Bottle o Tamoxifen
Comments
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I'm taking my first dose of Tamoxifen before bed tonight. I'm a little nervous. Just sayin....
Mary
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Mary - welcome! You've found the right place. I've learned more relevant stuff in ten days of following this discussion than in all the compulsive lit-searching I've done over the last ten months.
CS - Thanks for the awesome and important load of information! I had just started to read up on Vit-D (at the suggestion of my onc - he's a good guy generally), and you've helped tremendously.
Sparrow - Thanks, pajarita, for starting this sub-topic!
Big hugs to all!
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peg.
I avoid turmeric - as an intermediate met, I don't want the added phytoestrogens from it
C
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Buying vit D - watch out for a filler of soy! yes, soy - my husband bought one with it in it! amazing
C
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CS: I want to add my thanks for the indepth research that you provide us in this thread. It has been very informative and is greatly appreciated.
TCK
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I have to say I wonder if the women who have no SE's even bother posting and postings are weighted in favor of those with SE's.
I'm mostly afraid of hot flashes, although I guess I should be more concerned with the more seriious side effects such as blood clots and endometrial cancer.
Mary
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Harley RE: the large pill box, I take supplements and meds in the am and pm. Since there are so many, I call it my first breakfast and my first dinner!
I've been on tamox for four weeks with the most annoying SE of swollen hand and sore joints. The pain in my hands does not allow me to open tight jar lids and with the swelling, I can not remove my ring. So I talked to the onc today and he is taking me off of tamox for a month then doing a blood test to see if I am IN menopause (was peri meno before cancer). If the test shows that I am IN menopause, he will put me on another drug, some other AI I am guessing.
Juli
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Hi fellow pink peeps. I'm usually over on the IDC site but thought I'd pop in here with my comment about tamoxifen. I started to take it about one month ago. So far, the side effects have been a somewhat decrease in appetite; horrible yeast infection that started with an insane itch; lots of hot flushes (I thought I was totally over all of that as I completed menopause early); hard time sleeping and lots of pain in my hips when I lie down. Also a bit when I walk. Basically, I'm a wreck and walk like an old woman now. Aside from that, it's great.
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Lindagarside: "Aside from that it's great" Love your sense of humor
TCK
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dear jules123;
YOU WILL KNOW when / if you get hot flashes. trust me! i am 37 and they have become almost unbearable (and i'm a tough cookie). if you get them anything like i do, it feels like your body is radiating heat (especially your upper body - face/head especially. let's hope & pray you don't have to deal with this. how long have you been on the meds? i started in november. i have heard the SE's peak at around 4-5 months but mine have recently worsened.
not all dismal news, however. you can take effexor to alleviate. i'm just not a candidate for that type of drug so i'm slogging through.
here's to No SE's!
regina0 -
I have been taking tamoxifen for a year now and this month my period is so light I don't even need any female products!! Is this common?? Does anyone know? The first five months my periods were normal and then for about 4 months they were 2 days late and then 4 days late, then 2 weeks late, and now this month almost nothing! I HATE this! I have gotten hot flashes, body aches, headaches, but nothing too serious or regular. I cannot lose weight, somedays I feel so heavy! I wish this made me lose my appetite! Its opposite for me, I am 29 and hungry all the time! It does not help I am a stay home mom!
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Hi Regina,
Thanks, that's what my doctor said, when I get hot flushes I will know about them! I was told to expect side effects to show within 2 weeks but nothing major so far has happened.
Jules
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I had chemo and finished on 2/8, so I have been in I guess chemo-pause. They said we will wait and see if and when my period returns. (I am 42 and was premenopause) I have the hot flashes pretty bad - the upper body just gets all flush, a few headaches this week, and the no appetite... I have lost 6 lbs already. I have it to lose but once it is gone it may be a problem. I am hoping after a few weeks the SE's will get less noticeable or maybe I am delusional and they will get worse.
Alicia0 -
Here's to no SE's - I'll second that!
So sorry to hear, sirenator, lindagarside, and Juli-CA, that you're all having a tough time with the tamox. Let's hope for sirenator & lindagarside that yours do indeed subside with time, and for Juli-CA that you find a good way forward with another AI or the tamox!!!
Re the thanks on my braindumps here, you're more than welcome. I get so much out of what everyone else contributes that I only hope I provide something useful for others as well.
to YramAL, I think you're absolutely right that the people having issues with tamox will be over-represented here compared to those who are "doing fine" on it - the latter aren't motivated to be finding answers. So, do know there ARE many women who do just fine on it, and try not to worry too much anticipating SEs for yourself!! Just yesterday ainm said she's 9 months in w/o major problems, I'm 4 months in and same, and I think it was hannahbearsmom who said something similar a few days ago. One suggestion - keep a calendar where you note any changes, when you have periods, etc., so you and your docs can understand any trends or patterns if needed. You'll do great - don't worry!
CS
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Hi everyone! I didn't have internet access for a few days and am just catching up on recent posts. This is a great community with a lot of helpful information. I will read some earlier pages to learn more about tamox. I am planning on taking my first pill tonight. Good to know I'm not alone.
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I anyone else having problems with major constipation on the tamox. I was doing okay but now seem to be having lots of problems. Very irritating. Joint pain is a little less though.
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Hi pink peeps. Someone asked what it feels like to have a hot flush. Here you go: You are sitting normal, not thinking about anything in particular and all of a sudden you feel slightly embarrassed. You feel this way because you can feel your face getting a little warm. Just in that split second when you think to yourself, "Uh-oh"...what did I just say or do to embarrass myself, you get a more intense, internal warmth that seems to intensify with each second and seems to be radiating right out of your chest area, up your neck and into your face. Your arms and armpits as well feel hot. You feel like you can't breathe and need fresh air FAST. You look around the room and wonder if someone has yanked up the heat or is it just you? (For some reason, we never think it is just "us"...we always think everyone is hot or the room is hot...LOL). You look around for a fan or a piece of paper you can quickly fold into a fan. By the time you've folded the fan, the flush is starting to subside and people are looking at you wondering why you are desperate to make a fan. You pretend you are making a cute paper animal or toy for your children for later and tuck it away. You sit there and wonder if anyone is noticing the little sweat drips that are coming off the end of your nose or the shiny forehead and red cheeks you seem to be sporting. You wait for the next one. It can come in 5 minutes, an hour or whatever. It depends on what you are eating and/or drinking. Beer is going to make you have way more flushes...so will lots of sugar and cashews. The strange nuts that don't look normal or taste that good seem to have no effect. Basically, all the good stuff you like to eat or drink will bring on flushes. Did I mention that flushes appear even while you sleep? Oh yes, wear lots of cotton to bed as it is easier to dab up the sweat. Silk just makes it slippery and yucky. Basically, that's about it. It's not so bad really. I seem to be having only about 20 a day. I hope this helps all of you who might be wondering what a flush feels like.
Tip of the day: find yourself a cardboard bingo card. Keep it handy and when you have a flush, pull it out and look at it in amazement and then fan yourself with it as if to say, "Oh my God...I have such a lucky card here...I just realize I'm going to be rich and I've won the banaza...I'm going to have to fan myself now I'm just so hot" Probably you could do that with a sturdy picture of some hunk as well? LOL.0 -
Lindagarside: Great description
Gulp: Good luck tonight. The first pill is the hardest.
TCK
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lindagarside: Massively ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for that!0
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Hi Peg. I've not had any problems with constipation. Actually, before tamoxifen I had about 6 or 7 BM's every day. I'm now down to a good solid two. This seems to be good for me except my husband and I both noticed that when we are about to go to sleep I all of a sudden get a lot of gas and start to fart like the dickens. At first it was sort of funny but after awhile you almost wonder what's up with that? They don't seem to smell at all (at least not to me they don't) so I don't worry about it much at all. My husband seems more concerned about it than me but hey...deal with it, right?
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Lindagarside - I have problems with gas as well. That seems to have gotten worse with the Tamox.
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Hey Peg...it's too bad we can't bottle up this excess energy and use it for something useful.
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Hello Tamoxiteam,
I haven't posted in a while and I must say a huge welcome to all the new gals! Also thanks Linda, I had a huge chuckle!
HARLEY ~ My mom was with me this weekend and was talking about how her cholesterol was up a few months ago. The Dr prescribed a drug for it, but she doesn't want to put anymore drugs in her system so she went with a supplement. She just had another test and her cholesterol was down again. I'll find out the name of the supplement tomorrow and PM you.
Hugs to all!
Kelly
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Linda ~ great description of the "joys" of hot flashes !!
Funny too.Hope you Tamoxibabes have a great day !
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I am 2-1/2 years into T with very little side effects, the worse being hot flashes/night sweats. I am 58 so not sure it is all from the T or menopause. Had a few joint aches in the beginning but they have subsided. I go for a trans/vag ultrasound every six months just to make sure my endometrium strip is getting to large. Like was said in the forums, you don't hear as much from people who are not having side effects.
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Good Evening "TamoxiBabes".....I like that Alicia!
I've been on Tamoxifen since 2-3-10 and am wondering if any of you were told by your Oncologist to discontinue Tamoxifen prior to surgery? My PS said no problem, to continue...but I guess I'm just a big worrier....
Alicia...what's your secret to losing weight? I think I've found what you've lost...darn it. I had been taking my Tamoxifen at night with a glass of water but am thinking about trying the a.m. and see if I can sleep better. Hot flashes keep me awake alot...had to get up last night for a cool cloth.
My Onc hasn't said anything to me about getting a trans-vaginal ultrasound, I will be seeing him in May (first mammogram since bc), so I plan on asking him about it, and are we suppposed to get lab-work done, too? My feet hurt every day, it's not the neuropathy, it's my heel from the bottom of my foot up the back of the heel....anybody else have that problem?
I really feel like all I do is deal with symptoms and side-effects and then wonder about any new problem that comes along because it scares me so.......
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Psalm121: I would definitely make a point to ask your surgeon if you need to stop for a certain time period before surgery. I know I received my prescription in December, but my BS did not want me starting it until I was at least 3 weeks post mx. I don't know the reasons behind it, but I imagine it has to do with the chance of blood clots and afer surgery you are normally pretty still and not active, but not sure. I plan to ask my PS next week if I need to stop prior to exchange. We can compare notes!
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Hi Linda,
LOL
fantastic description, I can safely say I haven't had a hot flash.......... yet.Good luck everyone!
Jules
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psalm121---I took tamoxifen for 5 years. My gyn said not to stop my tamox before my abdominal hysterectomy, but in hindsight I think I should've anyway due to the risk of bloodclots. Ironically, the nurses forgot to give it to me the 3 days I was in the hospital anyway. I had hot flashes, insomnia and achiness while on tamox, but really not significantly until I lost the ovaries, so my oncologist feels my SEs are more from my surgical menopause and not the tamox. (I think it may have been the combination of the two). My feet hurt especially first thing in the am. Actually, I still have all the same SEs even after going off tamox for 4 months, taking evista the past year, and now being off evista temporarily (so my SEs are proving to be from loss of estrogen, not the meds).
Anne
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Hi everyone! I am going to start tamoxifen soon, oh yes, there is fear.
I have question and might need to start a thread. How do I do that? chemo brain, I forgot!
Also, I'm going to be taking a 10 hour plane ride? Is that safe on Tamoxifen? I'm not going to be seeing my onc for a bit so I did want to ask?
Thanks in advance!
CH
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