Bottle o Tamoxifen
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I’m curious which generics you all are using and whether you’ve switched due to SEs? I’ve been on Mayne but was told by my pharmacist that they switched formulas (new NDC number). In the past I had bad SEs with Mylan.
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Hi sg751,
I’m currently taking pills manufactured by Mayne. In the past I’ve used a different generic but can’t remember the name. All throughout my treatment though I’ve always had the same side effects-stomach upset, weight gain/inability to loose weight, thickened lining, dry skin and eyes, and being tired. I’ve got 1 yr and 2 months to go and can’t wait to get off this stuff
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Hello. I had my double mastectomy in June 2022, (Estro +, Prog + HER -), no chemo or radiation was needed, but started Tamoxifen in July 2022. Had Tram Flap breast reconstruction in Dec 2022. I'm 51 and still have my mensural cycles every month. I understand that the Tamoxifen is supposed to stop the estrogen production and put me in menopause. I've asked my oncologist many times on why I have to take this pill when I no longer have breasts and that one of the side effects is ovarian cancer! She's explained it it's the best treatment but I have my doubts. My mental state of mind has completely changed. Anxiety, depression with crying spells and feel this is the beginning to the end. Since my breast cancer diagnosis, I was medication free. Now I am bombarded with all the pills in my bathroom from vitamin supplements (black cohosh, Vit D....) anti-depressants, 3 medications and the one I fear the most, Tamoxifen. Sometimes I wonder if it's best I stop it. Can anyone explain to me why Tamoxifen is so important for the doctors to prescribe?????
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Hi Betty, congrats on 10 years! I was on Tamoxifen for 8 years and handled it fairly well. Towards the end I was getting some neuropathy (pins and needles in my feet) and I felt it might be the T. I also was excited but nervous to not take anything. Then, My MO encouraged me to try two years of an AI. I took a break between them, longer than intended maybe because I was so scared of the side effects of the AI, but actually it's been fine. So, perhaps, you could ask your MO about taking the AI for a couple of years, if you are in menopause. You are a little young so you'd have to make sure you actually are in menopause. I take Arimidex. I only have on more year so will have to decide whether to stop next year or not. 2022 was 10 years for me.
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Seabreaze, Tamoxifen is prescribed to help prevent bc from coming back anywhere in your body. Here is a link which explains how it works.
https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal-therapy/tamoxifen
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Hi all, I have been on tamoxifen for 2 1/2 years. I am 56 and still trying to reach menopause. My last period was back in September and I’m hoping to make it a full year this coming September. I wanted to ask about possible side effects of tamoxifen. Since I’ve been taking it, I’ve had very fast gum recession to the point where I may have to do some gum grafting. I also have had oral hygiene issues even though I brush, floss and use a water pik daily. The other thing I noticed recently was extra mucus in my right eye every morning and very dry eyes during the day.
Are any of you experiencing these side effects? Or is this just what happens during menopause?
By the way, I am only taking 5 mg daily.
Thank you.
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Betty,
No.. I don't think you are crazy at all. We are all different, and with breast cancer, there is no one right answer. I finished my last Tamoxifen this past September. I could have continued, but for my type of cancer, there was no statistical advantage to taking it longer. And while I am a different person than 5 years ago having gone through menopause while on it, for me, going off was good. I had lots of muscle aches and pulls and swelling in the legs from it. While I still have some aches, many of the other things I suffered has improved or gone away.
Has splitting the pill for a lower dose changed anything for you? And did you have anything else besides the mood swings in the beginning? I am always curious about people's journeys, espeically with Tamoxifen.
Isabel
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thank you for your reply. Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply, I do t get a notification. Yes, everyone is different. I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better off the tamoxifen. The only thing I’ve notice since splitting in half is that I seem much more tired than usual- could be my imagination. Continued good health to you 🎀
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hello everyone,
I start 5 mg daily of tamoxifen and was wondering if anyone has taken low dose tamoxife and what side effects they experienced?
Thank!
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Hi Sheila
I did low dose tamoxifen...as started (and now have stopped) taking only 1/2 a pill and then moving to a full pill everyother day until finally a full pill. Others told me that the gradual increase helped with SEs and I believe it did.
I moved to Tamox from Arimedex which gave me horrible SEs, major loss in bone density...my only real SE from Tamox was weight gain. Still working on getting that under control. TT
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SadieSue09: I had hair loss before my cancer and saw a dermatologist who specialized in women's hair loss. He proscribed taking 1/4 of a 2.5 mg Minoxidil pill. My hair has grown back. Now that I'm on Tamoxifen, I don't know if the hair loss will come back, but I'm staying on Minoxidil.
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PetuniasNanny: I was on letrozole but the joint pain side effects were debilitating. My knees and lower back were hurting so much that I couldn't get up from sitting and it hurt constantly when I walked. I switched to Tamoxifen 20 mg for a month and then went off because I was having 3-4 unbearable calf, toe, and thigh cramps every night. I had an electrolyte test and my magnesium and potassium are in the normal range but my sodium is low. Doc recommended that I take 200mg of Gabapentin at night and drink some Gatorade or Pedialyte. I am doing a little research before I go back to Tamoxifen. I'm truly afraid of the side effects.
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