I know this sounds stupid. I have had my double masectomy, I have finished my chemotherapy, and for the last 6 weeks I have been on tamoxifen. So I have been through the hardest part, yet for the last few weeks, I have been off the planet. I have been moody, angry and lots of days where I just cry. I have been clashing with my teenage daughters. I have been having hot flushes/ night sweats. I also been having lots of headaches, including waking up in the middle of night with them. So between the night sweats where I am waking up and having to strip off, or having to take a panadol. I am really tired. Except you think being so tired I could go to sleep early but no. I had a cat scan and that has come back normal. Then there are days usually days I am crying where I can't concentrate. I can't even seem to focus on reading a book. Husband has even taken a few days off work to help me cope with 4 kids while on school holidays. Whats going on because before breast cancer, I did the bookwork for my husbands small painting business, I did casual part time work, I am also on the school's P & C. Plus I did occassional short term fostercaring. At one time I had 5 extra kids in my house. Now I can't seem to cope with my own 4 kids. This is crazy I cut down on almost everything when I got breast cancer. So why is it some days I can't cope. Then other days I am fine and thinking what was your problem, you can go back to doing everything again. Am I going crazy.

Hi Dot You are certainly not crazy! What you are describing is something the radiation doctors told me to look out for. They said after it's all over down the track you might just become flat, moody upset really what you are describing. The tamoxifen doesn't help I am taking it too and can empathise with the sweating and flashes. Last night I took a herbal tablet that helps sleep called Insomin-X (my husband finds they help him) and I hardly had a flush could just be a fluke! Not sure if they helped me sleep but i don't have too many problems there. I think you may just need to have a nap in the afternoon (if you can) and listen to your body. Have a relaxing massage something that will help the stresses you poor body has endured. If you carry on feeeling like that go and see your GP . The other person to talk to is your breast care nurse as I am sure she'll also listen and tell you that you are not crazy. Good luck will be thinking of you. Sarah

Hi Dot, You're not crazy-it's most likely the Tamoxifen.I was 47 when I first tried to take it and I had all those symptoms you described.This time around It is a little better but I became very down,hot flushes,and couldn't sleep when I started on it back in August.My doctor put me on a very low dose antidepressant called Endep(10mg) which helps with hot flushes.It also helped my mood and my sleep and there are no side effects.I also make sure to get "Genox"brand of Tamoxifen cos it's more agreeable.I had another brand once and it gave me a dreadful headache and rash. You don't have to put up with all those symptoms Dot- goodness knows you've been through enough..I think we put on a brave face to get through all the treatment and then afterwards it all catches up.Being bald for months on end and still looking like a cancer patient doesn't help much either.Maybe some counselling might help too but yeh,that Tamoxifen can effect you . Tonya xx

Hi Dot like everyone has said NO YOU ARE NOT CRAZY. i had similar hassles with tamoxifene and had to change to toremifene as i just went mental on tamoxifene. moody like anything sweats unreal. and crying over nothing. i also had constant nausea and dizzyness . i also found i had rotten fanny itch hee hee. not a nice thing. i tallked to my oncologist and they changed the tabs i still get sweats from the shoulders up wet head syndrome ha ha and have the occasional mega down down which is normal. the moodyness is part of getting chucked into the deep end of early menopause , no more itch thank god. and as everyone has said from day one to when treatment ends its all full on then nothing we are on our own and its scarey. i know i went a bit of the planet. too. dont be hard on yourself, have you time and remember you are only human and you have been to hell and back so it will take time. toremifene worked for me but may not be suitable for you but there are other drugs maybe it isnt tamoxifene but if you dont ask who knows dont suffer in silence i did for over tweleve months and it isnt worth it believe me. xx Fran

Feel like I am going crazy. | BCNA Online Network

15 Replies

FranP
Member
15 years ago
Hi Dot like everyone has said NO YOU ARE NOT CRAZY.

i had similar hassles with tamoxifene and had to change to toremifene as i just went mental on tamoxifene. moody like anything sweats unreal. and crying over nothing. i also had constant nausea and dizzyness . i also found i had rotten fanny itch hee hee. not a nice thing. i tallked to my oncologist and they changed the tabs i still get sweats from the shoulders up wet head syndrome ha ha and have the occasional mega down down which is normal. the moodyness is part of getting chucked into the deep end of early menopause , no more itch thank god. and as everyone has said from day one to when treatment ends its all full on then nothing we are on our own and its scarey. i know i went a bit of the planet. too. dont be hard on yourself, have you time and remember you are only human and you have been to hell and back so it will take time. toremifene worked for me but may not be suitable for you but there are other drugs maybe it isnt tamoxifene but if you dont ask who knows dont suffer in silence i did for over tweleve months and it isnt worth it believe me. xx Fran
TonyaM
Member
15 years ago
Hi Dot,

You're not crazy-it's most likely the Tamoxifen.I was 47 when I first tried to take it and I had all those symptoms you described.This time around It is a little better but I became very down,hot flushes,and couldn't sleep when I started on it back in August.My doctor put me on a very low dose antidepressant called Endep(10mg) which helps with hot flushes.It also helped my mood and my sleep and there are no side effects.I also make sure to get "Genox"brand of Tamoxifen cos it's more agreeable.I had another brand once and it gave me a dreadful headache and rash. You don't have to put up with all those symptoms Dot- goodness knows you've been through enough..I think we put on a brave face to get through all the treatment and then afterwards it all catches up.Being bald for months on end and still looking like a cancer patient doesn't help much either.Maybe some counselling might help too but yeh,that Tamoxifen can effect you .

Tonya xx
TonyaM
Member
15 years ago
Hi Dot,

You're not crazy-it's most likely the Tamoxifen.I was 47 when I first tried to take it and I had all those symptoms you described.This time around It is a little better but I became very down,hot flushes,and couldn't sleep when I started on it back in August.My doctor put me on a very low dose antidepressant called Endep(10mg) which helps with hot flushes.It also helped my mood and my sleep and there are no side effects.I also make sure to get "Genox"brand of Tamoxifen cos it's more agreeable.I had another brand once and it gave me a dreadful headache and rash. You don't have to put up with all those symptoms Dot- goodness knows you've been through enough..I think we put on a brave face to get through all the treatment and then afterwards it all catches up.Being bald for months on end and still looking like a cancer patient doesn't help much either.Maybe some counselling might help too but yeh,that Tamoxifen can effect you .

Tonya xx
Sarah_51
Member
15 years ago
Hi Dot

You are certainly not crazy! What you are describing is something the radiation doctors told me to look out for. They said after it's all over down the track you might just become flat, moody upset really what you are describing. The tamoxifen doesn't help I am taking it too and can empathise with the sweating and flashes. Last night I took a herbal tablet that helps sleep called Insomin-X (my husband finds they help him) and I hardly had a flush could just be a fluke! Not sure if they helped me sleep but i don't have too many problems there. I think you may just need to have a nap in the afternoon (if you can) and listen to your body. Have a relaxing massage something that will help the stresses you poor body has endured. If you carry on feeeling like that go and see your GP . The other person to talk to is your breast care nurse as I am sure she'll also listen and tell you that you are not crazy.

Good luck will be thinking of you.

Sarah
Sarah_51
Member
15 years ago
Hi Dot

You are certainly not crazy! What you are describing is something the radiation doctors told me to look out for. They said after it's all over down the track you might just become flat, moody upset really what you are describing. The tamoxifen doesn't help I am taking it too and can empathise with the sweating and flashes. Last night I took a herbal tablet that helps sleep called Insomin-X (my husband finds they help him) and I hardly had a flush could just be a fluke! Not sure if they helped me sleep but i don't have too many problems there. I think you may just need to have a nap in the afternoon (if you can) and listen to your body. Have a relaxing massage something that will help the stresses you poor body has endured. If you carry on feeeling like that go and see your GP . The other person to talk to is your breast care nurse as I am sure she'll also listen and tell you that you are not crazy.

Good luck will be thinking of you.

Sarah

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Feel like I am going crazy.

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