Bottle o Tamoxifen
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tinkertude - Aren't hot flashes fun? NOT!!! Hope they go away. It is weird - I was having raging hot flashes before starting the T and now I hardly have any. Hope it stays that way.0
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Jan I find myself really hot during some nights, not all......but not sweating, I strip down and throw the covers off but continue to be restless.........could this be pre-menopause as I am 45....
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In the 2.3 years I've been taking tamoxifen, I've noticed that sometimes for a week or two, my eyes will having an irritated feeling and look a little red, not always associated with allergy or cold symptoms. This tends to come and go. My vision is just going through the normal yearly deterioration. Have needed reading glasses for more than 5 years now. My 83 year old mother doesn't though! But she has trouble with distant vision, which I don't, so I guess aging affects the eyes in different ways in different people.
I have insomnia most of the time since being on tamox, in that I can fall asleep easily, but can't stay asleep more than 4 to 5 hours. However, I occasionally go through periods where, for weeks at a time, I'm sleeping a lot and sleepy part of the day too.
CrazyKittles, while tamoxifen just gives temporary menopause symptoms while you are on it, oophorectomy will give sudden, irreversible menopause. So you could be trading one problem for something worse. Just something to think about and research well before doing anything drastic.
As far as menstruation goes, tamoxifen can stop periods completely in some women, cause irregularity in some, and have no effect on them at all in others. I'm going on a year now without one, but was skipping them for months at a time even before starting on it. The younger you are the less likely it is to stop them for good. I'm sure if you've had chemo, if not in chemopause already, it will definitely cause earlier menopause due to the destruction of eggs.
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phxsunshine-thanks where is your daughter getting married?
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Oh for a good night sleep. No hot flashes or night sweats, just wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep.
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Sherryc - in Georgetown. My daughter's in Grad School at UT and they met there. He is a UT grad too. Super-duper awesome guy, we couldn't be happier for them.
I have had irregular periods the past year and was having one when I started the tmox in Sept. Have not had one since or even felt like it was coming. My Chemo Doc thought this might happen, that I'd go from perimenopause to menopause. He plans on me switching to Arimidex after 2 years time.
For any readers out there ~ I am 1/4 of the way through, "The Emperor of all Maladies, a biography of Cancer". Very well written and very interesting to see how the medical treatment of cancers developed over time, and how fortunate we are that we are diagnosed at this stage of the game. God bless all the poor folks who came before us.
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phxsunshine--I am just an hour from Austin-it is a great city. My brother and DIL both went to Law School at UT.
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Hi Ladies,
Just catching up with this fast moving thread. I have decided to take a break from Tamox (Started in Sept of 2010) as it was having too much of an effect on my moods. I felt like I was on steroids: tweaked, amped-up, out-of-control. By the way**This terrible long-term moodiness has been there since day one of T. It seems to be getting worse, especially during my period. My family was walking on pins and needles around me. I noticed how horrid I was acting and realized my body needs a little break. I've not been on it for 3 days and have become more relaxed and balanced. I really am hesitant to take an antidepressant to deal with the SEs but am going to have to talk to the Onc and my PCP about it (who is the right person to prescribe the anti-depressant?). I have been combing this thread to see what the effects are, long-term and short, on recurrence rate etc. What does it mean to take a break from Tamoxifen? Are there studies about how this will effect me in the future? All good questions I will be taking to my doctors.
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June:
It could be perimenopause. I was post when I was DX and had already been through the hot flashes. The flashes on Tamox I find are a little different.
Jan
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June... I am like you "exhausted". Also been on T about 9 months ~ I am blaming it on the depressing cold weather. I think I generally used to get in this tired almost depressed state pre-cancer. The hot flashes and sweats are brutal at night and really do a number on my sleep. I am so exhausted during the day. I would pay to lay down and take a nap today, but it isn't in the cards. Kids to run all over after school activities, work and such ! I think I may try accupuncture for the hot flashes soon. Then maybe a naturopath too.
Hang tough sisters !
Alicia
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Hi all....
I am surprised at how some of you have not had bloodwork. But all doctors are different I have found reading here. I've had so much blood drawn I'm not sure I have any left!!lol seriously. I'm sure they would accomodate you and do bloodwork if you are concerned though.
She also has me coming back in at 5 weeks for bloodwork and checkup after starting Tamox...which is in Feb) I think I've seen her at least once a month since being diagnosed.
Had bloodwork at the beginning. Thats where we found out my Vit D was severly low. (17, now up to 37.5 with Vit D3 supplements) And also where we just found out I had become anemic since first bloodwork 3 months earlier ...stopped eating red meat completely. She also checked liver function before starting Tamox. (as well as blood clotting and metabolizing tests, these were at my request) She will do more bloodwork for my 5 week checkup next month to check my iron levels again and my liver again also to see how my body it handling the Tamox. I feel like a pincushion but I'm glad to have the knowledge of what's going on inside me and with my body.....as much as I can anyway.
She did tell me that they really don't recommend doing the metabolzing test but did it for me anyway. I am a extensive metabolizer so that is good but apparently has no bearing on what kind of side effects I'll have. So many variables I think there with all of us and our chemistries.
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gotta laugh at myself ---> i have had bad insomina and frightening mood swings since childhood. of course its managed now with the wonders of chemicals. MY POINT? all the bad tamoz SE that plague others are not new , not even noticable, to me. bad humor huh? ispired by whitedove's post. applaud your recognition of what is a goo fit for yourself ~ ~ nancy-carol
re the cancer book! i'll say! i had 2 surgeries and rads for cancer in my cerrebellum with what seemed to be 2 steps ahead of hi tech. THEN!! today it would be considered barbaric. ~ ~ still nancy carol
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Eastcoastgrl.......I wonder if you are being tested so much due to the fact that you had chemo....you did have chemo right???? I just had my 2 surgeries and then 35 visits of rads so I am not sure if that is why I am not being tested....I almost feel like I should lately as I am starting to worry as I am exhausted beyond words.......Jan I wonder if you are right as I have no night sweats but hot hot hot.......wonder if it is coming soon.
, that is the night sweats.I take a multi everyday and caltrate with vitamin D, just wondering if I need to take more, not that I want to.....
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I want to be tested because I take my tamox along with my liquid iron, low dose naltrexone, and probiotics and I want to make sure these things are not canceling it out.
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June....
No, thankfully I did not have to do chemo or rads. I had a BMX and had a really low oncotype score of 9. So with that, the size and stage of my tumor and no positive nodes, the benefit of chemo did not outweigh risk in my case.Tamoxifen is it for me. (besides the mountain of supplements I now take..took some before cancer but added to them since!!)
I think my Onc is just very thorough and some of the findings of those blood tests led to other blood tests. (such as checking vit D, then rechecking to make sure levels are up, then the anemia and again having to recheck and my requests for extra bloodwork --metabolizing and blood clotting tests-- ...but she did do another full panel including liver function beginning and to be soon after starting T. I think she said she will check my liver function yearly after this though (but still seeing her every 3 months). I will also have vaginal ultrasounds every 6 months to keep an eye on my uterine lining.
Have you had your vitamin D level tested? There seems to be a link they think to breast cancer and low levels of D. My Onc tests that always. If you haven't, it may be a good idea so you know where you are with that. I tell everyone to do that now!!
Mine was so low, I was shocked. Had my 18 yr old daughter's tested and hers was 19! She's on the prescribed megadose of vit D now and will go to 3,000 per day after that. 0 -
Eastcoastgrlyou have a 18 year old looking like you do in that profile pic.....damn you look marvelous!!! I think I am going to be a little bit more insisting on my next appt in March.....
JustmeAlicia- I am glad to know that I am not alone in the way I am feeling. I do wonder if it is the weather as it is awfully cold out there and depressing unless you like to ski and are an outdoor person. I was walking every morning when the weather permitted and maybe cause I cannot do as much as I used to even though I have a treadmill (boring). I am the type who likes to be outside and walk......however I am still exercising, but more like 3-4 times a week as apposed to 6 times......could be that, but it has to be the pill or my age....lol
I love that I have all you ladies to share my input with....it really helps. THANKS!!!!
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June...
Love you for that!
Thanks so much... I needed that about now. That picture was taken this past July (2 mos prior to DX) but I feel like I've aged a ton since then with the diagnosis, surgeries, reconstruction, wear and tear on me physically and mentally, etc. My daughter just turned 18 in Dec and I will be 44 in a couple weeks.She is a senior this year. Hard to believe! I also have a 12 yr old son (who I'm also going to have tested for VitD....I think we are all low)
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I also hate the cold. Love to get out and walk or jog in the nice weather but NOT the cold. No way. I do have a treadmill (hate it...borrrrringgg) so never get on it. I also have a Rebounder (mini trampoline with fancy name that costs alot of money,lol ) I do use that occasionally. Kinda fun. It's also supposed to be good for the lymph system. I have some workout dvd's. P90X which hubby and I did a couple years ago but would not even attempt right now...and Turbo Jam which is lots of fun and a few others. I don't do them as often as I should....just have a harder time in the winter getting motivated
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I am way low on Vitamin D and am now taking 5000 IUs daily.
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The Vit D issue very interesting, I happen to have a yearly exam just a moth or so before I was diagnosed and mine was very low as well. I was on 50,000iu per week for 12 weeks, never thought of having it rechecked good idea!... I didnt do chemo or rads either, maybe thats why no bloodwork so far, but I am still going to ask for some liver panel checks next time I go...
EASTCOAST girl your Onc sounds wonderful and very thorough... My son just turned 18 last week
time does fly and my "baby" will be 16 this Oct... wow!!!!..possible snow on the way, actuallly hope so here in Northern Va. we have been teased by the last few and have gotten nothing really...just 1 would be nice
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Yes, get it rechecked. Do you take a daily D3 since finishing the 50,000? I did those for 4 weeks and moved to 5,000 D3 a day.
Snow, I think I've had my fill of that! We had sooo much snow, more then we usually get, right after Christmas. Spring can't get here soon enough!
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I know we are up by Woodbridge and have just missed it each time this year..
The only D3 I am on is the D3 that is in the Calcium pills my onc told me to get the calcium pills are 600mg I am suppossed to take twice a day, I will check to see how much is in it. Thanks!
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Sounds like we need a Vit D car on this train! My onc tested & I was low too. Will finish 12 weeks of 50,000/week of D2 next week. Then I'm supposed to be retested. The endocrinologist I saw in the meantime said when I finished the 12 weeks of D2 I should start taking 2000 D3 each day.
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Ok so clearly the supplement 1,000X2 daily is not enough! I go and see my radiologist at the end of March so I will have to check with him at that time. In the meantime, I plan on upping the ante on my Vit D...I also take a calcium/magnesium suplement and omega 3...
I too am pooped post-radiation...managed to keep it moving over Christmas but am not my usual speed this month...I am still multi-tasking and exercising etc. but I am tired when I wake up...despite the zopliclone to ensure I get sleep at night...have not had time to pick upi the glycine but plan to do so Thursday after work....of course, -27 celsius with the windschill does not help matters..but it sure DOES help the odd hot flash I seem to be getting!
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Hi all,
In a bc support group and all the women had low vitamin D levels after being dx. I'm in the Pacific Northwest where there is a higher number of women getting dx with bc.
June, don't miss the MA weather. Lived in Westfield, MA for 3 years. The winters are cold and the summers hotter than hell. See that the temp is minus 5 at the moment. Good luck with the storm.
Allison, good to see you here on this thread.
I would kill for a good nights sleep. After I get back from the UK I'm demanding my onc does bloodwork and scan. I just don't feel right. The last time I spke with him he just seemed to poopoo (sp) my concerns.
It's been 1 week since not taking prozac and I haven't killed anyone (yet). Things are looking up.
Raising my skinny girl margarita to all my brave sisters.
Cheers,
Jules
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Evening everyone!
East Coast and Tinker: My daughter (17) is a senior this year too and my youngest son is 13! I hated having to do chemo and rads during that critical college app period in the fall, but I have to say she handled it all by herself and did a very good job.
None of my doctors have mentioned anything about Vitamin D to me. They did find me to be iron and B12 deficient and I am being treated for it. So, I guess they tested my vitamin D, but I will have to check at my next visit. Thanks for the info everyone.
I have been on the Tammy Train now for a week and really haven't noticed any side effects. I am having trouble sleeping, but not certain that is the Tamoxifen. As for hot flashes, it is so damn cold here that if I am having hot flashes, they are keeping me warm so I am not noticing!
Swansea...I could use a good old fashioned beer...you have any of those in that skinny girl margarita car??
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Swanseagirl. Thanks for the info...
How much vitamin D are folks taking post-rads? After reading all of this, I can only assume i need to up it!
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For Vit D - just be sure you add it up from all supplement sources. For example, most multivitamin pills include Vit D and most calcium pills also include Vit D. That's what endocrinologist told me - to shoot for 2,000/day total. (You don't have to count what you get from foods that have Vit D added, like cereal or orange juice ).
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Thanks JanetinVirginia. I have been taking 2,000 total so sound slike my guesstimate was right. phew!
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SPTMM62..How wonderful your daughter was able to do that. It is so wonderful when they rise to the challenges. You must be very proud!!!
ok could of really used a skinny margarita today... one of thos Tammy days... wanted to either jump out of my skin or burst into tears. I am past due for my period and really wonder if it like mega PMS... compliments of Tammy!!!.. Didnt take any calls today didnt want to talk to anyone just kids and hubby and well they live here lol... ugh oh well tomorrow is a new day and hopefully a better one... THanks for letting me vent!!!!
Goodnight. Tammy sisters!!!!
Maria
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