with exposure to the sun while driving. Hasn't happened since, but I'm more carefull to where long sleeves and long pants on along drive i.e to Moffitt in Tampa. A one time occurrance of something may be able to be ignored, but repeat occurrence (s)start to send up flags whatever color they may be. Let me know what happens okay sheila
0 -
Stanzie -- how is your thyroid meds? maybe you need them adjusted .... just a thought ...
OR maybe you are actually sick and have caught some form of bug !!!
0 -
Nope just had thyroid checked and I did think about it being a bug but it has happened twice yesterday and once today but now I feel totally fine.... It feels like the most horrendous hot flash or 50 of them all at once then within I'd say 1/2 hour to hour I'm ok.... Yesterday I thought I was just getting sick but it happened so similar again today makes me wonder.... Guess I'll see what happens tomorrow.Thanks!
0 -
Your hypothalmus regulates your "perception" of body temperature. After 3 years of disabling hot flashes, I found out that anti-depressants modulate your hypothalmus. IT WORKED!!! I took Lexapro and got my life back. There is research regarding a balancing act between Lexapro and Tomaxafin effectiveness. Do not exceed this balance. Please research this "balance" depending on your situation.
0 -
Lexapro seems to be helping my hot flashes as well. I'm only on Day 12, but for the past few days the flashes seem to be noticeably subsiding in number AND intensity. Hoping to get some relief fully underway before the hot summer hits here... the hot flashes RUINED last summer for me. Awful.
0 -
i am getting terrible night sweats since my mx on 5-4 and i already went through menaupause and am not taking any meds.. goin to my bs tomorrow.. hopefully it will stop soon..
0 -
My flashes (I am on Tamoxifen) are definitely increasing again now that the summer weather is here. Whah!
0 -
Me too; it's a bummer!
0 -
mine are a little more severe...more sweat...but not more frequent unless I eat something unhealthy. I ate some lemon icebox pie the other night and I flashed about 4 times during the night. I made the pie for a neighbor but my husband talked me into keeping it and making the neighbor another one. I couldn't resist...it is my favorite.. :-(
0 -
Not sure if this is the right place to post my question, as I am not on any hormonal treatments. I'll be 55 next month and haven't had a period for 7 months. Hooray-- I was starting to think I would be the only 75 year old woman in history still buying tampax. Anyway, now, for the past several days, I feel as though I am definitely ovulating. WTF? All the usual old symptoms: twinges on one side, tenderness in lower abdomen, egg white-like discharge, etc. Just had a transvaginal US last month, so I know everything is normal, ovary-wise. Anyone else have this happen? Is this a final protest by my feeble, old ovaries, which are still trying to crank out eggs? I thought I was so done. Hot flashes and night sweats over the past 7 months too. Now, I am having the old ovulatory crampiness PLUS hot flashes. Anyone else??
0 -
momoschki: You have to go without a period for a full year before they consider your post-menopausal. You've had 7 months without a period, which is great, but it could still come back. I think what you are feeling is normal. Your ovaries probably are trying to kick in one last time.
My period stopped 3 weeks after I was diagnosed with BC. Went through BMX and then started Tamoxifen, so I was feeling anything but normal! Never saw my period again. It's been 18 months since I last had it, and I had my estrogen levels checked last month and ta-da: I am officially in menopause! I had my estrogen levels checked 9 months ago just to see where I was, and my levels were low but not low enough. So that might be something to ask your doc to check, to see where you are falling right now. Hope that helps!
0 -
Thanks for your response... I know one needs to reach the one year mark to be officially menopausal-- hoped I was nearly there. Had a hormonal panel done 6 months ago and all my levels were in the menopausal range, which is why this current development is surprising. Hoping it is just a blip in the road. I have read that it is possible to ovulate and then not get a subsequent period. Since the ovulation should indicate a surge in estrogen, and the hot flashes indicate a decline, it all the more confusing to experience these 2 things simultaneously.
0 -
I've been taking tamoxifen since early 2010. I didn't have hot flashes until about 6 months ago -I still have regular periods. I just thought I'd jump in here and say that my oncologist prescribed gabapentin for my hot flashes about a month ago and it has helped a great deal. I'm taking 300mg 3 times a day (that's the maximum dose my oncologist recommended- your mileage may vary
and it has pretty much stopped the hot flashes and night sweats that had been interfering with my sleep. There have been studies that have suggested gabapentin is nearly as effective as estrogen replacement therapy for hot flashes http://general-medicine.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2006/713/3 Google it.
If you're having a hard time with hot flashes, it might be worth asking your oncologist about gabapentin.
0 -
Hi Ladies,
I've been on Tamoxifen since 11/11/11 (with a 5 week break Jan-Feb due to side effects). Most of my side effects have disapated or I've become used to them. My night sweats are minimal, the insomnia when I wake up at night has gone away, the rash disappeared, dry mouth/skin is still there but under control with Biotene/Biotin, and fatigue is also minimal unless I overdue with exercise, stress, work, etc. I still have stiffness and soreness in my fingers and joints but once again, I've become used to it and it's not interfering with my day-to-day life. The sadness/depression has also started to go away (most of the time).
It's been 9 months since my surgery and I can honestly say I'm starting to feel more "normal", for whatever that is worth. I'm thankful for where I am at today and am looking forward to remainder of my 5 years on hormone therapy to be even better.
Best wishes to all of you starting out, it will get better with time
Hugs,
Deborah
0
