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Bottle o Tamoxifen

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Comments

  • trvler
    trvler Member Posts: 931
    edited December 2016

    I have had only muscle cramping in my upper arms and hot flashes.

    To stop a leg cramp immediately, curl your toes up towards your body. Stops them dead in their tracks.

    I also waited to start my Tamoxifen. I started January 1, 2016. Only 9 more years to go. I do have some slight pain in my left joint in my finger but I am not sure if that's Tamoxifen. I had something similar a few years ago in my right thumb and it went away. My fingers are a bit swollen. I can't fit some of my rings anymore.

  • Scottiemom11
    Scottiemom11 Member Posts: 1,072
    edited December 2016

    I'm at almost 2yrs on Tamox. SEs started at about 1 month but we're much worse when I started monthly lupron shots for OS. Stopped the shots after 2 rounds of 4 months. I take gabapentin for the HFs, turmeric, ginger and magnesium for the muscle cramps and Charlie horses.

    Variable I have never waivered. All I have to think about is the n possibility of recurrence and I faithfully swallow my little pill as well as all of my horse pill supps.

    Also a bit of a funny. . .I was never even close to menapause and I enjoy telling docs that I'm in chemo pause instead. Got asked if I was still having periods today when I went for my annual (now bi-annual) lumbar epidural. I smiled at the nurse and said no. When she asked how long, I smiled and said that I had cancer so my docs stopped them. Makes me feel younger at leatst.

    Scottie

  • ArtyMom
    ArtyMom Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2016

    I just started Tamoxifen on Sunday. I also had to switch my depression meds. So far the only thing I think is related is a pending headache, that never quite comes to full power. Still waiting for other things to show themselves.


  • tbalding
    tbalding Member Posts: 383
    edited December 2016

    Variable, I stared at it the first time for a couple of minutes & then just popped it. The thought of reoccurrence outweighed any fears of se. Now it's my most important medicine I take. If you do have any se, you'll figure out how to manage them.

  • Catkin
    Catkin Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2016

    To Variable: I do remember holding that first Tamoxifen pill and looking at it and the feeling of taking a significant step when I determindley gulped it down with water. I was stressed leading up to it but felt better after I took it. Since then (a year and a month ago) if I feel like I don't want to take it, I think of it's protective power and any remaining cancer cells being starved of oestrogen and dying. Plus I think that I am doing what the doctors recommend and am doing the best I can to protect myself for me and for my family (I've also stopped drinking alcohol actually). This would be harder if my side effects were worse. Look at some of the recent posts above, some women get hardly any side effects, so don't expect the worst, just take the pill and try to forget about it, yeah I know that's impossible :)

  • lala1
    lala1 Member Posts: 974
    edited December 2016

    gardengypsy--- I take the Nature's Way Primadophilus Optima (yellow cap) with 14 strains and 35 billion CFU. It set me right pretty quickly! I do buy it from Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to online because I want to know it's been refrigerated. I have heard you should sometimes swap up the type you take, but this continues to work for me so I'm sticking with it.

  • gardengypsy
    gardengypsy Member Posts: 499
    edited December 2016

    thank you, lala

  • Carlsoda
    Carlsoda Member Posts: 120
    edited December 2016

    Merry Christmas to all my fellow tamoxifen sisters!! Smile Hope everyone has a wonderful relaxing day!

  • Scottiemom11
    Scottiemom11 Member Posts: 1,072
    edited December 2016

    Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays all.

    Adding an observation about SEs. . .I stopped Tamox for a few days due to lumbar epidural. HFs actually got much worse. So started back up again this morning.

    Scottie

  • RDA123
    RDA123 Member Posts: 55
    edited December 2016

    anyone have low grade dcis, not do radiation, but on tamoxifen??

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 461
    edited December 2016

    Mayn is no longer available anywhere in my market. Managed to find some back stock Watson (which has acquired or been acquired by Actavis) at a very inconvenient pharmacy. I am well and truly sick of having my generic (and thus my side effects) change every month or so, and sadly, only Mylan, which causes me unacceptable SEs, seems to be generally available.

  • jojo9999
    jojo9999 Member Posts: 52
    edited December 2016

    ksusan, I asked the pharmacist at costco if he could get me the mayne - he inputted the pill code and told me that his system says they will have it in january but couldn't give me a day. I plan to go back early next week and ask for an update.

  • Scottiemom11
    Scottiemom11 Member Posts: 1,072
    edited December 2016

    ksusan. . .I get Watson from Sam's Club. I'm going to ask them if they can order Mayne.

    Scottie

  • Variable
    Variable Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2016

    Scottiemom11-

    I have not broken the seal on my Tomoxifen bottle, planning to start it with the new year. In your post you mentioned your period had stopped. Was that attributed to the Tamoxifen? I have terrible periods and would see that as a huge benefit!

  • Miskatonic
    Miskatonic Member Posts: 3
    edited December 2016

    i have my bottle of Tamoxifen and plan to start it on Monday. Hopefully I am one of th lucky onez on SEs, but I am still having terribls hot flashes and night sweats from chemo (finished in August), and still some bad burns from rads (finished last week) so I am a little nervous.

  • gardengypsy
    gardengypsy Member Posts: 499
    edited December 2016

    Miska~

    I take Gabapentin and Lexapro for the hot flashes and it is very, very effective. Mine were absolutely disabling..

  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 199
    edited December 2016

    I've been taking it for almost 2 months. So far how hot flashes and mild leg cramps what I'm experiencing, if it hasn't been too bad so far. If it stays at this level I'll stay on it for sure. If it gets a lot worse then I will take another look at it.

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 461
    edited December 2016

    Thanks, jojo9999. I'll check at my next refill. I am okay with Watson if that's what i can get; I hate changing generics every couple of months and therefore getting different side effects.

  • Scottiemom11
    Scottiemom11 Member Posts: 1,072
    edited December 2016

    Variable. . .MO stopped my periods with Lupron shots. I had 4 rounds, one nasty cycle after a 3-month break and 4 more monthly rounds of shots. No mm period since then. At this point it must be the Tamox.

    Miskatonic. . .I am also on Gabapentin. I get a 2-Fer of help mm with the HFs and less nerve pain. I also takenmturmeric, ginger and magnesium glycinate which all help.

    Good luck Scottie

  • ArtyMom
    ArtyMom Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2016

    My medical oncologist started me on Tamoxifen while I'm doing my 33 radiation sessions. 4 down and 29 to go! So I've got a sore throat and a sore neck. Hard to tell what's causing what, don't want to blame everything on Tamoxifen. Got a prescription for Ambien for my insomnia but not having to use it too much because I am just so tired.

  • superius
    superius Member Posts: 310
    edited December 2016

    After what Miska wrote, I wondered the hot flash I had last winter was from chemo (but none happened during treatment). Haven't had any in the past few months (I THINK I had a few warm flushes?). Right now the only s/e I've noticed is the irregular period - it didn't come back until 11 months after chemo, beginning of july, then end of Aug, last was mid nov.

    I'm at the age when people start needed reading glasses, so I'm not sure with that one.

  • Wildtulip
    Wildtulip Member Posts: 470
    edited December 2016

    tsoebbin, My mom gets leg cramps from a med and was told to drink a glass of tonic water in the evening (her leg cramps happen at night). It helps her, so may be worth a try!

  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 199
    edited December 2016

    Thanks wildtulip!

  • Tresjoli2
    Tresjoli2 Member Posts: 579
    edited December 2016

    arty I had a sore throat when I was doing rads. Hugs...

  • Beaglemama
    Beaglemama Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2017

    Hi Ladies,

    I'm 5 weeks out of radiation, skin is great, feeling energetic and wonderful--until last night, when I started 10mg of Tamox 2x/day. 4 hours after taking first pill, I woke up with nausea, headache, and felt hot and kind of skin-crawly... Ascribed it to not eating enough for dinner. (Pretty unlikely, but hey you never know (:

    Woke up this morning, had coffee and Greek yogurt and honey, took the next 10mg Tamox pill. (generic Novaldex). Well, wouldn't you know it, two hours later, I feel a wave of nausea and headache coming on. Also the residual fatigue from not sleeping well the night prior (probably 5-6 hours all told).

    For the gals who had nausea with Tamoxifen, did it go away quickly? What did you do to mitigate it? Thanks for any input--take care!

  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 596
    edited January 2017

    I had it about a week when I started (restarted) Tamoxifen.

  • jpBCfree
    jpBCfree Member Posts: 72
    edited January 2017

    Hi.

    I've been on 20 mg tamoxifen since November 1st. I started taking 10mg for the first month to let my body adjust and then on Dec 1 I added the second 10mg. I take both pills right before bedtime...initially thought that I would take 10mg night and 10mg morning but found that the morning pill made me tired and slight headache so now I take all 20mg before bed (along with 5mg melatonin) and sleep well and no more tiredness or headache. The only SE I have stiff feet in the morning until I get moving and stiff hips when I sit too long. Exercise helps a lot. BTW, when I first started taking tamoxifen I woke up with slight headache and stuffy head like a sinus condition but that resolved after a few weeks and I no longer have that feeling.

    Good luck!

  • Lovinggrouches
    Lovinggrouches Member Posts: 346
    edited January 2017

    I had nausea for a few weeks and I too am stiff and hips hurt now if I sit for very long

  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 220
    edited January 2017

    How many of you had insomnia from tamoxifen? Not waking up because of hot flashes, but simply the med causing insomnia. That's what I'm really worried about because I'm already struggling with insomnia. Just wondering how common it is?

  • Cinnamon68
    Cinnamon68 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2017

    Hello All & Happy New Year!!Loopy

    I'm done with RAD the 27th was the last day........31 days of RAD nice to be done!!

    I was suppose to start Tamoxifen before my RAD but decided not to and my OC wasn't too happy, she asked me to start after Thanksgiving again I decided not to and now that my RAD is over I have not started the DAM pill and I'm fighting myself wanting to take it.......one big reason is I have heard there are side effects I'm scared.

    And I have autoimmune diseases RA/Lupus and Ulcerative Colitis as well as depression, OCD and anxiety which I was in the hospital 3 times in 2016 for not a god year for me and many others to my understanding. I'm glad it's 2017 it's suppose to be my GOLDEN year my birthday is August 17th this is what my bro tells me so I'm gonna go with it !! Yeah!! May it be a GOLDEN YEAR FOR ALL but especially me lol lo!!

    But it really isn't over till the Chinese New Year is over because it's the year of the MONKEY and I'm a Monkey as well but since it's been a bad year I'm blaming it also on the year of the MONKEY and I was told by my Chinese Mom that I should wear something red on me everyday to keep evil at bay.

    Well needless to say I did not and I think that maybe I should have I mean I wear red some times but not enough I guess and no I'm not Chinese I just have a friend who is the same age as my Mom and she always there for me like a Mom and I really adore her.

    And actually my real Mom could learn a thing or two from her go figure!! My question to everyone dealing with this I'm scared and not sure if I want to take this DRUG a little help would be so kind!! Lots of love and laughs always!! Cinnamon Heart

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