premarin for mastectomy??

Question

hey. i'm a nursing student and i'm doing med cards for my client. they didn't hv in the chart what the meds are for, so i'm confused. my client is taking premarin and i can't figure out why. i know she had a double mastectomy on the 70s. does anyone know if people who have had mastectomies need hormone therapy? its my first couple months of school, so i'm still stupid about all of this :).

to the second user: i have been researching this already for an hour IN MY drug book. I came here not for a final answer, but for some first hand experience possibly from someone who has had breast cancer. i have alot to learn, i know that, just took a break and thought i'd see what some breast cancer survivors had to say about it. thank you very much to the first poster :).

Answer 1

If the mastectomy was for cancer and the woman was pre-menopausal, usually premain is contra-indicated. Many cancers of the breast are estrogen dependent, and you will learn that there are many types of breast cancers. At the time of surgery, the pathologist usually gets a specimen, and tests are done on it to determine if it is an estrogen-dependent cancer. If the woman had mastectomies for other reasons (injury, for example) premarin is used for other reasons -- women on HRT (hormone replacement therapy--estrogen) stay stronger, keep bone mass better, mental alertness tends to be better, skin stays where it should, rather than "slide south", bowel function remains better, vaginal tissue stays thick and strong, the list goes on and on. When a woman of whatever age should finally no longer take estrogen is up for grabs. Doctors vary..... For sure a woman of 52, who is going thru menopause, will be pretty uncomfortable for many years will all the stuff that happens -- hot flashes, foggy mind, forgetfulness etc. She has to decide if she can tolerate those "inconveniences" and is it worth the risk of br. ca. even tho that risk is small. It is reported that 1 in 8 women will get br ca. some time in her life...... But that means that 7 out of 8 will not!!!!! And in women, bowel cancer is far more common that br. ca.

Answer 2

Hey: I can understand your a student but you should also have a "physicians desk reference" handy there or a "physicians drug reference" How about asking the client, another nurse that would know or better yet, your director.
I think you should look over your priorities and make some notes. Lots of notes, tons of notes. When I started doing lab work that note book never closed. You shouldn't have had to come here for your answer. Go to the drug store get the box with the directions( I didn't use contraindications because I didn't think you'd know what that was) and read them, that would be the best way.

Answer 3

A mastectomy is not a reason to take premarin from what I know. Premarin is for menopause symptoms, whether the menopause occurs naturally or from hysterectomy.

Get a package insert from Premarin from the pharmacy and see if it is contraindicated in women who have had breast cancer. I think it is. (Contraindicated means they shouldn't take it.)

Perhaps she chose to take it for menopause symptoms in spite of theory that it increases a woman's chance for cancer.

Women who have had breast cancer OFTEN use hormone therapy to prevent recurrance, but it is a DIFFERENT KIND of hormone used.

Answer 4

My doctor is a no on hormone replacement. I am a 4 year survivor. He even says no plant supplements. I had the HER-2.