Tamoxifen Side Effects
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Started Tamoxifen about 4 weeks ago (50yo), It feels like I have been very thirsty since then, and my body is retaining liquid because I gained weight even though I have not been consuming more food. Just started counting calories as well to make sure. Also it felt like my arms started swelling, and they feel heavier. So two days ago I started some daily stretching exercises and yoga. I’m almost 8 weeks post surgery so it is a good time to start anyways. Hopefully it will help.
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hang in there I’m right with you! It’s a lot to deal with.. the side effects sucks. God bless
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What kind of side effects are you having? I recently also feel dizziness as well. For me the hot flashes are really not something that bothers me.
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Hello, I had a whole host of Tamoxifen side effects. Too many for me. I went off tamoxifen last November and I have my life back. I would rather live a wonderful 3 years than be miserable. I’ll gladly take the risk and I’m at peace in God’s hands. It took me 4 months but I’m back to doing all the things I love! Here are the side effects I had. They are all completely gone now.
- Severe Depression
- Cholesterol went up
- Joint pain
- 5 months extreme pain with frozen shoulder
- 2 eye infections-right, then left. 2 rounds of Antibiotics did not resolve
- Weight gain
- Exhausted, irritable, and no ambition.
- Internal ultrasound showed uterine wall thickened after only 6 months of tamoxifen
- Ovarian cyst larger
- Hot flashes
- Restless legs
- Red meat-disgusting
- Thinning hair
- Headaches
- Prolonged palpitations
- Diagnosed Anemic-not since 1997
- Aging at a rapid pace, wrinkles galore. Dr. Hauschka - my trusted brand for over 20 years brought me back-as much as possible any way!
- 6 (650MG each) Tylenol a day just to get by for joints and frozen shoulder.
I look at this list I wrote last year and I thank God I made the decision to stop that hideous drug. The most amazing thing was in the midst of severe depression, no one, not family, not doctors, no one offered to help me. I was in crisis mode but everyone passed it and me off. If I didn’t have the way with all to take charge, I probably would not be here to write this. Good riddance tamoxifen. Did my symptoms stem from my depression? Maybe so but my depression was solely due to tamoxifen. Tamoxifen for me was the root cause of it all. If you are suffering, yell for help until someone hears you and is willing to help. Don’t go it alone like I did. Don’t wait. With love! Neon
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I am 61 but no one ever thought so because I was super active and outdoors swimming and walking dogs all the time. Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was only stage one in one breast. However I wanted it gone for good so I had a double mastectomy and rebuild (diep flap) at the same time. I was doing great until they put me on tamoxifen, which has raised my blood pressure to a dangerous level, tingling in one hand, depression and exhaustion. And I am already doing yoga every day again so that isn't going to help. Why do I need to take this awful drug since I don't have any breast tissue? It makes no sense. I am ER/PG positive and HR negative.
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Wow that is a good question. Maybe so it doesn’t come back in the uterus? I would definitely ask the doctor! I only had unilateral mastectomy so for me it’s different. They told me since I don’t carry the gene bilateral and hysterectomy isn’t needed. But I must take tamoxifen or something.
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These drugs are prescribed to lower the chances of recurrence. Even if you have had a bmx, there is no way to eliminate every bc cell with surgery (they tried that during the radical mx days, it was brutal and disfiguring) . Additionally even with negative nodes, cancer cells, which can travel through the lymphatic and blood stream, may silently be camped out somewhere until something triggers them to wake up. So the idea is to suppress any hormones that might wake them up. Yes, it seems a bit fuzzy because of the unknowns and taking them carries no guarantees that you won’t have a recurrence.
All medical decisions are up to you and you ultimately need to feel comfortable not only with your choice, but no regrets if the choice doesn’t work out. It’s not always an easy decision. Wish we had some crystal balls.
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It’s a very tough decision to make going off Tamoxifen. But my gynecologist was quite concerned that after 6 months, my uterine wall thickened to such a degree, she was on the phone with the radiologist reading the internal ultrasound and came back and forth into my exam room and asked me 3 times, “are you absolutely sure you have no bleeding?” Tamoxifen can cause uterine cancer. I said no bleeding and my results were amended.
Regardless, It was a very personal choice. I understand there are probably bad cells lurking and maybe they will get me in the end but I had a successful lumpectomy at Dana Farber followed by 20 rounds of radiation and that’s all I could take. 3 mammograms done so far and all is well. This whole ordeal I have put in my past, moved on, doing the things I love to do. No more dwelling on it. Finally back to my happy place. Would I look in a crystal ball if one appeared? Definitely not. God bless.0
