I'm wondering if anyone else has anything similar to a witching hour on Tamoxifen, I don't know what else to call it!! I am about four weeks into my daily tablets, I started taking a half as directed by my oncologist and have been on the full one table a day for just over a week now. What I have noticed is around 6.30pm my mood drops, I get agitated, no patience, feeling like I want to run, can't be bothered anymore....all the things. There's nothing essentially happening in life (other than dealing with bc) that would be making me feel this way I have just noticed the last few days I appear to get this super agitation at this time of night. This ride really doesn't come with any instructions or a manual does it :(

So long as you get the 'full tablet' each day - I wouldn't imagine it changes anything much .... I've never seen a Tamoxifen tablet - does it have a coating or is it like a regular tablet? Does it have a line across it, that indicates it can be cut? Tablets with coating often mean it dissolves further along the digestion system .... but if it is just a normal white tablet, it should be fine to cut it & take a half in the morning & evening.Definitely ask your Onc if you can try it ... it may just make it 'easier' to take? Good luck xx

Hi @Christabel03 Many different and weird side effects are reported for tamoxifen ( and the AIS like Letrazole) and mood swings is one of them.When I started taking Letrazole I read somewhere that it could lead to hot flushes but taking it at night mimimized that so that’s what I did and I didn’t get much in the way of hot flushes - it may be that taking it at a different time of day can help or that things settle down after a while.But definately talk to your oncologist , it’s important to address side effects to try and keep up these drugs.Hopefully others on here taking tamoxifen can hop on here and let you know their experiences.Take care🌺

https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/treatment/hormone-blocking-therapy/A good explanation from the BCNA website What time of day do you take Tamoxifen? I tried breakfast time, then lunchtime and settled on about half hour before bedI never experienced low moods, just fatigue, which I think was due to where I had been rather than Tamoxifen alone

@Christabel03 Here's another link that's worth reading. Fatigue was a problem for me https://www.bcna.org.au/health-wellbeing/physical-wellbeing/fatigue/

Hi Christabel03 I've been taking tamoxifen for nearly 6 months and had a long list of side effects, dizziness, fatigue, hot flushes, ringing ears, low mood, etc. And the most depressing thing is that I need to take it for at least 2 years as I am perimenopausal! After surgery and 15 sessions of radio this is the hardest, and longest, part of the treatment. I considered having a break for a few weeks, but I preferred to try for a bit longer. Some days are better than others, but the side effects are a daily reminder of what I have been through!

Tamoxifen Witching Hour | Online Network

Christabel03
Member
3 years ago
@arpie not a bad idea at all. I started on taking a half only for a few weeks and had absolutely no side effects at all. It all started once on the full dose.
JP46
Member
3 years ago
@Christabel03 I’m being careful about food, sleep and exercise because I feel a bit less resilient in general, I can’t imagine tamoxifen helps. I didn’t have an afternoon crash today, maybe if we treat ourselves like toddlers we can avoid the end of day wobbles! @arpie thats an interesting suggestion about the half tablet at a time, I wonder if it would have any impact on how the drug works?
arpie
Member
3 years ago
So long as you get the 'full tablet' each day - I wouldn't imagine it changes anything much ....

I've never seen a Tamoxifen tablet - does it have a coating or is it like a regular tablet? Does it have a line across it, that indicates it can be cut?

Tablets with coating often mean it dissolves further along the digestion system .... but if it is just a normal white tablet, it should be fine to cut it & take a half in the morning & evening.

Definitely ask your Onc if you can try it ... it may just make it 'easier' to take? Good luck xx
Christabel03
Member
3 years ago
@arpie I checked my tablets and they are normal while with the line through the middle so halving could be an option.
arpie
Member
3 years ago
Worth a try then, I reckon, after clearing it with your Onc ;)

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