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[CLKD]

Teresa - has been diagnosed and will undergo treatment for breast cancer - she has been using Ovestin as I do.  She hasn't been told if it's an indication that her disease has been triggered by the HRT.

My query is: although there is supposedly low risk in triggering cancer cells - but I am aware that some ladies use HRT on the inner thigh in order to deliver treatment.  Presumably then this treatment is absorbed into the body, therefore surely some Ovestin will be absorbed and possibility distributed?  I don't have much discharge as I use it over-night.

 

[CLKD]

That I don't know ……… different type of HRT but even so …..

[Evelyn63]

Teresa, I am sure your mind is in total panic and overdrive, and I can truly understand.  Your one hour at a time sounds like very sensible advice .  I have a friend who's husband is about to start chemo, unfortunately his first session was cancelled for other reasons, but she said its the waiting thats worse.  She felt they would both cope better once treatment actually gets under way.

Ive only been on Vagifem a month but my GP who I know both professionally and personally assured me the doses were so minute to be almost undetectable and the chances of Oestrogen induced cancer from taking it was very rare to be almost unheard of, so I think your doctor is right Teresa that it hasn't been caused by your HRT.

I wish you as trouble free journey as possible .

[CLKD]

Thank you for that reassurance!      :for you:

Once I got treatment underway I was OK - my biggest worry was anxiety attacks stopping me going for radiation 

I had a lumpectomy, removal of lymph glands [which were clean], followed by 4 weeks break to allow surgery sites to heal; then I had 4 weeks radiation.  It was a very hot year (1995) so being in the Dept was lovely as the machine has to be kept cooled.

Have you been given a support Nurse, some Hospitals have Breast Care Nurses to guide patients through.  My Consultant was quite clear on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment and I felt very supported through all the Depts..  I also have a Very Good Husband who came home from work, fed 3 cats and walked the  B4 visiting me in Hospital; then he drove home to cook his own tea  .

Who will be supporting you Teresa?

[babyjane]

I have used Vagifem for VA for 5 years now, every other night 10mcg. Despite the theory that hardly any is absorbed a little bit must be because I went from a bra cup B to a C within a few months of starting it and have stayed a C which I never was in my life before, even during the time I was somewhat overweight.

However I am not about to stop using the Vagifem as the alternative with pain, burning, soreness, UTIs and Thrush that I suffered with previously against a minimal risk from the Vagifem is just not worth it.

[Evelyn63]

That's interesting Babyjane, and too much of a coincidence .  I have a big chest in comparison to the rest of me , size 12, 36DD bust. Makes shopping for dresses and jackets a nightmare !   I hope I don't increase any more, as I worked hard to loose over 2 stone!

[babyjane]

just because I increased a little does not mean you necessarily will Evelyn 

[Taz2]

Lots of women increase and lots of women decrease once they hit peri/meno, or so it seems, with or without HRT. Two friends of mine who've never used HRT have both gone up two cup sizes since they hit their fifties. I didn't find HRT made any difference to my cup size. It's difficult to know what's HRT generated and what would just have happened anyway.

Taz x 

[countrybumpkin]

I was reading that some women's breasts get much bigger after menopause ( not on any hrt) due to changes in breast tissue etc, can't remember all the reasons but it means that you need a bigger cup size.

Mine certainly got bigger and I was not using anything at that time. They also got much droopier as well

[CLKD]

As oestrogen levels drop so muscle become lax 

[countrybumpkin]

The urologist who prescribed me vagifem for a caruncle at entrance to urethra told me that even ladies who have had breast cancer can safely use vagifem.  They generally stop everything whilst someone is undergoing treatment for breast cancer but he made it seem as if once treatment is over you can still use vagifem.

When my mother was taking the anti oestrogen tablets after breast cancer she did get menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and weight gain but the pro's vastly outweight the con's.

[CLKD]

I had tamoxifen prescribed post surgery but it almost killed me, also my friend used it for 8 years and died of womb cancer 

It's Trial and Error.

How are you today? 

[CLKD]

We will walk beside you all the way  :for you:

I felt shocked initially.  But I felt supported by my 'team' which helped enormously!

Make those notes to take to each appt. ;-). 

[babyjane]

sending thoughts to you too, Teresa as I have a friend dealing with a shock cancer diagnosis at the moment 

[Evelyn63]

The thing i'm not sure of..along with a hundred others..is i have to have estrogen blockers for a long time to reduce the risk of returning...everyone here is always saying the body is crying out for it and i'm purposelly preventing it..without it will i get awful menopause symptoms again? Will my body dry up? Not much compared to the cancer but still eorries me..is replens available on prescription as its quite dear even online? X

Theresa my GP told me Replens has been replaced by Sylk, on prescription .  She was happy to prescribe it.  Not sure if that's the case with every area, I'm in UK. Sylk is excellent, but have never used Replens so can't compare, but I'm sure they are similar.    It would be an alternative for you until you can restart your Vagifem.