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[undergroundbarbie]

Following on from a previous topic, I have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, fortunately small and caught early. Having spoken with my GP I decided to stop my HRT (Femoston Conti), this was last Monday, all started well and flushes have been few and far between and bearable but I am getting almost constant headaches which aren't relieved by paracetamol. Have any of you experienced this and whether it is safe to remain on HRT with breast cancer as it's the withdrawal of this that I think isa causing the headaches.

[racjen]

So sorry to hear about your diagnosis - I had breast cancer last year, went through the whole mastectomy, chemo and radiotherapy treatment and am now 9 months post-treatment. To answer your question, it depends whether your cancer is hormone driven. If it's oestrogen and/or progesterone driven (ER+/PR+) you're unlikely to find any doctor willing to continue prescribing HRT, unless your menopausal symptoms are so debilitating they're seriously impairing your quality of life. My tumour was triple negative so I've been able to take HRT since treatment (chemotherapy sent me into a sudden menopause). Are you stopping gradually or going cold turkey? I'd have thought a very gradual tapering off was advisable.

[sweettooth]

Hi underground, sorry to hear your news, I too had BC 3 years ago and because mine was estrogen and progesterone positive I had to stop my hrt, I also had to begin hormone blocker.  I suffered headaches on and off during perimenopause but gradually these have become an everyday occurrence! hopefully yours is just a withdrawal symptom and if bc is not hormonal then you will be able to continue hrt.

[CLKD]

Group 


You could also hop over to the Ovacom web-site and ask there ....... [which is how I landed here  ]

[Aggie]

Hi Barbie,

I think I read on the other thread that you'd posted on that you've been diagnosed with DCIS?  I'm so sorry to read that and just want to say to you (and the OP of that thread, sorry forgotten her name!) that I'm 4.5 years down the track from it now and none the worse for the whole experience thankfully.

To be honest, I distinctly got the impression that oncologists don't even really consider DCIS to be cancer although obviously they treat it as such - this was certainly how it seemed in my particular case anyway. Although the initial shock of mammogram recalls etc is a lot to deal with emotionally, for me personally I found all of the treatment (WLE and radiotherapy) bearable and easy enough to move on from afterwards.  As racjen says (sorry to read of your experience too racjen) if the cancer isn't hormone driven (I don't believe DCIS usually is but don't quote me on that!) I don't think you do have to come off HRT.  I wasn't on it when I was going through it, and didn't expect to be prescribed it, but was OVER THE MOON when I was, as it's given me back most of 'me' - thankfully.  Please feel free to ask me any questions (although I'm no expert) but can empathise with where you're at at the moment.  Best wishes 😊