Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

Hmmm.. Its all very interesting. I had DIEP in August and did not have that bloated belly... then had stage II in November with some upper belly lipo, but not a lot... and my lower belly has remained the same... so the bloat is from the incision upward to bra line. I started tamoxifen one month after stage II surgery, and continued to wear compression for another 2 weeks. So started Tammy on about 12/14, and one week later while still wearing compression, I was sending photos to PS to show the bloat.. so that is only one week after starting tamoxifen... would it bloat me that fast?? AND more importantly, will it go away with time? It is not very attractive... and I have not gained weight.

hope so... I also have been exercising more... so who knows... maybe DIEP/lipo'd bellies don't like exercise.

I had lumpectomy, rads and then tammy, now starting month 15.  No bloating but gas started about four months ago and is pretty bad.  Dosen't matter what I eat.

I miss all of you guys! Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. I am headed for the US next week to be with my Dad who is in the hospital now getting chemo for leukemia (recurrence after 20 years.) Will be hard but I'm glad to have the time with him and be able to be with my Mom and brothers during this time. Hard. My Mom had lung cancer in 2009, and my Dad is now in the same hospital. Mom is OK but spooked by being back there. June, how is your Mom doing?

Welcome to the new ladies. I say hang in there on tamoxifen. SE's subside or we learn to live with them, not sure which. Also we learn some things that help. I've found eating healthy helps allay the hot flashes and swimming and taking omega 3 helps with the joint aches. Constipation is intermittent but taking a probiotic, eating lots of yoghurt and fiber, drinking enough and taking magnesium seems to help with that.

I go see my MO next week and will ask her if I can stay on tamoxifen even though I've just had the oopherectomy. I seem to be overall ok on it and want the maximum number of years on these drugs for the protection. Not sure what she'll say but I don't feel ready to switch to an AI now that I'm coping with tamoxifen, even with all of it's SE's.

To Mind_boggling, I wish you the best in finding answers to your question.

SherryC, how is your neck?

To everyone, lots of love, Shari

HI, Kay,

 Nice to 'meet' you, too! Thanks for your nice wishes.

 I don't think theres a downside in trying a probiotic (they come in all different doses, speak to the pharmacist) to see if it helps you with constipation. It does seem to help me. If it doesn't help you could always stop taking it. Here they seem to think it's part of having a healthy digestive system. (Of course, run everything by your MO.) You could also just see if adding more yoghurt (that has active cultures, is BIO) helps, first.

 Shari

Jo I love the pic and you are one gorgeous lady with a beautiful smile.....looks like you had lots of fun.....

Shari good to hear from you.  I'm glad you are getting to come home and be with your family during this difficult time with your Dad.  I know what you are going through as I just went through the same with my Dad.  I'll be praying for you and your family.  As for my neck it is still killing me, it does not seem like the steroids have helped. Dr. said to wait 7 to 10 days and if not better to call him and he is going to talk to my MO about it. If it is not better by Thursday I am calling him, my next appt with my MO is the following Friday.  Until then I am having to break down and take pain pills because it is so bad.  Just trying not to overdue it, I still need to function at work.

Jo what a great pic.  Is this the friend that had BC that gave you so much support.

Kay my MO put me on probiotics (8 billion cultures per day).  Makes me think he knew tamox might cause some digestive problems.

It has already been a busy day.  Just took a 550 peice bulk mail newsletter to the post office and now I have to work on another newsletter.  This one is via email but I still need to get it finished.

Shari how did I miss your post.  OMG I am so sorry that you are going through this right now.  I bet your Mom is spooked as I know I would be too....Praying for your Dad and please keep us ladies posted on you Dad.....love and hugs!

Sherry - That is a good friend of mine - she did not have BC.  She comes from Canada for 3 - 4 months every winter.

Paula Paula Paula you wait till this weekend as I have a lot of time on my hands......

Whew!  Girl fight - girl fight!  June & Paula - do you need a referee??? hahaha!

Lol Jo all I gotta do is bring out a pillow and June is mine, lol!  Love you Junie!

How are SE's on it for you, cycle path? Was there a reason you're doing that instead of an AI? I thought an AI was preferable because it had less serious side effects.

interesting...my oncologist said that AI is not going to give you as much protection if you are premenapausal than tamoxifen....but if you are post, AI is superior in terms of inhibition of recurrence..they work/act differently.

My MO has told me that I will take Tamox for about 3 years then switch to AI... I assume that the Tamox is better for PREmenapausal women and the AI is better for POSTmenapausal or they wouldn't in general make that proposal, as a plan... of course there are exceptions and of course if a person has trouble with one or the other they may bend their ideas a bit... or maybe if you are almost postmenapausal, they will go straight to AI... just my guess though... sounds like my MO is consistent with Louis13's MO, and many others I have read... I have rarely heard of a premena. woman on AI... except your friend Sherry.