Tamoxifen: to take or not to take?

I completely understand your reluctance given what you read. I was the same re femara --- whilst utterly grateful there was something I could take to lower my risk of recurrence as my tumour was highly oestrogen positive. I started in April, usual side effects were instant - stiffness in my joints, hot flushes (but only about one a day /every few days). I went through a range of acute joint pain moments - a hip flare up. A bad knee. I just accepted this as way it had to be. The risks of not taking it are too beyond scary to contemplate. It gives me the peace of mind in doing everything I can to stay well. And you know what? Much to my surprise it hit me about a month ago that for the most part the symptoms are over. The hot flushes hardly ever happen. The stiffness in the mornings is mostly non existant. So now I worry maybe it's not working ;-) my oncologist reassured me it's amazing how quickly the body can adapt to having no oestrogen. I'll be in it for ten years. If they tell me to take it for 20 I wouldn't hesitate. Chemo brings with it a risk of leukemia. I have a family history of this but decided its benefits to me to reduce recurrence risk (I was borderline on whether I should have it) was worth it. As Merrylee has written above. can but regret her fears about taking it. My heart goes out to her for having to live with any regret. Hugs Merylee. Too often I want to jump up and down the scream when I read of women writing they're ignoring advice for chemo, medication etc on the basis of fear of side effects. Fair enough but as someone who worries about recurrence daily (hoping to move beyond this phase) I can but wonder at howi would be handling this fear if I'd not done chemo, not taken my meds. Not well I imagine!! And look here I am, on the verge of the one year anniversary of diagnosis, having undergone a mastectomy (too easy truly), chemo (vile but had to be done and worked right through it) and six months into 10 years of femara now with minimal Side effects, full of energy, working long hours like a mad person because running your own business that's what you have to do sometimes, feeling like me pre diagnosis energy wise, don't feel unwell, so I don't know, sometimes I think perhaps the posts in here are skewed to favour those who are hit with bad side effects (not that these aren't legitimate, not at all, at all), and those not affected badly are not on here, but just getting on with things and so not as many of the it's-not-that-bad stories get posted. At the first post femera onc appointment, as I listed the side effects (oh and I overlooked sex and pain thereof which is major) my onc said oh well change you to tamoxifen. Not a chance. He'd already told me this was the best stuff for me to be on. The research is pretty solid now that amaratose inhibitors are much better at protecting against recurrence in menopausal women). At the height of my worst dymptoms not once did I think I want off. Every day, every single day, I am grateful I can take something to lower my risk if recurrence. As Merylee said...what's the worst that can happen? I'm much more scared of the recon to come over the next year of so!!!! And look how brave you've been with that ? Xo