Tamoxifen Fatigue - Need Advice

Hi, Tomboy,

It is never too late to get the weight off. My MO wants me to lose 40 to 43 pounds. I am a few years older than you but the medical team at the comprehensive cancer care center and teaching hospital where I am being treated regards me as a young woman. I have already lost about 34 pounds. I know that some of the drugs I am taking may make it more difficult to lose weight. I think that starting with the exercise is a very good idea. When I have exercised in the past, I had more energy to do things like cooking healthy meals. A high fiber diet is one of the keys to weight loss. I still eat a few sweets but I have cut way back on junk food. I am getting to the point where I enjoy a crunchy Granny Smith apple instead of a big chocolate bar. I don't try to be perfect. That just leads to frustration. It is good to have enough protein in your diet, too. Too much animal protein may not be a great idea, because it puts stress on the kidneys.

I am trying to regard the bc as a wake up call. I had great numbers on my blood tests in the past few months although my cholesterol is a little high. However, despite the great numbers, I was not doing the best I could to safeguard my health. So, as the old Chinese saying goes, "Crisis is opportunity riding on dangerous winds."

Thank you for the invitation to join the thread. I can be crazy funny. Laughter is one of the best medicines available. It's free and has no side effects.

That is interesting about the Wellbutrin. It gave me energy too when I took it with an SSRI. I have seen it on lists of drugs to avoid with Tamoxifen. I will have to look into it, maybe talk with the pharmacist. Pharmacists can be our best friends when we are taking multiple meds. My doctor has a pharmacy, and his pharmacist is awesome!

I will see you soon.

Hi, kpmacmill and ErenTo,

Welcome to this thread. I have mainly migrated to the Crazy Town thread and the exercise thread. See invitations above from patoo and Tomboy. There are amazing, helpful women on these threads. Join us if you like!

I had to stop Tamoxifen due to horrendous side effects. I was on it for a month and finally threw in the towel and told the MO that I could not tolerate the drug. No way I could stay on the drug for five or 10 years.

Someone suggested that I try a different formulation, a different generic product made by another company. Different companies may add different excipients that can cause some people all kinds of problems. So, that is one thought. However, I had so many problems from T that the MO said she would put me on AI drugs after surgery. I am postmenopausal. I have no idea if I will be able to tolerate the AI drugs.

There is at least one drug, maybe more than one, that is similar to Tamoxifen that your doctor might be willing to prescribe. It is not as effective as Tamoxifen but some protection is better than none.

I think that vigorous exercise may have different effects on the body and mind than exercise in general. I am not an expert in exercise, though.

Someone mentioned Wellbutrin for energy. I have read that this specific antidepressant may interfere with Tamoxifen. You would need to ask your druggies and discuss with your MO. Paxil interferes with Tamoxifen and markedly reduces survival for women, and Prozac also interferes significantly with T.

I wish I could be more helpful than I am.

Keep looking for answers.

Big hug to each of you for what you are going through.

One Live,

I need a second surgery because the general surgeon did not get all of the DCIS tumor to achieve a clear margin of healthy cells. I have transferred my breast cancer treatment to one of the most prominent cancer care treatment centers in the U.S. with experienced specialists to include a medical oncologist, a fabulous breast cancer surgical oncologist and a brilliant breast cancer radiation oncologist. This team is schooled in the latest science. The breast surgeon will take out the remaining cells and do a cavity shave, a special procedure that carves out a generous margin of healthy cells. A fairly recent study found that doing a cavity shave reduced the chance of needing a second lumpectomy for many study partipants.

Ask your breast surgeon if he or she is doing a cavity shave. If not consider going to a major teaching hospital for care. I have heard the second lumpectomy is more painful than the first one but mine has had months to heal. Do not let anybody pressure you in doing any procedures until you are comfortable. If you have limited financial resources send me a private message and I will help you locate resources to help finance your care.

I hate to tell you about my side effects on T because I don't want to influence you before you start treatment. Some people have no problems on T. Why don't you join us on the Crazy Town thread and contact me if you start having problems or feeling bad. See Tomboy's link to Crazy Town above in an earlier post. If will help to have this great group of people in your court. I had no idea that what I was facing would send me to the edge. BC treatment is about more than surgery and drugs and it reaches into all aspects of your life.

msphil and jlow51, thank you both for stopping in to share your experiences. It is amazing the different kinds of responses we all have to these meds. Glad to hear the success story, msphil. jlow51, I could nearly change places with you, I had so many bad symptoms on,the T!