Breast cancer treatment seems to have sparked a premature menopause
QI’M 45 and have just completed treatment for breast cancer. It seems this has plunged me into an early menopause. I’m getting terrible hot flushes and sweats, and as the weather is getting warmer I’m having real problems sleeping. I know I can’t take HRT, but is there anything else worth trying?
ATREATMENT for breast cancer often results in lowered production of oestrogen and, in some women, the ovaries stop working altogether, which can lead to a sudden menopause.Tamoxifen, which many women have to take for five years, can make flushes worse.
Unfortunately, because oestrogen can stimulate the growth of breast cancer, HRT is not an option for treatment. Lifestyle adjustments can often help a bit, such as cutting out strong coffee, tea and wearing loose, light clothes made of natural fibres, such as cotton and linen.
Avoid anything made of polyester or with lycra and make sure your bedlinen is 100 per cent cotton, with a really lightweight duvet.Add a lightweight blanket that you can pull on and throw off as required.
Medicines that can help include anti-depressants, such as venlafaxine, which has been shown in trials to reduce flushes by around 50 per cent.
Another drug option is gabapentin, which was originally developed as a treatment for epilepsy, but has been found in trials to reduce menopausal hot flushes by about 50 per cent.
Both are available on prescription from your GP.
QI USUALLY live in flip-flops during the summer, but as soon as I started wearing them a few weeks ago I developed pain near the ball of my foot. I spoke to my GP over the phone and she thinks I may have Morton’s neuroma. She’s arranged for me to have a scan, but has warned me there’s a long waiting list. If it is what she suspects, what can be done about this? Would foot exercises help?
AMORTON’S neuroma is thickening of the tissue around one of the nerves leading to your toes. It most commonly occurs between the third and fourth toes, but can also occur between the second and third toes. It usually occurs in middle-aged people, especially women.
The main symptom is a feeling that you are standing on a pebble and a burning pain in the ball of the foot that may radiate to the toes.
The condition appears to develop in response to pressure on one of the nerves and one of the main causes is wearing high heels or shoes that are too tight and place extra pressure on the ball of the foot. Doing a lot of high-impact sports, such as running, can also increase the risk, as can foot deformities such as bunions.
The characteristic thickening can usually been seen on an ultrasound scan and that is what is normally used for diagnosis. However, you don’t need to wait for this before taking