Unhelpful Breast Cancer Treatment Side Effects and Coping Tips

This week I'm wondering why drug companies tippy toe around issues, passing out safety information along with long lines of text saying nearly nothing that's really helpful.

Case in point for me this week is Astra Zenica, the drug company that makes the anti-tumor medication that I'm having problems adjusting to. Let's just say that the side effects are dramatic, but the other option is doing nothing to discourage invasive cancer cells from popping up in unhandy places.

So I want to give it my best shot, and looked to the website for more information about how changing the timing of dosage, or _something_  might have proven helpful to some of the thousands who have already had experience with this drug.

I was less than impressed with the suggestions / information on their "in your corner" patient support website.

Their "Coping tips" for side effect consists pretty much of the following

• "Talk to your doctor to discuss treatment options, such as over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or prescription pain relievers."

• "Apply a little heat. Try using a heat pack or taking a hot shower"

Considering they've also been talking about the hot flashes and sweating, this just does not seem too helpful. Somehow I think that those aren't the kind of caring, creative, inventive, or even technical, nor especially smart things I was looking for from inside the company which should have all sorts of data from numerous patients who have taken the drug!

This stuff though? I'm pretty sure almost all their patients came up with these ideas on our own a couple of days ago before we decided to pull out all the stops and really try to get rid of the pain, heat, nausea, headache, moodiness, dizziness and all the rest by hook or by crook.

I have the scary feeling that we're on our own here, ladies.

Comments

[Katie Paine]

We are so on our own. Sure they tell you that Tamoxifen might cause cervical cancer and osteoporosis, but do they tell you that it also essentially makes sex excruciatingly painful? It's like they assume that you are simply a carcass and not a living breathing human. Don't get me going!. But Paul Levy is trying to help http://runningahospital.blogspot.com/
he did a great post on the side effects of Zeloda and how the drug company refused to acknowledge that a simple henna remedy could work

[Alicia C. Staley (@stales)]

Yes, we are on our own. I fought the battle with Tamoxifen for two years. Night sweats, fevers, insomnia, you name it... I had it. I had some luck combining effexor with Tamoxifen to help reduce the hot flashes, but I didn't like the idea of taking medications to combat side effects from other medications! What a rat race. After two long, painful years, I stopped taking it. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Hang in there. I hope you find the best dosing/timing that works for you. Take care - all the best, @stales

[Todd Jordan]

This same feeling is coming into my life with my wife. She's now on nearly half a dozen medications for various things. The web sites don't have any help, the doctor's don't have any suggestions, and the it seems like the only one that might is a pharmacist. And they can only give general advice. Why is it so dang difficult to give some advice?

[Breast Cancer Awareness]

Hi,
Wow Nice blog,Itgives very good information on side effects of breast cancer treatments.It's really very helpful to that people who doesn't know about the breast cancer.

[Treena]

I'm an invasive breast cancer survivor on Tamoxifen, and at 35, am enjoying the splendor of night sweats and zero sex drive. Gah. I've definitely given up on finding a solution to these issues, but I'll stick with the medicine.

[x-ray fluorescence]

Hi,
Nice post.It gives very good information on side effects of breast cancer treatments.It's really very helpful to that people who doesn't know about the breast cancer.