tamoxifen side effects--25 years post menopausal
hi there! diagnosed in august with idc, lumpectomy and mammaoplasty (bilateral breast reduction), finished 5 fraction whole breast radiaiton on Dec 5, just started tamoxifen yesterday, 20 mg . didn't really expect side effects this soon, but…
felt just generally weird both yesterday and today; sneezed a lot this morning after taking it over avout 30 minutes (maybe unrelated??)horrid bad aftertaste when i tried it without food today (won't make that mistake again!) dizzy today; tired in a way that is very different from still-resolving radiation fatigue; and worst of all, weepy for no real reason for about 2 hours, about 2 hours after taking.
does all this sound familiar to anyone? I have a pretty long track record of weird and extreme reactions to meds.
I'm committed to trying it at least for 2 weeks before howling to the medical oncology PA, unless I get any frank and obvious symptoms of an allergice reaction. Any suggestions? thanks!
Comments
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Hi @cat_guardian, sorry your post hasn’t gotten responses yet. Hopefully others will chime in soon.
Sometimes side effects can show up surprisingly fast for some, especially dizziness, fatigue and mood changes. The emotional swings in particular are something a lot of members notice early on. The bad taste and nausea can also be worse when taken on an empty stomach, so taking it with food is a good call.
A couple of practical things members often suggest:
- Try taking it at the same time each day and consider switching to evening dosing if daytime dizziness or fatigue continues.
- Give your body a little time. Some early side effects settle after a couple of weeks as your system adjusts.
You’re absolutely right to contact your team sooner if anything feels severe or like a true allergic reaction. And given your history of strong medication reactions, it’s very reasonable to advocate for yourself.
You’re not alone here, and we hope others with similar experiences will share their tips and advice. Please keep us posted on how you’re doing. 🤗
The Mods
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Just curious—that long postmenopausal, why did they put you on tamoxifen rather than an AI? Both have side effects, but tamoxifen can cause blood clots that are more immediately life-threatening than the AI's CV SEscaused by estrogen deprivation.
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I asked for tamoxifen, the risk of blood clots is pretty low and side effects of AI's arepretty scary too , espcially risk of osteoporosis . My bones are in pretty good shape and I'd like to keep them that way.
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plus, you get the same mock-menopause kinds of side effects from AI's.
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