Psychological side effects of AI
Hi All,
My sister was diagnosed with ILC stage 2 in October 2023. She had double mastectomy in January 2024. She started taking AI ( anastrazole) back in April 2024. Recently I'm seeing some personality changes in her that doesn't sound normal. For example, she used to call parents everyday to check on them and now she barely answers their call. I'm starting to get worried. In about 2 weeks she made an snap decision to move in with an old boyfriend. Could these changes be results of AI or something else going on ? Does anyone have similar experience with AI?
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I don't think the changes would be directly related to AI, but it could be a kind of post-tramatic stress response from ALL the things she has been through (which affects you both physically & mentally). If she is receptive, talking to a counselor might help her sort it out. Many cancer centers have people trained to specifically help people dealing with the issues she's facing.
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Thank you dear Ruth for your comment. She talked to counselor during her treatment and then another one couple months ago. I also try not to be too judgemental of her actions because then she would stop telling me what's going on. Hope things gets better. Please keep her in your prayers 🙏
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Just keep checking in with her. 💓
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I will 😊. It's crazy. When people talk about breast cancer they don't think about PTSD and all the psychological side effects afterwards.
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I've been on an AI (anastrozole) for 2 1/2 years, and I have experienced some psychological effects, but they are milder than what you are describing. There are days where I'm a little bit crankier than normal, or sometimes my temper is a bit quick, or I am melancholy for no reason. I definitely feel like I have some PTSD that is triggered by certain situations (like driving by the cancer center on my way to Target).
It could be that your sister's old boyfriend is giving her the kind of support she feels she needs right now. Relationships with the people you are closest too can be really hard during cancer treatment; I know I felt I had to manage my husband's feelings in addition to my own and I couldn't share everything with him. He had his own expectations that didn't always match up with mine.
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My stomach would flip over for years when I passed the exit to my cancer center. I still avoid taking it when I can. It definitely messes with your mind!
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Thank you dear Maggiehopley for sharing your experience. It's complicated for sure
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