Forum Discussion
Tamoxifen 10mg
With all my odd side effects on 20mg Tamoxifen over the last 2 years I asked my oncologist last year, could I have a break? The answer was no.
Recently I had tachycardia (180 beats per minute) but the interesting thing is to keep it in check I require only 1/4 tab twice a day of 50mg Metoprolol. My GP is astounded it has such an effect on me and says I must be very drug sensitive since my chemo. He said he has had patients take two full tablets a day and it still doesn't regulate their heart properly.
I tried last year taking Escalopram as per my psych doc and couldn't tolerate even half a tab of that as I had diarrhea for weeks with it so we dropped it.
I had been taking a half of a 100mg dose of aspirin as an offset to Tamoxifen giving me vein troubles in my eye and emergency, during my heart episode, told me to increase to a full tablet daily. After a few weeks of it, I have had to reduce it back to a half dose again as I was having deep dark looking bruises coming up for no good reason on my legs and arms. Since reducing it to a half, things have been good again.
I thought to myself, I have been on Tamoxifen religiously at 20mg for exactly two whole years. I have finished menopause and perhaps I don't actually need the full 20 mg any more? So as of a few days ago, I am doing a self trial of half a tablet of Tamoxifen daily. I think my body has been knee jerk reacting to this drug for the last two years so maybe a lesser dose will be a happy medium for my body. At least a box of pills will last twice as long. The Metoprolol box lasts me over 200 days! lol.
Recently I had tachycardia (180 beats per minute) but the interesting thing is to keep it in check I require only 1/4 tab twice a day of 50mg Metoprolol. My GP is astounded it has such an effect on me and says I must be very drug sensitive since my chemo. He said he has had patients take two full tablets a day and it still doesn't regulate their heart properly.
I tried last year taking Escalopram as per my psych doc and couldn't tolerate even half a tab of that as I had diarrhea for weeks with it so we dropped it.
I had been taking a half of a 100mg dose of aspirin as an offset to Tamoxifen giving me vein troubles in my eye and emergency, during my heart episode, told me to increase to a full tablet daily. After a few weeks of it, I have had to reduce it back to a half dose again as I was having deep dark looking bruises coming up for no good reason on my legs and arms. Since reducing it to a half, things have been good again.
I thought to myself, I have been on Tamoxifen religiously at 20mg for exactly two whole years. I have finished menopause and perhaps I don't actually need the full 20 mg any more? So as of a few days ago, I am doing a self trial of half a tablet of Tamoxifen daily. I think my body has been knee jerk reacting to this drug for the last two years so maybe a lesser dose will be a happy medium for my body. At least a box of pills will last twice as long. The Metoprolol box lasts me over 200 days! lol.
11 Replies
- Well the holiday trial is over and I am back on 20mg but it has been nearly two weeks of bliss. No feeling like being run over by a bus when I get up and I could multi task again with some great meals prepared which actually turned out delicious. My Tinnitus all but disappeared and anything left was much lower decibels. I've had a raging head and chest cold during my time off but I have finally gotten over that as well.
- No worries! The links above will take you into the BCNA website and there's heaps of information available
- Thank you so much for the links iserbrown. I will go check them out now. I have my L-plates on when it comes to using a computer & research. lol
- @Dimples
Have you seen this link? There's a multitude of booklets and or fact sheets on various topics and amongst it is Hormone Therapy, Tamoxifen and periods
https://www.bcna.org.au/resources/booklets-and-fact-sheets/#hormonetherapy
Hope you find it helpful, also click on this link as it is an article specifically on Tamoxifen (page 4)
https://www.bcna.org.au/media/2220/10-beacon10.pdf - Hi Ladies, This is my first post !! Unsure of how to start but here it goes.............. I have been on Tamoxifen 20mg for about 7 months now after I had my mastectomy (just 1 boob gone) I have read the side effects & am lucky to have all 4. lol Hot flushes,night sweats, flutter in the chest & tired. The best part is... I am alive...I am still here to bug my loved ones :) I am 45 & still get my period ? I thought that Tamoxifen was a hormone blocker ? If it blocks my hormones then I shouldn't get my period ? Is it working ? will I get cancer in my remaining breast ? Am I crazy ? lol
- Hello @Brenda5
In reading your post I can see that you have been taking tamoxifen for two years now. As you know, its not advisable to change your treatment regime without consulting with your specialists first. This raises a few questions for me as a cancer nurse and Im hoping that you have spoken with your medical team?
I found some information on the BCNA website regarding hormone therapy that you may like to review. https://www.bcna.org.au/news/2017/08/women-stopping-hormone-therapies-early/
You can always call our helpline on 1800 500 258 if you would like to speak with one of the nurses. - Please discuss this choice with him/her Brenda....
- My oncologist did discuss taking Femara, however in view of my father having bone cancer mets from prostate cancer, I figure if my genes were predisposed to going down the same bone route, I need all the bone help I can get and Tamoxifen is a lesser evil than Femara in that respect.
If my heart is getting stressed with Tamoxifen then breast cancer returning might be the least of my worries.
I see my surgeon for a review in about a fortnight. - Hey Brenda, that's a great observation. I know I am very sensitive to medications, my gp has been known to give me a childs dose of some simply because of the effect they have on me. I never thought about it in relation to the tamoxifen though.
I wonder if that's why you have had so many problems on it? The human body is such a mystery! - Good advice from@primek. I would love to be off femara but my bone density may still be sufficiently good that my oncologist may recommend I stay with it longer (I have done my original five years). If so, I think I will on a year by year basis. His advice has been good up to now! Medication for tachycardia can vary a lot. I take a higher daily does of metropolol for my arrhthmia but have stopped all other related medication at my cardiologist's suggestion. It works for me but may not work for someone else. But the femara dose is a constant. Good luck with it all.
