hormone replacement??

• By jeaniet
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 1:06 am
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Yeah, it sucks. Bye bye drive.
My advice? Accept that it might not be like it was before, enjoy it as it is, and use Astroglide!
Jeanie

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• By verlinda
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 6:39 am
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The nurse practioner at my oncologist offered me premarin. I refused it.

While not all tumors/cancers are supposed to be hormone sensitive, I would never risk hormones in any form--natural, prescription, etc. (I suppose I get some through food.)

My mom was a 31-year survivor of breast cancer. Someone prescribed hormones for her osteoporosis, and she took them for 10 years. Her benign fibroid tumors from 30 years earlier, grew so large that they completely filled her uterus and pushed through into her vagina. Her young gyn thought she had a prolapsed uterus and was trying to push it back into place. A more experienced doctor in the practice realized what was going on, and they removed the tumor. Fortunately, it wasn't malignant.

Blessings.

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• By momanderson920
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 7:08 am
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My mother had 3 friends who all went on HRT and all ended up with breast cancer. She always told me to stay away from HRT and once my gyn offered it to me, I took it for a few days and quit. It is not worth the risk to me. My mother in law took premarin for years and developed nonsmall cell lung cancer at age 73 with no history of smoking. The oncologist told her it originated somewhere else based on cell type. My guess was always it may have been caused by the premarin.

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• By dollycat6
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 8:53 am
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There is a thread on here regarding sexuality and hysterectomy that you might find interesting. At least you know you are far from alone in the drive area. I agree with Jeanie either Astroglide or a new one I like is called Natural Feeling and I found it lived up to it's name.

dollycat6

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• By kolson
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 10:14 am
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Thanks to all of you for the good advice. I really appreciate it! I'm going to stay away from HRT!

Kris Olson

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• By lovemnms
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 12:40 pm
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I was put on Premarin but tossed them after two weeks. My body adjusted. I still get hot flashes but not as bad as they were. I'm 44yrs. old.

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• By bldrluck
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 3:07 pm
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They can test you tumor to see if is was estrogen or progesterone positive or not. I went on the pill last year (at my gynecologist's recomendation) just as I was starting menopause because my periods were very irregular. I'm sure I already had ovarian cancer when I started on them (wasn't yet diagnosed), but I felt awful almost immediately. I stayed on it for six weeks, and there is no doubt that's what caused my ovaries to enlarge to grapefruit size. I'm a runner and within days of being on the pill, I just had to pee about once a mile! So - I'm living with the hot flashes. I find the less sugar (including alcohol) I consume, the better I feel - a big dessert at night and I can guarantee the night sweats will come.

Thanks to the others for some product recommendations!

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• By kolson
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 3:11 pm
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Bldrluck,

Great advice about the sugar! Thanks so much for that.
Kris Olson

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• By verbena
• Posted May 12, 2009 at 11:37 pm
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I have the instantaneous menopause thing going on myself at 44. Hormone therapy is not an option because there is a significant risk of breast cancer for me (BRCA1) on top of the ovca. The doc gave me a script for low dose effexor for the hot flashes, this is about 1/5 of the dose that would be used for depression patients so there are no side effects but I very rarely have hot flashes now, which is lovely.

Can't say much about drive to be honest...the taxol and carboplatin haven't really done much to put me in the mood anyways ;)

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• By Stacy7
• Posted May 13, 2009 at 12:09 am
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Kris,
I was diagnosed at 45 and was prescribed estodial (natural version). I was very skeptical about taking it for quite awhile. I did some research as well as discussing it with my gynecological oncologist and oncological naturopath. HRT is problematic for your health when you take it after natural menopause, but not when you have your ovaries removed and are well under menopause age. The Women’s Health Initiative, the largest HRT study by the WHO, shows the risk of heart disease and breast cancer specifically when taken after natural menopause. There are huge health benefits to taking estrogen as well. Estrogen is involved in many body systems. I chose an estrogen patch instead of oral estrogen as it is not metabolized in the liver. I plan on taking the estrogen for about 5 years, until I reach a natural menopause age. By the way, I have less brain fog, sleep much better, and no hot flashes. But I would trade it all if it increased my cancer risk. With that said, it is a controversial issue, so do your research.
Good luck!
Stacy

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• By jeaniet
• Posted May 13, 2009 at 1:39 am
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I forgot to say that my Gyn/Onc prescribed Vagifem to help vaginal dryness and elasticity. It helped. Could still be using them I suppose, but I forget.
Jeanie

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• By dianest
• Posted June 17, 2009 at 11:46 am
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Hello all. I haven't written in some time, as I don't check this site much anymore. I wanted to share my experience with Premarin cream to perhaps help any of you who are thinking of taking it.

I was prescribed Premarin cream for pain during intercourse after almost 2 years of remission of 1A grade 3 (poorly differentiated serous papillary adenocarcinoma). My original gynecological oncologist told me that I had virtually no chance of a recurrence. After 2 months of using the small amount 2X a week (which the doctor said was not dangerous), my CA125 started to climb and a CT scan showed an enlarged periaortic lymph node. A month later, after stopping the Premarin, changing oncologists, and seeing a naturopath, eating a very restricted organic diet and taking supplements, the CA125 went down to 9 and the lymph node went back to normal size. A PET/CT showed no activity. Wonderful. All was well from July till November. In September, I started the Premarin again. Within 2 months, I again had an elevated CA125 and this time, numerous enlarged lymph nodes. A PET/CT in December lit up reflecting metastatic activity. I asked my new doctor if the Premarin could have had anything to do with the activity. He said "A logical person would think so." My naturopath said I should never have been given any estrogen given that my tumor was estrogen receptive. Premarin cream is great for women who have not had cancer, but we should absolutely avoid it. I very rarely even eat soy products anymore, though I loved soy and it was part of my diet for years.

I am taking Arimedex from my oncologist to try to starve the lymph node growth by taking all the estrogen from my body. I have gone back to my supplements and am doing what I love-oil painting, gardening, yoga and enjoying my family and friends. I do not intend to go back to work at all as I am neither physically nor mentally strong enough to deal with long days and any stress at all; I am also almost 60 and have worked hard all my life. I have applied for Social Security disability after all this time. I thought I would go back to "normal" after treatment was over. It took two years to feel well again, at which time the cancer cells have been trying to make a comeback. My normal now is a whole other life, and it is a good one, just not the same as before ovarian cancer.

I had another CT scan and CA125 in April. The lymph nodes have not grown, but have not gone away either. However, the CA125 has gone down 46 points from 136 to 90. My family and I, my gynecological oncologist, and my naturopath are thrilled. For now, and I hope for a very long time, the beast is quiet, and the disease is stable.

I just had my three year cancer survival anniversary this past weekend, June 14th.


God bless.
Diane

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• By LisaCC
• Posted July 17, 2009 at 4:15 pm
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Hi,
I was 34 when I had my hysterectomy due to ovarian cancer and although I didn't suffer from bad menopausal symptoms my personal feeling was that I wanted to take HRT simply to replace what would, at my age, be naturally present. After a year of NED, in 2006, I began taking a low dose of premarin which suits me very well, makes me feel normal both physically and psychologically, and yes, has helped my relationship with my husband which has also returned to 'normal' and enjoyable levels of activity!
Deciding to take HRT is about weighing up the benefits and the risks of your own personal circumstances. My prognosis is good and I believe I have a chance to make it to old age. Bearing this in my, I think using HRT to protect my bones later in life is also important to me, as well as the improvement it brings to my body and my state of mind in the short term. I am 38 now and at the moment I intend to continue taking HRT until I am at least well into my 40's.
Hope this helps a little.
Best of luck,
Lisa x

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• By Elaine1
• Posted July 18, 2009 at 1:54 pm
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Just last week, the New York Times had a very important finding from a Long-term Research Project, which concluded that the use of HRT Therapy DEFINITELY puts women at advanced risk for Ovarian Cancr.

This is major news and I am living proof of it! In my late forties, I began to have all of the symptoms of Menopause.... had a high level job and discovered immediately that Hot Flashes and Board Meetings with the CEO were not compatible!

Went on Premarin and Provera and everything improved. I did get Migraine Headaches at each month-end, but learned how to control them. Was happy with my choice, especially because other side-benefits touted for HRT included, better Bone Density and increased Cardio benefits. My family had a history of heart problems, ( but no OV or Breast Cancer.)

Several years later, while I was still on it, The Surgeon General's Major Study ( using hundreds of thousands of women,) announced the results. It was devastaing. At the doses then prescribed, it was a direct line to Cancer-causing events.

Of course, Ovarian Cancer was not on the list, but almost every other type of Gynocological Cancer, plus others, were.

In late 2004 I was DX with Stage 3C Ovarian. had Optimal Debulking and a good outcome with low dose Taxol / Carbo. Stayed in remission for almost 3 years, then recurred. Went on Carbo/ Gemzar protocol and that also worked well for me.

Am now in that haunting, in-between stage when treatment has ended, but faith always tested...

Especially in 2007 when I managed to aquire Stage 1, left BRCA , aggressive type ER2. (With no Genetic Test Positives for BRCA 1 and 2.)

( I hope you all know that with OVCA, there's a higher risk of getting Breast Cancer.

So please, take note: HRT Therapy can solve immediate problems, but the risks are now painfully proven...STAY AWAY!!!

Hugs to all,
Elaine

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• By celestdragon
• Posted August 10, 2009 at 11:14 am
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does anyone know if taking progesterone by itself is dangerous?

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