Mastectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove all of the breast tissue, generally when a woman is suffering from breast cancer. Women who are undergoing breast cancer treatments will experience hot flashes, which are more intense and longer lasting than if menopause occurred naturally. Several of the commonly used breast cancer treatments that cause hot flashes include ovarian shutdown or removal, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.
Triggers
According to BreastCancer.org, women can help to manage and treat their hot flashes after mastectomy by avoiding known triggers. Doctors know that common triggers include stress, cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, hot food or hot drinks, hot showers, hot weather, saunas and diet pills. Each of these triggers will make the body temperature increase and potentially increase the number and severity of hot flashes they experience. According to MayoClinic.com, certain foods can also trigger a hot flash, such as those that contain tyramine. These foods include aged cheeses, red wine, tomatoes and citrus fruits.
Weight
According to BreastCancer.org, women who reduce the fat in their diet may find some relief from hot flashes caused by premature menopause and induced by breast cancer treatment. Losing excess weight can also help maintain a more normalized temperature and reduce the number of hot flashes. However, by losing too much weight or becoming too thin these hot flashes can become worse.
Environment
According to MayoClinic.com, women can reduce the number of hot flashes and the severity by maintaining a cooler environment. This includes keeping air circulating within the room with a fan or an open window, drinking cold drinks, dressing lightly and in layers and using loosely woven cotton materials for clothing and bed linens.
Chaste Berry
According to Project-Aware.org, the chaste berry herb will affect pituitary function and can help regulate hot flashes. It alters LH and FSH secretions and should be discussed with the woman's oncologist prior to adding it to her medication regimen. Chaste berry will lower estrogen levels and increase progesterone, which helps to improve the health of bones in the vaginal wall.
Black Cohosh
Black cohosh is an herb that has been used for decades to help women treat hot flashes. In a study published in "Maturitas" in March 2003, researchers compared the results of 136 breast cancer survivors who used tamoxifen and suffered hot flashes. When they compared the results of those who did not use black cohosh against those who did, they were encouraging. Severe hot flashes were reported by 24 percent of patients in the group that received black cohosh as compared to 73 percent in the group that did not receive black cohosh.
Drugs
According to the American Cancer Society, doctors once routinely prescribed postmenopausal hormone therapy replacement for women who were undergoing or had undergone breast cancer treatment. However, it was later determined that using these medications could increase the likelihood of new or recurrent breast cancer. Alternatives include phytoestrogens, and other medications that do not have hormonal properties. Several medications that have been used include venlafaxine, clonidine and gabapentin.
References
- BreastCancer.org: Hot Flashes
- MayoClinic.com: Hot Flashes; A long-term Treatment Side-Effect
- Project-Aware.org: Remedies for Menopausal Symptoms
- "Maturitas"; Cimicifuga Racemosa for the Treatment of Hot Flushes in Women Surviving Breast Cancer; G. Hernandez Munoz; March 2003
- American Cancer Society: What Happens After Treatment for Breast Cancer?
