Bottle o Tamoxifen
Comments
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I hope you don't mind that I tell you what I think is a funny story. Calling yourself the other Paula is what reminded me of it. I have an identical twin sister, Helen. When we were young, we looked and dressed exactly alike and were pretty much together all the time. It was always Helen and Kay, you never heard just Helen or just Kay. I had a little cousin, he was almost 3, I was 12. I used to see him a lot in the summer. One day I saw him and Helen wasn't around. He asked me, where is the other HelenKay? He thought we were both named HelenKay. Thanks for bringing back the funny memory.
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That is funny Helen!!!!! IT IS SO CUTE WHAT KIDS CAN SAY!!!!
AND THE MEMORIES OF THEM DAYS ARE ALWAYS AWESOME TO REMEMBER!!
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LOL Kay. Thats so funny. Reminds me of my kiddos and the funny things they would say.
Well atleast they dont make us call ourselves Paula L and Paula M like they do in school around here, lol!
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OH Paula...... just when YOU said that it reminded ME of a funny story!!
In third grade there was another Paula.....and guess what.......her middle name also was Jean! as mine! They finally decided to call me PJ and her Paula.......I went by that for a long time.......it was hard getting use to it tho! AND I HATED for them to call me Paula Jean........my mom would use it only when I was in trouble!!!!!!!
Some of the family just calls me Paula Jean anyway........oy! heheee0 -
Shari, glad to see you back. I was wondering how you were doing. It's been 2 1/2 months since my ooph. I had crying jags too, for a full month following surgery. The hot flashes didn't really kick in until about 6 weeks after surgery. They aren't frequent, but they can be wicked, and can last up to 5 minutes sometimes. All in all though, I feel better now then I have in a long time. It's nice to be free of the mood swings that come from the fluctuating hormones. Once you get through the first couple of months and your body adjusts, it will get better.
All you other wonderful ladies, hope you had a good weekend!
Sandi
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Hi all,
I've been on tamoxifen for just about two months, with minimal side effects. But I have begun to notice that I am turning into a complete space cadet, and wonder if this is a side effect from tamoxifen (I did not have chemo, just radiation). I cantor at my church, and I am having trouble remembering what verse to sing. It is most noticeable at work, I'm helping someone at their desk, walk back to my desk to get something to show them, and then forget all about them, and move on to my next task. When they eventually show up at my door, it doesn't even trigger "I forgot", I just ask them if I can help them.
I know at my age (58) we are all prone to forgetting things, but lately this is a marked increase for me, and I was wondering if this can be a side effect. I see MO next week, and am certainly going to ask him about this, but wondered what your experience might be.
Thanks,
Pat
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mpeaches my mom does have lots of friends. I am thankful for that. They have been really good about taking her to lunch and calling her. There are a couple of ladies who have also lost their husbancs and they have been really good about calling mom and getting her to go do things with them.
pat I do think I am more forgetful since taking tamox. I am 49. I notice I make alot more typing errors like my brain and my fingers don't connect any longer. I am a secretary so thank goodness for spell check. I used to be able to remember lots of detail now I have to look it up because I am not always sure of myself. I have been on tamox since Feb 2011
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Pat I am 43 and I am defitnely more forgetful on Tammy it is ridiculous sometimes and fustrating!
Hope all my Tammy ladies are having a great day! hugs
Maria
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Pat I too have had memory problems/forget-fullness while being on Tamox. I did ask my MO shortly after as it happened so quickly and the way she put it was NOT to blame Tamox but my body being stressed and having gone through 2 surgeries along with radiation was to blame. I have been on it since April 2010 and it doesn't get any better and I hate to tell you that......I swear these Doc's don't ever want to say it is the medicine, but I sure as hell think it is. I know I am aging too, 46 in a few days, but really my memory is always in a constant FOG.....good luck and let me know what your MO says!
Hello Jo, Tink, Sherry, the 2 Paulas ha ha and all the other fine ladies.....happy Monday!
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hi ladies - for those of you that have been on Tamox a while...I understand there is bloodwork that shows if you are through menopause. One question...do the hot flashes go away once through menopause or are they here to stay?
I read a lot but don't post often. I always wish all of you well.
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Hi bcisnofun,
Yes I would like to know if the hot flushes go away once through menopause? also I would like to ask if you have your ovaries out do you still get hot flushes? Cause some women have mentioned that they still get HF after having the ovaries op.
Been on Tami now for about 54 days (and counting) getting really bad HF
Love and light
sarahlousie xxx
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In Canada we have celebrated our Thanksgiving (in October) and so I wish to send only wonderful thoughts your way, my American friends. May this special day be filled with wonderment.
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bcisnofun - I went through natural menopause (2008) and I hate to tell you my hot flashes got worse once I was taken off the estrogen. Prempro did not do much good - hell, the only thing it did was to give me cancer. I have been on Tamox for almost a year and my hot flashes are very mild in comparison. I think some get the flashes more than others - guess I must be one of the lucky ones. Absolutely no flashes at night - yeah!
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Hi Ladies, This is only my second week on Tamoxifen but I'm wondering...IF I will get side effects how long does it take for them to start showing up?
Just curious
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jwilco my SE started right away but I know others that theirs came on later. Everyone is different.
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Sarahsweety - I had an ooph/hyst 2 weeks ago today, and the hot flashes have been MUCH worse since then. Lovely!
Hot purrs,
Jenn
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Tammi sisters I am going to whine a little here. Nothing to do with BC I hope. Anyway I have told you girls that I broke my neck in 1995 in a bad car accident. Has not bothered me since recovery. A little after rads my fingers started tingling so went for an MRI that now show I have a herniated disk right about where I broke it which I have plates and screws in. For the last three weeks my neck has been bothering me and it continues to get worse. I finally had to break down the other night and take a narcotic for the pain. I am in PT right now because of rads damage to my pec muscle so today I told them the pain in my neck is getting really unbearable so they did a little stretching and more massaging. I go to PT again on wed and will have pool therapy and then I have a massage lined up with my massage therapist. I really think it is my old injury but of course my mind wonders to mets as well. I am really in quit a bit of pain. My PT got extended another 6 weeks so I am really hoping that they can help me with this otherwise I might have to end up back at a neurosurgeon and that scares me. The thought of surgery near my spinal cord again is not one I really want to think about. I hurt so much that I just feel like crap. Thanks for listening to me whine my dear sistas.0 -
Sherry - Let's hope the neck pain is related to the old injury. I would hate to see you have to go through another surgery but the techniques today are so advanced that it is pretty safe - I would also be concerned about cutting near my spinal cord. Hopefully your PT can work with you and give you come exercises to reduce and/or eliminate the pain. You know you can always come here to whine even if it is not bc related. This could very well be related - regardless - this is the place to come to.
Sending gentle hugs
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Sherry.. hoping and praying you do not have to go through anymore surgeries!!! hugs
Ok ladies gonna vent..... I have my Onc appt Dec 5th and I think it is time to talk about her putting me on some effexor. I can not tolerate these moods shifts anymore, its like if I am not completley engaged in doing something I just want to cry and cry . I feel like I am always on the verge of tears and that is so not me!. I cannot be busy all the time I have tried for the last year to not take another med buts its getting too much, I have tried everything else,I exercise, drink lots of h20 cut out caffeine all together, socialize even went back to subbing abitm but the minute that down time comes... boo hoo I go!!!!.. anyway needed to vent! thanks as always!!1...
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I have been away for a while - have been trying to catch up with all the posts, but this train moves so quickly that I have no hopes for actually catching up, so I will just say hello, and missed you all a lot!
Sherry, you go ahead and whine! This just really sucks that you have so many other issues to deal with. Life is so complicated and challenging for some of us, and it seems like others just sail through without many problems. Is there any thought that you may have neuropathy from rads? Rads can injure the axillary nerve, and sorting this out from previous neck injury, new problem, mets, or radiation-induced neuropathy isn't always easy (especially if they don't even think about it as a possibility). Hope it turns out to be the least of these and that conservative therapy will work for you.
Jo, how are you doing with the smoking cessation? Did you get an IPad yet? Or other neato technological gadget/tool/toy that you can enjoy?
I don't remember last time I posted here, but had "recurrence" of BC, so had BMX on Oct. 3, followed by allergic reaction to topical antiseptic (not betadine - something they use now called Chloraprep), followed by wound infections, infected seromas, reaction to antibiotics, axillary cording, etc etc etc. I feel like I have been in a fog for the past 6-8 weeks, but am finally coming out of it and getting stronger every day. The hot flashes have changed - I don't have the flushing now, but have drenching sweats nearly hourly. I have had some of the bone and joint pain again, but not nearly as severe as I had when I started Tammy in January. Since I only took it for about 8 weeks and quit, my recurrence was not considered resistant to tamoxifen, so it is my best option right now, and I think that has been a factor in my better acceptance of the drug and less severe SEs. I think I am just ignoring them as much as possible, and the emotional stuff doesn't even seem as bad now as it did last winter. In fact, I wonder if there is a difference in generic or brand name.... I worry that it may not be effective. I am also on Effexor for chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, and that is also supposed to help reduce hot flashes, but it can also reduce tamoxifen effectiveness in some people, and my MO doesn't think that is a problem for me, but I am going to ask her again when I see her in December.
OK, long story short, I am on the T, taking it, dealing with SEs pretty well, praying that it is effective, wondering if I would have had a recurrence if I would have stuck with it earlier this year and just gotten used to the SEs then. Not beating myself up, but the occasional thought crosses my mind.
I have definitely turned a corner and am feeling stronger every day. I was able to participate in a 3-day watercolor workshop, learned some new techniques, produced some bad work but it's work in progress and was a lot of fun. And good for my soul.
Hugs to all of you tonight. Are you still having pillow fights and weekend parties?
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Sherry vent away! Im so sorry you have to go thru this! You need a break. I hope they can help you!
Tink I bet the Effexer will help. I take it for the hot flashes but I think it helps alot with the ups and downs too! I started out with a low dose but bumped it up to the 75mg and it seems to help so much better. I hope that it gets better for you! The mood swings are the worst. I always that the hot flashes were bad, but when I turned into a crying mess that just made me mad because I was never that way before.
Have a blast at your classes Linda. You will have to post pics when you get done. Watercolor is so beautiful!
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Tink if your mood swings are that bad I think I would give the effexor a try,. If it does not work you can always quit taking it.
Linda recurrence just plain sucks. So sorry you have had all that to deal with. Actually my pain Dr first thought all this was related to rads and the nerves, but we did an MRI and it showed that I have a herniated disk right above my fusion. But he his not ruling it out, but is leaning more towards old injury.
I came home and luckily I had put supper on in the crock pot this morning so did not have much to do to get dinner going. After dinner took a pain pill and soaked in a hot bath. Felt better after the pain pill kicked in. I hate taking them very often and I don't function the best in the world so don't really like taking them when I have to go to work. I'm not scheduled to go back to the pain Dr until Jan but if this does not get any better by next week I am calling him and going back in. He is really very good about trying to deal with pain without narcotics. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for being here for me and letting me vent.0 -
Been feeling a little down tonight. Four months ago after my six months mamo, at my regular appt with my MO she gave me the most thorough digital exam for lumps I've ever had and found nothing. She also did a "full blood panel" which was all normal. A little over a week ago I thought I may have found two small lumps. One of them moved around just like my cancer did. Called right away and saw my MO today. She found three lumps, said she wanted a mamo stat with ultrasound and biopsy to follow if indicated, another full blood panel and an appointment next Monday to go over the results with me. I got pretty choked up and teary eyed. She reminded me that could be nothing to worry about but admitted that she was concerned too and that we would fight it with everything we have. So Friday is my mammogram, next Monday my next Doctor appointment.
I'm scared,,,,,,,,
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Dear Chabba,
I read your post and wanted to respond right away. Most of the women on this list are sleeping now, but all the way here in Israel, it's tomorrow already! In the Pacific northwest it's late late at night and I imagine you aren't sleeping and thinking the worst. Just wanted you to know you're not alone.
I don't blame you for feeling scared. It is all just damned scary. On the other hand, it could be nothing or could be something small and contained. My docs often tell me that those of us who are recently dx are being very closely watched, so if something is to be found, it is most often early and treatable. Of course, no one wants that either, but in the big picture, that's what's most important. My cousin went through this twice and is so fine now, four years post second time. There are many, many stories like that. My Dad, who beat leukemia that had a horrific prognosis (10%!!! We just celebrated his 20 year cancerversary this summer, along with his 75th bday) says that one of the most important things, is to decide on your own narrative, that you believe you can make it, and then say that all those other bad stories are not yours! Everyone is different and that they are not you. I don't know if this is helpful, Chabba. I know that his words, as well as deep personal prayer, (in whatever form it takes) helped me in those dark, scary times.
Just know that you're not alone and we're here with you.
Hugs, Shari
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chabba, you are never alone((((((hugs)))))))) you will have a "pocket full of support through all the testing"
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Chabba, I'm thinking of you and we're here for you. I know it will be a long weekend, but I will be praying for benign results for you.
Shari, I think your post was perfect.
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((((((chabba))))))) Yes we will be there for you! You are not alone in this one thats for sure.
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((((chabba)))), we are all here for you! Hoping for B9 results.
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Sending good thoughts and wishes for benign to you Chabba. It is scarey, there is no getting around that. We all know how you feel, and we're all here for you. Hugs.
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Sounds like a few of our dear sisters are having a tough time right now. We are all in this together ... whether we post hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or whenever! We have thoughts and fears that no one else will ever understand. That's what makes our bond strong...
Thoughts, prayers, hugs, love to all our BC sisters in this fight - no matter what phase of treatment!
'Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest ... it's about who came and never left your side!"
Vicky
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