Bottle o Tamoxifen
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Lala1- thanks for the advise have to see what mg was on the one I have and maybe try cutting it in half and see if that works better
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Cecilia, I also had really odd nightmares when I first started Tamoxifen, they gradually went away and I only get them occasionally now. I have been on Tamoxifen since Sept.
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Cecelia, ditto on the vivid dreams.....tho mine were not exactly nightmares, just extremely vivid dreams. They subsided after the first few months and only happen very occasionally now.
I heard back from MO about the Celebrex/tamoxifen question. She said that MGH and other oncologists allow their patients to remain on Celebrex with Tamox because there is no clear clinical evidence of it impacting the efficacy of Tamox. Think I'll also keep my fingers crossed!
The scoop on the Ritalin is that it was a waste of time. I became very jittery (CNS stimulant, afterall), and did not feel more focused. Decided after six days that it was not my cup of tea. Not sure if I will look into any other ADD meds to deal with this cognitive fog.
More troubling is that the red, swollen, itchy eyes of last summer have returned, along with scalp and neck itching. And it's only January! Wondering if I need a few weeks off Tamox to let my body reset.
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IVe been getting Teva brand 20mg at Walgreens all along since march 2013 with noproblems in Texas. take one in a.m.
Had radiation and finished in may 2013. Now am having hurting under left rib cage. Anyone else have this . Don't have a gallbladder so its not that! Ca was in left breast also. Good luck to all having trouble getting Tamox
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misspinky, I am on about the same schedule as you, finished radiation May 3. I have pain under my left (BC) breast. It feels muscular, but it hurts most when I press my finger right against the rib bones. My MO says it's muscles being tugged by the scar tissue where they took out the lymph node. She said to stretch it gently, and she thought PT might help but it wasn't anything she thought I should jump on. My RO said it might instead be pain from the radiation and PT wouldn't help. I am trying to stretch that area a little in the shower and otherwise ignore it. Have you had any PT? I had a couple of months with two therapists knowledgeable about LE and post-BC care, and it helped quite a bit.
kanam, great news that you are feeling better and starting to work out again!
Lacey, I'm sorry to hear the Ritalin isn't helping you and you've discontinued it. I'm sorry for you and I'm sorry for me, because as I mentioned before, for at least twenty years I've secretly been wanting to try Ritalin for my disorganization and procrastination problems. Maybe your dose was too high? Or maybe it just wasn't the right med.
I've been having interesting dreams too--not scary, just more interesting than usual--but I wasn't linking them to Tamoxifen. I have also been taking Ambien a little more often to make sure I got to sleep efficiently, since I'm now waking up at 5 to work out, so it could be from that. Then again, I've been taking Ambien for a few years and never had weird dreams from it. Maybe I'll track my more colorful dreams and see if they always come on Ambien nights.
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just wanted to chime in on the vivid dreams. Yes! Yes! Yes! I've been on tami since May 2013 and experienced them straightaway. Now, however, they come infrequently. Did have one last night that was a bit more vivid than usual bordering on scary. But, I survived! lol!
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Just back in town from a few days away-so this may be very old news. I take Effexor 150mg ER for night sweats (and love the SE of helps with depression:). I have very FEW night or day sweats. But every other SE to the nasty drug
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The vivid dreams/nightmares are Tamox related? I have had dreams that my children (adult children) are young and being kidnapped. Several of those. One that I was on the Today show, broke my heel, there was a fire, and my children were there (again young) and I could not get to them. Talk about crazy. And many many more. But so vivid that I have to get up and actually prove they are not true. I actually did some dream research and convinced myself some were due to my youngest (23 year old daughter) separating from me more and leaving for law school-the kidnapping dreams. Have had several fire dreams-am going through the property settlement from the #*%&%^@ ex-husband who walked the day my port was placed and moved in with someone else (and had several since) and decided those were "burning the bridges". If Tamox related will stop the crazy psychobabble dream research and watch reruns of Modern Family and have a beer.
Does anyone on here live in NM or far West TX? I need a play group who understands. No groups in my area.
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Susan, no sorry, I live almost as far east as one can get and still be in US. I'd have been in your playgroup in a minute. Wait, you weren't talking about a true little kid playgroup were you?
I had very vivid anxiety dreams for quite a while. I was sent for a sleep study and it turned out I barely slept at all but did not have apnea. I have switched off the 150mg effexor onto 50mg Pristiq and am sleeping a whole lot better. What a chemical experiment this all is. The trick is that we are all very different so we each have to experiment to see what works for us. My PCP did a bunch of research and found that they group the side effect drugs (ie effexor or cele(?)) by interaction degree, so again it is weighing the risks against the benefits. But it gave us hope that there will be an answer that I can live with. I still have some hot flashes, but they are not as bad as they were.
My DS was here this weekend. So I had a cheat day for my diet. Boy, did food taste good. But I am back to the routine, now. He said to me at one point, you know, Mom, you will be thinner but you will never regain your youth. Gotta love the kids, right?
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RUnfree16, my OC put me on Tami 20mgs and i have a heart test scheduled Tues to check for plaque or rad damage. Checking for reason for pain. My rad doc said to massage my left breast because scar tissue would form and harden and pull and hurt. My Pcp doc is having test run. My dad and his mother both died of heart problems in their 70's. Its some sort of CT scan of my heart. Ive also been short of breath since finishing rads. Don't know if one thing has anything to do with the other. Just dread going through these SE's for 4 to 9 more years. Keep in touch since we are similar with timing.
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misspinky, I have lots of pain in chest area and under ribs since rads. Which were 2 years ago. We ran lots of tests and found nothing seriously wrong. I also had shortness of breath. It is good to run the tests, but your body has been under a lot of stress and it takes lots of time to recover. I had PT for range of motion in my arm and underarm area. I am now back in pt because I was dx with fibromyalgia (I don't think I really do) because the of the continuing pain. I think we have to go into this tx with an open mind and deal with whatever comes our way. That is what is so good about this forum, we find we are not alone. let us know how the tests turn out.
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MAcatacmv, no doc has suggested PT, have told me to exercise but I have so much chest pain I couldnt stay with plan. I also have rheumatoid arthritis and bad knees. Don't know if Tami causing under rib pain, also have a lot of fatigue and can't get to sleep at night usually awake til 2 or 3 am. I'm going to try melitonin suggestions from others. Gonna buy it tomorrow. Ill post test result.
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Nope Mac-I do NOT mean a children's play group! I want full grown haired over adults. Women. With my friend Maddie from another thread for sure. She is in the UK so will need to figure this out.
My shortness of breath was from the lovely Herceptin acting on my heart to the point Herceptin had to go away so my heart could stay.
My MO tossed the fibromyalgia at me also. I have tossed it back. Pointed out I was just fine until June 2012 and I let his band of bandits loose and it has been hell since. So, no thank you very much. I was just fine. Essentially healthy. No pain. Hardly took any drug ever. I am calling him tomorrow to set an appointment to revisit the topic of which estrogen sucking drug or estrogen blocking drug is the least horrid and/or is there anything else on the horizon that is less likely to make me want to run over people in the street.
Blessings to my friends who listen to me gripe and complain. Love to each and every one.
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Miss Pinky, I'm surprised that your doc has not recommended PT, especially if you have knee problems. This past summer I was referred to PT first for a shoulder problem caused by my overzealous stretching with my new exercise program....then for my knees which I managed to hurt trying to jog a bit during my walks (big mistake for old, unsupported knees).
Well, I really worried that I would be meeting up with a scalpel for one or both joint problems. Not so! My PT worked me really hard over a few months, taught me a lot, and I have continued the stretches and streghthening exercises on my own regularly since terminating. While the shoulder tendons are not "cured" I have regained a wide range of motion, can use it for any needed reaching and lifting, and know what to do to keep it relatively pain free. Then learning (and doing!) quad stretching and strengthening exercises has helped my knees enormously. Who knew how much support one's knees need (from quads and glutes) to avoid injury? I sure didn't....but do now, and am so happy to have knees that no longer complain about any of my activity and exercises. Best of all, my joints will probably not see a scalpel at least for quite a while. I found PT to be very helpful to enhance my current quality of life.
Run, the Ritalin dose was very low....just not the meds for this sensitive body. I will have to decide if I want to try to push through the cog fog for the next three years (feels like a lot of effort), or find a psychopharm doc who will prescribe an ADD med and walk through this with me. To be continued...:/
The whole vivid dream thing is just so fascinating to me....wish we understood if/how it is related to the Tamox. Never experienced anything like it before....
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Has anyone had recurrent yeast infections on Tamoxifen? I've been on T since last April and have had 2 yeast infections in the last 3 months. Before that I hadn't had one in years. Over-the-counter meds cleared up the infections, but I'm wondering what I can do to keep them at bay. Eat lots of yogurt?
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tamoxifen definitely seems to mess with vaginal flora. I haven't had a full yeast infection but have felt "off" at times, especially back during the hot summer. I've treated these "off" times with OTC yeast cream, and it responds quickly. Probably the best bet to keep everything in balance is to take a probiotic on a regular basis. Yogurt is great, but I don't know if eating a daily serving is enough to fight a yeast overgrowth.
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Pam, I agree with Gemini that Tamox will grant unwanted vaginal surprises, given the changes it causes to our system balance. Could you try a probiotic formula like Acidophilus? It may do more than the yogurt, but additionally, yogurt can't hurt either. Good luck!
Learned today when I went for my PE that I need to see an allergist for these damn itching eye allergies. I try to shed my too many docs here and there, and have been unsuccessful of late, except for the orthopod I saw for my shoulder and knee problems which are resolved.
. I also learned that I am 25 lbs lighter than I was last year at this same time. Yay! Good motivation to keep up the exercise and healthy eating. Macatacmv, I got a kick out of your DS's comment. We can really count on those guys to keep us honest. Last week I was at a Celtics' game with DH and sons, and I commented on how amazed I was at how easily their cheerleading dancers can twerk the way they do. I innocently said, I can't even imagine how to begin to do it, and DS1 said, "Well mom, you are 68, after all, it could have something to do with that!" 'Nuff said!
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yep, lacey, the kids can keep us in line, sometimes. ha ha about twerking. I didn't even know what it was until the Miley episode. The closest I come to it is playing the hula hoop game on Wii. I find yoga is helping me a lot. I am getting some strength back and flexibility and my breathing is so much better. Whatever we do it takes time.
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I have a question for you all -- I am on my second week of Tamoxifen, and feeling something that I remember from years ago as premenstral ovary pain. I entered menopause 9 years ago at age 50, so my memory is fuzzy -- it has been so many years since I had a period. Is this an SE of the Tamoxifen?
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Teamkim, here's my unscientific understanding of how tamoxifen works (in other words, don't quote me ;-) :
Tamoxifen seems to act like a beneficial estrogen in the uterus and bones. So at first it's common to have symptoms like vaginal discharge and probably the cramping you're experiencing. This seems to go away pretty quickly once things level out. I remembering feeling similar to how I did when pregnant when I first started tamoxifen (fortunately sans nausea), and it only lasted a month or so.
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Lacey, that's fantastic about your weight loss! I feel like I hit rock bottom a few weeks ago (not a bad thing, I see it as very positive) with regard to my weight and fitness level. I need to drop my weight by ten percent, and most of my extra weight is in my midsection -- really needs to go away. I can't blame tamoxifen because I will admit that I've been eating with impunity lately and not moving. So my magic stone is the Fitbit that I bought myself last week. It's been pretty eye-opening to realize just how sedentary I have been. I've been active every day (currently on Day 8), and Saturday I finally made the 10,000 steps goal (and did it Sunday and yesterday as well). Also tracking my food with My Fitness Pal, so I should start to see some of this weight come off. I don't see how I can't, because I've cut down on my intake significantly and increased my activity probably three-fold.
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To all the wonderful ladies who mentioned taking Effexor for Tamoxifen side effects THANK YOU!!
I have been on Tamoxifen for 4 months now and was suffering side effects to the point I wanted to stop taking it and accept the risks. After reading some of the comments here about taking Effexor and how it helped I wanted to try it but was skeptical. I made an appointment to see my Oncologist to talk to him about stopping the Tamoxifen because I just couldn't take the side effects anymore. I was miserable! He gave me a prescription for Effexor low dose, 37.5 mg once a day....It worked IMMEDIATELY! Instead of waking up 10 times a night and sweating throughout the day I only feel a warmness and have woken up once a night for the last three nights just to wipe the sweat from my forehead and in between my foobs and right back to sleep. My attitude is better and I actually feel good. I don't dread taking Tamoxifen now and am looking forward to the benefits of it instead of the cons of taking it. I am so happy I am not putting on a jacket because I'm freezing then ripping it off when I start hot flashing.. I haven't worn that jacket the last 3 days!
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RealityCheck! Great news about the Effexor. I have been so happy with my 37.5 mg dose. I have a couple of "warm flashes" before I go to sleep and then that's it for the night! No other side effects from tamoxifen after 3 weeks! And my mood is much better too, which is a great "side effect"! Good for you for speaking up with your doctor!!
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Tamoxifen shortage?? My pharmacy just called and said they are having trouble getting tamoxifen. A quick search on line indicates availability is an issue. Anyone else having trouble getting prescriptions filled??
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I'm seeing my MO on Monday and am going to ask about the 37.5mg Effexor. I couldn't handle the 75mg at all. Anyone else not cope with the higher dose but do okay on the half dose? I'm scared to try it again but can't cope with the hot flashes at night any more.
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Ladies-
I just wanted to make a note about the tumeric for joint pain- careful if you are a vegetarian like me. I ordered Gaia herbs Tumeric Supreme- the capsules are soy. o.0 I didn't even think about that happening as most veg caps are corn starch based. So, make sure you are asking about what your capsules are made of and check the inactive ingredients very carefully on everything.
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3boys4me, yes, a lot of us have been having trouble getting Tamoxifen made by Teva. The Watson brand does seem to be available. I and a few others were able to get Teva brand in 10 mg dose and take two, but in some cases the pharmacy needs to OK that with the MO's office.
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Also- my dr rx'ed 37.5 effexor, and i take it every 4 days. She said i could start there, then move to every 3 days if that did not help, then every 2, then 1, depending on what works. She said it isn't a bad idea to start this way anyhow. They don't call it side-effexor for nothing. And be careful coming off of it too, your doctor should step you down super slow.
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Gemini -- thanks for the explanation. The ovary pain seems to be easing, and my concern about it is eased by your reassurance. Trying not to read about the SEs too much because ai don't want to be looking for SEs that I will never have. I am in rads now, so I have enough to deal with on that front -- lube, lube, lube!
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Definitely having vivid dreams on the Tamoxifen. Let's not waste our precious grey matter trying to decipher them - let's just blame them on the Tamoxifen. Susan - watch your Modern Family!
Update on my misbehaving ovaries - my new OB sent me to meet with a GYN ONC today who definitely wants to remove the solid cyst on my right ovary (and possibly that whole ovary depending on the location / size of cyst). He casually mentioned that "many people your age" choose to have both ovaries and their uterus removed, too. Can't believe it, but after speaking to several friends today, I'm actually considering that. Anyone with any advice on that front?? I don't think I can handle 10 years of every 6 month endometrial biopsies . . .
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