Managing menopausal symptoms

A brief post around managing menopausal symptoms during and after cancer treatment:

Many women suffer from menopausal symptoms but in particular those who are on treatments to reduce the amount of oestrogen in their system.

Symptoms can include aches and pains, hot flushes/night sweats, low mood and anxiety – among others.

We have some helpful information on our website about the different symptoms of menopause nd some practical tips you might try (see the link below).

Some symptoms can get you down. It can be hard to find the motivation to try and make lifestyle changes. This can be partly due to the menopause but can also be due to so many other concerns you have at this time.

Making a phone call to our nurses, to your own nurse or doctor in your hospital, or to your GP, is the first step. There are some prescribed medications which may help with some symptoms.

Many people will try all of the suggestions made to them and still struggle. Counselling and talking to others who have been through this may also help. I will include links on all of these supports below.

I do hope we will hear from you as each person’s experience is individual to them and so often that one-to-one conversation can help.

You can talk about what you have already tried and if it has or has not helped…and talk about other worries you may have that is making everything so much harder to deal with.

Here is a link to our information on Managing menopausal symptoms.

You can contact us on the Irish Cancer Society Support Line 1800 200 700 and speak to one of our cancer nurses or email us on supportline@irishcancer.ie

You can also contact us at our cancer nurses at our Daffodil Centres located in 13 hospitals nationwide  see www.cancer.ie/support/daffodil-centres

If you would like to speak to someone who has been through the menopause as a result of their treatment this can be arranged by our nurses. For more information on this see here:  Survivor Support programme. .

The Society also funds professional one-to-one counselling and group survivorship programmes in communities all across the country. Contact us if this is something you might like to arrange.

Take care 

Cancer nurse.