Bottle o Tamoxifen
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Hi Ladies,
I have been one of your lurkers. This particular thread has been invaluable to me. I have gained much knowledge in dealing with some of the SE's that I have experienced that many of you are going through too.
Question for you. I started tami in June of 2013 and was still having normal menstrual cycles at that time. Soon after I stopped having them or just spotted. I haven't had a normal period since October but just started on Friday and this seems to be a normal one. Should I be concerned or is this just part of Tami? Last time I saw MO I had not had one for 2 months and she didn't seem concerned. She did want me to have a vaginal ultrasound but my gynecologist doesn't want to schedule until she knows I'm done with periods. She said give it a few months but each time I wait seems like I have another period.
Thanks for those who share their symptoms, remedies and all the other wonderful information here.
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Miss Pinky, hoping that your cardiac issue can be resolved with meds and no surgery. Sending positive healing thoughts to you....and (((hugs))).
Run, happy for you that you are back to your new normal on your preferred Teva brand. May it keep on coming!
Jeni72, hope you get your cr melatonin soon. With Amazon Prime I get it in a couple of days.
I rarely have hot flushes anymore (two years in) but this allergic itching is getting worse....kept waking me last night. Grrrrr.....
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Gertrude, I know that irregular periods are par for the course with Tami so most likely you are fine. The only thing you might want to be checked for is your endometrial lining? A not-as-common SE of Tami is that it can thicken your endometrial lining, and I think a symptom of that can be bleeding. Of course it's hard to know what the bleeding is - could very well just be a normal period! A vaginal US seems like a good idea in the next couple of months just to see how it looks? I have no medical experience or personal experience with this, so ladies if I have any of this wrong please correct me.
I ditto Lacey12's comments to all. Also, Lacey12, I was having terrible hives from Tami the first 2 weeks. I know this sounds crazy but I cut out all caffeine, starting eating a tablespoon per day of Coconut Oil (gross), and made myself a homemade sugar scrub with coconut oil to use in the shower, as well as mixing coconut oil with my lotion and altering myself in it at bedtime. The hives are so much better. I re-introduced coffee 2 days ago and so far so good but we'll see. Since we can't take all of our antihistamines I had to get creative and it seems to have helped. Not sure if it will make any difference for you but it's worth a shot!
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Hot Flushes - My worst is waking up at night - in a T-shirt with a warm vest, a duvet, a thin blanket and on top of that my daughter's cat sleeping on me! - I feel like I am being roasted alive - so I jump out of bed - peel off the layers and rip off my socks. I walk around the apartment bare foot for a few minutes in the dark to cool down and then get back into bed just before the freezing cold hits me.
The cat looks highly aggravated at being disturbed and as soon as I am back in bed and lying still she climbs on me again!
Ooo and how about having a hot flush wearing your winter coat but being tied into the car with a seat belt and unable to unbuckle and disrobe?
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runfree-you are so right my girlfriend was diagnosed 2 years pirogi to me, she could not handle the se of Tamoxifen and was allergic to Arimidex so she was taken off everything and just monitored. She just found out in December that its back, in her bones, small spot in lower left lung and breast wall. This has made me even more determined to do whatever to suffer through all the side effects. That way if it does in fact come back at least I won't be blaming myself, I know me I would.
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LAcy 12, I had a calcium cardiac scan. It determines how much calcium deposits are in heart arteries and my results were extremely high. Meaning I probably have blockages. I have been having pain under ribs and across back under shoulder blade. My EKG was clear so PDoc ordered scan as first test to figure out whats going on .This is a first test, non-invasive and tests next week will be echocardigram and dye stress test which will give me a definate diagonisis. I also am a diabetic, have rheumatoid arthritis, and have no thyroid gland so I take lots of meds. Went to sleep at 4am and slept till noon. I don't nap so I think getting to sleep problems are Tami related. love the hugs!
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Good luck with both of those diagnostic cardiac tests next week, Miss Pinky. Neither should be too invasive...I've had the dye (thallium) stress test in the past and it was pretty much the same as a treadmill stress test with the addition of the dye moving through your arteries. Hope it goes well.
Thanks, for the interesting info on approaching your hives reaction, Ycats. Unfortunately, coconut is one of my food allergies (which have expanded to include a ridiculous number of fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, and even the milder ones are still pushing me over the rain barrell's edge, in allergist language), so I'm not really able to try such a skin potion. So glad it worked well for you tho.
How did you come up with that idea?0 -
ooohhhh boy ...hot flashes ...so not looking forward to that...I am glad someone mentioned periods...I was wondering about if they will stop.
Runfree thank you for the link...I am not having any luck finding time release melatonin.
I have definitly done a 360 with my side effects by taking it after dinner. So happy!
I work a swing shift so my after dinners are at all times . If I take it a few hours before I sleep I am good...
Have a nice night..jeni
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mstrouble, so sad about your girlfriend. I hope they find lots of manageable treatments for her and she sticks around for a really long time.
Yes, good luck with your cardiac tests, misspinky. You sure have a lot to keep track of. Sounds like these upcoming tests won't be that bad, as tests go.
Lacey, as you may recall, I had skin craziness all fall, probably Tamoxifen's doing. Six weeks of oral Bactrim with topical Triamcinolone finally wiped it out. I'm off both of those now and it hasn't been back for about 2 1/2 months, knock wood. Occasionally I get a shadow of an itch and I attack it with Triamcinolone and it backs off.
Jeni, maybe if we all buy controlled-release melatonin online, some store chains will start to carry it!
I had only measly periods all fall, then none at all in January. Two
days ago, here it comes again, and it's robust. Go figure. I am 50 so
it's not fair to say it's all due to Tami.0 -
Im starting on Monday !!! I have a fun date with my husband and friends this weekend for Valentine's day !! I'm trying to get my mind ready and be thankful . Do you ladies take it in the am or pm ?? With or without food?? What if you forget one? I'm so bad....can't even remember or like taking vitamins
I promised my hubby and docs I would give it a good try 0 -
annika, I take it in the morning just before breakfast, with my multivitamin and extra vitamin D. It's not a big crisis to forget a pill because it lasts in the body for a long time--it's not one of those meds you shed in 24 hours or anything.
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Annika,
I take mine in the morning just before breakfast. It makes me slightly queasy, but eating makes it better. I've not had much in the way of side effects -- what I would call warm waves rather than hot flushes, and they're mostly confined to my legs (it's weird), but I haven't had any sleep problems . Get a weekly pill box to help you remember, and take them at the same time every day-- probably either right after you get up or right before bed.
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Annika 12 - Sorry to be curt but you gotta use soap if you want to be clean - you can't just keep it next to the bath and look at it!
You gotta take the Tamoxifen if you want it to work!
Agreed - missing 1 tablet will not make a difference but if you consistently miss tablets who knows what the minimal dose is that you can take and still have benefit.
You promised your husband and your doctor! What about yourself? You are worth looking after.
My memory is really bad so I set reminders in my phone, or write notes to myself.
I don't think "allowing" ourselves to be forgetful is helpful in any way.
Sorry to sound so fierce.
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bounce - no worries but to clarify . In the past I have always forgot to take vitamins however I eat extremely healthy and when I have been tested I have never been low on any vitamin or mineral. I was wondering if tamox. Was one of those that you have to "make up" if you miss or not. And finally I promised my hubby and doctors to try Cruz I'm considered hormone neg (only 3% ) !! Not planning on missing any and not giving up easily
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oh and thank you lojo and runfree I'm gonna start taking it in the morning !! Love breakfast and its the meal I usually remember to eat
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I am a nighttime gal - cos I always brush my teeth
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annika, I put three reminders in my phone for 8.30pm and it is usually after dinner. I always atke it after I eat something. I have a weak stomach and so far so good.
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I also recommend a daily pill sorter. I personally would not trust myself without one -- there are many mornings where I take my tamoxifen and D3 pills on auto-pilot, only hours later to question if I've taken them yet. The empty slot confirms it. :-)
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...what gemini4 said......
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hello everyone, I was traveling today and realized that I needed to take my pill. Tried to take it with just spit. Yuck!!!! They taste terrible and start to dissolve almost right away. I can take multiple pills at once and usually just with minimal liquid but never again with tamox. Am I am oddball? I take mine at noon. I have a weekly pill sorter, that separates into daily ones, so I can just carry the day's worth with me. But without the sorter I forget if I took something or not. I am still on about 5 meds a day. But way down since this same time last year.
I am in Florida for a wedding. I am hoping that the warmth will knock this cold and cough right out of my body. lol about hot flashes. I was on the plane and had to keep taking my sweater off and then put it back on, take it off, put it back on..... the guy next to me probably thought I was nuts. But that is why I dress in layers.
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I've been using the RxmindMe app on my iPhone to remember and it's been great because I tend to forget taking any type of pill. I've been taking it at dinner time as I never forget to eat dinner
Anyone else have headaches for weeks on end? I started taking it 3 weeks ago and I've had a headache and nausea for 2 weeks 6 days. ON the plus side, I'm not gaining weight.0 -
Gemini4 - that's me exactly! Starting on the 24th of this month and will definitely use the pill sorter.
Macatacmv - great timing being in Florida. You are missing some unbelieveable snow amounts!
DivaGC - sorry you are having headaches and nausea. Have you talked to Onc about it? It is reassuring that it is not affecting your weight.
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Jeni72 - about periods. Mine didn't stop but they went back to "normal" cycles - for the past few years they were getting heavier and closer together, but since Tami, they've gone back to what they were most of my life. I'm 46, fwiw.
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Lojo--I've been wondering if I'm crazy! I also have warm flushes instead of hot flashes and just on my legs! I've been on T for a year now and this just started a couple of weeks ago. If this is my menopause, I'll take it! I've been dreading hot flashes and these flushes I get are usually just one or two a day....usually 1 at night as I go to sleep and one about 6am as I'm starting to wake. I'd love no flushes at all but lord knows we won't get off that easy!
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Jeni, my period stopped in October with first TC chemo. I am 45. Hasn't been back yet.
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My period also stopped with first TC chemo and hasn't returned! I am 48.
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I take my Tamoxifen w my antidepressants at night right before bed. Been having what I think are minimal side effects, some bone/joint pain. Biggest problem I feel is that the Tamoxifen keeps my weight on. I am now actively trying to lose weight by eating healthier, just started this week. My periods come here and there, nothing consistent. I always seem to have mild cramping/pain in the lower abdomen area. I'm 37.
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Hi all
I read this thread religiously and I started taking Tamoxifen at night before bed but found it gave me heartburn and nausea and I really had trouble sleeping so I moved it back to dinnertime which unfortunately is a bit of a moving target with my job. Dinnertime (or early evening LOL) seems to work so much better and I have not missed a pill yet (jinx) and just bring them when I travel for work. I never took birth-control pills so doing this daily was something I worried about but it seems to be stuck in my brain "take your pill"
mstrouble- so sorry to hear of your friend's diagnosis- I agree with you any/all side-effects are something I can tolerate when I consider the possible alternative.
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Hi I'm new here.
I've been on Tamoxifen for 5 years and my Onc wants to discuss (at my appt in April) moving to an AI for another 5 years, or staying on Tamoxifen for another 5 years. (I'm post menopausal now).
Have any of you here been on Tamoxifen for more than 5 years?
Have any of you heard of moving to an AI after 5 years of Tamoxifen, or extending Tamoxifen for 10 years?
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hi Springtime, welcome! I started tamoxifen last April with the understanding that I'll be on some type of hormone therapy (AI once I'm post-menopausal) for ten years. I believe the findings that ten years provides more protection than five was presented in 2012 at the San Antonio breast cancer conference, so now it seems that's the new standard.
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