Tamoxifen and Exercise

QueenDee

Hello All,

Am I the only one struggling to lose weight and tone up while on tamoxifen? I was able to lose some weight but that was while I was doing two workouts a day for four out of the five work days. On Fridays I would only go in the morning...all of this in preparation for an obstacle race. I Iost some weight, did the race and did what I could. Despite all this I never built muscle, no tone, and was super tired from the training. I've since sIacked on the intense training and am eating regular meals and not the strict dieting I did. It was not sustainable. I try to go to the gym four times a week when I can but I never get that exercise high or energy. It feels like I'm getting my period after a few hours pass after the workout. Muscle gain is non existent, I'm a flabby old lady in my thirties. I now can't drop weight and I can't think of dieting. Needless to say I've lost motivation and am upset about this. I went through two lumpectomies on the same side, one or two node removal, 8 rounds of chemo, 6 weeks of radiation but nothing compares to a sentence of five years of tamoxifen. It bothers me that they tell the recently diagnosed to do ten years of the stuff. Anyone with similar experience? I still have less than 2 years to go on this stuff.

rianne2580

I recently posted here regarding the 10 year sentence of tamoxifen. I too was a workout horse, weights and cardio. I gained 15 pounds on tamoxifen and could not get it off for anything. I have taken it for 5 years now and want to quit but that dang study says 10 years now?! I don't think so. I'm struggling with this as I hate the SE, I guess they could be worse but tired of the dryness, extra weight and headaches. These headaches can last for 3 days and I never had headaches before tamoxifen. I really want it out of my system so I stopped at the end of July 2016.

Anonymous

I'm finding the same experience on the anti-hormonals. Nearly impossible to lose weight for many of us on these drugs, no matter how many calories you cut and miles you walk. I've tried. Luckily at least I'm not gaining any weight, but for a month I pretty much went without eating much because my husband had complications from surgery earlier this year, and I didn't lose but about 3-4 lbs. Pre-tamox/arimidex/aromasin I would have lost at least 7-9 on that kind of nervous energy diet.

Of course doctors are no help. You'll get no sympathy from them (they might even deny the drugs cause this problem) or they'll tell you, "as we age, we have to eat less and exercise more", the supercilious and blanket reply I got from some woman doctor, can't remember who or when. I think I told her thanks for pointing out the obvious and then just gave up....

Claire in AZ

Nancy2581

I am really struggling now. I lost 10lbs when I was diagnosed. Then I went on tamoxifen. The first couple of months I didn't gain any weight, but now I am. I gained all of the 10 lbs back. I'm ok with gaining that back, but I worry it's not going to stop. I walk and run for an hour in the morning and I walk again for 1/2 hour late in the afternoon. It's not helping. So annoying. I also got pushed into menopause from chemo. I'm sure that's not helping either, but I don't want to turn into Pamela Porchbuster. What do I have to do starve myself? Humph.

Nancy

Anonymous

Nancy2581, I know exactly how you feel and I share your frustration. I thought I was exercising enough and now I wonder. But I barely eat anything; not a big eater anyway, and eat mainly plant based diet with little to no dairy and no meat but fish....so disheartening.

Crescent5

I gained 15 pounds post treatment; it's possible tamoxifen caused that. I guess I just had to accept that this is my new normal, and I workout differently now. I don't think Tamoxifen has made me weaker, but I''ll come back next year and tell you if I'm strong again after I'm off this sh*t. Frankly I think recovering from a major illness tool more out of me than tamoxifen has.

"Flabby old lady" is tough to read on a board of mostly older women.