Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

justachapter

stage1 I am on Teva brand.  

stage1

justachapter, sent u a PM. 

rettemich

I have been on Tamox for about 3 months. I was on generic prozac before all this started and they switched me to Effexor. I get mood swings. Problem is not sure which one is causing it. I do take melatonin at night and it does help me to sleep. I also take Black Cohosh for the "heat". It really has helped. It may not work for some but it's worth a shot.

gavinsgrandma

Good morning ladies, Ellie I hope your pain is not as bad today and that you can move about feeling better, I am about to go take my 1st Tamoxifen so hoping SE'S won't be as bad as Anastazole, I still have a headache that started after my 1st one 4weeks ago😝 I wish everyone a blessed day. Bummer I just looked at my bottle and it is made by Teva, oh well I guess I have got to take it.

Shary

stage1

just switch it up if you end up with SEs.  Don't suffer....I am doing much better after changing brands.  

CoastalXPat

Justachapter, thanks for the encouragement and well wishes.

It's curious, you just don't know what each new treatment regime will bring. 

By the way my local Rite-Aid set me up with Mylan. I read people seem to have less side effects with that, but in some areas that's been hard to get.

CoastalXPat

Wyowild, I also take synthroid. Are you taking it at the same time as your tamoxifen? I asked my endocrinologist if it was ok to do this, he said yes, but I'm wondering if other people have heard otherwise.

mstrouble16

Just a heads up to the tami ladies who had bad se's with the Watson Brand tamoxifen, Watson has changed their name to Activas.  here's the link:

http://www.watson.com/

Stenokim

anipie, wow, where are you a court reporter?  Freelance or official?  I'm freelance, work for myself now, but also fill in in court a few trials a year.   I was with a big firm in St. Louis for 20 years.

Coastal, I'm going on eight months on tamoxifen with no SEs, except no period anymore. Woo hoo.   I take the Watson brand.  I just got my refill and it still says Watson.  I don't want it to change, unless it's just the name.  

gavinsgrandma

Good morning ladies, I took my 1st Tamoxifen yesterday and so far so good, my hot flashes were much less than on Anastrzole, the headache I have had for a month is better and thus far joint pain is not to bad. Have a blessed day everyone.

Shary

ncollett

Hello everyone, I just had my lumpectomy, have to go back for more surgery due to unclean margins and then Radiation and Tamoxifen. What advise can you give. It doesnt sound like its a good thing. 

gavinsgrandma

Nancy, my breast cancer journey was a lot more complicated than yours but my Mother-in Law had to go back to get clean margins, and then she did a week of the SAVI Radiation and her journey was over in a couple of months and I pray your journey will be short and without complications.

WhiskeyGirl93

Good evening all. I tried searching to see if I could find an answer, but no luck. Have any of you who are pre-menopausal and taking Tamoxifen finding your skin and hair getting more oily? I feel like I have reverted back to my teenage years. Prior to coming off birth control pills and starting Tamoxifen, I would wash my hair 2x a week and my skin was dry. Now I can barely make it to the end of the day before the hair on the back of my head feels oily again and I am using blotting papers to remove sheen from my face. Any advice you may have would be appreciated.

Monis

Funny, I have felt my hair has been dryer.  I used to wash my hair every other day, but now can go longer.  And, my bangs don't get greasy looking after just one day.  Hmmm....

Moderators

We thought you may find this early trial interesting. Only early trials as yet but showing potential.

Tamoxifen Gel Reduces DCIS Recurrence Risk as Well as Tamoxifen Pills

The Mods

rettemich

I read about this, it sounds very promising. Sad part is it will probably take years before anything like this is available.

L2girl

coastalx pat,

I also take my synthroid/levothyroxine at the same time as my tamoxifen, which is in the morning when I get up. I think I was also told that was ok, but now I am questioning it. Maybe I will double check with my Dr. at my next appt. I do know I had to move all my other meds to evening, because they could not be taken at the same time as the thyroid med.

Whiskey girl,

It is possible it is the coming off birth control pills that is making you so oily. Last summer when I was diagnosed, I came off birth control pills after 24 years, and boy was my face oily. I also felt like a teenager again, and kept a bottle of witch hazel at my desk at work, and various face wipes and blotters. It was kind of embarrassing, but after several months it got better. One year later, and after 7 months of tamoxifen, my skin is pretty dry/normal again.

Nicollet, 

Too bad you have to go back for more surgery. Hopefully they get it all this time! I for one did great throughout radiation, and I went for 10 weeks. I am also doing fine on tamoxifen, far as I can tell. I am currently going to PT for some pain issues, but I don't think they are from tamoxifen? I am on watson (activis) brand. So, my advice is, don't fear those things, because you may not have any issues. Don't assume the worst. Hang on there!

josie123

Ncollette, I too had to go back for a second lumpectomy.At first I was angry because they couldn't of found out before they woke me up.But then I was thankful for my surgeon being so cautious.The second time around wasn't too bad . I knew what to expect and only took like 2-3 days off work.I could of taken a week but knew after the first surgery a week was too long .I was climbing the walls after a week.

rettemich

Ncollete, Sorry you have to go and have another one. That bites.

I was fortunate I also had a reincision, my BS wasn't happy with one of the margins. Even though it came out clean. She did it when I went for the reduction and did the margin before my PS started his surgery, so I got a 2fur. the margins still came out clean. Yeah.

ncollett

Cant wait to get the second one done and get on with healing and treatment

jenn333

Has anyone had a sudden increase in number and severity of hot flashes after being on Tamoxifen for a couple of years?  I've been on it for about 2 1/2 years and have had hot flashes on and off from about 6 months on but nothing like this.  In the past couple of months I've been having 5 or 6 episodes a night (talk about sleep deprivation) and about the same number during the day.  They seem to be getting worse.  Today I've been having them about every half hour.  If I'm not near a fan, I break out into a full sweat - dripping face, neck, the works.  Just lovely.  I don't understand why this is happening now all of a sudden.  I have been on Teva brand the whole time so it's not a change in manufacturer.  Could this be the start of menopause maybe?  I'm 52 and missed my period last month for only the second time ever.

CoastalXPat

Ncollett, best of luck with the second surgery. I'm sorry you have to go through that. I was almost in the same shoes, my margins were thin, < 1 mm. But just a few days after my surgery ASCO came out with statement that < 1 mm was acceptable. Regardless, I remember that anxiety and it wasn't fun. I hope it all goes smoothly this time.

L2, thanks for your thoughts on Synthroid. I had questions because my endocrinologist said it's fine but my pharmacist wasn't as sure. My understanding is that there aren't any specific indications w/Tamox. There is the usual advice though to take Synthroid on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, a little while before you eat breakfast. Since that's not realistic for everyone they sometimes adjust your dosage according to what you need (so if I could get up earlier and wait for breakfast, maybe I'd need a slightly lower dose, who knows). I'm going to go with taking them more or less together for now, will see what happens at my next TSH test. I'm just concerned that if I try to take the Tamox any other time of day then I'm likely to forget to.

lala1

jenn333---I have been on Tamoxifen since Feb 2013 sooo.....about a year and a half. I just turned 51. For the last few months I've starting having irregular periods for the first time and then about 2 weeks ago I started having what I call warm flashes. I'll be asleep, wake up and about a minute later get "toasty". I throw off the covers, wait about a minute and it's gone and I fall asleep again. If this is as bad as it gets, I'd be delighted!! My bigger problem is dizziness. I have some days where I am so dizzy which then makes me nauseaus. I also have got bloating and sometimes I can't stop burping!! I don't know if this is Tamoxifen or perimenopause. Got my levels tested and they show me to NOT be in menopause but doc says that doesn't mean it can't be peri!

josie123

Kayla, Me too.I burp almost constantly after eating or drinking.Maybe it is the Tamoxofin.

ncollett

I haven't even started Tamoxifen yet and I have horrible night sweats. They get so bad that I don't sleep well and I too kick off my sheets because I am so hot. Even my legs are dripping with sweat. Its just gross. I cant wait to see how bad it gets when I start the tamox. Did anyone have hot flashes before you started tamox? 

ely136839

FYI--My oncologist said that I should take the Tamoxifen at night and the thyroid meds in the morning. I was very tired and complaining about the weight gain-she said the Tamoxifen could interfere with the thyroid meds.  I started the medicine time change about 4 months ago and I feel I am less tired. 

ely136839

I am also on Tamoxifen and thyroid meds and my oncologist said that I should take the tamoxifen at night and the thyroid meds in the morning. I made the medicine time change about 4 months ago and I seem to have a bit more energy.

ivgotit

Just took my first tamox last night.  I was originally advised to start two months ago, but couldn't get myself to do it.  Funny thing is that I think just knowing I was going to take it scared the periods out of me.  I have not gotten a real period in two months and have been having increased hot flashes.  The mind is very interesting!

bethq

Ncollet: I too had horrible night sweats for years. I can honestly say since taking Tamoxifen they have all but stopped! I must be a strange case though because I also lost weight on it. I have had to stop taking it because my exchange surgery is in one week and I have actually gained a couple lbs! The one side effect I THINK I had was a very slight depression...but who knows what that was from.

jenn333

lala1:  sounds like we're in the same boat.  The night time flashes aren't too bad - mind you I have two fans on me all night so that helps as does my gel cooling pad - but the daytime ones I've been having of late are doozies.  I tried Effexor but it didn't do anything after 2 weeks so I was happy to get off it.

And to think I have another 7 1/2 years of hormone blockers to go ... Ugh.