tamoxifen with premarin

Good luck -don't drive the car!

                        Tonya xx

Good luck -don't drive the car!

                        Tonya xx

Hi :)

Stared effexor and am feeling decidedly spaced out. Head in the clouds, plus headachey as well. I am going to try to ride it out and hope it passes in a few days.

Hi :)

Stared effexor and am feeling decidedly spaced out. Head in the clouds, plus headachey as well. I am going to try to ride it out and hope it passes in a few days.

I think I took the Effexor tablet at night and then the next day I found it hard to get out of bed and function.Perhaps you need to persevere for a week or so but I wasn't prepared to take any more.I've had no problems with Endep.You can only try it- we are all different so it may agree with you.At least you'll be able to tell your oncologist on the 14th whether it helped or not.Good luck.

                                          Tonya xx

You poor darl,you are having a bad time of it. Your poor feet - did you have Taxotere or docitaxel as your chemo?Because that chemo can cause alot of feet pain and might take awhile to improve. Tamoxifen can cause a little fluid retention and achey joints but often settles down with time. I know that feeling of wanting to cry or scream over the smallest thing- that can be from Tamoxifen or a symptom of depression. The hot flushes and lack of sleep can drive you nuts. A small dose of Effexor is often prescribed for all of these problems.I tried it but  I couldn't function - I was like a zombie and couldn't get up from a chair. But Endep agreed with me and really helped with mood,sleep and hot flushes.I still get them but not as often. It is a worry when your oncologist says it's out of his expertise - that's not good enough. If my oncologist  is not 100% about something, he confers with his colleagues and gets back to me with an answer.I would feel the same as you about Premarin-worried!! Could you see another oncologist for a second opinion? Stay with your gut instinct and keep pushing the doctors. Blog back here - we may not have the medical answers but we have support and pink sister power!

                                          Tonya xx

thanks for repying Tonya :)

The side effects I am having are as you mention, plus some. The main one is my feet. Incredibly painful feet, I hobble around like I am 200 years old, no matter if I have just got  up or had my feet up, been on them or off them; swelling that is semi controlled by fluid tabs (again in my feet) with crawling sensations going up my lower legs. If I persist on my feet despite the pain, say to cook dinner or shower or whatever, I end up in such pain it is ridiculous. I also get 'electric shock' sensations a few times a day, only last a few seconds each time.

My brain feels fried, that I think can be put down to chemo, I loose things 3 seconds after I put them down, find them only to put them down again and loose them. I can't think or speak properly anymore, I just forget words midsentence, its driving me crazy. Irritable beyond irritable, sometimes I feel like I want to just throw something out the window, sometimes for little reason, sometimes no reason. Waves of emotion, like I am on the verge of sobbing, again for little reason, sometimes no reason at all. My poor family.

Night sweats, lack of sleep coz I am hot, then cold, then hot, etc.

I just stopped taking Zoloft (antidpressant) because it apparently interferes with the Tamoxifen, the Onc gave me a script for Efflexor, but I am trying to avoid taking it, I don't know if that might help with things like Endep does?

I have seen my gp, and he has said that it is very complicated and didn't want to do anything, just told me to discuss with the Onc.

I have taken the premarin for a week and a half so far. I *think* that the flushes/sweats are a bit less intense, my feet may be marginally better.

I am just concerned. The way I understand it is that the Tamoxifen blocks the estrogen from being taken up, and the idea is that my body *should* be producing some estrogen itself, hence why the Onc prescribed premarin. I remain confused.

The Onc said that it was out of his area of expertise, and that concerns me bigtime. Am I putting myself at risk by taking premarin? I am so uneasy about it!