Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

dctexas

gardengypsy - Sorry for the delay in answering. I didn't realize I was logged out so I didn't see the updates . From what I've heard, yes, memory issues can be an SE of Tamoxifen. With a family history of memory problems, that's the SE I'm most concerned with. Thank you for the supplement suggestions!

Trvler

Dee: I am having the finger swelling thing, too. I can't fit my wedding rings on anymore and I can't get sized because the setting had diamonds embedded in it.

mvspaulding

I have also had swelling in my hands, feet and ankles. I thought I was maybe eating too much salt or not drinking enough water but I guess it is just another gift from Tamoxifen.

El_Tigre

ahh that explains my ankles being a tad swollen. i thought maybe it was poor circulation from chemo.

labelle

Hmmm...I had swollen fingers a couple times this summer. That's never happened to me before. The swelling went down pretty quickly and I didn't think much about it. Haven't heard of this being a SE of tamoxifen, but who knows?

Musosgirl

Isblack cohosh not allowed with Tamoxifen?

lala1

musosgirl--My MO won't allow me to take black cohosh. He said it's estrogenic and since my BC was estrogen positive, I cannot take it. He allows me to take iCool and Peridin-C.

Paxton29

I do believe heat and humidity cause swelling and extra pounds. Here in San Antonio we're in the most brutal part of the year and I've had trouble getting my rings on. I'm in month 2 of Tamoxifen and I can't say if it's the humidity or the drug that's caused the discomfort. I think my weight is stable but the proof will be when the weather cools off.

Trvler

My swelling is minimal but it's enough that I can no longer wear my wedding rings.

silviah

hi - I just started taking tamoxifen on July 29th - are one of the SE a sore throat?? not really sore, but almost sore. Does that make sense??

Scottiemom11

Silviah. . .Sinus drainage certainly is. I've had it constantly and have had sore throat on and off due to that. I keep throat/cough drops at work.

Scottie

Artista928

Saw my onc today for the 6 week follow up starting Tamox. I have bilateral knee osteoarthritis that can be pretty debilitating at time. Back in June she told me AI would cripple me. Today she's thinking to put me on an AI in Nov when I see her next. Not sure I like the sound of that. What happens if I start and it gets bad, stop, but joints don't get back to where they were before?

lala1

Scottiemom11---Did your MO or someone tell you sinus drainage was a SE? I seem to have ongoing sporadic sinus issues that started about a year after I started Tamoxifen. All my docs either poo poo the possibility or express sympathy and move on. I don't think there's much I can do about it but I'd love to know if it's an official SE.

Musosgirl

I am sure this has been asked before but can someone recommend a brand for magnesium glycinate?

KateB79

Musosgirl, I'm a fan of the KAL brand.

Re: swelling. . . . Hydrate. This is something I figured out kind of by accident. If I drink fewer than about 80 ounces of water a day, my hands swell. There was one incident this summer involving a really hot outdoor wedding, an open bar, too much beer, salty food, and not enough water, which led to my feet and ankles swelling pretty badly--honestly, it freaked me out--and since then I've been on the hydration train. I'm also trying to watch my sodium intake, and it seems to be working. I ran this hypothesis by my MO and she agreed: tamoxifen means that we need to drink much more water than we did before.

Paxton29

Hee--"incident."

I honestly find I feel worse--more bloated--when I drink a lot of water. I've never heard anyone else say that though.

lala1

Musogirl---I take KAL magnesium glycinate 400. One tablet a day works great for me and the price is good too! Sometimes I get it from Amazon and sometimes from Vitamin Shoppe. They seem to be pretty close in price.

Carlsoda

well....today is the day. I will take my first of thousands of little white pills tonight at bedtime. Not impressed but gotta do it.

Scottiemom11

lala1. . .MO mentioned that it can cause drainage, also dry eye which I have anyway. Musosgirl. . .I'm taking Doctor'sBest Mag glycinate. Got it from Amazon in 4 month supply. Definitely helps me.

Scottie

lala1

Thanks Scottiemom11. For me, I feel like my equilibrium is slightly off. I don't have the usual itchy eyes, runny nose but more of a periodic lightheadedness. For example, I spent the last couple of weeks at the lake boating and such. Sometimes at night, it would feel like I was still on the boat. If Tamoxifen can increase drainage, I'd bet that would affect my equilibrium in some way. It's not bad, just more annoying than anything. And then about once a month or so, I'll wake up at night with a lot of phlegm in my throat. I clear it out and go right back to sleep. Also sounds like something related to drainage. Not really anything I can do about it but I like to know what causes what!

molliefish

Carlsoda, you do great! Think lots of positive thoughts. Hey did you know that Carlsoda auto corrects to Carlsbad!?

Musosgirl

Thanks ladies. For a 400mg dose of magnesium the KAL brand looks like a better buy so I will start with that

Musosgirl

I forgot to mention that those were the two brands I had narrowed it down to, so I feel really good about this choice! You ladies are great

lala1

Musosgirl---Just to clarify....I only take 1 tablet of the KAL which is just 200mg. I also take SloMag magnesium chloride (2 tablets) which is 150mg. The first helps with joint pain and hot flashes and the second helps with regularity. Different types of magnesium do different things. But you would be fine taking 2 tablets (400mg) of the KAL.

Andraxo

I take 400mg Mag: 200mg Mag Citrate, 200mg Mag Glycinate. Take both at the same time at night when I take my Tamoxifen and 5mg Melatonin for sleep, and 5ish drops of a medical marijuana tincture (125mg each THC and CBD in the little bottle) also for sleep. Staying regular (though I eat a ton of veggies too) and muscles are getting better slowly! yay! (ran 11 miles last weekend). I don't feel like anything really helps me with hot flashes though (tried a lot of things and combos and timing) - they hit mostly between 2 and 5 am. Also take B-complex, D, and E, and sometimes turmeric in the morning. - xo

superius

Hot flash went away for a bit while. Think it has to do with the menstrual cycle - cramps today. About regularity: I think the 4 cup + salad + green smoothie breakfast (+ flax & wheat bran) took care of it now (YES!)

Musosgirl

Well, it looks like I am going to try an AI. My anxiety is up a bit on Effexor and I am depressed now. I wasn't depressed before. So now that I had a hysterectomy they are happy to put me back on Paxil and try an AI. I am nervous--but it's probably best to give it a try. I will stay on Tamoxifen a couple more weeks till I see my PCP and change the anti-depressant.

gemini4

HI ladies! Hope everyone is well. It's revoltingly hot here in eastern Massachusetts -- I love summer, but this isn't nice.

I had my six-month MO checkup on Monday. She took blood to see if I'm post-menopausal and ready to switch to an AI. Six months ago I was not, and this blood test showed that my estradiol levels are low but still indicating ovary function. So I'll be continuing tamoxifen for at least another six months. If I switch to AI in February, I will have been on tamoxifen nearly four years at that point! I'm pretty sure my MO is going to recommend ten years of hormone therapy.

There was a free "wellness clinic" going on at the oncology department when I was there, so I got some "ear seed" stickers put on acupuncture points on my ears. They were to treat hot flashes, joint pain, and appetite. I sort of feel like they helped! I'll be out of town next week, but I might go back the week after for a follow-up. It's a free offering to all cancer patients (though I'm reluctant to call myself a cancer patient -- I prefer to think of myself as someone taking cancer-preventative medication). ;-). Words matte! :-)

ORgal

Superius, I'm noticing my period starts a week or two after hot flashes stop. Periods have been sporadic. Geez, not sure which I'd rather have!

iammags

Hi all. I just posted on another board, too, so sorry if you are reading this twice! Stopped rads in late May and started Tamoxifen on the 1st of June. I had fatigue, sore muscles and joints, and numbness in the fingers of my right hand (cancer side). So my MO took me off Tamoxifen for a month but I didn't feel that much different so I'm back on. Yea. I had some blood tests (like for RA and Thyroid problems) which were normal. So now my MO doesn't think that it's the Tamoxifen but I'm just not sure. It seems unlikely because if I quit for a month and the symptoms didn't get better then maybe it's not the Tamoxifen. But what, then, is it?

This is making me crazy. Has anyone else had a similar situation?