Tamoxifen Yes or No?

Hi Kylie,

I've had chemo and am now almost finished radiotherapy - 3 more to go. I'm supposed to start taking tamoxifen after that. Like you I am worried about the side-effects. I have read a lot online that has freaked me out and I have agonised over the decision. My onc has used an online program Adjuvant Online to calculate that tamoxifen will decrease my chances of getting a recurrance by about 10%. I don't think I can dismiss that so I do plan to take it. But I want to make sure I am as fit and healthy as possible before I start to hopefully avoid the weight gain and other problems. As I'm a bit tired and run down from the chemo & radiotherapy - it's been a gruelling year - I plan to take a couple of months to get myself back to the gym, get fit and try and maximise my health before I start. I'm hoping that my body will cope better with this drug if it is in good shape at the outset.

There is a substance derived from cruciferous vegies like broccoli called diindolymethane or DIM (it comes from something called indole 3 carbinol)  which is thought to metablise excess estrogen in the body. I've read that some people use this as a natural alternative to tamoxifen but it hasn't been properly researched yet so it's a bit risky. Still I regard that as a possible fall-back position if taxmoxifen turns out to be unbearable. (There is a study currently underway at the University of Arizona where is is being used with tamoxifen in the hope of improving breast cancer outcomes.)

I guess the other thing to keep in mind is that not everybody has bad side-effects. It is a very effective drug at keeping breast-cancer away so if it's been recommended you should probably give it a try. If it turns out that the SEs are terrible you can re-assess. Good luck, I hope it is okay for you. Janet :)