Bringing in 2014 with Tamoxifen!

Thanks ycats.  Atleast the fevers gone still down with the cough though.  Yes im uptodate with all my vaccinations.  Infact Im very paranoid when it comes to getting vaccinations on time.  I guess my immune system must be really low as there are no outbreaks as such that it was that easy to catch.  

Kristinaj I had depression during my 2nd week of tamox. It was bad Id just cry and feel like the end of d world but it got better and in a week. 

Its beem nearly two months for you I think it should have become better by now.  Ive read a few that take antidepressants along with tamox.  Maybe that should help.  I just try to keep myself busy and around people that helps.  Goodluck and I hope you feel better soon

After having taken Aromasin for less than six months I will be switching to Tamoxifen as soon as it comes in the mail.  I hope to have less SEs on it and am pretty sure that Tamoxifen will be easier on bone density.

Welcome to this thread Annika12!

I started Tamoxifen January 1, 2014.  The only side effect so far is the hot flashes! Hopefully they will go away within a year or 2?  Oncologist suggest 10 years on Tamoxifen.  Are you guys on the same regimen?

H i Salina, onc suggested 2 years on Tam for me. I. think its got to do with where you are in your menstrual cycle. I think she suspects that I will be fully menopausal in 2 years and will then switch over to aromatase inhibitors.

Hi Salina,

I'm 51, so that might be the difference...

now a week and a half on Tamoxifen and no significant SE yet, except the constipation is still lingering:)

hi kruise, 

I will join your group, since I started tamoxifen in January. It has been almost 6 weeks. No real side effects I'm aware of, but one thing that I'm wondering about. My nose has been stuffed up, and dry every single day, all day long for the past 6 weeks. And every time I blow it, there is blood. At first I wondered if it was just allergies, but my allergy nasal spray doesn't make a difference. Or maybe I have some type of sinus infection, but my sinuses don't hurt and I don't feel ill. Just stuffy and swollen,

I was wondering if this is possibly a tamoxifen side effect. Has anyone else experienced this? 

Other than that I have had increased breast pain, which seems to be getting slightly less the past few days. And of course that stupid lump I need to get checked out when I see my MO in a few weeks.

I have been trying to take my pill at lunch time every day, but the problem is I get busy at work and my lunchtime is different all the time. So, I have been very often late or or irregular at taking it. I also completely forgot it one day. I do use a pill minder box. It is a necessity. Doesn't help when I'm at work. I think I will try to change to taking it when I first wake up, so I  can be more consistent.

I'm aboard.  I started the end of January. So far, so good.  No side effects for me.  Maybe a slight ovary cramping, but that's about it.  Kinda had that during ovulation time anyway, just lasts a little longer.  Im47 and premenopausal.  I take mine around 6:00 in the evening.  Good luck and prayers to you all.

I heard Tamoxifen dries you out, I noticed my lips started to get dry, and I'm constantly putting on Burt's Bees Chapstick, which I love!  I have one next to my bed, next to my recliner, and in my bag at all times! I even use when my nose is feeling dry, works awesome!  I try to drink at least 48 oz of water a day, and I have a glass next to my bed at all times. It sucks that I get up to use the bathroom like 3 or more times a night, but the good thing is I can fall asleep right away.  I also switched over to biotene toothpaste and mouthwash.  It seems to work because I haven't had a nosebleed or dry lips or mouth since chemo.  

Hi Ladies, I am new to this site, but I am jumping on the tamoxifen band wagon.  I was started on it last week and so far so good.  I am on it while I am waiting for my surgery.  So far so good, have not really noticed anything, but I figure it is still too early to tell. 

thanks for answering, salina888 and katieAK. I too have noticed my mouth is dry, and lips. Maybe this is related to tamoxifen, or maybe just coincidence. I have been outside a lot. I have stepped up my exercise routine quite a bit. I am now walking briskly twice a day, 30 minutes each, for a total of 4 miles. And eating much better, too. I have lost about 5 lbs. so far.

Kruise, interesting about your no sugar diet.

Hello Ladies -- thank you for all the great advise.  This is my very first forum that I joined.  To make a very long story a bit shorter -- I was  diagnosed with DCIS in my left breast in 7/13. When my absolutely ANGEL of a surgeon wanted to make absolutely sure that there wasn't anything else in my right breast other than previously diagnosed ADH and recommended an MRI. SURPRISE SURPRISE!  They found three small lumps (never seen before in my many mammos and USs after biopsies). One more US biopsy and b/c they still couldn't find one in the right breast With the US -- I had an MRI guided biopsy. Two were negative and one in my right breast was IDC.  WOW!!  Devastation!!!  I immediately decided on a bilateral mastectomy with immediate recon. Didn't want to keep this monkey on my back for the rest of my life. I was EXTREMELY fortunate that it had not spread. I am scheduled for my exchange surgery on 2/26/14!!!!  Finally!  Excited and petrified all at the same time. I hate these horrible boulders in my chest. Hopefully -- all goes well!!  I am getting the "gummy bear" implants. Any thoughts on that?  Also, I am due to start taking the dreaded tamoxifin about a week after surgery. I am scared sh!tless of all the potential SE!!!!!   I switched over from Lexapro to Effexor to maybe control hot flashes/night sweats. I was also told by my gyn that Zyrtec works as well. Anyone else hear this?  Thank you all again for your encouraging and kind words. 

Veronica,

I was on Tamoxifen for one month before my TE exchange, and I asked my plastic surgeon the same question.  He said it wasn't a problem.  I'm 3 weeks post surgery and I had no problems. 

hi all, well it's 2 weeks on Tamoxifen now and no new side effects that I've noticed, just wish my hair would grow back faster! 

Annika I can so understand that you're sick of making life decisions as you always seem to be caught between a rock and hard place. If you look at the research there is always other research thathas other findings etc, wasn't it all so much easier when you didn't have to think about your own life and death situations on a regular basis...

For me, now that active treatment is over,it feels strange and that all this stuff that happened last year with the mastectomy and the chemo happened to somebody else...right now I'm just the same as I was before diagnosis (but with less hair, one nipple missing and a few scars added), life goes on and I feel lucky.