Tamoxifen side effects?

Dear Christine,  Thanks for your story.  I am in the process of deciding whether to take Tamoxifen now, having been on Femara for 5 months.  The side effects of Femara for me were very bad for me.  I have had clinical depression for 50 years, and have managed it with Prozac.  I'm on a fairly large dose, 80 mg/day.  After 3 months on Femara I started experiencing serious deep depression - crying all the time, no motivation, fuzzy brain.  Then I realized these effects were similar to the PMT depression I would experience the last two weeks of every month when i HAD MY periods.  Waves of sadness, brain fog, waking up feeling nothing is worth it, etc.  I decided to come off the Femara, thank God.  After only 5 days off  this medication I felt alot better, and after 10 days off it I was back to my old coping, semi-cheerful but optimistic self.  For me mood disorder is a life-threatening disorder, so I am very grateful that it was the femara causing the sadness and depression.  Now my oncologist wants me to take Tamoxifen.  I dont want to go through this mood  change again -so I am very reluctant to start on the tamoxifen.  I'm 65, had two kinds of breast cancer within 6 months of each other (one hormone driven, the other not), and two mastectomies.  I have asked to be referred to another oncologist in N Sydney and hope she will agree to see me, as the oncologist here says very black and white things like "if breast cancer recurrs it is almost always fatal" because it recurs usually in more then one organ.  The doctor in Sydney may give me the same statistics, but hopefully she will have some new information. I've always benefitted from two opinions.  Do you have any opinions about alternative supplements to help estrogen metabolism, such as DIM.  Thanks.    Tori M-K

Thanks Christine for confirming what my naturopath has suggested I do. I am also doing the hormone saliva test which gives the best picture regarding oestrogen levels. Liver detox to help the liver metabolise, vit B, minerals, folic acid, estrofactors to support oestrogen metabolism. I'm also taken a herbal mixture to support adrenal function as I am carrying lots of tension in my body due to my anxiety. I'll do another saliva test in 3 months as I've started taking arimidex again to see how I go although I think that the I 3 C and the regular hormone check might be the way to go. I am feeling very well, energy level is increasing, sleeping much better. I am currently not eating meat,  I think organic is the way to go and have cut down dairy intake as I had read a very convincing argument on the effect of cow's milk. It's great that you have a very supportive GP and I agree about the oncologists,when I mentioned to mine I had seen the naturopath, I got a glazed expression. Thermal imaging has also given me peace of mind and I'm happy with where I am at right now. Working full time and enjoying it, going to the gym, improving my French and being there for my three adolescents is keeping me busy and it's great to have the energy to do it all!

Hi Deeay,

I had aching legs esp at night, which only occurred in my second year of tamoxifen. After some pondering and thinking what changed (was it me exercising?), I discovered that when I moved house and went to a different pharmacy I was given a different brand of tamoxifen. You might need to try a few, there is Nolvadex, Tamosin and another. I found Nolvadex the best. It might be the filler the pharmaceutical company uses. Some other ladies had the same issues.Some ladies also take 10 mg or 20 mg and fluctuate between the two after discussion with their oncologist, depending on how they tolerate the drug. Hope this helps.

Regards, Julie

Christine, many thanks for your informative & comprehensive reply. I'm inspired. I'm working my way through "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer" so I'm coming to grips with why the hormone saliva testing is a good idea. I'm also taking Coenzyme Q 10 as recommended by the naturopath to provide heart protection from Herceptin. A lot of the naturopathic help I have received has been around supporting the liver which I really needed after chemo and want to continue with for oestrogen processing.

We were in the process of changing diets anyway as my husband has recently recognised his gluten intolerance so I'm doing a lot of reading, researching, thinking & working out how to incorporate all these changes.

I'm feeling fairly positive about changing the way we live. They are not radical changes for us but even small changes take an effort. However we have the best possible reason for wanting to change.

Best wishes.

As my very supportive GP says: our bodies do not produce oestrogen to give us breast cancer! We need oestrogen to function fully at many levels, including cardiovascular health, brain function, etc  

After surgery for breast cancer 19 months ago, I have (with guidance of my GP) the following regime: I do a hormone saliva test every 6 months, which provides us with an exact "picture" of my oestrogen levels and whether my liver is in fact metabolising the oestrogen to be effectively utilised in my body. The day an oncologist offers to actually monitor my oestrogen levels and recognises the role of the liver in oestrogen metabolism, is when I will give any attention to aromatase inhibitors. I ensure that my liver is functioning well and to that effect do a regular liver detox.

Further I take I-3-C, Resveratol, Coenzyme Q 10, Quercetin, Vit C, Vit D, Vit B and some mineral supplements (monitored by hair mineral analysis). I also take calcium as I have eliminated cow's dairy from my diet (due to hormones in it) except for some occasional organic dairy treats. Also only meat which is organic and free range and which I know where it comes from. I have also greatly reduced my sugar and alcohol intake, with only occasional treats and try to generally follow an alkaline diet. Nothing extreme, just a healthy balanced approach.

Furthermore, I have completely eliminated any cosmetic and other products containing parabens and a number of other petrochemicals (e.g. in sorbalene) and harmful ingredients. I also do not drink water from clear commercial plastic bottles (only BPA free plastic) even the pink Mnt Franklin ones "supporting" breast cancer. I am taking the precautionary principle on this and accept the growing evidence that many plastic materials contain xenoestrogens which introduces foreign mimicking oestrogens into our bodies. Why take an aromatase inhibitor, when you are not eliminating other bad oestrogens from your environment and body?

I am feeling better than ever before and although nothing can remove the fear of metastasis from my life, I at least feel I am giving it my best shot with my own efforts.

As my very supportive GP says: our bodies do not produce oestrogen to give us breast cancer! We need oestrogen to function fully at many levels, including cardiovascular health, brain function, etc  

After surgery for breast cancer 19 months ago, I have (with guidance of my GP) the following regime: I do a hormone saliva test every 6 months, which provides us with an exact "picture" of my oestrogen levels and whether my liver is in fact metabolising the oestrogen to be effectively utilised in my body. The day an oncologist offers to actually monitor my oestrogen levels and recognises the role of the liver in oestrogen metabolism, is when I will give any attention to aromatase inhibitors. I ensure that my liver is functioning well and to that effect do a regular liver detox.

Further I take I-3-C, Resveratol, Coenzyme Q 10, Quercetin, Vit C, Vit D, Vit B and some mineral supplements (monitored by hair mineral analysis). I also take calcium as I have eliminated cow's dairy from my diet (due to hormones in it) except for some occasional organic dairy treats. Also only meat which is organic and free range and which I know where it comes from. I have also greatly reduced my sugar and alcohol intake, with only occasional treats and try to generally follow an alkaline diet. Nothing extreme, just a healthy balanced approach.

Furthermore, I have completely eliminated any cosmetic and other products containing parabens and a number of other petrochemicals (e.g. in sorbalene) and harmful ingredients. I also do not drink water from clear commercial plastic bottles (only BPA free plastic) even the pink Mnt Franklin ones "supporting" breast cancer. I am taking the precautionary principle on this and accept the growing evidence that many plastic materials contain xenoestrogens which introduces foreign mimicking oestrogens into our bodies. Why take an aromatase inhibitor, when you are not eliminating other bad oestrogens from your environment and body?

I am feeling better than ever before and although nothing can remove the fear of metastasis from my life, I at least feel I am giving it my best shot with my own efforts.