

If these aren't helpful, low-dose hormonal inserts, tablets, or creams that are put directly into the vagina might be helpful. Several non-hormone treatments, including vaginal moisturizers, lubricants, and gels, are available to help treat vaginal dryness. Treatments for vaginal dryness: Vaginal dryness and discomfort can be bothersome menopausal symptoms for some women. Ask your doctor about any possible interactions between tamoxifen and any drugs you are taking. *If you are taking tamoxifen, it's important to note that some antidepressants can interact with tamoxifen and could make it less effective.

However, not enough is known about these supplements to know for sure if they are safe and if they work. Women can get higher doses of phytoestrogens in some dietary supplements (such as soy or isoflavone supplements). Some women take supplements containing these substances to try to help with symptoms of menopause.Įating soy foods seems to be safe for breast cancer survivors, although it’s not clear if it can help relieve menopause symptoms. Phytoestrogens: These are estrogen-like substances found in certain plants, such as soy, red clover, and black cohosh. This doesn’t mean they won’t help, but it’s important to understand that the evidence supporting their use is limited. The effects of specific foods and dietary supplements on menopausal symptoms are not clear. Losing weight: Some women find that losing weight helps with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.ĭiet and dietary supplements: Some women find that changing the way they eat, such as eating smaller meals and avoiding ‘triggers’ (such as spicy foods) is helpful for them. Others might want to try other methods first to see if they help. Some women might want to try taking other, non-hormonal medicines to help with their symptoms. If you are having trouble with menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, talk to your doctor about other ways besides PHT to help with specific symptoms. Relieving menopausal symptoms without hormone therapy Because of this, doctors generally do not recommend PHT if a woman was previously treated for breast cancer.
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But doctors have been concerned about women who have had breast cancer using PHT, because of the known link between estrogen levels and breast cancer growth.Ī well-designed clinical trial (the HABITS study) found that breast cancer survivors taking PHT were much more likely to develop a new or recurrent breast cancer (cancer that comes back after treatment) than women who were not taking the drugs. When women reach menopause, some choose to take PHT, which is made up of female hormones (estrogen, sometimes along with progesterone) to help reduce menopause symptoms. Can I take menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer?

Women who are past menopause might also get symptoms if they had to stop taking PHT. Some pre-menopausal women have menopause symptoms as a result of chemotherapy or from hormone therapy drugs used to treat breast cancer (such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors). This can happen naturally as women get older, but it can also be caused by breast cancer treatment. Many women have menopause symptoms such as hot flashes after treatment for breast cancer. If you are bothered by menopause symptoms, talk to your doctor about other ways to get help. Taking post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT), also called hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to help with menopause symptoms may not be safe for women who have had breast cancer.
