Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

Suzanne50

It was hard for me to take that first pill too molliefish. I had the prescription sitting on the counter for a bit before starting. I decided to start Jan. 1st. I am hoping for the best with SEs. So far I think I just have a few more night sweats or maybe more intense night sweats. Possibly more tired but that could just be the day. The other day I had a headache that wouldn't go away...tamoxifen? I think it is probably easy to throw every ache and pain under the "tamoxifen SE" bandwagon but I could feel this way without it.

I try to keep that in mind as I forge forward. So much of the tough stuff behind us! Like jbokland says....we are lucky to have this pill that will greatly reduce recurrence. Thank goodness for modern medicine.

Wendy3

So I had the opportunity to chat with a few wonderful woman yesterday and the topic of tamoxifen came up. These woman are all in various stages of cancer treatment and had extensive experience with the drug. I was told of a new study that came out saying that tamoxifen is only fifty percent effective at doing what it is supposed to do. After hearing that I was like why am I taking this stupid white pill. 

Suzanne50

I wish I had a crystal ball! I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and do my best to do everything possible to avoid a recurrence. The rest is out of my hands.

lala1

DeeRatz---

Hormone-Free, Soy-Free Hot Flash Supplements | i-cool® Products

According to iCool website, the product doesn't contain anything estrogen driven and under Frequently Asked Questions says it's ok to take if you've had breast cancer. My MO agrees with this so I'm ok with it.

DeeRatz

jbokland-well said. That is kind of how I feel. Anything I can do to keep this monster from coming back.

Here in Canada where I live the Cancer clinic supplies us with our Tamoxifen free of charge. I just have to go there to pick it up. I have had no problem taking them. I started the day I got them. I do think the night sweats/hot flashes are improving. Every night it gets a bit better. I took Melatonin last night and wow did I have crazy dreams. Personally I don't find that Melatonin helps with my sleep. The only thing that works for me is Ativan which I will only take once a week

Lala-I was looking at the Canadian site. I will check out the U.S. site. I'm guessing the formulations will be the same. I will be in Nashville next week so I will pick up a pack and see how they differ, if at all. Where do you buy them? Walmart? Costco?

molliefish

Good Morning/Afternoon, Wendy I hear what you are saying, and it's because you're going to be on the right side of the 50%!

OK today I will take it. Tonight, with dinner, so the food deals with any possible nausea, and I get my hot flashes when I normally do :-) at 3:30am and 5:40 am

After all, we can quit anytime right? And as my dear colleagues always say, 'if you don't shoot, you can't score'.

Trvler

I was 52 at diagnosis and my periods were still regular and I had never had one hot flash. I think I would have had a late menopause. My issue isn't so much with the hot flashes but with the chills. I am testing magnesium for it. I am also not sleeping great because the chills keep waking me up.

ksusan

When get ready to take my breakfast pills, I say, "Thank you, Tamoxifen." I know it's hard to keep in mind, but surgery, chemo, rads, and medication are all choices we got to make in order to support our health and longevity,

solfeo

lala1 - I don't know what's up, but when I go to the link you posted to i-cool, this is what I see under "Can I take it if I have had a history of breast cancer?":

"You should not use i-cool^® For Menopause if you currently have or previously had breast cancer and/or breast tumours or if you have a predisposition to breast cancer, as indicated by an abnormal mammogram and/or biopsy, or a family member with breast cancer. Always remember to check with your healthcare professional before taking any new natural health product."

It contains genistein, which I have read bad things about when combined with tamoxifen:

Dietary genistein negates the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on growth of estrogen-dependent human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells implanted in athymic mice.

Genistein induces enhanced growth promotion in ER-positive/erbB-2-overexpressing breast cancers by ER–erbB-2 cross talk and p27/kip1 downregulation

Genistein inhibits tamoxifen effects on cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest in T47D breast cancer cells

There was one in vitro study from 2002 that showed a synergistic effect, (the other studies speculate the effect is dose dependent - lower doses may inhibit tam's effect more than higher, but I don't think it's been proven. No human studies that I saw.). I wouldn't personally take it. I am not going to judge anyone else for choosing to take it, but others should know the whole story before they do. I've caught my doctors giving me incorrect information before. Just because one MO says it is OK doesn't mean he can't be wrong.

Sorry for the buzz kill lala1, but I think it's important that everyone considers all of the evidence before taking any supplements with tamoxifen. It is apparently very easy to interfere with tamoxifen, as I have found while researching my own supplement routine.

Suzanne50

This is what I read under FAQ...

"You should not use i-cool® For Menopause if you currently have or previously had breast cancer and/or breast tumours or if you have a predisposition to breast cancer, as indicated by an abnormal mammogram and/or biopsy, or a family member with breast cancer. Always remember to check with your healthcare professional before taking any new natural health product."

Trvler

This is what it says in response to the BC question: There are no known side effects attributed to taking i-cool® For Menopause. We recommend speaking with your healthcare professional to see if taking i-cool® For Menopause in combination with any other medication or supplement is appropriate for your individual situation.

Where did you find that quote, Suzanne?

superius

jbokland: that's pretty much like what my MO said as well: "if those cancer cells try to come back, they would starve to death" since they can't attach to the hormone receptors. I think of Tamoxifen putting protective shields on the receptors.

solfeo

When I clicked on lala1's link I saw the same quote as Suzanne50, that i-cool shouldn't be taken. I posted it right above her, along with some links to studies about the main ingredient possibly interfering with tamoxifen.

Hormone-Free, Soy-Free Hot Flash Supplements | i-cool® Products

Trvler

That's so weird that I got something completely different when I clicked that link.

Suzanne50

That is totally weird!! How is that possible?

DeeRatz

The link in Solfeo's message is the Canadian link. That's what comes up for me anyway. But I am in Canada..

solfeo

Websites can serve up different pages based on the location of the visitor, but I'm in the US.

At any rate, it's a little disturbing that different people are getting different information when the difference is quite important. I looked it up and the primary ingredient is the same on both US and Canadian sites. I still wouldn't take it based on the studies that have found genestein to interact unfavorably with tamoxifen, but to each her own.

rleepac

I am feeling so extremely defiant right now and I just want to be done with BC. How can I move on when I still have to take this pill for 10 years...that's not moving on - that's a daily reminder! I know I am going through a phase and it will pass but right now I'm just bitter that I can't close this chapter of my life completely. Yes, of course I'm grateful for having this option and I am so very grateful to be alive but I guess I just feel like I'm stuck in cancerland.

DeeRatz

rleepac-I kinda look at it the same as I did when I took the birth control pill. I took that to prevent pregnancy. I take my tamoxifen to prevent my cancer from returning. I too want off this crazy BC ride that I didn't sign up for. I'm hoping after I have my exchange surgery and get these rock hard expanders out, I will feel more normal. Feb 11 can't come fast enough

molliefish

I know how you feel rleepac. I took the dang pill. It didn't hurt. I didn't feel different after swallowing it, and I won't know if it will make a difference or not (I'm hoping)for another 30 years. Or 40. 😉

rleepac

I know. I really need to take it. As soon as I get over my temper tantrum I will...

Wendy3

Rleepac I'm newly diagnosed stage four believe me a little white pill is not a big deal..... You get to live.

ksusan

Every day I take medication to control/prevent diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and circulatory problems. I'm not thrilled by tamoxifen's potential serious side effects, but see it as another preventive strategy I can use to stay alive.

Trvler

I kind of think of it like the BC pill, too. And you can always stop if you can't tolerate it.

Professor50

I totally get the feeling that somehow taking this pill everyday feels like a constant reminder of cancer. I felt just that way for a while there. But it's been a long time now and I honestly don't feel like a cancer patient anymore when I take it. It feels very preventative. And I don't think about it nearly as much as I used to.

ang7894

I have mixed reviews on tamox I couldn't handle it and stopped after 2 1/2 years . I know personally some woman I know have no problems with it . But at the same time I know some that have problems. I also know some that even taking it they got cancer back after taking it for 5 years and some still in the process in taking it and got cancer back. I think its all a crap shoot maybe luck of the draw !! I don't know. I certainly don't want to discourage taking it just giving my 2 cents.

ErenTo

I've been on tamoxifen for 6 months with minimal side effects, but in the last 2-3 days I started to experience mild tingling in my fingers and toes and sometimes legs, arms and face. I notice it starts about 1 hour I take the pill in the morning and lasts through the day. No tingling when I wake up in the morning, then it starts again once I take it. I'm going to monitor this for a few days and maybe play with splitting the dose. Has anyone experienced tingling with tamoxifen?

pennsygal

Joining you today - took my first pill this morning. Six hours in, so far, so good!!

queenmomcat

Welcome to the dark side....er, club, pennsygal.

CidneyI

I know this has been discussed before but I can not find where. I am having eye issues. At first, I thought I had pink eye in both eye and treated it accordingly. Nope, that wasn't it, treated it with allergy drops, nope that's not it either. Now my eyes hurt with an off and on dull pain behind my eyes and my eyes are always blood red. I am thinking its just another side effect of Tamo to deal with. Anyone have eye issues from taking Tamo?