Bottle o Tamoxifen
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It took about a 1 1/2 weeks for the effexor effects to stabilize. Sometimes I still get a little woozy, but now I know how to handle that (don't get up quickly). Always eat something with it! If I need to be at work at 7, I take it by 5:30. Good luck.
blue
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Hi lovelies!
I took my first Tamoxifen pill last night. I slept, had hot flashes but not sure it was anything different than I was getting prior.
I didn't explode yet! LOL.
Springie.
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traci1970, I went bonkers in the way like I got very dizzy, my pupils dilated to the point my eyes looked totally black, I could not hardly walk. It was like being back in the late 60's and taking a bad acid trip! Not that I ever had one or even did that stuff, but I was around a few people who did it and had a bad trip! I don't remember the dose I was taking, but I know it was a low dose. Anyway, everyone is different. I could not take it.
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I am trying to balance out when to take my tamox and effexor. I would like to take one in the am and the other in the pm. I have only been taking the effexor every other day and it works for me. No monster and no hot flashes. I did feel extremely over stimulated when I took it yesterday and then I crashed and was tired and felt sick. I am gonna hang in there and keep taking them both. How is everyone else taking theirs??
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Hello! I am getting ready to board the Tamoxi-Train. I have my ticket, the bottle of 20mg. pills that is hidden from view, as if contraband, and am awaiting the conductor to officially welcome me aboard. I have to say this has caused me the most angst since being dx. and even then I think I was in such shock that I just went through the motions. I had wire guided biopsies of both breasts, one was benign calcifications and the other malignent. The margins were not clean, so that I had another surgery scheduled to remove more tissue and do the snb. In the mean time, I had an emergency colonoscopy, which turned out just fine, thank goodness. I then developed broncitis and had to delay the surgery for a week. Following the surgery, I ended up with another bout of broncitis that knocked me for a loop!
I went through my course of 30 rad's and seven boosts and finished a week and a half ago. I began to react to the treatments on the third day, which is unusual, but I am very fair skinned. The reaction continued and then the fatigue set in. I have not worked, with the exception of a few four hour days since the week before Christmas.
Prior to my dx. I tried to eat as healthy as I could, walked and did my true passion, yoga and meditation on a daily basis. I had energy and felt vibrant. That ended with the treatment and just yesterday and today I started to feel more like myself.
My onc did not want me to start the Tamoxifen for a while because of the skin reaction the awful fatigue. Infact, my rad. onc told me that I looked like something the cat dragged in!! I was too tired to be insulted!! Now that I am beginning to feel better I don't want to go backwards. I had a period in July and then nothing, so I thought I had stopped until low and behold on 12/31/08 it arrived, Happy New Year! My onc. said that put the stop to anything but Tamoxifen. I have not had it since and have never had a hot flash. All of the side effects scare me, yet if I don't take it, and I get a recurrence I would never forgive myself, as I would always wonder what would have happened if I had taken it. My OncoDx (hope I spelled it right) was 14% reduced to a 9% chance of a recurrence on Tamoxifen.
I hear the train whistle blowing in the distance and it is getting closer, so I suppose I will be hopping on board on April 6th. At least there are a lot of passengers who boarded long before I will to keep me company on this jouney to a healthy, long, life...
Glad you are all here I need you!
Regards,
Julianne
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Welcome aboard Julianne! You sound like you are very much in control of what your doing. Nice job!! I wish you all the best on this leg of your journey.
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Thank you, Makraz. I think I will need all of the support I can get. It is comforting to be able to talk about this with people who understand. As my cousin's wife, 14 year survivor, said "Welcome to the Sisterhood!"
Julianne
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Springtime & Julianne,
Welcome aboard the Tamoxi Train! I want you to know that it can be a bumpy ride, so hold on tight! I have been taking Tamoxifen since Nov. 2007, and I seem to be doing ok with it.
You will most likely be just fine... but come here and post often, to let us know how you are doing.
The job search continues, but I don't think I'll ever find a job... I can't even get an interview!
I'm going to go to bed now... see you later, ladies...
take care.
HUGS
Harley0 -
Welcome to the new riders! I know that jumping on a train where you do not know the direction it is headed is scary. Believe me, I had a very weepy night the first night I took Tamoxifen. Five years was too long for me, so I decided to go three months at a time and reevaluate with my Onc every 3 mos. I'm just over a year now. I've had a bunch of SE's, and now my oncs are asking me to consider Lupron or Surgery and QOL. I'm still not sure where I fall on these issues. I'm hoping to have a good heart to heart with my Onc in April.
Effexor - my experience with Effexor was not in taking the drug, but rather coming off the drug. I was on 75mg/day. I've been tapering off for about 3 weeks. It has been a struggle. I too have felt like I was high, and alternately sick as a dog - all from trying to get off the drug. I'm going off because it did not help my night sweats. I'm not trying to frighten you - I just wish I knew how difficult it would be to come off before I started. I probably would have still started the drug, but perhaps at the lowest dosage of 37.5
Barbie
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Today I start taking the Tamoxifen. I am hoping not to have to many SE's!!!!
Am glad to have read what to expect..
I am 44 year old with 3 kids... 24,20 and a 3 1/2 yr old. (pre-menopausal)
My onc told me to take a baby aspirin with the tamoxifen. Supposed to help with clotting?
I already take a baby aspirin with my SIMCOR (Cholestrol) medicine for hot flashes. He said just to take 1 aspirin either Bayer or a baby aspirin. 1 for both meds.
Now I am wondering????? Do you think that if the baby aspirin helps with hot flashes when taking Simcor it will help with hot flashes while taking Tamoxifen???
Anyone else here taking a baby aspirin with the Tamoxifen??
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I'm taking a baby aspirin with the Tamoxifen. I don't think that's had any effect on the hot flashes. They were better during the winter (it doesn't feel uncomfortable to be hot when the room is like an icebox, it just feels not cold) but as the weather has gotten a little warmer, they seem to be getting more frequent again for me.
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Mevanatta:
Welcome! Get a seat on one of the cars... maybe the bar car or the chocolate car, or my favorite, the pasta car!
Hope you do well with the Tamoxifen. I haven't been around much, but I'll try to stop in more often.
Harley
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Harley,
You didnt tell me there a chocolate bar on this train!! I've got to go find it!
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Harley, Makraz
Stay away from my assigned seat on the chocolate car!!!!!! I have a window seat, thank you very much! LOL Actually since I started tamoxifen, my cravings for chocolate have subsided and now I want salty foods - potato chips, popcorn, etc. I guess it's from not having our bodies take in estrogen and the cravings that go with it.
Pasta car? - show me the way!!!!
Trish
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Morning ladies!
I have a question you - has anyone had problems with their liver while on tamoxifen? I know that a fatty liver is a se of tamox, but how would the side effects manifest themselves? I'm having a "pain/pressure" in the area of my liver and I'm getting concerned. My visit with my onc isn't until mid-May and not sure if I should call the PA or not. Advise?
Thanks and gentle hugs to all,
Trish
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prayrv...Hey I crave chocolate and then I want something salty!
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Trish, I've always heard that any symptom that lasts for two weeks warrants a call. Why wait and worry for another six weeks to mid-May?0
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PatMom,
This just started within the past few days and so although I'm concerned, I'll wait to call onc for the couple of weeks. I'm just wondering if there were others that might have had the same type of issues with their liver and tamox.
Sunshine,
That used to be my problem too!!! Now it seems just salty stuff floats my boat nowadays.
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prayrv ... That's great news...maybe the chocolate craving will GO AWAY SOON ... Today it's peanut M & M's ! So far I haven't had any but the day is not over yet!
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oh, you guys are so funny! I am not a chocoholic, so I don't know just WHAT it is that I am eating more of these days, but I have definitely gained weight from Tamoxifen.
Trish,
Definitely get that new 'liver' pain/pressure checked out with your dr! And let us know what you find out, k? I'll be thinking about you, and praying for you.
Hugs
Harley
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I am just eating one square of dark chocolate a day, it's apparently healthy for us!
I have had 3 days on Tamoxifen and no explosions yet. lol.
Spring.
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Thanks for the welcome Harley44 and PatMom!!
Slept good last night and no noticeable problems today. However, my clothes felt "damp" this morning like I had been sweating all night.
Looks like there is a cool bunch of train riders here!
Hopefully, I get the side affect of weight loss!
The hardest part for me is going to be taking that pill every day. I did not use birth control pills since my twenties. Hard for me to buckle down and take a pill.
Guess I will go get me a pretty pill box with the days written on them....
ALL ABOARD!!!
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Harley,
Thanks for the prayers. I'll see how this "liver" thing progresses (hopefully not!) Sunshine, now I might have to buckle down and get some peanut M & M's at the grocery store. I just love to suck the candy coating shell off, then the chocolate before I eat the peanut. No one has accused me of being normal!!
Have a great evening all - I'm going to bed.
Trish
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So far, so good. Another night with the bottle o Tamoxifen...
Odd question, but has anyone had "cold flashes"? I think I saw this somewhere on the boards... I swear this was happening to me....
Spring...
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I got cold the forst week I was on Tamox.
I am happy to report that things seem to be going well with the Tamox / Effexor treatment plan. I only take 37.5 mg of Effex every other day. I may move up to daily but I am benefiting from the every other day right now. I was feeling "high" and I can tell that I am adjusting to the meds. I feel good, energetic and I no longer have the mood problem. I also have not been having hot flashes. I may feel warm from time to time but no real hot flashes. I got my report from the metabolism (2d6) test yesterday. I am in the normal range so I am soooo happy. I also had a repeat MUGA scan yesterday because I am still on herceptin and I am very pleased to say that I had a good result from that as well.
I hope everyone is doing well...Traci
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Spring.. Looks like we are both starting the Tamox this week. I got my bottle today. I am a little worried about taking it after having read about all the nasty SEs. I guess I'll wait til tonight just in case it makes me nauseated
Stacy
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Morning all!
I just finished my 5th bottle (3 mth supply each) and just wanted to let everyone know that this is very doable - for me anyway. I started October of 2007. The se's that I had were warm flushes, insomnia and mood swings. They more or less have tapered off. The only issue I have - weight gain. I've about 5-10 pounds, it fluctuates, but if that's the worse for me, I'll take it. Welcome all the new riders!
Harley - liver issue seems to have settled down today - the power of prayer!! Thanks.
Gentle Hugs,
Trish
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Springtime - How do you eat just one square of chocolate. I am a chocoholic. Any chocolate in my house doesn't last long. I've been known to hurt people over a piece of chocolate. lol And I haven't had chocolate in a little over two weeks. Trying to get rid of this chemo/Tamoxifin weight. What I wouldn't give for a small piece of Dove dark chocolate.
Karen
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Stacy, I have taken it I think for 4 nights. Nothing is happening yet!!! Though from what I gather, it seems to take 4-6 weeks for symptoms.
Lets make a pact not to dwell on symptoms! Onward with life!!
Spring...
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Springtime - Yes I get cold and hot flashes. Not sure which is worse. Other than a few back aches, I am tolerating tam pretty well. Haven't gained weight but I do exercies 4-5 days a week. Had a chest cat scan w/contrast to check on post radiation inflammation which is clearing up and found out I have a fatty liver. Called the dr. and she said definitely can be from tam but if my liver enzymes show up normal in my blood work, not to worry. Easy to say not to worry when it isn't happening to you. It is like a never ending cylce.
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