After 5 Years of Tamoxifen, Another Pill?

bluesky

I have been on Tamoxifen for 3 years, I recently asked my Oncologist if after 5 years of Tamoxifen I had to take other medicine and he said maybe because I was put into menopause by Chemo in January 2007.  The SE of Tamoxifen have been very difficult for me, especially the weight gain, between chemo and tamoxifen I have gained 40 pounds, I lost 13 pounds last year but had to work very hard to lose the weight, I have not been able to lose the balance of the 30 pounds that I gained and it is driving me crazy, I was a very fit, healthy slim person before BC, the last 4 years have been extremely tough, and the thought of having to take another pill after 5 years of Tamoxifen is really depressing me.  How many of you had to take another pill after Tamoxifen?

Bugs

At my last onc visit we discussed this.  We had originally discussed going on an AI after my 5 years with Tamox was up.  Now he is backing away from that thought saying that the studies are just not showing that it helps.  I'm torn, and told him so.  Right now, Tamox is my security blanket.  I may just freak a bit if I don't have that blanket anymore.   But, he's right....AI's have their own set of side effects and if the studies don't show it helps, then why take it?  I dunno.  Like I said, I'm torn

Member_of_the_Club

Some women actually do better on AIs, so go figure.  I had not heard that there is no benefit to switching to an AI after five years of tamoxifen.  (I'm skeptical of this.)  What my onc said was that there is a small benefit, and that it was my choice whether that benefit was worth it.  I noticed, Bugs, that you were ER+ and PR-, which may make a difference in the advice.

I did five years of tamoxifen and have now switched to zoladex plus arimidex. (I was not post menopausal)  I dreaded the switch to an AI like you wouldn't believe.  More than I dreaded chemo. But so far I have felt only a slight increase in hot flashes, otherwise fine.  Now its only been 5 days, so that doesn't mean much, but I swear I was convinced the sky would rip open.  It didn't, and i think this might be very doable.