Tamoxifen side effects or just going crazy

My murderous moods have only occurred  couple of times and they only last a day. There is no underlying reason for them except Tamoxifen. It is an inner rage that wants to take over and I feel could quite easily kill someone and kick dirt over them and not even care. It is very alarming. I don't move on those days and I warn the family don't interact with me. Somehow they just know somethings not right. Funny thing is the next day I am back to my old self.

Thank you for the advice ladies. Really appreciate it. Looks like illI'have to do some more reading and schedule a visit to the gp before anything. In the meantimem daily walks and elevate serms like a good start. I wish it was all over already.

@Tennille what a horrible experience i cant even start to imagine what that would be like. So glad it worked out for you  

@Tennille WTF How absolutely frightening for you. Glad you were able to sort it!

Whilst I am not on Tamoxifen I can relate as many of your symptoms I have experienced on Letrozole which is one of the Aromatase Inhibitors. That said many of the symptoms can also be interrelated - hot flushes effect sleep patterns causing fatigue and with it memory lapses due to exhaustion. It’s only normal I think to be very focussed on our diagnosis and treatment - it not only takes up a lot of our time and energy but also we worry about recurrence and I for one get quite skittish at times when something new happens to my body as my sense of security has been challenged by breast cancer..Talking on the blog to others as well as your medical team may be more useful than Dr Google as we can spook ourselves and cause undue anxiety - I have done the latter a few times over the past year. If you can I highly recommend a daily walk - it not only clears the head but releases feel good endorphins and oddly enough I’ve found can be addictive but it is important  not to let things interrupt / get in the way of this commitment to your own well being - I failed over Christmas in this but realise the mistake I made as side effects surfaced quickly. Almost forgot joint pains I’ve found can be walked through.

Holy crap, @Tennille ! 

I can be ''problematic" but, thankfully, my current issues with meds tend to be more related to pain than psychosis. Glad it all worked out, but what a shit turn of events. Mxx

When I started Tamoxifen it sent me so nuts I refused to go near my infant son for fear of hurting him. I also made my oldest daughter hide the knives and prescription meds. It was the worst feeling I had ever experienced. My GP put me on 75mg of Effexor and everything settled down and I felt heaps better. Stayed on Tamoxifen for 5 years.

Most of my side effects are Tamoxifen however some is depression and anxiety and my body will not tolerate their medication so I just have to do my own meditation and self awareness exercises to cope. I also have lymphedema which has its own side effects too including a mild fever sometimes. Tamoxifen is jolly challenging but not as bad as getting the cancer back so I put up with it all.

Hi @Annirama, I am currently on Tamoxifen and found myself like you going to get something only to forget what it was. I talked to my oncologist about it and she recommended brain training. I have downloaded a mobile phone app called Elevate. It takes less than 5 minutes per day and is very engaging and easy to do and most importantly I can remember things again. Soooooo much better. As for tiredness I was tired because I was getting interrupted sleep due to hot flushes, aches and pains etc. This has lessened and I now take panadol osteo and use cushions for the aches and pains and do get some beautiful sleep. I also find when I do exercise that it helps me. Wishing you all the  and hoping you can get your symptoms under some control. Xx Cath

Whilst tamoxifen could be causing issues, stress can cause those symptoms also so maybe look at all aspects of your life.

This article shows how stress can impact on your mind and body. And lets face it....everyone who gets a breast cancer diagnosis is stressed. Whether they recognise it or not.  

https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-symptoms-effects_of-stress-on-the-body

So looking at relaxation techniques and ways to reduce stress just might help. It is good for us anyway.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm

This link has some basic ideas that can help. 

If continues chat with your GP and oncologist. Talking with a mental health clinician can help reduce worry and stress and even if it's medication related you might cope better anyway. 

X

Hi Annirama, I took Tamoxifen for 4 yrs and in the beginning I had hot flushes, trouble sleeping,tiredness, low mood and irritability.I ended up being prescribed Endep 10mg and it really helped.It’s a very low dose antidepressant and I didn’t have any side effects.However,I would suggest you see your GP and have a blood test/ checkup as the tiredness could be from a number of issues eg.low iron levels.