Hormone Therapy Description and Side Effects

What Cancer Survivors said about their hormone therapy treatment.

This will start after radiation in 2011. - Sonja
1 year on Tamoxifen, then i had a bi-lat oopherectomy and switched to Femara. I HATE this drug - i feel like i'm 90! - QuiltMom
10/2009 to present. Not sure if I am more emotional...angry than I was off tamoxifen. Could just be coinciding with menopause!!! Fun! - ML
1st occasion - Started tamoxifen, switched to ARIMIDEX. 2nd occasion - Currently on Aromasin. No side effect but I have gained about 4 lbs. - do not think it is because of Aromasin. - Gigi
2001-2004 Tamoxifen 2004-2008 Femera - Daria
4/6/11 began aromotase inhibiter (Arimidex) hormone therapy. I am very concerned with all side effects listed. Since inception I have had a non-stop headache day and night; recently have had swelling and pain in left ankle and hands; and now low back ache. Time will tell if I can tolerate this therapy. Will blog progress. - Constance
after my hysterectomy in 02 it was suggested I take HRT but because my cancer was estrogen related I refused to do that and used Estroven for the menopausal symptoms - Connie
Aridmadex x 5 years - Kelly
Arimedex - Chelle Jones
Arimedex - some joint pain in fingers. I will be on Arimedex for five years. - Staypositive
Arimidex - 7/15/08 to present. No side effects - Carol
Arimidex 1mg daily Started in May 2008 til present - Karen
Arimidex for one year (I couldn't handle the side effects anymore, so I recently stopped taking it). Side effects included: night drenches, forgetfullness, hair loss, dry skin, vaginal atrophy, hot flashes, dizziness, and fatigue. - Sicktodeath
Arimidex started 4 months after surgery, one month after radiation. Carpal tunnel flared up, hadn't had since pregnancy of youngest child. (Had surgery for it last week.) Joint pain,leg cramps in middle of night, real problem with short-term memory - had to write out my lessons the night before and hadn't had to do that before in 30+ years teaching math. - Toolucky
Arimidex taken at night. Started treatment Aug. 07. Sleep deprived, night sweats, bones ache, sometimes tired, always hungry. UPDATE AUG/08. Side effects have lessened but just slightly. - Louise
Arimidex, have not started yet, weighing about side effects versus percentage decrease in risk - Haroldine
Arimidex-joint pain, hot flashes, mood swings - Evelyn
armidex, no side effects as of yet, except it seems that my hair is thinning out some - Karen Maranuk
Armidex. Started Feb. 12, 2007 after I had hysterectomy on Feb. 5. Tumor was estrogen fed so I just decided to get rid of everything. - Lori
Because I didn't have Chemo they won't give me Herceptin. Politics. It hasn't been approved by the FDA that way. Would love to meet other women who have bucked the system. - Kathleen
Began Arimidex 12/30/2011-increased hot flashes, very dry skin - Cathy
Bio-identical HRT in the form of transdermal creams: includes Bi-estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone...started March 2007. No side effects to speak of so far! I highly recommend seeing a HRT specialist to look into bio-identical HRT. After reading "What your doctor may not tell you about menopause" I refuse to go on the "conventional" synthetic hormones most doctors prescribe. - Tanya
Bioidentical Progesterone Cream - Suzieq
Can't do any kind of hormones, cause my hormones is what caused my cancer. - Denise Carter
casadex, lupron, back pain, 6 months in the beginning - Cam And Dina
Comes later - Joyce888
Continuing, ongoing - Dawn53094
Currently on Cytomel 25 mcg 2x day - Meri Taylor
Currently receivng no hormone therapy. - Tenna
Cytomel - Thyroid Hormones since after surgery in Sept 14th 2011. They are still low so chills, constipation, weight gain, etc.. Switched to Synthroid 150mcg (thyroxine) Jan 17th 2012 - Missym
did this inbetween radiation and chemo - Pmarklow
Didn't have - Laughatcancer
Do guys need Testosterone? Help ... I'm shrinking, I'm shrinking. - Dave
Doing hormone therapy with Zometa for the bones - Carter
estrogen patch then ring, 5/06 to present: no hot flashes. no libido. - Sarah
Ever-increasing strengths of Synthroid. How much is too much? Lower heart rate and blood pressure. - Monique
evista (raloxifene), 2/98 - 93; turbo-powered hot flashes. Tried Fosamax and prempro, could not tolerate. Switched to Boniva, then discontinued. - Emory
Faslodex hormone shots - from Summer 08 until indefinitely - Dana
Faslodex started 3/2010 so far so good; side effects minimal Also, was on Zometa (not hormonal but to help minimize bone loss and events) but stopped because of side effects to kidneys. Began Xgeva 2/2011, a newly approved drug, an alternate to Zometa, with fewer effects on the kidneys, - Donna Peach
femara - Renata
Femara. Because I had my ovaries removed. - Kelly
Fermara - Chelle Jones
H.R.T. achy bones and limbs...stiffness in the legs and hips - Brenda
had no treatment - Dan
Have tried both Levoxyl and Synthroid. Having trouble regulating. Went into hyperthyroid in Feb 2010. - Lydia
Haven't started yet. - LC
Haven't started yet. Need advice. - Jeannine
He is also taking cortisone for replacing his hormones for his adrenal gland - the Mitotane stops the Rt gland from producing hormones. - Michele
herceptin 2009 every 3 weeks no side effects - Maureen
herceptin 11/05-08/04/06 no noted side effects - Melissa Ball
Hormone therapy - made me gain 60 pounds in six months, constantly hungry and wasnt allowed a lot of salads and some fruits or sushi - all of my favorite foods that keeps me fit and trim. Had the pale moon face. - Nee328
Hormone therapy is not an option for me. - Camille
hot flashes, memory loss, lack of energy, depersion - Prtw
I am on Megestrol because of maligant cells in the pelvic washings at the time of surgery. This has me very confused! - Cookiemookie
I am taking Estratest and was told to go see a hormone specialist because one HRT does not fit all but Im afraid to much hormones would send me out of remission. - Terri Lee
i am taking tamoxifen,started it 3 weeks ago,on it for 5 years,side effects at the mo,terrible hot flushes - Sarah
I did Femara for a couple of months. It made my muscles very sore and it caused me to have to seek pelvic floor physical therapy. I also had to see a massage specialist. - Sarah
i have not done any just yet because im scared, but i am going through heat flashes - Lorena
I just got my first shot of Lupron(God help me after what I've just read on other sites about the stuff), and just started tamoxifen/coumadin. - Katie
I need some believe me!!! I have severe heat surges with extreme beading of sweat on my forehead groin area and mid chest area. - Laura
I started Arimidex in December of 2010. It makes me very tired all the time and I have a hard time focusing. It also makes my joint ache to the point where I have trouble walking. Exercise is very difficult. I'm told I have to be on it for five years. I'm not sure I can take five years of this drug. - Stacy
I started taking tamoxifin last Oct. 2004 and I am on my way to my 4th yr. I'm taking tylenol pm so I could sleep and also I experience the shortness of breath once in a while. - Leah
I take 150 mcg of Synthroid 6 days a week and on the 7th day I take a total of 300 mcg . My doctor has had to change my dose 4 times since my surgery. It is a very long process. When we are to low I am tired, moody, depressed and I gain weight. When it is to high I have headaches, trouble sleeping, heart palpitations and anxiety. - Stacy
I take daily pills for hormone replacement... - Missmarymack
I took Arimidex am now on Femera, both I'm told can cause the pain side effects I have now. - Susan Ubertini
I took Tamoxifen in 1991 and am currently getting Faslodex once every six weeks since 2004. - Karen Visnansky
I was 37 when I went through these treatments, so after awhile I got hot flashes (which I still get) I dont like that I am losing estrogen at too young an age, it has slowed, what has been a fast metabolism all my life! I have been afraid to take any hormone therapy up to this point. - Rhonda Michelle
I will have to take Tamoxifen for 5 yrs, once the chemo & radiation is done - Annette
i will tell you - Hope
I'll take my chances without it - Karen Spriggs
I'm actually on docetaxel (taxotere) didn't see that on my choices above - Rachel
I'm not sure if this really counts as Hormone Therapy, but I'm getting Lupron shots to help prevent my ovaries from going into pre-menopause. - Sarah Friedman
I'm on Arimidex. I have finally gotten through most of the aches and pains and figured out my vitamin cocktail to help combat that and this instant menopause. - Hayley Townley
I'm on Exemestane. That's not one of the options in the box above. It makes me tired. Not if I'm driving or walking or doing someing. If I'm listening to a lecture or sitting in church, sometimes the tiredness hits. Doctors say it's one of the side effects. - Karen Lee Beck
It remains to be seen. - Safia
Ive been on a form of hormone replacement for almost 2 years, once i have my thyroid removal surgery ill be on full hormone replacement - Tessamariex0
Just getting started. - Kris
Just started Tamoxifen on 10-4-2011 and so far no side effects. - Erika
Just taking estrogen now for really bad menapause side effects. Doing much better now that I am taking the estrogen. I've now stopped the update because although no doctor will confirm this, I believe this is what is causing my cancer to keep coming back. Odd. I get the all clear, then when restarting estrogen, 10-12 weeks later I'm told the spot is back. So I am done with estrogen. - Julie445
Leuprolide, Flutamide 2009 thru June 2010, At present taking some time off until PSA starts to increase. Last tested .05 on 02/12/2011. - Edward
Levothyroxine .137 mg daily plus additional half-tablet once a week. It took almost a year to get the correct dose. - Angie
Levothyroxine... level to be altered once i finally get to see the endo after 6 months of waiting and a cancer diagnosis - Stephanie
Looking in to it - Robin
Menopause... thank you very much. Lots of hot flashes and night sweats. Mood swings-just want to be left alone alot. - Denise
My tumor did not respond to hormones. - Lottie Bethea
N/A - Tina
n/a - David McArthur
N/A - Stacy
N/A - Elena
n/a - Kelly Cartwright
n/a - Robert Welton
N/A - Kari
N/A - Katie
N/A - Mary
N/A - Tara
N/A - Ellie
Next Wednesday August 27th 2008 I will be prescribed hormone replacement therapy which I will be on the rest of my life. - Laura
nil - Davies Millzo
Nine Lupron injections -- one every three months, ending Oct 2009. Emotional lability (i.e., mood swings), reduced mental acuity (a/k/a chemo-brain) and high-temperature hot flashes. And my constant companion: fatigue. Second round of Lupron to accompany radiation. Two, three-month shots, which should start washing out in January. Same wonderful side effects! - Bill Curry
No hormonal therapy - could not live with side effects. Tried for half a year. Investigating alternatives. - KorynH
No Hormone - Froggiegirl
No hormone therapy as I was triple negative. - April
No hormone therapy. - Ragis
No hormones, ever!!! - Judy
no side affects - Debb
no treatment yet? - Claire
No way; I think the pill caused this in the first place! >:( - Tara
no-triple negative cancer - Deb
non yet - CATHY
None - Jerryann Norton
None - Lorie
None - Matthew Zachary
none - Stephgreg
none - Becky
none - Katherine
None - Gaile
None - Megan
none - Davya
none - Karen
NONE - Louis Muise
none - Cindimac
None - Mike
none - Perry Alan Wargnier Jr
None - Doug Cronin
None - Janet
None - Deborah
none - Anthony
none - Sparklie
none - Rena
none - Ninfa
None - Catherine
None - Rachel
none - Anna
None - Paul
none - Vivian
None - Sherri
None - Rachel Pappas
None - Cheri
None - Ava
none - Patti
none - Melissa
None - Pat C
none - Ertdfgcvb
none - Dan
None - Randy
None - Don
None - Donnalh
None available. - Angelwthwingz
NONE DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO GO THRU MENOPAUSE BECAUSE U HAD PROBLEMS PRE MENOPAUSE DR FIGURED I WAS A BITCH ALREADY SO HE LET ME SKIP IT..LOL - CELESTE FROM CT.
None prescribed - Jackie
None to date - StephLoves
None! I can't take hormones at all, as I will get a recurrence. - Alive And Thriving
None, I have triple negative breast cancer so hormonal therapies will not help me. - MIchelle
NOne. I'm triple negative - Ebonyjwriter
Not until thru with chemo and Radiation - Susan
Not yet but will start after radiation - Mickeyg
Now on Arimidex. Hives remain as well as feeling bone tired and unable to lose any of the weight I gained from the steroids during chemo. - Laurie
Nuelasta, Zometa - Tom Martin
On Synthroid for 3 years never had any meds before this time. - Pittypat
on-ward for five years. - Jenny Warrior- Amazon Woman Style
Pending - Shelly Bryant
Plan on taking Tamox. after radiation is done. - Sally
Putting me into early Menopause/hot flashes - Linda
recieve injections every 28 days of Sandostatin LAR - Stephen
refused it can cause cancer other areas - Barb
Side effects: weight gain and hot flashes - Erika
started after surgery 06 and continues side effects ...ask ur wife LOL - Nick
started arimidex in Dec. 2007 could not toleerate the joint pain was switcehd to femara April 4 2008, having problems with it also trying to figure out a pain manage ment plan and how to quit being hungry... - Judy
Started hormone therapy October, 2011 Aromasin. Within 3 weeks, Muscle and joint pain, stiffness, felt 30 years older. My body was so achy and stiff all I could do was work and come home and Ibuprofen did not help, Oncologist switched me to Fermara the side effects were more gradual, but the same with the addition of depression and crying; no make that sobbing. Going to start on Tamoxifen after first of the year. - Joyce
Started Synthroid 10/28 - Carol
Started tamoxifen 11.30.11. KILLER hot flashes, night sweats and sleeplessness. Started taking it in the AM rather than the PM suggested by my doc and over time flashes decreased in VOLUME and number and sleeplessness got better as well. I can usually sleep 6 hours uninterrupted now, sometimes eight. Yay me! - Scrappy Darlene
Started Tamoxifen on 8/26/08, was taken off of it on 10/2/08. I had very few side effects, including minor muscle aches--which went away after a couple of weeks--and fatigue, but the emotional effects were getting serious. I cried all the time and could not focus my mind enough to even get through washing a sink-full of dishes. I was definitely sinking into depression. Doc took me off the med until 3 weeks after radiation ends, at which time I will ease back on slowly. Went back on a few weeks after rads ended and eased on a bit at a time. Had every side effect in the book for about a day each, cycling through them a few at a time, then after about 3 weeks, it was over. I am still a little more tired than I used to be, but that's pretty much my only side effect. - Kathy
Started Tamoxifen on November 25, 2007 and will need to continue for the next five years. Due to Tamoxifen, I have had problems with a growth, appearing in my utero, luckily benign, which I had a biospy back in June, 2008. Still kept under observation. - Desi
started w/tamoxifen-it caused constant unusual periods which alarmed fam-doc who did emergency biopsy to find huge tumor in uterus. After hysterectomy did arimidex for 6 weeks-side effects were mostly fatigue and bone pain,currently on aromasin. no side effects as of 9/02/10 - Debbie
STarted with tomoxophen and then a year or more ago transfered me to auromacin as its supposed to be more aggressive ..... - Sylvia
Starting Tamoxifen after rads are done - Jan
Synthroid - 75mcg - Vicky
Synthroid has been changed 3 times since December so I don't know what good feels like???? Can't wait to feel it though. I am still very fatigued, but have a very hard time sleeping for more than a few hours. - Tiffany Mraz
Tamoxifan 11/07 through 11/08 Arimidex 11/08 for next 10 years - Karin
Tamoxifan for a year & a half now on Femara. Zometa IV infusion every 4 weeks. Side effects are fatigue hot flashes & no more periods. Pain in joints moodiness. (downright evil) - Colleen Ryan
Tamoxifen - Donna Jayne Watters
Tamoxifen (1/2007-6/2007) - Intensified PMS; ineffective against lesions - Grace
Tamoxifen - July 1994 through July 1999 Hot flashes were the only side effect I remember. Arimidex - June 2006 through January 2007 No side effects that I noticed. I was taken off Arimidex because my oncologist was concerned with damage to my bones. I was diagnosed with low bone mass or osteopenia on 02/20/06 - Joyce In NC
Tamoxifen after completion of chemo/radiation--duration: 5 years. I am already in quasi-menopause due to rad hysterectomy but will get forced completely in with start of Tamoxifen. - Rachel
Tamoxifen for 4 years, now on femara for 5 years...Zometa every 3 months - Judy
Tamoxifen for 5 years Lupron shots to shut down my ovaries Ovary removal in near future - Yuyu
Tamoxifen for 5 years and Aromasin for 5 years after that. - Regina
Tamoxifen, five years.,, - Hessica
Tamoxifen, on it almost 2 years. - Marina Smith
Tamoxifen- 2005-2008 - Donna
Tamoxifen--all the fun stuff; abdominal pain, heavy cylce, hot flashes, severe mood swings, leg pain... - Sheri
Tamoxifen. Started in August and then got off in October as I was experiencing heavy menses. I then had to have a endometrial biopsy and ultra sound. They both came back normal. - Machele Towle
Tamoxifen: July- Oct 2003 - hot flashes, extreme hair loss Evista - Oct 2003 - Dec 2005- no side effects but cancer returns ovariectomy - 2008 - hot flashes Femara - started two weeks ago - so far - depression and irritability - looking forward to other nasty side effects - LisaLovesLexi
Tamoxifin - 1 tablet daily Started March 16, 2007 Itchy Eyes, Nausia at first, Headache - Tari
Tamoxifin since end of radiation. Hot flashes, increased appetitie. Unable to tolerate it. Will go on post menopausal hormone therapy after surgery for ovaries. - Elsabe
Tamoxifin, then Arimidex for 18 months after the oopherectomy, then Faslodex after the Arimidex quit working. Still on the Faslodex currently. - Barbara
Tamoxofin- side effects insomnia, nausea, hot flashes - Shannonknight123
Tamoxophin for 3 years, Femara for 6 months--hated it because every muscle or joint in my body ached. Back on Tamoxophin--though my oncologist isn't happy that I wimped out. To bad! - Cindy
TBA - Tracie
That will come after the hysterectomy. But frankly I'm not worried for me, I'm worrying about my poor hubby, he's the one that has to deal with me! ;-) - Vero
The hormone ablation takes away all the wonderful things that testosterone gives you: strength, vitality, potency, hair on your body, and worst of all desire. - Lynn
the surgeon put me on tamoxifen. the oncologist took me off and had me take anastrozole. after i complained of possible side effects i wa taken off everything . at present 6-24 i was just put back on tamoxifen. side effects of anastrozole seemed to be joint and muscle pain. sprains. edema in legs,shortness of breath and chest pains. since i already have muscle pain and some shortness of breath it is hard to say where one leaves off and the other begins. i may have waited to long to complain as i seem to have developed long term injuries at the sites of the sprains. - Mjf501
There will be a lot as I am triple positive... watch this space! - Elizabeth
They gave me Arimidex beore June 28, then said it wasn't useful and to stop. - Gloria
Thyroid replacement therapy immediately post op - Barbara
to come - Deena A Warner
Too late for that, contra indicated - Faith
Took tamoxifen for 14 months only... Then went out on my own. I tried Vitamins, SOY... - Sandy
Took tamoxifen for a very short time. Not good! Had hysterectomy in the next year. Why take estrogen therapy for something you don't produce? Doesn't make sense to me. - Sharon M.
Triple Negative can't do - Clmoore
vagifem...veville dot. - Billie Jean
Was on Tamoxifen years ago, more recently Femara but just stopped that. - Wendy
Was placed on one i dont remember the name of, but it caused my hair to actually fall out, a rare side effect. Changed to Tamoxifen....nausea, exhaustion and depression - Barbara
We wish, Kathy is triple negative. - Kathysman
will be on thyroid meds rest of life - Misty England
Will have to have five years hormone treatment once chemo is complete - Kath
Will start after chemo is completed - Judee
will start some time this summer - Linda
Will start Tamoxifen after Radiation for the full 5year duration. - PAT
Will start that sometime soon. - Sue
Zoladex for 6 months while having ABVD. This drugs shuts down your ovaries and hopefully protects them from the chemo. This was the same as being in menopause so was not fun - hot flushes were horrible, decreased sex drive. Zoladex is not strong enough to protect the ovaries from high dose chemo and stem cell transplant so I have stopped this medication and am now on the regualar contraceptive pill. High dose chemo will likely make me infertile and possibly cause early menopause. - Lydia

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