Skin rash | Allergic to Tamoxifen?

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JohnSmith
JohnSmith Member Posts: 651
edited October 2014 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

My premenopausal wife has been taking Tamoxifen for 3 weeks and just developed a rash. Initially, small red bumps appeared on her hands and feet. On a scale from 1 - 10 (10 being the worst), the itchiness was an 8. No fun! In the last couple days, it's progressed and the rash has appeared on her legs and arms.

We read that antihistamines like Benadryl should be avoided since they have the potential to interfere with the effectiveness with Tamoxifen.
We also read that the "fillers" which act as binders in the drug were a possible culprit for the reaction and switching to a different manufacturer of the generic was a solution. (Her Tamoxifen is made Teva Phamaceuticals). Assuming it's not the filler and she is actually allergic to the active ingredient of Tamoxifen, what are some of the alternatives?
Again, she is premenopausal.

We read that topical ointments, steroids (hydrocortisone, clobetasol), etc. did not work.
I'm not sure if Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra are options.

We have a message into the MO, but wanted to brainstorm with others on here.

Thoughts?

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited September 2014

    Hi JohnSmith,

    We're sure others will be piping in with some helpful information soon, but we wanted to suggest you check out the main Breastcancer.org site's page on Rash as a side effect of some breast cancer treatments (including tamoxifen), for some tips on helping manage this side effect.

    We hope this helps!

    --The Mods

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  • JohnSmith
    JohnSmith Member Posts: 651
    edited September 2014

    Update. The rash subsided about a week after stopping the Tamoxifen. 

    She started back up with half doses of 10 mg for one week, then back to the full 20 mg for another week when the rash came back tonight. :(

    She is scheduled to see the Allergist in early Oct, but in the meantime is going stir crazy from the itchiness.

    There must be others who experienced rash symptoms while on Tamoxifen.

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  • tanyacoll
    tanyacoll Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2014

    Hi John

    I started taking Tamoxifen 3 weeks ago too & my rash developed yesterday.Doctor says it is a skin infection.Started on one part of my lower leg & has slowly spread to both legs from the knees down & onto my arms.The rash on my legs is worse than the arms - raised with a crust on them & the itchiness is unbearable!! I have found the cortisone cream the doc prescribed is not helping.he has put me on a course of antibiotics but after reading posts on this site i may need to give my oncologist a call.The only thing that seems to give me some relief is soaking in cool salt water.I took the day off work today & hung around in shorts to let the rash get some air.It is very irritating to wear pants & it looks too disgusting for a skirt so don't know how I'll go for work if it doesn't subside soon.If it's tamoxifen related sounds like it won't unless I take a break from it.

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  • JohnSmith
    JohnSmith Member Posts: 651
    edited October 2014

    Despite it being a less common side effect, some people get a rash from Tamoxifen. Although the results from the Allergist were inconclusive, my wife switched generic manufacturers from the Teva brand to the Watson brand of Tamoxifen. It's been a couple weeks now on the Watson pills and there is no evidence of a rash. However, she is also taking Allegra on a daily basis, which she wasn't doing before when the rash originally started.

    So, either switching brands did the trick, or the Allegra is aiding in the prevention of the rash. Or perhaps both factors combined is the solution for her. 

    Something new that she is struggling with is a persistent sore throat. It's been 45 days now with this sore throat. Her neck glands are a bit swollen. On a scale from 1-10 (10 being the worst), the sore throat fluctuates between a "3" on good days to a "7" on bad days. The docs don't think the Tamoxifen has anything to do with the sore throat. They ran a blood test and found nothing abnormal. They think it's viral.

    If anything changes, I'll update this thread.

    Good luck!

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  • roqueta
    roqueta Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2014

    Hi John,

    I started Tamoxifen in June. In July, my oncologist also prescribed Lupron shots. One week after my first Lupron shot, I broke out in a rash. I am not sure if it's the Lupron or the Tamoxifen causing the rash. It's October and I still suffer from the rash. My oncologist says that is not a side effect of either medication, but it has to be. I've seen a dermatologist who prescribed a cortisone creme. It helps, but I don't want to use it too much because cortisone thins the skin. I've noticed that my rash is more like eczema patches, and it erupts after I shower. Did your wife's rash have any triggers? I've tried not using soap, but I still break out. So, maybe it's the water? I try to shower with the coolest water temperature possible and this seems to help but I still break out. My next thing to try is a water filter. Our bodies have been through so much -- perhaps we have allergies or reactions we didn't have before. I also find that Aveeno's Eczema cream helps calm the rash.

    Thanks for sharing your experience. If I don't find a solution to my rash, I may try switching to another Tamoxifen manufacturer also. My current pills are from Teva.

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