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PiNK 2019 Winter p.8-p.9<\/strong><\/p>\n Hot flushes caused by breast cancer treatment are distressing and all too common. But what are they, why do they happen, and what can you do about them?<\/p>\n Some treatments for breast cancer, such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy, can leave you with lower amounts of oestrogen in your body, which can cause menopausal symptoms. Hot flushes are one of the most commonly reported of these.<\/p>\n A hot flush can be anything from a mild sensation of warming that just affects the face to waves of heat throughout the whole body. Some women find themselves drenched in perspiration. How often hot flushes happen varies from person to person \u2013 you could have a couple a day or a few every hour. Many women get flushes at night, which can disturb their sleep and leave them waking in a cold, damp sweat. This can be very disruptive, especially if you share a bed. And lack of sleep brings its own problems like forgetfulness, irritability and poor concentration.<\/p>\n You might feel that you should put up with hot flushes because they are a side effect of your breast cancer treatment.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s important to tell your specialist team or GP as they may be able to help. There are various things you can try yourself to help manage hot flushes.<\/p>\n Some women find certain things trigger their hot flushes, such as caffeine, alcohol and spicy food. It\u2019s a good idea to keep a diary of when your flushes happen, to see if anything in particular is causing them or making them worse. This might help you know what to avoid in future.<\/p>\n Sometimes eating small meals regularly in stead of three meals a day can help. Cold drinks can also ease the flushes by cooling you down. If you are overweight, losing weight could help improve your symptoms too.<\/p>\n It can be useful to talk to other women who\u2019ve experienced hot flushes. They might be able to offer some tips on coping, and sharing your own experience might help you to cope better too.<\/p>\n Your specialist team or GP may prescribe a non-hormonal drug to help with your hot flushes. However, these usually have some side effects and you might have to try different ones to see which one works for you.<\/p>\n Several anti-depressants, including venlafaxine, citalopram and desvenlafaxine, can be prescribed for hot flushes. Possible side effects of these drugs include feeling sick, diarrhoea, sleepiness and dizziness.<\/p>\n Clonidine is usually given for high blood pressure but it may help with hot flushes too. This drug can cause side effects like dry mouth, headaches, constipation and drowsiness.<\/p>\n This drug is usually used to treat chronic pain and epilepsy. Because gabapentin has a sedative effect it can be particularly helpful if you get hot flushes at night. Side effects include drowsiness, dizziness and nausea.<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, HRT is not usually recommended for women who\u2019ve been diagnosed with breast<\/p>\n cancer. This is because there\u2019s uncertainty about whether HRT increases the risk of breast cancer coming back. But if hot flushes are really affecting your quality of life, this treatment might be considered after a discussion with your specialist team.<\/p>\n Hot flushes are the most common side effect of tamoxifen. If you\u2019ve already been through the menopause you may be able to switch to a different drug where this side effect is slightly less common. It\u2019s worth asking your<\/p>\n specialist team if this is an option, particularly if you\u2019re due to be on tamoxifen for a long time.<\/p>\n Some women try using natural therapies like evening primrose oil, ginseng and St John\u2019s Wort to help with hot flushes. Others try phytoestrogens \u2013 plant substances that have similar effects to oestrogens \u2013 such as red clover or soy supplements. There\u2019s very little evidence that these work, and some supplements aren\u2019t recommended for women who\u2019ve had breast cancer.<\/p>\n Always tell your breast care nurse or specialist team if you\u2019re thinking about using a supplement, to make sure it won\u2019t affect any medical treatment.<\/p>\n Many women try complementary therapies. These might include hypnosis, acupuncture or meditation techniques.<\/p>\n Although the evidence about their effectiveness in relieving hot flushes is varied, some people find them helpful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PiNK 2019 Winter p.8-p.9 Hot flushes caused by breast cancer treatment are distressing and all too common. But what are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":31711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[694,725],"class_list":["post-31710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pink-article","tag-pink-en-2","tag--en"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nWhat are hot flushes?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat can you do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Know your triggers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Eating habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Talk to others<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSix tips for managing hot flushes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What can your specialist team do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u30fb<\/strong>Anti-depressants<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u30fb<\/strong>Clonidine<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u30fb<\/strong>Gabapentin<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u30fbHormone replacement therapy (HRT)<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u30fb<\/strong>If you\u2019re taking tamoxifen<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Natural therapies and phytoestrogens<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nComplementary therapies<\/h3>\n