Starting Tamoxifen - Fall 2011

Hi, Natters...  I'm with you on the Bottle thread...  Hopefully there will be others who are starting with us so we can share our experiences.  I started my Tamoxifen mid-August, and only have five more in my first bottle... 

BTW, your screen name brings back good memories for me...my mom, who passed away a year ago last April, used to call me "Natterly," and my grandmother, who turned 100 a year ago in July, then passed away last December, used to call me "Natty."  Thanks for the good thoughts! 

Edited to add:  Sorry!  Just noticed this thread was intended for DCIS DX...

I just had my lumpectomy yesterday. I will probably start rads in October then Tamoxifen after that. My mother and aunt took it for 5 years with no SE's. I hope I'm just as lucky.

3 weeks into my first bottle and no SE yet except for an occasional hot flash.

Hi. I took my first tamo pill this morning -- after taking a half hour to figure out to open the bottle!! By the time I got the top off the bottle, I was more relieved than anxious about starting to take it. One of the pharmacy inserts warned of possible interactions with "herbal/dietary supplement products". Does anyone know about this issue?  I've read that it's not good to take tamoxifen with some antidepresants (btw, effexor's ok) or with benadryl -- but I don't think of those as "supplements". One good thing about tamoxifen (besides cutting recurrence risk in half) is that it helps build bone density, while other BC treatments do the opposite. Yay! (DX: DCIS 5/29/2011; < 1 cm, stage 0, grade 1) two excisions, 10 rads in one week. 

Hi Natters. I WILL check with pharmacist.  I don't want to count on my oncologist being up on all the possible supplements. RE: benadryl, I read that it keeps you from metabolizing tamoxifen into endoxifen -- which is how it protects the breast.  However, I've also read that oncs are prescribing tamoxifen even for people who lack the enzyme that metabolizes it into endoxifen (CYP2D6). Still, if there is a comparable sleep aid to benadryl (melatonin in my case), it makes sense to use it, instead (maybe!!). I guess there aren't a lot of solid answers, just best guesses and statistics. Anyway, I'm very grateful that there are 15 years of well-studied women taking tamoxifen. We're lucky they participated in clinical trials. I am in one on partial breast radiation for DCIS. Hope it doen't have to help my daughter down the line, but am glad to know they are still studying how to treat, cure and PREVENT this plague.

Dear Natters - Benadryl is not a sleeping pill although it often has the effects of one.  It is a strong antihistamine for allergies or even a strong allergic reaction.  I take it for my eczema to reduce itching.  I am familiar with Ativan which is for anxiety and Ambien which is a well-known presecription sleeping pill.  In any event, you really should consult with either your BC specialist or your internist.  Thank you for your posts to my thread about my wife and I hope this post is helpful for you.  Best regards, BlairK

Everything I've googled about benadryl and tamoxifen suggests benadryl cancels out tamoxifen''s helpful effect. I'm curious to learn what your onc thinks.  Paxil also interferes with tamoxifen, as does Tagamet. Prozac and some other SSRI's are less problematic but do interfere somewhat. Effexor is fine with it.

I started tamoxifen in August. Has anyone noticed a change in their hair? Can't get mine to do a thing! ugh...

I was diagnosed with DCIS Sept. 2010. Had lumpectomy. Had 5 days of Mammosite radiation. Started tamoxifen Oct. 2010 so I am furthur along in this journey than most posting. I was nauseated for the first few days but eventually adjusted. My biggest problem has been with insommnia. Tried a couple of prescription sleep aides that did not work for me. Melatonin did not help me. Finally I am now using Tylenol PM which has worked the best for me and gives me at least 5 to 6 hours of good sleep. Hope this helps somebody that has not yet found what works for them. I had my 1 year mammo. check up last week with a cancer free report.

gginga, Does your oncologist know that you're using Tylenol PM? I just checked its ingredients and It has generic benadryl in it, and benadryl interferes with  metabolizing of tamoxifen. It's my layperson's impression that you might as well not be taking tamoxifen if you are also taking benadryl. I'd love to hear an oncologist's much-more-informed opinion than my own.  I'll ask my oncologist when I see her next month.

I am losing a lot of hair. My hairdresser says it is healthy and sees a lot of regrowth, but the hairbrush and the shower are filled with hair.

Hi, I am new to this thread. I started tam 9/9. I have had very minimal SE. I do notice that I do not tolerate alcohol without problems at night. That is ok since a study came out today on how alcohol increase breast cancer risks. Dxr 52 I also asked my hairdresser about hair loss but she said my hair looked good. Also all the symptoms you are having are listed as SE of tamoxifen. Other threads suggest that your body will adjust with time to some side effects. I know that I did have a side effect that did resolve with time.