What alternatives could there be?
Is anybody else on HRT after cancer diagnosis? ... - My Ovacome
Is anybody else on HRT after cancer diagnosis? I'm not getting on with the patches, concerned about HRT health risks but went through menopause at 32 so worried about ageing!
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23 Replies
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hi joelle
i had ovarian cancer in 1995 at the age of 48 and had a radical hysterectomy which put me straight into the menopause.
after trying patches and ending up with a ring of rings around my middle, i went on to hrt implants.
i'm still having these twice a year in 2010!!
i weighed up the pros and cons of hrt and decided that being protected from osteoporosis outweighed the possible risk of breast cancer - being over 50 i have the checks for this.
a friend of mine is in the early stages of osteoporosis and will have to take tablets for the rest of her life - but they won't cure it.
i'm now 63 but i've been told that i don't look it - and i think this is mainly down to the hrt.
from a personal viewpoint, i would recommend hrt to everyone - i did recommend it to my friend but she came off it as her mother was worried about the risks of breast cancer ............... she now wishes she was still on it.
if you do your research then you can make a reasoned decision - i did and i'm glad i did. i'll stay on hrt for as long as the hospital will let me.
best wishes.
pat
• in reply toLupatria
many thanks for your answer - it's good to hear from someone who has a number of years experience on the subject. I think I might have a chat with my GP to see if there is an alternative to the patches - they irritate my skin and regularly go awol... I once discovered one stuck to my husband after it came off during the night!!! Thanks again. Jo
hi Joelle.. i had ovarian cancer last year and went straight into menopause after the surgery. my oncologist put me on hrt but after alot of weight gain i took myself off. I do have hot flushes and i am getting symptoms of osteoporosis but i am more worried about my weight . one thing tho i didn't get on with the patches and my gp gave me a gel which was a doddle to use . good luck x
I've just been to see the gynae specialist at the menopause clinic today at my local hospital. She was so helpful, can't understand why I haven't been before, instead of putting up with all the symptoms! I had implants for three years, but came off them when I was 55. They were good for me. I felt really well when I was on them. Check out your local hospital's menopause clinic, and there's a website the doctor recommended: menopausematters.co.uk. They have a lot of info about HRT on there. They produce a good magazine too. Good luck with your search!
LouiseOvacomeMy Ovacome Team
Hi Joelle,
I've been on HRT since my surgery in 2000 aged 30. I've tried various forms - patches, tablets and an implant. It's just been trial and error. For example the implant lasted 11 months, rather than the 6 expected.
I've always been cautious about it, but in the end I'm only replacing the hormones that should naturally be there. I think the problems with HRT are mainly when you are trying to put off the natural menopause.
If you are really worried, you might be able to see an endocrinologist (ask your GP) or a specialist gynaecologist - I know of one at Barts - she came to speak at the Ovacome members day, and was really reassuring. She seemes to suggest that long as your tumor isnt one of the 20% which are stimulated by oestrogen, then you should be OK.
I'd recomend chatting to the helpline nurses at Ovacome as they can tell you some more.
Good luck!
• in reply toLouiseOvacome
thanks for your reply - I really appreciate it.
I asked about HRT as went into menopause following surgery for ovca aged 47. However as my tumour was strongly receptive to oestrogen and progesterone my consultant felt it would be unwise to use hrt. I think you should be well informed about the risks before making a decision. If you don't know whether your tumour is receptive to either or both hormones you can ask for it to be tested. For me this means no respite from the menopause but I certainly wouldn't risk a recurrence - menopause symptoms or cancer - it's a no brainer!
• in reply tobeckyh
My oncologist advised me that my cancer was not receptive to oestrogen. Thanks for your input Becky
I've been using something called Ladycare magnet for a week now and it's almost done away with my hot flushes, sweats and helped me to sleep better. It's weird --totally drug-free and seems remarkable. It's available from Boots, Waitrose and their website I think. It costs £19.99 but it certainly seems to be making my life more comfortable!
Hi Joelle
I am 35 and was considered at high risk of Ovarian Cancer due to my family history, I also had polycystic ovaries and was peri menopausaland so have had my ovaries removed and am now on HRT . Given the pros and the cons i think HRT is a good thing and i have been on HRT a year now and would recommend it i am on standard tablets and haven't tried patches though but I have found i have felt better since being on HRT.
I hope this helps
xx
• in reply tokareliaw
Thanks for this response - I have now got an appointment with my GP to review the options as the patches are really irritating my skin now and where as it took a few days for this to happen after I had changed one, now it happens within a few hours and the skin is red, sore and itchy. Originally I was told that they did not want me to have tablets as my liver had been compromised by the treatment I had already received, but maybe that will be different now.
Thanks again and all the best,
Joelle
It may be worth asking about implants, they put them on the lower abdomen, via a little nick in the skin and use a local anasthaetic. They only need one soluble stitch, if anything, and worked rteally well for me. I was on them for three years, but came off because of my age. I was 55 by then. At your age, they may be an idea worth trying. Good luck! (PS -- the ladycare magnet is still working really well. I've gone from a hot flush every hour or so to maybe one or two a day --it sounds really dippy, but even though I was sceptical, it's made a huge difference --file that away for future ref!)
• in reply tokareliaw
implants sound a little scary Wendy! but then saying that I have been through a lot worse during my treatment!!!! I would consider them I think as I am sure they would mean I would feel more balanced as sometimes the patches come off or I forget to change and these ebbs and flows of hormone levels probably aren't ideal.
Thanks again,
Joelle
It's only once every six months or so, then you forget about them. It doesn't hurt, cos the anasthaetic numbs all that bit. I did feel really well when I had them!
I'm finding this whole discussion really helpful as I'm waiting to hear what my options will be for HRT. The implant sounds pretty good!
I'd definitely ask about the options for implants. As I said, I felt really well when I was on them. I only left off having them again because I was about 55 by then and the statistics on increased risk of breast cancer increase when you get over 55. In the meantime, if you get hot flushes at all, do try the "Ladycare" magnet thing (from Boots or Waitrose) -- it's remarkable, I was sceptical but it does work for me!
I liked my implant (but it was in my buttock!) and it really was the wash and go solution to HRT, but I found that it lasted much longer than the 6 months, so waited for symptoms to recur rather than risk and overdose (once its in you cant take it out). Just for info, I stopped tablets after the first 18 months due to the negative impact on the liver.
Lou x
• in reply tokareliaw
so do you use anything now Louise?
I hope you don't mind my following your question Joelle without being able to answer it myself! I'm 33 and just post-diagnosis, and waiting to hear when I can start on HRT. Thank you for posting this question and opening it up for discussion! Cat x
• in reply todundeegirl
Hi Catherine,
No problem!
I guess to summarise for me I have these concerns:
I am now 4 years down the line - no longer have the classic menopause symptoms but now starting to feel other things. Noticing body changes like skin ageing, pores showing more, thinning hair,more hair elsewhere, change in body shape, having physical effects re. sex which makes me feel a bit down at times.
I want to be well and fit and protect against osteoporosis in the future.
On the other hand I feel like I want to be "natural" (i.e HRT free) but I'm not sure if that will serve me well in the long run. Of course having your ovaries and womb removed at 32 is not natural so can I ever really be that now?! Obviously I don't want to do anything that poses a risk of cancer happening again.
It does seem that there is not one simple answer!!
So it is a case of just trying things I guess.
Sorry for the longwinded reply but hopefully it might be useful to you if/when you have to make these decisions for yourself. What are your thoughts? HRT or not? Perhaps you feel like me that you don't want to feel "old before your time". Sometimes I get cross that I even have to bother with all this..... especially after all the surgery/chemo etc. Oh well! I'll let you know how I get on with the tablets.
Take Care,
Joelle x
Hello Joelle
Oh my goodness, I had no idea this site excisted. I was diagnosed in 1999 I was 24 and pregnant. Anyway to answer your question, I am on patches and have been for a long time, I could not be without them, my only side effects are migranes really and some weight gane. Everyone is different but they work for me, I am getting bad joint pain and have been referred again for this but I am not shocked, I thought it might happen at some point. I am so glad I found this site, I had no support at all from any services ect so i just got on with it really. Hope this helps anyway.
• in reply toBeekeen
Hiya,
Thanks for your response - good to know the patches have worked for you... however I am finding them a pain so trying tablets for now and will review in 3 months.
I have only recently joined this site and it is really useful. Just to make contact with women who have had similar experiences. Glad you are doing OK and hope you get the joint pain sorted... all the best. Joelle.
