Losing Weight on Tamoxifen
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Hi, I have been taking Tamoxifen for 3 years. I put on a lot of weight after being on Tamoxifen for 2 years, I wouldn't say that Tamoxifen caused this. I was also told it would be harder to lose weight while taking Tamoxifen but in the last 24 weeks I have lost 20.5 kg and have 5.2 kg to go and this will put me into the normal weight range for my height ( I cannot ever remember being this weight). I have been using Weight Watchers and the only exercise I have been doing is walking.
In the last week I have also found out I am one of the unlucky ones to have a large polyp(not cancerous) and hyperplasia a result of the Tamoxifen, so now recovering from that surgery then back to gyno so see what the next step is.
Don't give up, you can do it just take and accept little steps.
Regards Michelle
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Great blog, I totally understand the frustration. Diagnosed at 39 I was feeling young and healthy at the time...ffwd 18 months on Aromasin and Menopausal, I feel frail and old. I gave up a PT regime after hurting my back (had developed osteoporosis but didn't know) and went downhill fast from there. The PT and wb exercise did keep my pains and aches at bay. I am trying to start my own regime of physical trainingh with weights but something always prevents me from starting and being fatigued all the time doesn't do me much favors when I need motivation. Would love to hear how you progress over the next couple of weeks. Please keep us posted and good luck with your experiment.0
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Love your blog chibipink.
Very inspirational. I like to think that some day soon I will wake up with a crazy urge to exercise2 -
iserbrown said:Hi - losing weight on Tamoxifen - wow wouldn't that be good! No, I have put on weight and like you unhappy with the betrayal I feel that the side effects of medication et cetera has put me through.
Good luck with your blog! I'm sure some will come on here when they read your post and be able to say they are stable in their weight or in fact have lost weight on Tamoxifen.
Take care0 -
Michelle, you give me hope. I am 24 kilos overweight. I have lost 10 kilos very slowly in the last year. It's hard work - really monitoring your food and increasing exercise to get it all off. I also look bloated around the waist. I am also wondering if it causes water retention.0
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Hi Tracey 1967, you will be able to lose this weight, slow and steady is the way to go, you are more likely to keep it off. I also keep most of my weight around my middle. I have started a weight program in the last week to try and strengthen the muscles as my skin is saggy, I am not sure if Tamoxifen has anything to do with water retention. Keep going you are doing well! Michelle0
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Hi Tracey,Tracey 1967 said:Michelle, you give me hope. I am 24 kilos overweight. I have lost 10 kilos very slowly in the last year. It's hard work - really monitoring your food and increasing exercise to get it all off. I also look bloated around the waist. I am also wondering if it causes water retention.
AFAIK Tamoxifen doesn't cause water retention, but menopause certainly causes weight gain on the abdomen. When pre and post menopausal women were matched for age, it was discovered that they both put weight on at the same rate, but in different places. The menopausal women put weight on the stomachs. For me, it seemed like 2 weeks after starting tamoxifen my weight was the same, but all my fat had migrated to my stomach. Interestingly, with my high protein diet and lots of weight training, the weight seems to be coming off my stomach first. Or at least, that's where it's most noticeable to me. My muffin top has gone.
10kg is *amazing*. I hope you're doing weight training of some sort too. Cutting calories without resistance workouts will lead to loss of muscle and bone and then it will be harder and harder to lose weight because your BMR will have gone down. Also, at our age, we have to start worrying about falls. Muscle mass will help us keep our balance.
And, muscles look nice. That's the difference between young and old bodies; how much muscle they have. At least superficially. After 30 we start to lose 3-5% of our muscle mass per decade unless we take steps to stop it.
One good thing about Tamoxifen, we don't have to worry too much about osteoporosis while we're on it.
Perhaps the book "strong women stay young" would be a good place to start, if you're not already lifting weights.
I don't mean squatting half your own weight in a sweaty gym with scary equipment, (but you'll get faster results if you can do that). My "gym" lives in a box in the lounge room.
Now I must stop procrastinating and lift my own weights!
take care
Samantha1 -
Recently I've heard of a challenge 22 pushups per day for 22 days - that would surely do something to the waistline! My weight on tamoxifen was a weight gain but of late it is a loss of 3kg - I think for me it was the shock of all this medication and it's side effects. Prior to BC I took the occasional Panadol, now I find myself saying what time is it, which one do I take now? I know it is for the good of me and my inner health but goodness!0
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Pushup are great because they work the core and chest. Lots of muscles in one hit. 22 is lots of pushups so I would think that would be a great start. My husband just walks, and does pushups, and dips off the coffee table and he's looking much trimmer.
When I came off chemo I was very pudgy because of that effect where the chemo shreds your fine capillaries and you end up with lots of fluid leaking under the skin. That passed in a few weeks though.0 -
Thanks everyone - I will take your advice on board
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