Tamoxifen and libido

1cb

I've been on tamoxifen for a while now, am 34 and have NO libido. It's affecting my marriage. I hate this drug. Help!

sloyd66

I would like the answer to this also. I will be starting this drug eventually and a little concern about my sex life. =(

ziggypop

I'm on Tamo, and haven't noticed any libido changes, but I did want to suggest that you might want to try changing the manufacturer. It seems like people have differing SEs based on which company manufactures the drug - meaning that I have heard many women mention that if they had a certain SE from tamo from one manufacturer & then switched to tamo from a different manufacturer, their SEs sometimes changed. You might want to talk to your mo - based on the diagnosis you have, tamo can reduce your odds of recurrence by 1 or 2% all the way up to 25%. If it's only 1%, then maybe it's not worth it for you.

sloyd66

Hi ziggypop, what manufacture you're with? I haven't started it yet but I am expected to soon as chemo and rad is over. But glad to hear it's a possibility my libido won't change. =/ lol...

rozem

it may not be the tam...if you were put into menopause (did you have chemo? ovarian suppression?) this may do it

ziggypop

sloyd66 - I don't even know who manufactures what I take, it's only recently that I've read that some people do notice changes after changing manufacturers (or having the pharmacy give them something different). The side effects I have had have been:

first week: Got a vaginal bacterial infection - treated that & got a yeast infection as a result - gone in one day & no problem since

second week - major hot flashes and night sweats, started black cohash which helped some

12th week - had onc put me on effexor for the hot flashes & sweats as the cohash helped but not enough

since then (I've been on it for about 7 months now) - minor hot flashes & some minor pain in my shins - don't know if it's from the tamo or not



I'm post menopausal, but my friend (pre-menopausal) went on it about the same time as I did & has had no SEs whatsoever. Remember that the SEs are like those of other meds - they usually happen to a percentage of the population. I think the loss of libido is pretty uncommon - some people even say it increases it. : )

sloyd66

thanks ziggy I hope im a lower % with little to no side effects. lol I told my mother I don't know which is worst, vaginal dryness, or yeast infections =/

peggy_j

As an FYI, I was on tamox for 2 years and didn't have these SEs, so it varies for everyone.

sloyd66

Good to kno peggy! I hope I'm like you.

farmerlucy

Ziggy - You may have addressed this somewhere else, and if so, forgive me (I'll blame it on Tamoxifen brain). Anywho - when I was considering black cohosh a few years ago I thought I read that it has estrogen-like qualities, and since I was high risk then, I decided against it. I thought I'd throw that out there in case someone knows for sure.

ziggypop

farmerlucydaisy - It does, but not enough (according to my onc who checked with another his friend who is another onc who researches alternative meds) to worry about. Remember that tamoxifin isn't the same as AIs - tamo sort of blocks the er+ receptors on the cancer cells (it's a SERM). Effexor also diminishes the effects of Tamo a little bit - but not significantly enough to endure night sweats that wake you up 5 times a night - ; )

One thing - if you use black cohash, order it from Germany where it's regulated (otherwise you don't know what you might be getting).

Moderators

1cb, as you can read in our main site "many women report having less sex than before their illness for several reasons..." Take a look at the article Changes in Your Sex Life, you may find it interesting, hope it helps!

The Mods

mcmacey

Please know that effexor can impair your ability to have an orgasm as well as decrease libido.  Trade offs.  Never ending trade offs!