Tamoxifen & Blood Sugar

Txgal748

Hi! 

I have not posted in a while.  Everything is going well.  06/13/2014 will mark 2 years since my lumpectomy.   I have been taking Tamoxifen for 1 year and 8 months.  The side effects that I have experienced with Tamoxifen are foot cramps and some joint pain.  

Last September due to insurance restructuring I had to go get a health assessment.   They took height, weight, blood pressure, lipid panel,  and glucose.  My fasting glucose was 109.  In December I visited my PCP who ran an A1C.  My A1C was 6.4%.  Yesterday I went to get another A1C it came back 5.9%.  My problem with all of this is that I do not eat very many carbs.  I have been stricter with my carbs since January.  Since Jan. 1 I have not eaten any potatoes, very little sugar (1 bag of m&ms in February).  I mostly eat eggs, meat, and vegetables.  I drink 1 cup of coffee & water.  Do any of you have problems with a high A1C since starting Tamoxifen?  I have read that Tamoxifen does not cause diabetes but it does increase your chances of developing diabetes.

Thanks,

Rosa

scooter1950

Hi Rosa,

 I have been very concerned about my Type 2 since starting tamoxifen.  I've had diabetes about five years and had been able to control it with diet and exercise.  After about six months on the tamoxifen, things got all out of whack.  Fasting sugars of 180. Yikes!  So I started taking Metformin once a day and now twice a day.  Still no improvement.  All of my doctors say tamoxifen does not increase blood sugar but I don't believe them.  I stopped talking it for six weeks and my A1c dropped from 7.3 to 6.2.  So I have proof.  But I am sure they will say I changed something in my diet.  I did not. I really don't know what to do.  Diabetes complications scare the heck outta me.

Txgal748

Scooter1950,

I totally understand your fear of diabetes complications.  I witnessed my father"s complications with uncontrolled diabetes and I do not want to go through that.  My PCP told me Tamoxifen  puts people into the pre-diabetes range but the blood sugars will normalize once you quit taking Tamoxifen.  My problem is that I have 3 years to go.  My chance of recurrence without the Tamoxifen is 7%.  I would quit taking this pill, but it would make my husband very upset.