Jennifer Saunders' cancer battle brought on a bout of depression and pushed the British actress into the menopause.
The Absolutely Fabulous star, 53, spent 10 months fighting breast cancer last year (10), undergoing surgery and chemotherapy treatment before she entered remission.
She opened up about her battle with the deadly disease earlier this year (11), insisting she didn't worry too much about losing her hair, but Saunders has now admitted the drugs she was taking made her lose her zest for life, and brought on her menopause because of a hormone imbalance.
She tells Britain's Radio Times, "I found the (oestrogen-halting drug) Tamoxifen the hardest thing because it changes you. It's like suddenly becoming older. You feel fagged out (exhausted), you lose your motor and it makes you feel depressed... You are pushed into menopause like jumping off a cliff... Bang.
"You have that 'I want to go to bed and sleep for ever' kind of feeling. Normally I have the energy to get up, get ready and do something, but I wasn't starting my days until maybe 11 or 11.30, even though I was awake."
Saunders also reveals her close friend, psychologist Tanya Byron, pushed her to confront her depression.
She adds, "I'd say, 'The whole world is against me. Everyone else is wrong about everything.' And she'd say, 'No, darling, I think that might be depression.'"
Saunders then started taking antidepressants, and admits, "It was, like, 'Give me more pills!' It was brilliant."
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