Bottle o Tamoxifen
Comments
-
Twills, I take 125mgs per day, which is half of the 250mg tablet. I definitely would not take more than 400mgs. Did you get the magnesium citrate or oxide? I started with the oxide and it seems to be effective. I was able to purchase a magnesium soap, Grandpa's soap, from Amazon. I have not tried it yet, but if I have leg aches, I plan a dousing with it. Extended soaking in Epsom salt bath water, allows the body to absorb Magnesium through the skin.
0 -
I take 800 mg of Magnesium and 1200 if I am traveling with my family.
Come to think of it, I do seem to have fewer headaches but who knows if it is from that. I also think it could be from the lack of estrogen and hormones going up and down all the time.
I will talk to the doctor. I don't plan to go off of it forever. But if I don't get some sleep, I am going to be dead anyway.
0 -
Michelle, Magnesium Glycinate is what I was told to take. 2 is the recommended dose but I'm taking one.
0 -
I am careful when it comes to supplements. That is why I take the oxide, which is the least bioavailable. I can combine with an Epson salt soak and not worry about getting too much. Some of the other formulations cause digestive issues, and I don't need that to happen. The faster your food and other meds move through your digestive system, the less nutrients and med levels are absorbed.
0 -
Hi all kinda new to this whole discussion thing. I started taking tamoxifen on December 17.2017 my last radiation was on treatment was on December 15th. Has the Tamoxifen caused gastro issues for any of you? Stomach aches and cramps and gurgles like crazy for the past two weeks. I am having wonderful flashes and night sweats off and on, but it is tolerable. These gastric issues are driving me Batty! Any tips would be greatful! Thanks all!
0 -
Hello all! Im new to this discussion board thing so bare with me.... My last Radiation treatment was on December 15th, I started my tamoxifen on December 17th. All was going ok, until last week. Has anyone had gastrointestinal issues with tamoxifen? Belly gurgles and cramping. I know nausea is listed as a side effect, but I have not experienced that. Yes the wonderful power surges and a few night sweats, but this gassy gurgly cramping is about to drive me batty! I eat clean and healthy so no changes there. Any tips would be great! Thanks!!!!
0 -
Barbara... but I’m not even 50 yet. And that’s not old. I swear something is going on with my eyesight. I’ve only been on Tamoxifen for 4 months.
0 -
TaRenee-
I do agree- my eyesight has taken a huge nose dive in the last few months. I'm not sure I can pin the whole thing on aging. Maybe a part of it. Not sure I can pin the whole thing on tamoxifen- again, maybe a part. I had to get a new prescription for my reading glasses.
0 -
Rspolari - I found tamoxifen constipated me somewhat. But that leveled off after a bit although I am still more bothered by bowel issues than before tamox. But as bowel issues go, they are very minor. It might be your gut adjusting. Hope it clears up in several weeks. Keep an eye on it.
About vision. I wonder if my accelerating loss of vision is tamox related, but it did start long before I started tamoxifen. I remember seeing my mom with her mascara blotched on her eyelid and her lipstick slightly wobbly and thinking, girrrl, you have let yourself go! Well now I'm the one with globs of mascara everywhere and wonky lipstick and I can't see any of it unless I have my cheaters on. But it's hard to put on mascara while wearing glasses.
As I understand it tamoxifen contributes to cataracts. But globally there is an age related vision loss. It starts around 40 typically and doesn't stop until you are putting on blotchy mascara.
0 -
@Rspolari, I found that I have way more noticeable gas since I've been taking tam. This past Christmas I had 2 weeks of very painful episodes that I put down to my own misadventure with not fully cooked beans. I often don't blame tamoxifen for the side effects, but the lack of estrogen due to taking tamoxifen. If you were to google the symptoms of menopause you'll find many similarities. Also I didn't read your entire story but I also attribute a number of 'issues' to the poisonous effects of chemo. All the best to you.
0 -
I can not seem to find any information about the effects of Tamoxifen on sex. My MO was to uncomfortable to talk about it. It is just anatomy, a doc that deals with bc all the time should give you all the details of side effects. I just don't get it. I was diagnosed at 52, I had not started menopause yet. With a husband of 30 years I was very sexually active. Still going through treatments rads. Will start Tamoxifen in a month for 10 years. According to sources, acog, ECT. There will be complete atrophy of all the inner and outer parts of sex organ. No desire, no climax, everything atrophys. Even your urethra. The acog as of 2016 came out and said they now realize that these side effects, effect your quality of life. Women are the same sexual beings as men. We have the exact same drive as men. We don't realize it because society has taught us other wise. If these s.e. are true, it would be the same as a man getting his penis, testicles, prostrate removed. This is a quality of life issue. I don't know why this problem is not being researched more. I want to know if I'm going to have a sex life and if it will be satisfying or not. Why is it so hard to get these questions answered. I would really like some help. Please.
0 -
Leilals, use the search for "I want my mojo back". That will take you to a thread about this very topic.
Your MO should be very comfortable talking about this with you. The very first time I met with mine I just laid it out on the table. I said I was NOT real happy to be taking tamoxifen because I did not want my vagina to become a dried up piece of beef jerky. I figured if the guy couldn't take plain talk and deal with my concerns head on, then I was off to find a new MO who did NOT sweep my concerns aside because they were not comfortable.
On this rollercoaster ride there are many things that can interfere with feeling interested in sex. Not all of them are due to tamoxifen. But lots of them are. I suggest you check out the Mojo thread and you will find others with your concerns and hear what they have done to address them.
0 -
Well, my sex life has not been ruined. It's not a given. In the beginning, we had to use lube and now I don't anymore. And yes, I climax most of the time.
And as far as eyesight goes, most people's starts to decline between 45-55. My eye doctor told me it pretty much levels off at 55. That's why all the old people you see have readers. Just a natural part of aging.
0 -
Thanks for the info! I tried taking all my supplements at dinner last night and along with my tamoxifen dose, we will see how my digestive system acts today after switching it up from taking at bedtime on a semi empty stomach.
0 -
Thank you so much! It's not like me to get so irritated. But this whole senario freaked me out.
0 -
You're probably already taking a good probiotic but if not, try that. I am also taking a chewable digestive enzyme after meals (Amazon) that I think has helped.
0 -
My MO just told me this week that I would need to start having regular eye exams due to Tamoxifen. Probiotics are the best. It's important to eat prebiotics to feed the pro. I am fifty two. I also have juvenile diabetes, type 1, I have had so many years of personal research on how the body reacts to gut bacteria. Artificial sweeteners, literally kill gut bacteria. If I drink diet drinks for more than a few days, I have to increase insulin. I've turned into a kombucha making maniac. I have about 7 gallons brewing at one time. It amazing on the digestive system. I also have stomach neuropathy so I have to do everything I can.
0 -
The vaginal atrophy and loss of libido are real. If you look at the medical articles, even on this site, it only mentions hot flashes and some of the more common effects. In my opinion, people need to start making the sexual side effects more well known. It ruined my sex life. Now I will have to pay out of pocket, most likely, to even be able to physically have sex. Way too painfull. I had loss of libido, severe vaginal atrophy, bladder leaks, dry eyes and changes in vision, and a blood clot. Changes in vision are not natural aging. If they were, we would not be told to have regular eye exams while taking it
Seems like if it was talked about more, people could stop taking it sooner and try something else. As you will see, not everyone suffers ALL of the side effects listed. Just be aware of changes as you take it and stay in good communication with your docs.
Don’t mean to scare you. Just believe in honesty.
0 -
I am going to have to disagree with you on the eyesight thing. I am not saying that some people don't experience problems due to Tamoxifen but it doesn't mean that ALL issues with eyesight are Tamoxifen and I don't think you should give people that impression. A simple google search can tell you that, as we age, most people have a decline in eyesight.
0 -
I never said all eye issues are from Tamoxifen. They just shouldn’t be brushed off as aging.
0 -
I disagree as well, your wording suggested such. I was not told to have regular eye exams. My eyes started deteriorating as most peoples do in their 40's. So far it isn't any worse.
0 -
Hi there Leilas. I thought I'd share my situation here since it might explain why it's so hard to predict what Tamoxifen will do. I'm 59, and by age 55 (!!) I had already been diagnosed with vaginal atrophy and dry eyes, just from normal menopause. Geez, "vaginal atrophy," what a terrible term! So horrid and soul sucking. I started using lubricant for sex and prescription Restasis for dry eyes - and that was before breast cancer and Tamoxifen. So for me, Tamoxifen is not making anything worse.
My understanding is that for women in their 50s and 60s, it is pretty hard to disentangle the effects of aging/menopause and the effects of anti-hormone therapy. There are clinical trials underway to see if exercise, or a lubricant called hyalo-gyn, can help with dryness and loss of libido, but you're sadly correct that there's not a ton of good research in this area. I am currently taking Omega 3 as a supplement at the suggestion of my opthamologist, which seems to help, and exercise at least helps my mood even if it does nothing else. And thank goodness for this site where we can at least share our experiences with each other.
0 -
Thanks honey badger and Georgia for sharing all the info. I think female anatomy and sexuality has been shamed in society for so long it's just not talked about. I think at this point in history it is unreal that people don't comfortably talk human anatomy in a clinical sense. It's like the me too movement, if it's not brought out into the light, nothing will get fixed. I know plenty of women that are still sexually active after menapause. The NP at my obgyns office told me they have several women in their eighties that are very active. I've read studies that say female sex drive is as strong as a males but society is brainwashed to think other wise. A change is definitely in order. This is a big quality of life issue. I just need to research on how to make a difference. Here's to everyone getting their mojo back.
0 -
HoneyBadger--did you do chemo? I did, and it shut off my ovaries in what seemed like a hot minute. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, no libido, painful intercourse....I had read in a book about Breast cancer which the hospital gave me that chemo would do that and the charts reflected that it would be worse 1 year out, which it is. My point is, many of us are prescribed tamoxifen soon after chemo and blame many of the chemo side effects on tamoxifen. Just wondered if you are in that category or if you just did radiation and T really DOES contribute to these symptoms.
The interesting part is, I STILL haven't started tamoxifen. I told my MO that after chemo (last one in Jan), radiation (last one in April), and a polypectomy (in May, which they found when I requested a baseline uterine ultrasound), I wanted my body to take a break and heal. My estradiol at that point was at 16 and was in the high 200s/low300s before chemo. Both my MO and surgeon agreed if there was a time to be off tamoxifen, it'd be then. I wanted to see if my body would return. I DID end up using Estrace for 3 months in the summer which helped tremendously with the vaginal atrophy and it IS approved by ACOG for use by estrogen positive BC survivors because it's localized and not systemic, my MO approved too. I stopped because I somehow ended up with what they call "angry bladder" in Sept and boom--October my lower region started producing it's own moisture. The angels sang!! But that's about it, still no feeling in the clitoral area (thank you Taxotere), still painful intercourse and no libido. My 1 year mammogram this week was clear so will start tamoxifen at the end of the week.
0 -
I know a few people like Michelle from Illinois split their dose into 2 10mg pills. I found this abstract interesting. It made me wonder if 2 separate doses had been standard at one time.
http://ascopubs.org/doi/pdf/10.1200/JCO.1994.12.1....
0 -
Tamoxifen blocks cancer cells from getting the female hormones they need to survive. Death by starvation.
Tamoxifen blocks the hormones that your body needs to function normally. Death by starvation.There should not be any surprise that tamoxifen is perfectly capable of turning our nether regions into the puckered and dried Grapes of Wrath.
I am 6 months on tamox and thought I had escaped the ravages on my lady parts. Ha ha, what a fool! Now the dryness is starting. At least that's what I think it is. I constantly feel uncomfortable. I spend many hours of the day aware of my girl parts. Aware because they don't feel right anymore. Suddenly soap is the enemy. Soap never bothered me before. Well it does now!
I am not sure if my libido is gone but when Hub wanders around with his skinny little chicken legs draped in saggy white longjohns with the knees torn out and his hair all wonky from work, scratching his belly as he reaches into the fridge for a beer. Hmmm ... perhaps I need Johnny Depp prancing around the kitchen for a bit to truly see if my libido up and died or just not loving the scenery anymore. (Hub is still cute rest of the time, it's just those scabby long johns. Dude, seriously!)
Twice in the past 15 years I have had a vaginal situation in which a gland, for hormonal reasons, flares up and the result is it feels like I have a tennis ball in my vagina that is trying to escape. It is very hard to get groceries with your knees locked together so your uterus doesn't fly out in the middle of the produce department. So far my uterus has not fallen out in the grocery store, but that's what it feels like when this gland goes crazy. It is quickly cleared up with 3 tiny applications of Premarin. I am pretty sure Premarin is on the no-fly list for ER + cancer patients. I really should talk this over with my onc because waddling around with that HORRIBLE lump feeling - oh hell no!
0 -
Per my very wise OBGYN, never use soap or creams or anything on your lady parts...just rinse with water and make sure to dry too (warm/cool setting low of blow dryer works well). The lack of estrogen can lead to bladder, yeast infections and rashes and creams and soaps can irritate. For lube, I've had good luck with organic almond oil..seems to work as well and no adverse reaction. OBGYN suggesting the Mona Lisa laser procedure of the vagina to help bring back some suppleness...anyone have experience with that?
0 -
runor, i use summer's Eve wash. Then i use coconut oil every day. If dryness is really bad i don't use the wash, i just use the oil. And don't be greedy, use plenty.
Not tamoxifen related but. Has anyone has lipo and fat grafting?
0 -
I had lipo and fat grafting.
Runor: I am sorry you are dealing with all of this but by any chance are you a writer? You paint such colorful images with your writing.
0 -
hi Ladies
I'm sure this topic has been discussed here but this is a very long thread so I'm going to ask the question again
ive been on tam a looooong time, 6 years to be exact. I have had uterine wall thickening in that time. I had a biopsy probably a year ago and it was fine. Last U/S more thickening and now I have some spotting (bright red sorry for the TMI) I was already scheduled for a D&C due to the thickening
of course I'm worried sick because they always ask about spotting and ive always said no but now I have it and I'm worried sick its uterine ca
anyone have spotting (haven't had a P in 2 years) that turned out to be ok?
0
