Forum Discussion
Tamoxifen side effects?
Hi Everyone
I have read in a few people' s posts that they suffer from some side effects from taking Tamoxifen. I am 42 years old and after I have my chemo I will be put onto Tamoxifen for 5 years. What sort of problems do you have and what have you done to ease these problems?
I don't know much about cancer treatment so I am unsure whether there are alternatives or what sort of questions I should be asking my oncologist....I see her again on 27th October when I start Chemo.
Any info would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Louise
ps I have read the info in the My Journey Kit but it is very general and if possible I would love to hear some personal experiences if you are willing to share :)
109 Replies
Hi Ann,Sorry to hear your news, side effects do happen and affect others more than some. There was a study done that showed tamoxifen may not be as effective when taken with some anti-depressants. So you might want to check with your oncologist (if you haven't already). Hope you are on the up in the roller coaster that is BC. stay strong jules
Hi Everyone,
Well, I thought it was time to re-enter the conversation as I originally started this back in 2010 before I had experienced Tamoxifen for myself. There seems to be a lot of worry out there which hopefully I can help a little bit with.
I have now been on Tamoxifen for about 18mths and can honestly say that I feel great! Initially I had some hot flushes but I'm not sure if these were residual from the chemo or whether it was the Tamoxifen that caused them. I spoke to my oncologist who recommended trying Evening Primrose Oil and Vitamin E - both of which I now take daily and I haven't had any severe hot flushes for a while now (the odd small one now and then which I can cope with).
I have lost 2 kgs and kept that off for a while, so the weight gain doesn't seem to be Tamoxifen linked....sorry girls! I haven't really changed my diet at all.....probably should do but, hey, you only live once and I'm here for a good time :)
The only thing that I have changed about the way that I am living, and it's something that I never thought that I would hear myself say!!, is that I have taken up running! Yes, me who said that running was against my religion and not something that I would EVER do is now running about 7kms twice each week! I have done my first fun run (although I did walk quite a bit of that!) and I am doing the Perth City to Surf 12km run in a couple of weeks.
Live life to the full, ladies! We are survivors and every day is precious.
Good luck!
Louise x
Thanks Deeay. That's pretty much what I had in mind - lots of fruit & veg, freshly squeezed juices, as little as possible of processed foods & alcohol etc. (with an occasional treat). I'm going to have to make-over my pantry when I get a bit of energy back!
So just to clarify, you said you feel healthy but do you feel you are suffering any side-effects at all from Tamoxifen? And do you think you have gained weight while on it and because of it? Or is your weight just a little more than you'd like through enjoying lots of healthy foods?
Thanks Deeay. That's pretty much what I had in mind - lots of fruit & veg, freshly squeezed juices, as little as possible of processed foods & alcohol etc. (with an occasional treat). I'm going to have to make-over my pantry when I get a bit of energy back!
So just to clarify, you said you feel healthy but do you feel you are suffering any side-effects at all from Tamoxifen? And do you think you have gained weight while on it and because of it? Or is your weight just a little more than you'd like through enjoying lots of healthy foods?
- I had one of these before I took Tamoxifen! Have been on Tamoxifen for about 9 months now and find it so much better than Arimidex for joint pain and hot flushes! But I also follow a better diet now to improve my liver function. Can't hurt can it! I eat organic fruit and veg and anything else organic I can find at Woolworths. (they have an excellent Macro range) I also avoid where I can, fatty foods, processed foods and food additives. I've cut back red meat to about 1x week only and eat heaps more veg and drink fresh fruit and veg juices I make. I figure all of this can take a load off the liver and kidneys. I feel very healthy but haven't lost weight-too much of the good stuff! Every now and then I do a herbal liver detox with a powder you mix with water each day for a month. I'm a bit wary of lots of supplements and fad diets as my GP is so against anything but a good diet if possible. PS If I go out for a meal I make an exception, choose wisely but still have the chips or cheesecake as a treat. :)
- I had one of these before I took Tamoxifen! Have been on Tamoxifen for about 9 months now and find it so much better than Arimidex for joint pain and hot flushes! But I also follow a better diet now to improve my liver function. Can't hurt can it! I eat organic fruit and veg and anything else organic I can find at Woolworths. (they have an excellent Macro range) I also avoid where I can, fatty foods, processed foods and food additives. I've cut back red meat to about 1x week only and eat heaps more veg and drink fresh fruit and veg juices I make. I figure all of this can take a load off the liver and kidneys. I feel very healthy but haven't lost weight-too much of the good stuff! Every now and then I do a herbal liver detox with a powder you mix with water each day for a month. I'm a bit wary of lots of supplements and fad diets as my GP is so against anything but a good diet if possible. PS If I go out for a meal I make an exception, choose wisely but still have the chips or cheesecake as a treat. :)
I have just finished chemo, got radiotherapy next and then due to start Tamoxifen after that. The side effects sound awful and what freaks me out the most is it's for 5 years! My oncologist gave me some notes about Tamoxifen a few weeks back which mentioned that the drug can cause "fatty liver". The notes dismiss this symptom as "of no consequence to you". My thoughts were that surely a fatty liver is not good - ie it is of some consequence to me - and I raised it with my oncologist recently. She pretty much dismissed the issue too. Having now gone and read about fatty liver - one of the much advertised Sandra Cabot books - she reckons that it can cause weight gain, make it impossible to lose weight and cause various other health problems. So I'm wondering whether adopting a liver protective diet/lifestyle along the lines suggested by Christine (possibly with liver supporting supplements) I might keep my liver from getting "fatty" and avoid the weight gain etc associated with Tamoxifen. I don't want to reject it entirely as the statistics show it works. So I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of paying special attention to liver health while actually on Tamoxifen? Janet.
- Hi to all, I am new at this so bear with me. Oh, and I am a very poor speller. I was told I had cancer in my right breast. Op went well, radiation went well and no chemo. Yah, but that was the easy part. First my oncology Dr. put me on Annastrol, fingers swollen, knee, legs, just about every apart of me ached. Got taken off that and put on Tamoxifen. If there is a side affect (even if it is not noted I seem to get it.). I seem to be one of the very few who fell into a deep depression and was hospitalized for 3 months till the Tamixifen left my system. Unfortunately the depression has not. It is not as bad now as in the beginning but it ia still here after 6 mths off meds. My hubby, Dr's and myself all agreed, No more anti breast cancer meds for me. Going into depression is rare but just letting you know it does happen.
WOW after reading all the above re Tamoxifen I now feel a lot more informed. I started taking it mid March this year and up till now, really had no idea what it was all about. I basically rceived no information from doctors re this drug except that it was for my breast cancer that had estogen receptacles. No one tol me about any side effects. My fault, I should of asked but at the time my mind was everywhere. I have been suffering the odd headache, strong pins & needles mainly in my legs but occassionally in my arms etc also. I have days where I just feel sick in the stomache. I had no idea why until I read all the above posts. I'm seeing my oncologist next month and have already got my list of questions happening. I also have mets in my back (bone cancer) and am undergoing Zometa treatment every month. This seems to be the focus at the moment. Does anyone have any information they would like to share re Zometa etc? I would appreciate it greatly. Now that I am starting to finally get my head around my disease, the questions are starting to flow quickly. As they say "Knowledge is Power".
WOW after reading all the above re Tamoxifen I now feel a lot more informed. I started taking it mid March this year and up till now, really had no idea what it was all about. I basically rceived no information from doctors re this drug except that it was for my breast cancer that had estogen receptacles. No one tol me about any side effects. My fault, I should of asked but at the time my mind was everywhere. I have been suffering the odd headache, strong pins & needles mainly in my legs but occassionally in my arms etc also. I have days where I just feel sick in the stomache. I had no idea why until I read all the above posts. I'm seeing my oncologist next month and have already got my list of questions happening. I also have mets in my back (bone cancer) and am undergoing Zometa treatment every month. This seems to be the focus at the moment. Does anyone have any information they would like to share re Zometa etc? I would appreciate it greatly. Now that I am starting to finally get my head around my disease, the questions are starting to flow quickly. As they say "Knowledge is Power".
