Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

Blownaway

Bcky - I take 600 mg Gabapentin @ night and 75 mg Effexor morning. I will give this dosage of Effexor another week, then request an increase if I'm still having hot flashes. I refuse to have another summer like last year and winter was no picnic either.

Bcky

Blownaway - I take Ginger and Tumeric but find the joint pain has not decreased. I am going to try magnesium as a lady on this thread says it is working for her. I went to the hot tub and sauna two days ago and that helped some.Yes. I hope a higher dose of Effexor helps you. Hot Flashes are really not fun. I picked up a refill of Tamoxifen a few days back and it is in a blue pill container and the brand name is Mylan?

lala1

Bcky---I've heard some ladies on here say that the Mylan brand is the hardest on the body. I started out on Watson and did ok as long as I took supplements for the joint pain (turmeric, ginger, magnesium glycinate) but last fall I swapped to Teva and now feel fantastic. I no longer have much joint pain, my sinuses are clear and the periodic nausea and dizziness are gone. I do think you have to play around with the brands to find the one that works for you.

Also, I don't know what dose of turmeric and ginger you are taking but if it's one capsule of each a day, up it to two and see if you get relief. My doc said one of each a day for a month. If you get relief, stay on that dose. If not, up it to two a day of each for another month. If still no relief, then it's not going to work for you. I got rid of most of my pain in about 2 weeks but every once in a while have to up my dose for a few days if the pain flares up. Then once it's gone I back off to the original dose.

By the way, the magnesium glycinate is supposed to help with hot flashes as well. My MO recommended a product called iCool which helps me alot. I buy it off Amazon.

rleepac

How much magnesium glycinate do you take?

lala1

I take a 200mg tablet of Kal (magnesium glycinate) at night to help with hot flashes and 2 tablets of SloMag (magnesium chloride) each morning for regularity which equal about 150mg.

Scottiemom11

I spoke with MO last month about all my sups. I take calcium, probiotics, magnesium citrate, D3, multi-vites, Biotin, glucosamine, flax seed oil and turmeric. I'm looking for a ginger sup on Amazon. Joint pain is bearable as long as I exercise daily - at least walking - so I have a Fitbit Surge and a Zip to accurately track my exercise. Even with all that, I currently have a double ear infection and a Sinus infection. Not a happy bunny, but at the gym anyway.

Scottie

Bcky

LalaThanks! I switched pharmacies and they switched brands on me without asking. I will ask the pharmacist to get Teva. I have been on Ginger and Tumeric since my dx. My joint pain in both knees started recently after returning to work. I am going to double my dose of Ginger and Tumeric.

katcar0001

Scottiemom - Did your MO okay your supps? Did he/she show interest? My docs in Leon wanted me on absolutely nada. The doc in S.F. didn't seem to care--thought I was silly? Have moved on from all of them and trying out new docs.

edwsmom

Does Tamoxifen cause you to have body aches?

For the past week, my shoulders have really been sore. I have no idea why.

I started Tamoxifen on May 1st.....wondering if there's a connection.

lala1

I find that Tamoxifen pretty much causes everything to hurt! I find relief with walking, yoga, strength training and turmeric and ginger.

ayr1016

I agree lala1 - I feel like the Tamoxifen gives me a general overall feeling of aches and pains that never seem to really go away.

For those of you on Restatis (for dry eyes from the Tamoxifen, treatments, etc.) how long did it take for it to work? My eye specialists said that it could take a couple of weeks. It is PRICEY (wowza).

Noni

I started tamoxifen on March 31 and the body aches, especially in my shoulders and elbows started within two weeks. I called my MO's office to see what I could take because I am on blood thinners which limits my options. My MO responded that tamoxifen does not cause joint pain. I found that hard to believe.

I live with switching hot and cold packs every day.

ladyb1234

I have been on Tamixifen for a little over a year. Although the aches and pains are not as bad as the were the first 9 months. I have to say I generally have aches and pains that never really go away -- the degree of pain varies so much! This includes joint pain, Noni.

KateB79

Knee pain here. I agree with the suggestion to exercise, do yoga, and take turmeric. I notice a big difference (for the worse) if I don't do the three of those things.

I think my mood swings are getting worse. I've been under a lot of stress at work and in a weird family situation, so there are reasons other than tamoxifen, but I find I oscillate between rage and sadness quite a bit. Sigh. More yoga!

dtad

My 2 cents....did you guys know that conventional docs have absolutely no education on supplements? Its just not part of their training at all. So most have very little to say about them. Those that do have taken their own initiative to educate themselves. Good luck to all....

superius

I have a friend that's in the supplement "business" - I think it's Sharklee? I don't know... I am hesitant to ask her about it, from all her fb posting about so many different products, protein shakes, pills, bars, this energizing pill, that stress relief pill.... "oh I didn't have energy today, because I forgot my pills!" -- that doesn't sound right to me.... Is it legit?

Blownaway

edwsmom - I had body aches similar to what you get with flu/fever and painful, weak joints, plus headache after starting T. My doc has me on 600mg Gabapentin nightly and that took care of the pain (it took awhile). The hot flashes are another story though. I'm taking 75mg Effexor mornings and although I have seen an improvement, they have not subsided completely.

ladyb1234

dtad, based on my experience I agree with you that my team of conventional docs didnt know much about supplements and my PCP and MO tended to shy away from any standard recommendations. The good thing my MO was open to working with me on complimentary (not alternative) treatments.

During my initial diagnosis I choose to augment my traditional treatment with complimentary treatment from an Integrative ONcologist that partners with my PCP and MO as the centers nuturianist only went so far. My integrative ONc is specialized in the interactions of supplements with the treatment protocols used during and after treatment cancer treatment. She has worked on staff at some one of the leading cancer centers. At least in my case my integrative Onc is wonderful. She got me onto a more healthy life style along with supplements

Anonymous

Has anyone experienced dry/bloody nose from Tamoxifen? This started about a month ago and I don't know what to do to stop it. I've been using a little vaseline on the dry area but it's not helping much. Thoughts?

Trvler

The only time I had those issues was when I was in the desert. I keep a bottle of saline around and whenever I feel uncomfortable I just squirt it in.

Scottiemom11

Katcar. . .MO said OK to all my supps, but will keep an eye on my numbers with regard to the turmeric. Still looking for a Ginger supplement. Just refilled my Tamox and I'm back to Watson again. I have less side effects on that one.

Lovingisliving. . .I'm exactlyopposite, Tamox gives me constant drainage which has resulted in my second sinus infection in 6 months with a double ear infection to boot.

Lala. . .yoga is still on my list to add to my regimen. Swimming to. I just have to work it into my full time working mom / breast cancer recovery schedule.

Scottie

MJS1266

Loving is living, I had dry, bloody nose while on Taxol but not on Tamoxifen. Best, MJ

TinyDancer5

I've had a bloody nose back in February that took two hours to stop one month after being on Tamoxifen. Pinch your nose at the base of the bone for 10 minutes. I tried cotton balls soaked in nasal decongestant spray, then neosporin on a q tip and smeared it inside. The next day I bought saline spray and nasal gel. I use the spray daily. No more bloody noses. It could have been from the dry winter air, treatments, or the Tamoxifen. I don't know

dtad

ladyb....yes integrative oncs are who you want to see if you want some guidance on supplements. Good luck to all....

GirlFriday

Hello! It's been a while since I've been on here. I've been on Tamoxifen for 5 years now...and the recommendation per my Onc was to take it for another bonus year...based on my Dx. She agrees that the risks are now equal to the benefits for my type of cancer. Last week I had an ultra sound to dx a superficial blood clot in my calf (phlebitis)...I'm treating it and have contacted the Onc...Have an appointment next week to discuss continuing to take T because she thinks I still should. Has anyone else run into this? Blood clots and encouragement to continue to take Tamoxifen?

Noni

Has anyone not had any hot flashes while taking tamoxifen? I am post menopausal and have experienced warm flashes for years. Nothing serious including night or day sweats, just getting very warm and flush.

I have joint and body aches but other than that no other se. Feeling a bit paranoid that it's not doing anything for me.

bikefam

Noni, I am post menopausal also. My hot flashes (maybe warm flashes) were very mild during menopause and very mild with Tamoxifen. I find that if I exercise and avoid stress in my life, they almost go away. My aches and pains are nothing more than normal for being 60, I think.

lala1

I am also post menopausal from a hysterectomy. I didn't have hot flashes on Tamoxifen before surgery but got them about 2 months after. At first they were hot flashes but now they are mostly warm flushes. I don't know if time eased them or the supplement I take for them helped. All I know is they are fewer and farther between and not as strong. I also exercise and do yoga so that might be helping as well.

El_Tigre

Hi

Is anyone doing Tamoxifen with Lupron? I am doing that combo until I can get on AI's but I'm only 37 and they are watching my hormone levels closely before switching me over to AIs.

Scottiemom11

El Tigre . . .I did two rounds of monthly lupron shots. 4 months on 3 months off and 4 months on. I had to stop them b/c the side effects were too much for me. It did stop my cycles though. Keeping fingers crossed but it's been 9 months. I hopefully got the benefit I needed.

Good luck,

Scottie