Any other vegans out there on Tamoxifen?

Dovely

Hello!

I was wondering if there are any other vegans survivors who are on hormone therapy. What supplements are you taking? I take quite a few and theyhave helped a bit with side effects (hair loss, joint paint, insomnia) but I'm curious what foods or supplements may have improved your experience. Thank you!

Jadedjasper

Hi Dovely,

I am a vegetarian and taking Tamoxifen. I am actually looking for a Women's multivitamin that is safe to take on an estrogen blocker. Many of them have ingredients to "support hormone balance or regulation" and I am concerned that this could mean boosting estrogen which is not what I am looking for of course! I am sorry I don't have an answer but I will post back here if I find something I can recommend. I also plan to discuss this with my medical oncologist and am considering switching off of Tamoxifen as well b/c the insomnia side effect has been a real bear for me.

Best,

Jaded Jasper

Dovely

JadedJasper,

I've had insomnia too. I've tried melatonin, magnesium and valerian supplements that help sometimes. I also have a prescription for a benzodiazepine that I resort to after consecutive nights. It's more the quality of sleep for me, I may be laying there for eight hours but wake up not feeling rested.

As far as other supplements, I take individual ones rather than a multi. I take 5,000 iu of Vit D, Omegas from algae, b complex and extra biotin to help with hair shedding and magnesium glycinate. We have a varied all plant based diet so I try to get as many vitamins I can from my food. I decided not to take a multi because some vitamins (like e and c) can inhibit Tamoxifen and I feel like if I'm going to deal with this med I might as well not put any barriers to its effectiveness. My energy level is good, but I do have body aches and joint pain at times that I attribute to Tamoxifen.