Effexor for Tamoxifen

BCGirl1

I have finished radiation and was to start tamoxifen but can't seem to handle it. They are now talking about giving effexor not for depression but to contradict some of the tamoxifen side effects. Does anyone have experience with this? has anyone else chosen to not take tomoxifn because of the dibilitating effects?

Moderators

Hello BCGirl1,

Welcome to the Breastcancer.org community. Here you will find a supportive community of others who are sharing similar experiences.

We're sure that others will be chiming in soon with responses to your questions. In the meantime, you may want to check out our page on Hot Flashes. It contains information about the use of anti-depressants to manage hot flashes.

Warmest regards,

The Mods

rettemich

Welcome, you will gain a wealth of real life knowledge on these boards. They have been a godsend for me.

I am on effexor. I really don't like it. Some of the side effects I get makes me wonder if it's the Tamox or the Effexor. Don't know where you are going but see if they offer acupuncture. That also helped me for the heat. I haven't gotten flashes just constantly hot. Also check with your MO and see if you can use Black Cohosh it's an herbal. I have been using that too. It may or may not work for you. But it might be worth a try. Check to see if they have an Integrative Oncologist there. They treat more of the whole body. My IO is working toward getting me off the Effexor.

Best of Luck. Keep us posted.

KatiAK

welcome aboard BCGirl1!  I took Tamoxifen for six months, then requested the Effexor.  It hasn't been a miracle drug but it has certainly helped for me.  I still have hot flashes but the panic that accompanied them is gone, I'm not screaming at my kids anymore, I have my energy back and I don't cry at the drop of a hat. It's definitely stabilized the mood swings.  I'm sold.  I do take xanax and melatonin to sleep but I was taking that before.

shimmy

I tried it for a week, but it really messed up my sleep. Couldn't get to sleep, couldn't stay asleep. Since the whole point was getting the hot flashes and sweats under control at night so it would quit interrupting my sleep, I was just trading one side effect for another and not gaining any ground. Plus, I was still getting hot flashes anyhow, it was only a slight improvement.

BCGirl1

Thanks all who replied. 

I am new here and the site is a bit over whelming at the moment and I have a bunch of questions so thought i would just keep my one thread instead of posting in various places. 

Now I am not taking the tamoxifen and the oncologist says I am at high risk for cancer coming back. I found this to be very negative and his numbers seemed to be different then when I was first diagnosed. I realize he has to tell people what he thinks but I now have to get my head in a good spot and just move on with life. I wanted to be able to finish this right and do all he said but hey I gave it my best shot. Seeing him doesn't help and is rather depressing. I would like to celebrate the positives and not have such a heavy focus on what could happen. Now with his news I said well i will just get a double mastectomy then and he said no lumpectomy and radiation equals a mastectomy so your cancer will come back elsewhere. 

So my next question I thought I heard way back after being diagnosed almost a year ago that certain cancer run together. Does anyone have info on this? I am wondering if cancer does come back which one it would be.

I also really wasn't expecting radiation to be as hard as it was, did anyone else find it difficult? Then to come home to those tamoxifen pills I just didn't know which way was up. 

I also made it through surgery and chemo  with not much pain but since radiation my chest hurts now and moving is limited. Did anyone else experience this? is there a reasonable explanation for this?

How long is it till you were better? I think I am better then I will twist or something and get an unexpected pain and it shocks me. It has been 3 months out of rad but when i get pain it still surprises me. 

Thanks for your replies.