Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

Eastcoast:  I started off with 2 lumpectomies before I ended up with a mx.  My BS told me NOT to start Tamox until after the mx.  When I had the exchange surgery though it is such a short surgery and I was not told to stop taking it before the surgery.  I think  you should talk to your onco and your PS since it seems like so many of them have differing opinions on many things.

Morning gals....yes, I had heard & read that also, about the Benadryl....but I asked if I could take Tylenol PM at night to help me sleep, and the Doctor said yes, even thought it does have Benadryl in it.  But I don't even have to take that now, because I'm sleeping on my own.

I have been taking Claritin, in the mornings, trying to open up one of my stupid ears.   But that works differently than Benadryl.  And so far even THAT isn't helping. 

So I'll maybe go in to the Doc's to see what is going on with that ear next week. That's probably  why I sleep better, Ha!  I can't hear very well!   And my DH has a bad head cold, so when he talks, it sounds like he puts both hands over his mouth & mumbles....I'm just running around here going "what?"  "WHAT?"  And when he hears trucks going down the street, & I am oblivious, I just say "show off."  But I don't need to hear that stuff anyway.

I can see that some of you gals have about the same diagnosis as mine, but that your Doc put you on a different course of treatment...I think they are all just different...they have different ideas on what THEY think is the best.  

Sandee...that WAS beautiful!  I find the further away I get from the first diagnosis, the happier I am!  I'm Okay now, & I'll just go plunking along with my life! 

It was like your heart drops right out of your body when you hear those words....and it stays there, until you can see some hope, & until the surgery is over....THEN the treatments....but looking back on it now, I am just so happy that I went through that & didn't go nuts!  

So Tamoxifen is just that little Pill, (well it's smaller than those other vitamins I take) that are helping me feel better than I have in years....I mean, my joints even feel better!   So I just wish you gals the same! 

I got my RX's yesterday for Tamox & Effexor.  I read the patient information sheets that came with them and they both said that one of the se's is weight loss - good news for me.  I could stand to lose a few.  

Starting out with 10mg for a week to see if I can tolerate it - had such a bad time with the AI's then will move up to 20mg and start Effexor.  I certainly hope Tammy works - I am running out of options here.

 

 

MHP70 - That is good to know. The AI's were terrible.  I am crossing my fingers that Tamoxifen works.  I am tired of going to doctors appts.  Right now I don't have another one until April.

I'm a little behind, but...

Eastcoastgirl: I finished chemo Sept 22 and the next time I saw my onc, he said I could start Tamox anytime. When I reminded him I had exchange surgery scheduled for Nov 17, he said I should wait at least a week after the surgery because of the increased risk for blood clots. 

jo1955: My onc has me taking Effexor after breakfast and dinner and this week he doubled my dose because my hot flashes are so bad. I'm worried about taking too much, but he assures me that he started me on a very low dose. When I asked if it would be hard to come off of Effexor when things settle down, he said it wouldn't be a problem as long as we do it gradually.

He did say that while hot flashes can be pretty bad for some women, I seem to have one of the worst cases he's seen. Yay me--finally first at something! And I know the Tamoxifin can and will make hot flashes worse, but mine started in chemo (haven't had a period since May 2010) and got progressively worse for the two months before I started Tamoxifin. I'm 45 and asked him if I could be truly menopausal and he said they wouldn't even test my ovary production until 1 year after the end of chemo because everything is so out of whack right now.  So I'm just going to ride this train and see what happens.

Jo, I don't know if you are a big coffee drinker, but I'm down to half-caf in the morning, and trying to do no more than that.  I have had a HUGE reduction in flashing.  In fact, last night I drank a cup of black tea before bed (dumb).  I woke up in a puddle, first time in weeks.

MPH70 - I usually have 2 cups in the morning and that is it.  My down fall is the Dr Peppers throughout the day.  That is probably what I need to get off of.  The coffee has to stay and I would be willing to go half caf if that would help.

phxsunshine - Sweetie - you are not a sap - your feelings are real and they are yours. I would look at it this way - I get to go shopping and buy something new.  While you are at it, treat yourself to a new piece of jewelry.   (((HUGS)))

Pennythoughts - Glad you are doing better. Still sending a big hug out to you.

 

oh yeah,  always forget to sin my posts    nancy- carol

Penny, your life sounds just like mine.  I have 2 kids in college, a  14 yr old still home though.  I've been perimenopausal for about 3 years now, on tamoxifen the last 2 years.  Libido has been an ongoing problem for about 3 years, and now this past year, insomnia.  I briefly tried Wellbutrin to help the libido, but couldn't tolerate the palpitations it gave me, so now I'm using testosterone gel, which does seem to help.  I get very achy for weeks at a time and then it all vanishes, I alternate between vaginal dryness and constant discharge.  I always wonder is it the tamoxifen causing side effects or menopause progression?  I've gone 11 months now without a period, but lab tests show that I'm not in menopause.

I understand..tried wearing the lace bra again last week...no dice...bu the swelling is going down so i will try each week until I can....felt weird to have one cup a bit empty (yet a swollen line across the nipple at the end of he day..how is that for odd?) and the other full but I will take what I can get!

The irony is that one month before my diagnosis I had finally found the perfect bra for my 34dd's!... I had to visit Texas and Norstrom's(my first visit to a Norstrom's...we don't have them here) to find the Wacoal brand...I hink they also make sports brasso when I am visiting NYC in March, I will have to hit one and see.

One other gift that breast cancer has given me (hguess this is 9.)...I value my ability to fly. I fly a fair bit wih my work and have been able to visit quite a number of counries over the years...when I was diagnosed and didn't know time schedule or prognosis I read way too much about lymphodema and all I could think was "My god...I hav ebeen travelling to escape a broken heart this past year and I didn't apprecaite a single thing I visited...was o numb). This year? I plan on enjoying every single flight, place and thing I do.

The splitting the pill does seem to help hope it work for you too Sandee. Sandee my onc told me Effexor is a low dose antidepressant that works really well for hot flashes. I am not on it. I am very sensitive to meds and figured let me get used to the tamoxifen first I will live with the flashes for now.

Had my first night with waking up all sweaty a few times actually. Will still take that over the side effects I had on the Tamoxifen before my last surgery in Nov...

 Getting fitted for a sleeve next week and post op PS appt went well. one more surgery.in the Spring given me a break have had 3 since July...... guess its harder to put you back together than take you apart lol!

Good night Tammy girls!

Anyone have 'fuzzy' brain from Tamox?  Forgetfuless?

Jan

Just a thought ... trying to look at the bright side 

With the heavy night sweats.... I would assume you wake up lighter from less water weight!  

And think of all the toxins you are flushing out of your body! It's like going to a sauna in your sleep!