Menopause

 

We've had some heated discussions on Menopause, its impact on us and how we deal with its effects. Our discussions have revealed that chemically induced menopause, through breast cancer treatment, affected those of us who were in our 30s and 40s, as well as those of us who had experienced a natural menopause prior to diagnosis. We agreed that the severity of a chemically induced menopause was much greater than a naturally occurring one. For those of us who’d already experienced menopause there was also a chance to be affected by it yet again.

    A running concern through our comments revealed the lack of communication from our medical teams about menopausal side effects and how to manage them. We needed to research “treatment induced menopause” ourselves and seek help on how best to manage the symptoms, which are often debilitating. There were very few ladies who had more manageable symptoms. Many of us were grateful to support groups like BRiC for providing some information on how to address our individual issues.

    Menopausal symptoms are challenging to say the least. BRiC members discussed a vast range of symptoms affecting our quality of life: from vaginal atrophy and dryness, to lack of libido and sexual dysfunction threatening our ability to maintain intimacy. Then there’s brain fog, forgetfulness, joint pain and cramps, plus fatigue and hair loss, as well as weight gain - and let’s not forget hot flushes and insomnia. The list goes on…

    For a large number of us, such symptoms persist for years post active treatment, mainly sustained through endocrine therapies such as Tamoxifen, Anastrozole and Letrozole. The impact of these symptoms adversely affects our workability, with many of us reporting that we’ve either had to scale down, take early retirement, or change jobs to less-demanding ones. Our self-esteem is affected and our confidence is diminished in the workplace, with some of us reporting we felt dumb and stupid (something also pointed out by family members). A radically induced menopause with full blown symptoms can leave us emotionally and physically shattered and increase our vulnerability to anxiety and depression.

        We discussed the possibility of supplements aiding in the management of menopause, though these were organic developments not necessarily prescribed by our medical teams. Some of us mentioned Vitamin D and Calcium with Magnesium, as well as cod liver oil. Any supplements taken should be discussed with our medical teams we noted. Some of us mentioned that acupuncture has helped and many emphasised the positive effects of exercise and diet, though shedding weight even with a balanced diet and regular exercise was a challenge for many. The benefits of exercise are long documented and research from BRiC shows that challenging our brains in adaptive ways can help with brain fog, improving cognitive health. With research documenting a causal role for cognitive function in protecting against anxiety and depression, this self-management tool can only empower us with the control that cancer has so cruelly taken away.

    

    Unfortunately, unlike cancer-free women, HRT is NOT an option for us as it can fuel recurrence and increase our chances of secondary breast cancer especially if our original diagnosis was hormone related. In fact, some of us wondered if our diagnosis was fuelled by HRT in the first place. In addition, many women who are not affected by breast cancer do not know that HRT is NOT an option for us, so some comments on how HRT can help us may come across as insensitive. The sad fact is that there are no simple solutions for us.

    

    No one specific symptom of menopause affects us in isolation, they are very much linked, providing a difficult environment to function healthily, even on a good day. Our emotional, sexual and cognitive health are all interlinked as our bodies work in harmony. A collective threat to our basic functioning is psychologically damaging and our members' experiences clearly demonstrate the emotional and physical pain they endure. There is an urgent need for measures to be implemented in order to systematically address menopausal effects, longer term.