Bottle o Tamoxifen
Comments
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Susers,
Thanks for your input. I don't believe that there ARE any NATURAL treatments for ER+ bc...
Thanks!
Harley0 -
Today is my one year anniversary on Tamoxifen. One down, four more to go!
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Congrats PatMom!! Glad you made it through the first year!!
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Hi ladies. I have been on Tamoxifen for 1 month now. For the past week I have been an emotional wreck. Having very depressed thoughts and crying all the time. Could it be the Tamoxifen already? My Onc offered to put me on Effexor last week, but I refused. I thought maybe if I just gave it a little more time my body would adjust, but the way I am feeling is scaring me. What do you all think? Could my body adjust, or should I just go ahead with the Effexor? Please help....this is terrible!!
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Why not try the Effexor and get off it in a couple months and see if you feel better. I felt like you and took lorazepam when I needed it. Within a couple months, I did feel better. I'm not sure if you can start and stop Effexor like I suggested. I'm sure others know and will post soon.
Hang in there. You're not alone!
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Effexor is EXTREMELY difficult to STOP, once you start it. I had terrible emotional meltdown when I tried to wean myself off it. Be VERY CAREFUL!!!
HugsHarley
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Thanks for clarifing Harley! I'm not familiar with that drug!
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spring---Vit D does not interfere with tamoxifen. Only thing docs and pharmacist told me to avoid was grapefruit (and it's juice) as it decreases the efficacy of the tamox.
anne
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Anne,
I seem to recall hearing from someone that grapefruit is a no-no with Tamoxifen. I also thought it was not good to take grapefruit with the AI's.. I might be wrong about that though.
With the AI's, you aren't allowed to eat broccoli, either, and I just LOVE broccoli!
Hugs
Harley
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Hi everyone,
I just started Tamoxifen three days ago.
From the first day, I have been having trouble catching a deep breath. It's not that I'm having shortness of breath, just that I often can't get a good deep breath. Also having some light night sweats and I feel a little wobbly and irritable. I'm not taking anything else, so is it possible I'm having these se's from Tamox. already, (and will they get worse???) Ugh!
I love the idea of taking 1/2 a pill. If these se's get worse, I may ask my Onc. about that. Thanks for all the good Info. here - I love this forum.
By the way, it's nice to see some familiar names here from the Jan. radiation thread.
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What is in grapefruit that works against tamox? Does that mean you have to avoid all citrus or does grapefruit have something different in it?
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Hi mab
I too, just started Tam (20mg) a few days ago (May 1st). It's early yet and nothing major with SEs, but did feel a little different in my head the first/second day. I feel like I'm waiting for the bomb to drop as far a more intense SEs. Hope it stays tolerable.
I feel like 20mg may be to much. Seems like this is the generic amount to prescribe right off, doesn't your weight have anything to do with it? I'm 5'2" (petite).
Sandy
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AWB, I had not heard about Grapefruit!! Ok, thanks for that.
No Brocolli with AIs? That's terrible! Brocolli has all that good cancer fighting stuff in it!!
I've been on Tam for over a month now. No SEs yet, other than occasional discharge that seems to come and go...
Spring.
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mab & Sandy,
Welcome to the Tamoxi-train!
Mandy,
I really don't recall what the problem was with grapefruit, and now, I can't even remember if it was even Tamoxifen, or if it was the AI's that have this problem... I'm pretty sure it's Tamoxifen. Alot of drugs interact badly with grapefruit.
Springtime,
So glad to hear that you're not having too many se's with tamoxifen. Yes, I don't think I like the idea of not being able to eat broccoli, if I switch to an AI...
Everyone:
I just got back from my eye exam. Everything was fine. I was sure the dr. was gonna tell me that I was having weird 'Macula changes' from taking Tamoxifen. She said everything looks fine, and she'll see me NEXT YEAR!! YAY!!
Harley
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Hi everyone. I had a lumpectomy last November, a bilateral mast with reconstruction in December and I started chemo in January. I will be done with chemo on May 22 and will start Tamoxifen shortly thereafter. I will not be having radiation so the Tamox is the last leg of treatment for me. I have been anxious about it and am really eager to see how my body responds. I am sure I'll be posting here one I start.
Question - Did anyone start Tamoxifen after finishing chemo who was able to do a 'cleanse' in-between? I really would like to get the chemo drugs out of my body as much as possible before I start the hormone therapy.
Thanks ~ Nancy
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Hi ladies. After my post yesterday I did a little on-line research at some academic sites to find out more about cleanses. Apparently none have been fully tested. Most of the articles I saw said that you can clean your system out just fine with a good diet and some exercise. My boyfriend uses cleanses and various supplements and I have been meaning to look into them but after what I read yesterday I am scrapping that idea. Hope everyone is doing OK.
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Yearofthehat,
I have heard the same same, the best way to clean out your system is through diet and exercise. Good luck!
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Harley,
I am so glad your eye appt went well. That is such good news and has to be such a huge relief for you. I bet you are doing the happy dance now.
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I was told to drink a LOT of water to flush the toxins out. I still do. I figure, what the hay.
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auriga,
Thanks! I asked the dr. if she saw anything suspicious when she looked at my eyes, after they had been dilated, and she said no... but she added the disclaimer that 'there may have been some kind of changes in the underlying layers, but she couldn't see it.' I think that since none of the tests flagged for problems, I will just let this go until next year. By then, I will probably be taking an AI.
HUGS
Harley0 -
I start Tamoxifen next week, so wish me good luck. Chemo put me into menopause so I have been having hot flashes like mad since them, how can they get any worse. I was told no soy, no grapefruit juice, yes to the black tea stuff. Oncologist can be so different.
He also recommended an estrogen ring, every 3 months (vaginally I think - I have not gotten my prescription filled). He stated that sex can be difficult because Tamoxifen reduces the ability for muscle to stretch...anyone heard of this?
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Nancy, when I finished chemo they said I could wait one month before starting the Tamox, so I did. They said it was to give me some time to recover.
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Kristifromsandiego,
Welcome to the TamoxiTrain!
Well, as it was described to me, these hormonal treatments, including Tamoxifen, can cause things to dry out, and atrophy. I didn't hear anything about not 'stretching'...Good Luck!!
Harley0 -
Never heard of that either. I have been on it for 7 months and have not had that side effect.
Best of luck to you!
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Thanks for those who answered my query. I'll talk to my Onc about starting Tamox when I met him for my last chemo treatment on May 22nd. We haven't set a start date yet. In a way I am almost getting excited. I am eager to see what it does to my body so I can get to work on overcoming its effects. I'm also so friggin' excited to be finishing chemo. The minutes pass so slowly!
As long as I can exercise, I am hoping the Tamox won't be more than I can tolerate. We'll see....
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I don't post often but I am always reading the posts. I have a dumb questions about side effects. How are you able to tell if the hot flashes are from the tamoxifen or from normal menopause. I never had the metabolizer test for tam but I do have alot of hot flashes and night sweats.
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I don't post often but I am always reading the posts. I have a dumb question about side effects. How are you able to tell if the hot flashes are from the tamoxifen or from normal menopause. I never had the metabolizer test for tam but I do have alot of hot flashes and night sweats.
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Welcome to all those who have just boarded or are about to board the Tamoxi train!
Harley - I am SO happy that your eyes checked out OK! I was away from email for a few days but was delighted to see how things went for you!!
Joyce - I think it is difficult to determine what is Tamoxifen related and what is regular old aging. I'm 44, and I struggle with the night sweats and I wonder the same thing. I'm currently on a one month hiatus to really determine what Tamox is causing, and what might be caused by something else.
Have a great day everyone!
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Barbie,
Thanks! I was so glad when the eye dr. said 'everything looks good'.
I hope you are doing great! I wish I was able to take a break from the Tamoxifen, if even for a week or two. I have a summer head cold and I'm usually ok except at night, when I feel feverish and hot. UGH! I can't be sure whether it's from the Tamoxifen or if it's really a fever. I've been taking my temp., and the highest it has been is 99 degrees... so I guess it's all ok. Still I think I'd sleep better.
hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy Mothers Day to all those Moms, even if you are, like me, a Mom to some of those furry four legged animals! I have two cats!! lol
Hugs
Harley
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Hello, everyone.
I've now been on Tamox. for 7 days and I'm still having trouble getting a deep breath, which is driving me crazy and keeping me from sleeping much.
My Onc. says that she's never heard of that happening to anyone, but she is having me come in tomorrow for labs and to check my heart and lungs. (Which were just fine 3 weeks ago when I was last there.) Anyway, I looked online and read that only 0.75 out of 1,000 people on Tamox. have respiratory problems, which makes me ask, WHY ME? I can think of many more pleasant ways of being "special," LOL. Jeeez!
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