Tamoxifen

Thank you for sharing your experience. You have done well for all you have been through.

Hi MaryJoan, I had the same cancer and treatment as you in 2003.I was supposed to Tamoxifen and I tried for about 4mths but stopped because I couldn’t tolerate the side effects- I was 47yrs then. I thought I’d been fine.Well 7 yrs later bc came back in the same breast so I had to have a mastectomy and chemo(the worst treatments).I took Tamoxifen- I didn’t dare not to.Probably because I was through menopause,the side effects weren’t as bad.I took a small dose of antidepressant called Endep 10mg which helped a lot with hot flushes.I took Tamoxifen for 4 yrs and then got a few health issues from it so stopped.It’s been 8 yrs now and I’m ok. So even if you took the drug for awhile,it’s probably helpful.Because of radiation,I’m limited to what recon I could have.A mastectomy is hard to put up with(for me anyway) and losing my hair from chemo was awful. Ofcourse there are no guarantees with this crap disease but if I could go back in time......

Hi @MaryJoan, I have been on Tamoxifen for 9 years so far. At my 5-year post-cancer oncology appointment I was advised that further studies have proven that staying on Tamoxifen for up to 10 years has benefits. I look to come off the drug in July next year. Main side effects that I have noticed is the 'mental fog,' I am very forgetful! But use a number of techniques to combat this and initially, I was reasonably moody until I got used to it - but in saying that once I went on Tamoxifen I came out of early menopause and started getting a normal period so moods may have been the result of that and not necessarily the Tamoxifen. I manage to successfully work full time and run 2 businesses as well as play sports etc so I would say Tamoxifen has been manageable in my personal experience and as mentioned previously, if its not working for you, you can just come off it :)  Hope this helps somewhat.    

@MaryJoan thanks, im 2.5yrs post 2nd diagnosis now and on Aromasin which is completely different. Chemo threw me into menopause which is tough so that together with meds has lots of side effects.  I think you can always stop if you feel its too hard. I have an extra guard with Prolia injections for osteoporosis thanks to chemo but somehow it protects against BC they don't know why. X Melinda 

Hi melclarity
I’m sorry you have had recurrence. You are right, knowing you have done what you could, within your control is the best anyone could ask for. I appreciate your comment. Good luck with round 2. MJ

I had zero side effects on tamoxifen but it was also after 1st diagnosis and only rads and pre menopause. After 4yrs i had a recurrence in spite of tamoxifen and radiation. But honestly? I felt better purely because for  me i did all i could. Its incredibly individual and you have to do what you feel is gut instinct for you. It will be the right choice. Meds are annoying but knowing if im hit again inspite of treatment exercise and good diet ive done everything possible. X

Good to hear! Good luck.

Good luck with it, hope you don’t get too many side effects. I’ve just started on it around a month ago and so far I’ve had no side effects at all. I’m one of the lucky ones I guess. 

Thank you all, for your advice. It is so good to hear from others who have walked this path. I think I will give it a go and see how my body responds. 
I will be traveling overseas on a long planned trip so wary of the potential for clots. Will make sure I move lots during travel.
MJ

Why not give it a try. I took tamoxifen for five years and honestly I barely noticed any side effects. I have recently come off it and feel maybe my thinking is a little bit clearer (but very marginal difference) and maybe my hair is a little thicker. Everybody seems to respond differently. You may find, like me, that it makes barely any difference to your well-being. I would certainly choose to take it, at least for a couple of years, if my risk of recurrence was reduced from 10% to 5%. If you find you do have horrible side-effects you can re-assess the situation but I think it's worth of try for the extra piece of mind. Although as we all know there are no guarantees either way.