Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

Linda-n3

Just ran across an article some of you might be interested in - those of you who are taking melatonin for sleep MIGHT be doing yourselves some good to reduce BC! Now I cannot find the link...  But there seems to be some inhibitory effect on invasiveness of some types of breast cancer under experimental conditions.  This was just in the lab, absolutely NO CORRELATION made to real patients with real breast cancer in the study, but they DID say that some women with BC have low melatonin levels.... sooooo.... I was just thinking, coincidence?? I will try to find the link.  And may switch to melatonin from Ambien for sleep.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/melatonin-000315.htm

When I did a google scholar search, I found a bunch of older articles, but not the one that just came out.  I wonder if this is one of those things that was popular for research for a while, then investigators found other things that paid the bills better than melatonin research.

jo1955

June - Sorry about your dad.  My parents are both gone and I really miss them.  I never got to ask my mom about a lot of things - guess I thought they would be around forever.

We could always gang up on Tink and hold her up by her wings.  Or better yet, see if we can tie them together. 

Sherryc

June I am here so sorry about your dad u will talk when the time is right.

Tink can't believe the little got MRSA. Not like u don't have enough on your plate as it is.

My dad was doing so much better today. He walked three times and is pain was under much better control. He let me kiss him by, before he said don't touch my bed.

I went for my 3 month follow up post rads and I do not have to go back and see my RO. He said call us if you need us. He was sweet and asked about my Dad, I told him what had happened and he said he would pray for him.

So now just the MO every 3 months and this summer get back with my BS about this nerve damage and make some decision. It is amazing how much better u are mentally when u feel good. Did not realize what a toll rads and starting tamox did to me but am feeling more like my old self

jo1955

Sherry - Sounds like Dad is making good progress.  Congrats on not having to see the RO anymore.  That is one less appt to think about although he was the cutey.  You still have time to breathe before making any more decisions about further surgery.  So glad you are feeling like your old self once again.  

sgreenarch

Dear june. Sounds so terribly hard, what you are going through. The Only consolation i can think of is that you have this time together. Hard as it is you will have been able to tell him how much you love him.

Tink, i have this unrealistic expectation that we bc women should get a bye the first year from additional stress. That we have so much already on our plates. But ofcourse life doeasnt work like this. Hang in.

My thoughts are also with all of you dealing with crazy weather.



I am still trying to stay sane while i figure out the meaning of the astronomically high estradiol level test. Cannot reach onc or gyn today and have no choice but to wait til sunday. (We live in israel and the work week is sunday-thursday.) was able to reach my gp late yesterday and he spoke to adrug expert who said it is likely a result that is clouded by being on tamoxifen. My husband, says itcould even be a lab error since its so off the wall. I must admit to being a walking wreck yesterday. Plummeted back to early days of terror, my mind racing with all sorts of dire possibilities. I sometimes wonder if this isnta bit like Post traumatic stress syndrome. This could all be nothing yet one abnormal test result has me circling the drain again.



Oy. Thanks again for listening. I have deep faith that this will all be ok but these bumps in the road are rough!



All the best, shari

Valgal

Dear Shari,

It is post traumatic stress. Every little ache or pain or anything on a test can send us crazy. My husband doesn't get it at all. At least yours sounds like he listens. I'm hoping its OK and there isn't a whole lot you can do except maybe ask the pharmacist?

john1943

Being a mere male and entering into this realm of wonderful ladies makes me somewhat shy, however I am making a comment as I have lost both my mother and my wife to this cancer. Not so long ago i came upon this article on the website www.designerbiomimeticvector.com. so here here is the essence of the article.: a $ 1 medication, metformin , which is used to treat diabetes 2 has shown great results in the treatment of breast cancer. According to Professor Michael Lisanti from the Breaktrough Breast Cancer Research Unit at the University of Manchester, if cancer cells consume high -energy, this makes the tumour more aggressive and harder to treat. However ,patients could benefit from metformin which cuts off the fuel supply. End of quote. Quite fascinating reading. Hope it puts some new information at your disposal  

Sherryc

Has anyone heard from Jules.  I am really worried about her. 

TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5:00 cannot get here soon enough

jo1955

Sherry - I hear you on the TGIF!!!!  Sure hated to come back to work and I am tired this week.  Haven't slept worth a darn for the past 3 nights - sound familiar?

 Jules - Come out, come out, wherever you are.  We are worried about you.

Sherryc

Jo I actually slept really good last night only had one hot flash (warm flush) and got up to pee. Could not believe when my alarm went off.  The night before I was up about 3 times and actually broke out in a sweat once which I never do.  I usually just get a little moist.  Since tomorrow is Saturday I will probably sleep like crap and wake up early. haha

jo1955

Sherry - I have had sleep problems for such a long time I am almost used to it.  I do get a good night's sleep every once in a while.  It does go in cycles.  I don't get up anymore with hot flashes or warm waves - just to pee and that is only once a night now.  My GP decreased the dose of my blood pressure meds so don't have to go as often.

Hoping to sleep in tomorrow. 

tinkertude

John... welcome and so sorry to hear baout your losses. It is a monster of a disease and Im so sorry you have lost people close to you because of it.. thank you for the info..

I know I am getting worried about Jules too no word yet...

I had the worst dreams last night at one point I was dreamimg that I was dreaming and woke up shaking... but I will say although I am still a wreck about all that is going on.... I was able to drive today and yesterday and not get dizzy thank Lord... oh yes and I got my lovey period after 47 days again.... ugh bet it all added into the mix huh??

ok Jo I would like to put in a request for some fruity umbrella like happy juice tonight... and I will be good!!!!!!!!  maybe

June you could ride on my winhs anytime I would take you anywhere with me girl.... anyone else who wants to hop on..... lets go ladies!!!!!

See u tonight!

Maria

jo1955

John - Welcome and sooo sorry for your losses and thank you for sharing the information.  

Sandeeonherown

All righty...so now that I am off Tamoxifen...why am I still having hot flashes during the day? holy mother of goodness!!! I was at a conference today and could feel my face turning red and my temperature rising..my galpal, who was sitting beside me, looked over and said "What is happening!! I can feel heat coming off of you suddenly?"...it was phenomenal!!! almost burst out laughing at how ridiculous my personal temperature gauge is behaving....but dressing in layers really really helped!

Sherry- Excellent news re. your dad's pain level and your appointment with the RO...such a relief! My RO said I never have to see him again!!! (I can only hope, hmm?)

John- welcome...sorry you even need to join us but you will find the various threads full of supportive people if you are feeling the need for support. Take good care.

Tink/Shari- PTSD...some very good workbooks out there ladies...you are not going crazy...these are tough times...fill your fridges with foods that help you heal, get a book or two that calms you down or inspires you....go dig in the garden...breathe deep calming breaths....ask for the people who you feel callm around to be there this weekend....Shari...is it at all possible that they have read or written the #'s down wrong? Remind yourself that worrying about this cannot possibly help you...that it is out of your hands until the weekend is over...hand it over to whomever or whatever you believe in and let it go for the weekend....be kind to yourself...go gently....I know it sounds trite...but it is so very true...go gently...sending you calm thoughts and hugs from Canada

Sherryc

Sandee sorry but your personal temp gauge is kinda funny.  Hey maybe you are going through menapause after all.

Sandeeonherown

Sherry- you might be right my dear!!! Seriously....second one of the day..at first I thought it was the hotel's air conditioning system...but when my pal said here was a whole bunch of heat coming off of me, I thought the same thing...or that tami is still in my systen for what..4-6 weeks I think Jo said to me a month ago so....I should know this week when I get my estrogen levels back from the dr!...it has been two years so definitely menopausal...just how much? ah well....good thing my sense of humour is still intact:) Hope you sleep well tonight!

jo1955

Sandee - Unfortunately, you body is going to have to adjust to not being on Tami.  The personal temperature gauge will be out of whack for awhile.  Get a personal fan if you have to.  Let us know about the erstrogen levels.

jo1955

Where is everyone?  No pillow fight last night.. 

Am up and ready to get stuff done today - feeling good.  Got in the kitchen and made breakfast for everyone.

                               

chabba

To go with the eggs.

Sherryc

Jo thank you so much for breakfust.  I was not able to get on last night.  One of our local churches does a huge spagetti super fund raiser for the youth.  So we did take out and went to my inlaws for dinner and visited with them.  When we got home a young couple stopped by and wanted to know if we would be interested in selling our RV which we had just talked about so.  Showed them everything and visited with them.  Was time to go to bed after that. Which I slept good again last night. 

My Dad is confused with all his meds my Mom went home last time because she was exhausted and they had a hard time with him.  Mom is back at the hospital today so if he continues to be hard to deal with today I think I will go spend the night with him so Mom can go home and rest.

jo1955

Shery - Sorry to hear your father is not doing well.  He is fortunate to have a very caring daughter.  I'm sure mom would appreciate the break.  

I know I had to spend a night in the hospital with my dad once - he was given too much of a medication and was hallucinating.  The nurses could not watch him constantly so they called me.  What a night that way.  My mom had already passed away so it was up to us kids to step in and take care of him.

Sherryc

Jo-Being the only girl it seems I am always the one to relieve Mom with hospital duites.  My brothers are great about going to visit during the day and spending time and taking mom to eat for a break, but not so much with the nighttime dutie. 

jo1955

Sherry - I know the feeling.  My brother felt he could help out the most by staying home - poor excuse to me.  And my sister - that is another story.  The night I stayed with dad, I had flown from Tex to Cal.  My sister lives close by and couldn't be bothered.

Sandeeonherown

Jo -exact same thing happened to my dad when he was in the hospital. He was ahallucinating, paranoid and was sure the nurses were all trying to poison him..he was spitting his food out and hiding it under the food tray!....thanks for the reminder about tami Jo....a blessing in some way because I still feel the invisible umbrella of protection but still having the negative affects too....I will let you know what happens with the estrogen levels.

Sherry- your mom is lucky to have you....really.....try to get a nap in at home bfore you go in so you are not exhausted too, hmm?sending you calm.

jo1955

Sandee - My dad had surgery a couple of days before and was given his meds through a spinal.  I really believe they over medicated him.  When he was transferred out of the ICU to a medical floor, I don't think a good nursing report was done.  When I got the call that someone needed to come to the hospital - this was around dinner time - the first question she asked me was if he was an alcoholic going through withdrawals.  You can imagine how pissed I was.  He was in a hospital an hour away.  I was not planning on staying the night but once I got there, I felt it was in dad's best interest that I did.  He was up all night - trying to get out of bed, tried pulling the phone out of the wall, thought there were spiders crawling on him the whole nine yards.  By the time I finally got him calmed down and asleep, the doctor's came in and woke him up.  UGH!

Sandeeonherown

Jo - the spider event is familiar...my mom went through that after surgery for her arteries...scared all of us silly. I was just a kid but I remember her terror vividly...

jo1955

Like I said, spent the entire night with dad, no sleep, drove home an hour, went to bed, just as I got to sleep the hospital called and said they were discharging dad.  So, my brother and I drove all the way back.  They couldn't let me know when I was there - WTH.  Anyway, dad did not remember anything about the night before and when I told him all that he did, he just laughed.

Beanius

Hi My Tami friends,

I really appreciate your helpful comments as I still try to figure out this rash.

John - thanks for the information. I am always looking for new info so appreciate that and I'm sorry to hear of your losses. I've had a number of cancer deaths in my family and it is so hard.

I called my MO on Thursday and she was out but her nurse told me to get to a dr right away for this rash. She said normally they would have me come right in but I am about 8 hours away from her office, which is in Seattle. Anyway she said get in to see a local doctor which I did. Saw a super nice GP who puzzled this over with me for some time. He didn't know what it was. He said that any time you are taking a medication it could be caused by the medication, but also that "rash" is a potential side effect you will see on almost any medication. So he didn't rule out Tamoxifen, or a change in the refill of some kind. He did rule out all the really scary stuff, so it is no cancer or anything contagious or bug bite or shingles or hives. He suggested I used Dove soap and not shower so often to let natural oils in my skin do what nature intends, also to drink a lot of water, which I do anyway. Well he said to only bathe when dirty...this is a difficult one because I run every day and really feel I need a shower after exercise...so, I don't know what to do with this one. Finally he gave me a hydrocoritsone cream but no anithistamines, so I've just been using this Lidex cream and it seems to be helping. When I see my MO next I'm going to ask for my Tami prescriptions to be all the same brand and no generics. I've never had anything like this in my life, so I am still suspicious that it has something to do with Tami, or a change of some sort in my recent refill. Anyway, it's not life threatening and it seems to be subsiding, so I'm not too concerned any more.

I appreciate the opportunity to post this here in case it's helpful for someone else.

I know this thread has been going on for some time and it's a fast mover, you are all awsome people here and I really appreciate your help.

Sherryc

Beans hope it gets better

Beanius

Thank you, Sherry, I do think it's gettin better! What a hassel!