Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

ladyb1234

GirlPowerDe, Love the term "buffering" too. I will have to use it. I had chemo brain and fogginess during chemo. But went away about 2 months PFC. I just started Tamo last week so ....will watch for the short term memory SEs. My job requires a lot of focus and balancing and spending budgets in the millions so hoping I am not affected by this :-(. Those who are affected by short term memory is there a supplement that helps? While on chemo I took "books-o-notes" during meeting -- as I knew I would remember hardly anything. LoL! Was a hard adjustment as I had a kin memory before chemo.

Editted to correct spelling and grammer -- or what I could caught..lol

josie123

I heard Tumeric helps with memory and hot flashes.

islandmom

GirlPowerDe, ladyb1234, I have been on Tamoxifen for 4 years now, overall it has not been too bad. I actually got used to the hot flashes, vaginal discharge, and leg cramps (first year). What bothers me the most is the short term memory loss. I do not know with certainty that is the Tamoxifen or menopause, since I am 52. I am very aware that I cannot recall if I just said something, so I repeat it, just in case I did not say it. It happens every few days. I come from a technical background and I was always good with numbers. I can still do most things but it takes longer. I am learning a new programming language right now and my biggest worry is that it will be erased from my brain by next week.

In regard to the controlling the weight, it just gets harder with age, many friends in my age group seem to add pounds easily. I have managed to keep my weight under control, but I do watch what I eat. I do have other health issues which force me to have a "clean" diet. I also exercise regularly. I used to be a couch potato. I started going to the gym the week I started chemo (2011) and never stopped. The biggest benefit from the exercise has been what it does to my brain. I can go there feeling stressed and tired, when I leave I feel like I can do anything.

I am not sure if I will continue with Tamoxifen when I get to year 5, or switch to an AI. I might take a break and see if my brain gets better.

CidneyI

ashaby - can I have the Tamo you are taking because I am gaining weight even though I am working out 5 days a week! Arrrrrhhhhh

CassieCat

One week into taking tamox and so far, no noticeable SEs at all.

SunnySydeUp

Cassiecat- good to hear you had a successful first week! I start tonight and I'm terrified. I've never been on any ongoing meds other than my multivitamins! Do you take in AM or PM??

Rose0766

I started tamoxifen last Tuesday, first couple of nights had bad night sweats, but that has improved, still having hot flashes from chemo pause, so that I've become accustomed to, now just having increased morning stiffness. Not sure if that's from the tamoxifen or the herceptin.

CassieCat

I take it at 7am daily. I have mild hot flashes already ever since chemo and chemopause, but they don't seem to be any worse yet.

Mm68

I started Tamo April 1, had a little of what I read earlier is CRS (love it and gonna use it) or brain fog last week but now seem fine. I take mine at night -7:30 with baby aspirin onweek nights. Vitamins in the morning-multi, vit D, calcium, magnesium ( a couple times a week).

My 1st follow-up is a week from Friday and they will do blood work again and compare to pre-Tamo

ndgrrl

Hi Everyone. I had a 5 week break from Tamoxifen and have been back on it about a week now. I am not sure if its from having my ovaries out of a new side effect of Tamoxifen but I am hungry all the time. This is soooo frustrating as I lost 40 pounds pre-surgery and hope to keep it off but this feeling hungry is just nuts!! 

When I first started Tamoxifen in sept 2013 I had a lot of hot flashes and low dose Effexor took care of those. I have them now because of surgical menopause and am scared to up my Effexor as when they did that last time I was hungry all the time- I am already like that!! UFFFF

HockeyCat

I took it at night on the first month. As I got sleeping problem, I switched to the morning to see if it makes any differences? But it didn't. My MO give me the prescription for Ambien, and Effexot for mood swing. I hate taking medicine to manage side effects, but I need it for now...

oceangirl654

Has anyone noticed a difference with different brands? I have been on Teva brand for 2 1/2 weeks and have a constant headache and dry mouth. I am kind of happy I have no hot flashes or depression so wondering if I should just stay on it. After my first week on Teva, I switched to Watson for a few days but that gave me horrible joint pain, like crazy joint pain, as if I'd just given birth. So after one or two days on it I asked my pharmacist to give me Teva again. Should I try a different brand to see if the headaches will go away? Have you had any luck with switching, or do you think it doesn't make much difference? I'm kind of scared to try something else, but not happy with the idea of ten years of headaches and dry mouth...

katcar0001

I am sorry about your SEs. I did not have headaches but I had dry mouth for about a month and then it resolved. I take Teva right now. The joint pain I had is better now too.

ladyb1234

A little over a week on Tamoxifen and no visible SEs. I take the brand Teva and take it at night. I have been overly fatigued but not sure if this is a hang over from RADs, due to my insomnia or the tamoxifen. My insomnia hasn't gotten better or worse since starting Tamoxifen. Night sweats have not increased since starting tamoxifen, actually they have decreased - go figure.

Bippy625

i am about 2 weeks in.

A bit of insomnia, better now. Cannot blame Tamoxofen totally as was anxious about a new job. Been on Lexapro so maybe it is stopping hot flashes. So far so good! Take the whole thing in the am.

CassieCat

I'm on Teva brand too and it's been 10 days now. I still have no SEs that seem to be from it.

Sjacobs146

I've been taking Tamoxifen for two weeks now, no SEs. I already hadhot flashes from chemo pause, and they haven't gotten worse.

KKay5525

Annie88 - I just started Tamoxifen Feb 1st, 2015 and don't have any SE except for the hot flashes. I was already having a few mild hot flashes before starting the Tamox and now they are just a bit worse. I was having terrible stomach aches every morning after taking med and decided to take at night…….Well, I still had the stomach cramps and figured out it was my snack bar which included Chia seeds!!! Starting taking again in the a.m. and no snack bar = no cramps :-)

Anything that I felt was different with my body I blamed on the Tamoxofin, but once I stepped back and thought about a couple things, they were caused by other issues…. Hopeing that you have a little or no side effects..

Hugs

Annie88

KKay5525-Yes, I have been having hot flashes, especially when I sleep. When I told my MO about my insomnia she said that often that and hot flashes are a good sign that Tamoxifen is working. Some nights I sleep great now that I switched back to Watson, but other nights are sleepless. I will manage, as I have the next 5 years w/ this RX.😀

josie123

Anyone have problems with Effexor I had qquite the emotional breakdown on the way into work this morning .My MO suggested Effexor. I'm kind of on the fence about starting it. Should I be scared?

ndgrrl

Hi, I am on low dose Effexor and I liked it when I started Tamoxifen to help with hot flashes. I do take it at night as it seemed to make me sleepy. I did try to up it once and it seemed to make me very hungry so went back to lower doseage. I may try having it upped again as I had my ovaries out last month and having lots of night sweats.. 

josie123

ndgrrl, thanks For your experience . I'm always scared to start meds even took me a while to start Tamoxofin.But think I will give it a try.

ndgrrl

I looked at that bottle of Tamoxifen on my counter for a week before I would start it.  I was taken off it for 5 weeks when I had my ovaries were out and again didn't want to start it but was scared to go on one of the AIs so I asked to stay on Tamoxifen so I know all about not wanting to start new drugs. I am thinking of taking some natural things for my hot flashes but also scared to take them, so instead I been waking up sooo hot., so I guess I may have to just take the plunge and try some black colash. 

Good luck

josie123

Thanks . Sounds like those hot flashes are pretty bad for you. I hope you have luck with the black cohash. Just check with your MO. I heard that it can lower the effectiveness of Tamoxofin. But don't quote me on that.My MO suggested Tumeric. But I never tried it. Of course I haven't had too terribly bad hot flashes either. Just once in a while. Guess I'm lucky in that respect.

KKay5525

Josie123 - Years ago I took Effexor for a while…It definitely helped with my "issues" but I did gain a bit of weight (that's one of the SE). Otherwise, I can't remember anything negative about it. I would take it again if I needed to :-) Hugs.

josie123

Thanks KK, I appreciate you sharing your experience. It's 10:00 am and I haven't taken that first pill.But plan too soon.

lala1

josie123--Your MO suggested turmeric for hot flashes? I've never heard of that. I actually take turmeric now (and have for almost 2 years) for the joint/muscle pain from Tamoxifen. It pretty much got rid of all pain for me. I had a total hysterectomy 3 months ago and started having hot flashes about 2 months ago. I will have to say they are few and far between and pretty mild. I might have 1 or 2 light ones during the day and then a couple at night that wake me up briefly to throw off covers but that's it. I still sleep and function pretty well. I wonder if it's the turmeric that is helping. I was thinking about trying Peridin-C which my MO suggested for hot flashes but I can't find much info on it. And to be honest, the flashes aren't severe enough yet for me to add yet another drug! Hmmmm....maybe I'll try upping my turmeric dose and see if that helps with the hot flashes.

katcar0001

As in everything with this disease, there is probably contradictory data, but the book "The AntiEstrogenic Diet" states that the active extract of black cohosh has shown the capacity to bind to estrogen receptors and stimulate cell proliferation :-(. I am not sure how it affects Tamoxifen.

josie123

lala, yes she suggested Tumeric. I never tried it but it seems to be working for you.

Bippy625

about 3 weeks in on Tamoxifin.

Insomnia is back and I pulled an allnighter last night.