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Janet_Plummer's avatar
Janet_Plummer
Member
13 years ago

Tamoxifen and insomnia

Here I am up again at a ridiculous hour. It's almost 5 now but I've been awake and trying to get back to sleep since about 3.30. I've never been a good sleeper but usually I only have problems when I'm stressed which I haven't been at all lately. So I'm wondering is it the tamoxifen which I've been on now for about six weeks?

I don't have any trouble getting to sleep. In fact I can barely keep my eyes open after about 10pm. But then I wake up in the middle of the night - sometimes due to a mild hot flush or because I need to go to the toilet and then I'm wide awake. No more sleep. It seems to be happening more and more often.

I thought I was going along well on it intially - exercising several times a week and eating healthily but the more tired I get the harder it is to motivate myself to exercise and the less resolve I have to resist the comfort food. I can see how the kilos could then pile on if I get caught in this cycle.

I'm wondering how common are sleep problems when taking tamoxifen and how do people deal with it? I'm reluctant to take more pills but I don't want to spend the next 5 years feeling exhausted. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

side-effects
tamoxifen

7 Replies

  • Janet_Plummer's avatar
    Janet_Plummer
    Member
    13 years ago

    Thanks everyone for your replies. Bel I think you're right about the importance of exercise. I will keep pushing myself to go to the gym as I did this morning and do my half hour on the treadmill. It's never as bad as I think it's going to be. Maybe I even need to do a bit more. I am using the Swisse Sleep already Louie. Sometimes they help, but not always. And the hot flushes aren't too bad, quite mild really. If I could only get back to sleep afterwards!

    Perhaps I will try staying up later Pip and if I can, and cut back on the cups of tea as well as getting more exercise. Can't promise not to indulge in a bit of dark chocolate now and then though. If the problem doesn't improve I'll ask my a doctor about that Endep you've recommended Tonya. I can imagine if it persists long term sleep deprivation will make me depressed as well.

    Hope you continue to have a mostly good run with the tamoxifen Adean. It's strange how we all react so differently to all these drugs isn't it. I was pleased to read your post about getting the all clear at your check-up too. Great news. And Bel I'm guessing you're still doing chemo. You sound like you're coping really well. Hope that continues.

    Stay well eveyone, Janet.

  • Janet_Plummer's avatar
    Janet_Plummer
    Member
    13 years ago

    Thanks everyone for your replies. Bel I think you're right about the importance of exercise. I will keep pushing myself to go to the gym as I did this morning and do my half hour on the treadmill. It's never as bad as I think it's going to be. Maybe I even need to do a bit more. I am using the Swisse Sleep already Louie. Sometimes they help, but not always. And the hot flushes aren't too bad, quite mild really. If I could only get back to sleep afterwards!

    Perhaps I will try staying up later Pip and if I can, and cut back on the cups of tea as well as getting more exercise. Can't promise not to indulge in a bit of dark chocolate now and then though. If the problem doesn't improve I'll ask my a doctor about that Endep you've recommended Tonya. I can imagine if it persists long term sleep deprivation will make me depressed as well.

    Hope you continue to have a mostly good run with the tamoxifen Adean. It's strange how we all react so differently to all these drugs isn't it. I was pleased to read your post about getting the all clear at your check-up too. Great news. And Bel I'm guessing you're still doing chemo. You sound like you're coping really well. Hope that continues.

    Stay well eveyone, Janet.

  • adean's avatar
    adean
    Member
    13 years ago

    iM 8 weeks on tamoxifen and no affect on sleep , but what is waking me up is the chronic cramps in my legs, they are dooseys but they go as quick as they come Ive had very very minimal hot flushes , feel Im lucky so far.

    ADEAN XXXX

  • Pip45's avatar
    Pip45
    Member
    13 years ago

    Hi Jandy23

    I had exactly the same problem but it didnt start until 4 months are taking tamoxifen, I think mine was the menopause symptons rather than the tamoxifen.

    I found that staying up later then sleeping in helped me to get enough sleep ,as i was becoming forgetful and had a not all there feeling and couldnt concentrate, and that was stressing me out  ,its a bit of a vicious cycle .And once i felt in control of my sleep again i no longer have the problem.

    Hopefully its  just  temporary for you as well.

    best wishes  x

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • TonyaM's avatar
    TonyaM
    Member
    13 years ago

    When I first started Tamoxifen I had bad hot flushes,sleepless nights and low mood.After about 3 months of this,my oncologist put me on a very low dose antidepressant called Endep 10mg at night.It's not a therapautic dose for depression(around 75mg) but it helps with all of the above and no side effects.

                                  Tonya xx

  • TonyaM's avatar
    TonyaM
    Member
    13 years ago

    When I first started Tamoxifen I had bad hot flushes,sleepless nights and low mood.After about 3 months of this,my oncologist put me on a very low dose antidepressant called Endep 10mg at night.It's not a therapautic dose for depression(around 75mg) but it helps with all of the above and no side effects.

                                  Tonya xx

  • LouiseTurner's avatar
    LouiseTurner
    Member
    13 years ago
    Hey there, I'm not on Tamoxifen yet but had trouble all through taxol with sleeping. I think the stress of the chemo, anxiety, lack of energy and hot flushes combined to stop me sleeping. I did take Ativan for a while then sleeping pills to get past the worst. I was getting in a cycle of grumpy and snappy due to being tired. Then eating etc etc like you mentioned...a bad cycle. I stopped taking all meds after taxol a month ago and switched to Swisse sleep, recommended by a friend. I also now exercise about 1 hr 5 days a week. So far so good...sleeping better, not great but improving. I also find music while going off to sleep distracts me from my thoughts and lets my mind relax. I'm not looking forward to tamoxifen, sounds like the hot flushes will be here to stay. Take care Louie