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Hormone Therapy Description and Side Effects - What Cancer Survivors said about their hormone therapy treatment.


  • 2001-2004 Tamoxifen 2004-2008 Femera
  • 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
  • After my complete hysterectomy in 2001 for severe endometriosis, I was taking Premarin. It really helped with the hot flashes (aka power surges) LOL. But I was later diagnosed with a blood clot condition, so I can no longer take Premarin or other hormone therapy. Thank goodness my power surges are few and far between!
  • Aridmadex x 5 years
  • Arimedex
  • Arimedex - some joint pain in fingers. I will be on Arimedex for five years.
  • Arimidex - 7/15/08 to present. No side effects
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Arimidex-joint pain, hot flashes, mood swings
  • armidex, no side effects as of yet, except it seems that my hair is thinning out some
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Can't do any kind of hormones, cause my hormones is what caused my cancer.
  • casadex, lupron, back pain, 6 months in the beginning
  • Currently on Cytomel 25 mcg 2x day
  • did this inbetween radiation and chemo
  • Didn't have
  • estrogen patch then ring, 5/06 to present: no hot flashes. no libido.
  • Femara. Because I had my ovaries removed.
  • Fermara
  • had no treatment
  • herceptin 2009 every 3 weeks no side effects
  • herceptin 11/05-08/04/06 no noted side effects
  • 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.
  • hot flashes, memory loss, lack of energy, depersion
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • I took Arimidex am now on Femera, both I'm told can cause the pain side effects I have now.
  • I took Tamoxifen in 1991 and am currently getting Faslodex once every six weeks since 2004.
  • 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.
  • I will have to take Tamoxifen for 5 yrs, once the chemo & radiation is done
  • I'll take my chances without it
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • It remains to be seen.
  • 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.
  • Levothyroxine... level to be altered once i finally get to see the endo after 6 months of waiting and a cancer diagnosis
  • Looking in to it
  • Menopause... thank you very much. Lots of hot flashes and night sweats. Mood swings-just want to be left alone alot.
  • My tumor did not respond to hormones.
  • N/A
  • Next Wednesday August 27th 2008 I will be prescribed hormone replacement therapy which I will be on the rest of my life.
  • nil
  • no
  • No hormonal therapy due to chemo induced menopause as per the "Zebra" study protocol
  • No hormone therapy.
  • no treatment yet?
  • No way; I think the pill caused this in the first place! >:(
  • None
  • None
  • None available.
  • None prescribed
  • None.
  • Not until thru with chemo and Radiation
  • On Synthroid for 3 years never had any meds before this time.
  • Pending
  • started after surgery 06 and continues side effects ...ask ur wife LOL
  • 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...
  • Started Synthroid 10/28
  • Started Tamoxifen during radiation. Having hot flashes still!!
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • STarted with tomoxophen and then a year or more ago transfered me to auromacin as its supposed to be more aggressive .....
  • Tamoxifen
  • Tamoxifen (1/2007-6/2007) - Intensified PMS; ineffective against lesions
  • Tamoxifen - Hot flashes every 1/2 hour.
  • Tamoxifen for 18 months then switched to Arimidex for 18 months, I can't tolerate the joint pain, muscle pain and fatigue anymore so now I am back on Toxifen as of last week. Vaginal dryness, now on e-string.
  • Tamoxifen for 5 years
  • Tamoxifen, on it almost 2 years.
  • Tamoxifen- 2005-2008
  • Tamoxifen--all the fun stuff; abdominal pain, heavy cylce, hot flashes, severe mood swings, leg pain...
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Tamoxifin - 1 tablet daily Started March 16, 2007 Itchy Eyes, Nausia at first, Headache
  • Tamoxifin, then Arimidex for 18 months after the oopherectomy, then Faslodex after the Arimidex quit working. Still on the Faslodex currently.
  • There will be a lot as I am triple positive... watch this space!
  • Thyroid replacement therapy immediately post op
  • to come
  • Took tamoxifen for 14 months only... Then went out on my own. I tried Vitamins, SOY...
  • 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.
  • Triple Negative can't do
  • vagifem...veville dot.
  • 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
  • will be on thyroid meds rest of life
  • Will have to have five years hormone treatment once chemo is complete
  • Will start after chemo is completed
  • will start some time this summer
  • Will start Tamoxifen after Radiation for the full 5year duration.
  • Will start that sometime soon.

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