Tamoxifen

Hi Aqua Sunrise, I'm a runner too. Have you been able to run during your treatment?

I didn't have to have radiotherapy but I had chemo and a mastectomy.

I have just passed 5 years on tamoxifen. I was wanting to stop after 5 years but the oncologist wants me to stay on it for 10. The main reason I want to stop is because I feel like it is bad for running and recovery from injury but I checked with them about this and they said it isn't. So, for now at least I am staying on it. They said staying on it for another 5 years reduces my chance of dying by 2% which seems insignificant to me but I also feel like I have to do everything possible to prevent cancer returning.

When I started tamoxifen it caused hot flushes and sweating, particularly night sweats. For me, those were the only side effects. They were extremely annoying but not debilitating. They faded away eventually.

I take my tablet at night just before bed. I have made the routine that I take the tablet and then set my alarm clock for the next morning. This is how I remember to take it and whether I have taken it yet.

I also have bone density tests which show osteopenia. I went to a bone specialist who said it was ok to remain on the tamoxifen which was a bit disappointing as I was hoping she'd say I had to come off it. But they're monitoring it so we'll see what the next lot of tests show.

Good luck with the tamoxifen. Give it a try, you can always stop it later if you need to.