Tamoxifen nausea - what can I do?

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CAMommy
CAMommy Member Posts: 437
edited October 2015 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
Tamoxifen nausea - what can I do?
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  • CAMommy
    CAMommy Member Posts: 437
    edited October 2015

    I started tamoxifen 4 nights ago. Yesterday and today I have bad nausea. What can I do for it? I feel sick all day long.

    I have some Ativan left over from radiation when I had nausea from that. But that won't be a long term solution. The stuff is addicting.

    Help!

    I won't make it 5 (10?) years like thi

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited October 2015

    CAmommy - it is common to have some nausea when starting Tamoxifen, but it usually dissipates shortly. Maybe try the Ativan in the short term and see if the nausea abates at about the two week mark.

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited October 2015

    I had it the first week and then it went away

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  • Professor50
    Professor50 Member Posts: 220
    edited October 2015

    Also be sure to be drinking lots of water. That worked for me. Good luck! :)

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  • CAMommy
    CAMommy Member Posts: 437
    edited October 2015

    thanks. Good to know I'm normal. I'll try the Ativan for a bit. I can handle most any se except nausea and vomiting.

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  • SelenaWolf
    SelenaWolf Member Posts: 1,724
    edited October 2015

    Just an FYI... Ativan is not addictive (i.e., your body doesn't go through withdrawal when you stop taking it), but it is habit-forming, which means that your body will adjust quickly to your current dosage and it will seem like it's stopped being effective. So, if the Ativan helps in the short-term with the nausea, don't be afraid to take it, because - when you don't need it anymore - you can just stop taking it without any problems.

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited October 2015

    I had nausea with it, but found it was actually from reflux that it caused... I took reflux meds, and once that was under control, the nausea was too. I did not have reflux before tamoxifen nor since ( am not on it anymore).

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  • CAMommy
    CAMommy Member Posts: 437
    edited October 2015

    Funny you should mention reflux, I just had the worst case of heartburn/reflux I can remember this morning. So painful. I know it was from the tamoxifen.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited October 2015

    Ativan is big-time addictive. It's a benzodiazepine. Ambien is not addictive.

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited October 2015

    CAMommy, this merits a call to your oncologist's office, so they can recommend the best way for you to deal with nausea and reflux. You should be able to talk to the nurse. (I'm no expert, but two anti-nausea drugs commonly used in oncology are Compazine (prochlorperazine) and Zofran (ondansetron). I thought Ativan was an anti-anxiety drug.)

    Other posters in various threads have pointed out that different drug manufacturers use different fillers, and sometimes getting a generic made by a different company helps with side effects if they are actually caused by the inactive ingredients. You could ask the pharmacist to get you tamoxifen from a different company.

    In the past I researched whether tamoxifen and GERD can be related and it seems they can. For reflux you can: Stay upright after eating, use a sleeping wedge, eat ginger chews or drink ginger tea. Avoid food that is spicy or acidic. Avoid drinks with caffeine, alcohol, and carbonation.

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  • CAMommy
    CAMommy Member Posts: 437
    edited October 2015

    thanks Shetland. I am going to call my MO and ask about this. He just seemed to poo-poo that women would have any side effects other than hot flashes. Male doctors (insert eye roll).

    Ativan can be used as an anti nausea med. I was rx it for nausea during rads. I asked the RO if he was rx that for me because he thought I was crazy or something. He said no, it's used for rads and chemo patients often. It's a very effective anti nausea med and is a benzo so yes it is highly addictive.

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  • Englishmummy
    Englishmummy Member Posts: 337
    edited October 2015

    CA - Just a thought, and I did this, but would your MO agree to you splitting the pill or giving you 10mg pills? You could do, 10mg in the morning and 10mg in the evening. I know you are not supposed to, but I had and still have zero SE's after 4 months. I took 10mg for 1 week every other day, then 10mg every day and then the full 20mg on week 3.

    Or what about Soltamox the liquid version as that is not available as generic so may have less/different additives?

    I do hope you feel better soon.


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