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Quit Tamoxifen Cold Turkey?

marycal
marycal Member Posts: 22
edited December 2022 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Hello everyone,

Wondering if there are any thoughts on stopping tamoxifen cold turkey vs. tapering off. Is there any evidence of one being better than the other? I'm at 5 years on tamoxifen, just received results from the Breast Cancer Index that said there is no benefit to continuing anti-hormonals, so I'll probably stop taking it. I haven't had a full conversation with my MO about it yet.

I was pre-menopausal when I started and surely am menopausal by now at 52. I haven't had my period in a few years. Has anyone had breakthrough bleeding after discontinuing tamoxifen? Any other side effects?

Lastly, how long does it take for tamoxifen to completely leave your body?

Thank you!




Comments

  • parakeetsrule
    parakeetsrule Member Posts: 605
    I stopped and started several times with no problems! I also had periods most of the time I was on it so I don't know how that might work if you stop. No way to know until you do it!
  • obsolete
    obsolete Member Posts: 333

    Hello, please do it gradually. Once it's stopped, it will be eliminated from the body within a couple weeks, more or less. See links for average onset data, if you are interested in discussing with your medical team.

    For surgery and after blood clots in my lungs (pulmonary embolism in car accident), MD both times had stopped my daily Tamoxifen cold turkey because it can contribute to fatal blood clots in lungs, which are uncommon. But I didn't feel totally alive or human when I had suddenly stopped taking it... had these weird feelings over a couple weeks, but people can have different sensitivity levels.

    But it's always best to gradually wean oneself off any type of drugs. Best wishes!

    "Tamoxifen is biphasic with a terminal elimination half-life of about 5 to 7 days... with a range of 4 to 11 days... as tamoxifen and 14 days as its active metabolite."

    ("Tamoxifen half-life was 9-12 hours after the initial dose and seven days after chronic dosing.")

    https://www.drugs.com/pro/tamoxifen.html

    "It has a narrow therapeutic index as higher doses can lead to breathing difficulty or convulsions."

    https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00675

  • marycal
    marycal Member Posts: 22

    Thanks to you both for your responses (and the links obsolete). Still thinking about it. :)

  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 542

    When they stopped mine before my mastectomy they had me just stop it. I didn't notice any problems with doing that.

  • quietgirl
    quietgirl Member Posts: 164

    there are some drugs that are perfectly okay to just stop and many that aren’t Best bet is to ask MO or if you have a pharmacist ( and are not doing things mail order) their options. It’s part of their job to give you info on your meds so make use of the

  • marycal
    marycal Member Posts: 22

    Thanks everyone for weighing in. Spoke with my MO yesterday and she doesn't see a problem with stopping cold turkey. I'll come back and post if I go through a tough time, just to add another experience to the thread. Best wishes to you all.

  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 1,568

    When My MO told me I could quit taking Tamoxifen after 5 years she told to wean myself off the drug and not quit cold turkey so I’m surprised your doctor advised otherwise.

    Diane

  • marycal
    marycal Member Posts: 22

    Hi all, back here to say I've been off tamoxifen for a month and had no issues quiting cold turkey. But again, I have felt no difference being off at all. Still have the same side effects, for ex, still can't sleep, hot flashes. I'm 52, and still trying to figure out where I am in menopause so likely won't totally get away from those side effects. But still, I was hoping for a little positive boost in how I'm feeling. This might be a topic for a different thread, but anyone know if it takes awhile to feel like yourself again after stopping,?

  • marycal
    marycal Member Posts: 22

    Hi all, back here to say I've been off tamoxifen for a month and had no issues quiting cold turkey. But again, I have felt no difference being off at all. Still have the same side effects, for ex, still can't sleep, hot flashes. I'm 52, and still trying to figure out where I am in menopause so likely won't totally get away from those side effects. But still, I was hoping for a little positive boost in how I'm feeling. This might be a topic for a different thread, but anyone know if it takes awhile to feel like yourself again after stopping,?

  • parakeetsrule
    parakeetsrule Member Posts: 605

    I never noticed any difference after stopping. The issues you're having probably aren't related to Tamoxifen.

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