Stopping taking tamoxifen after 2 1/2 years

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Crobbie
Crobbie Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

After 2 1/2 years of miserable SEs, I have made the decision to stop tam and pursue more natural remedies like ground flaxseed and DIM. I had <2cm DCIS stage 0 with no node involvent. Clear margins after lumpectomy. No rad considerable Lcis found. Research shows the reduction in risk not worth the denished quality if life. I just turned 50. Any links on DIM would be appreciated as I am just beginning to research it</p>

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  • rgiuff
    rgiuff Member Posts: 1,094
    edited January 2013

    I stopped tamoxifen after 3 years, tried aromasin for 2 months, and now take nothing.  I exercise, am vigilant about getting my antioxidants, omega 3s, vitamin D,and eating right.  I also use flaxseed a couple of times weekly.  And I count on the fact that the odds are in my favor not to get a reoccurance!

    Good luck to you!

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  • stingraysusan
    stingraysusan Member Posts: 9
    edited March 2013

    Hi, just read your post re: Tamoxifen.  Had lumpectomy, Stage 0 DCIS with clear margins.  Refused radiation.  Considering Tamoxifen, but frightened of side effects. Healthy & will be 60 this year...eaten clean for years, work out daily & 120 lbs. Holistic approach seems the right approach with mammos every 6 mos...am torn on what to do.  Any help would be great. Thank you. 

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  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited March 2013

    stingraysusan, there is a doctor named Michael Lagios who developed the VNPI which is a scale that you put your numbers into and it tells you your chances of recurrence without rads and it does not assume tamoxifen because Dr. Lagios does not believe tamoxifen to be all that effective for DCIS. Here is his website. http://www.breastcancerconsultdr.com/second_opinion/second_opinion.html

    Dr. Lagios is one of the foremost experts on DCIS in the country (he is a pathologist) and he feels we are overtreated for DCIS to begin with. I have just gotten the green light for rads after two lumpectomies and will likely begin them soon. But, tamoxifen scares me and the benefits do not seem to be all that much for me personally.

    It has to be up to you what to do. But, the lifestyle changes that I will be making (eating way more vegetables, organic as much as possible, reducing my weight (have already lost a whole lot but was working toward goal when this stupid cancer came and I gained 6 pounds from stress eating!) and exercising. It sounds like you are already a lot of the way there. So, there is a lot of controversy about tamoxifen and its benefits.

    There is not doubt that it has prevented MANY recurrences from happening. It really is one of the best drugs they have found to fight cancer. But, with DCIS, it may be over-kill is all some experts are saying. You decide. Lots of articles on this subject. Just google (although many of what comes up are threads here on BCO which shows how amazing this community is and how they really dissect and are up on ALL the literature!)

    Best to you!

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