I'm writing this post in hopes that it can help others be self-advocates and become aware of the role of estrogen on serotonin and other neurotransmitters essential for overall health. It is always important to speak to your care team if things aren't feeling right or you just feel "off".
This information is geared towards those who are being treated for hormone receptor-positive (HR+ aka estrogen and progesterone positive) breast cancer with HR suppressive chemotherapies. As always, please speak with your doctor about any symptoms you're having and your specific medical condition.
More simply put, as chemotherapies for this specific type of cancer suppress estrogen causing chemically induced menopause, serotonin is affected as well. It was fascinating to learn about serotonin's role in balancing physical, emotional, and cognitive health.
There are many options to address various symptoms of decreased serotonin. In HR+ breast cancers, hormone replacement therapies should not be used, so other alternatives need to be considered. For example, a non-hormonal option for hot flashes and night sweats is estroven. Fascinating to learn, the main ingredient is:
There are also other medications your care team could prescribe for hot flashes and night sweats that have alternate actions from their primary use.
I've already posted about the benefits of exercise. Other beneficial ways to combat the change could be support groups and employee assistance programs, depending on what works best for you.
I found some other helpful links as I was researching these topics:
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