All Aboard the "T" train! Starting Tamoxifen After Spring Rads

Nearly a week on Tamoxifen and so far so good. I'm all paranoid about DVT, won't cross my legs or ankles - hope that wears off. I was getting hot flashes before with my chemo induced menopause, so I didn't really notice a difference there. One thing weird I did notice is that I occasionally get chills.. Concerned about my skin aging prematurely but, whatareyagonnado right?

Take care, Em

2 weeks in no side effects...

People generally report doing better with Teva, but you'll try one and see.

I get cold flashes (and a sort of horrible crawly sensation) at times in addition to hot flashes. Prior to all of this, I was having cold flashes.

My PT says that regular leg exercise (like walking) decreases DVT risk.

2 weeks in and still have fatigue some days and hot 'flushes' through the day and night that only last a couple minutes. I feel lucky so far. I had been going through perimenopause in a bad way for years and hot flashes were the least of my issues. I had every symptom you could have so this is tolerable. Hope it stays this way!

newgirl, my breasts have shrunk since finishing rads in May. I was able to wear same double d bra, but now the cup is too big on that side. I think it stayed swollen for some time and finally started shrinking some. I moisturize it faithfully!

Been on tamoxifen for 2 weeks now I STILL never sleep more than 2 hours at time because severe night sweats wake me, of course I had total hysterectomy a few weeks before starting tamoxifen, but I think they are worse since taking med. Don't really see much helpwith turmeric and icool. And is hard to focus at work from lack of sleep. I do get cold then hot easily. My brand of med is Mylan. The nausea is better , still there but manageable.

Lisey, hopefully so! I need a positive among all this misery lol!!!

Lisey, the only two positives about my hysterectomy - possibly reducing my chance of recurrence since I'm only 42, and NOT having a period!!!! Lol!!!!

I'm one week in and so far so good. I am finding that I'm more tired tho. Is that normal? How flashes are about the same. Plus a bit of joint stiffness. Nothing I can't live with tho.

Good news Lisey!!

Mags, you always make me laugh!!! My MO did baseline labs. I finished rads on May 14, plus had total abdominal hysterectomy on June 9th. Started tamoxifen and been on over a month now. Fatigue is so bad, along with insomnia and of course hot flashes. Finally started effexor about 1 1/2 weeks ago and has made a BIG difference with the night sweats, but hadn't helped with insomnia. I found taking tamoxifen at night made the hot flashes worse, and had nausea for two weeks after starting to take it in the am. I feel tired ALL the time. It has just been a rough year!!!! Yes, the cancer keeps SUCKING!!!!!

I finished rads on July 12 and started tomox on July 16. I felt some tiredness during rads but nothing like the fatigue I'm feeling now that started about a week after finishing rads & a week into tamox. I told my RO about and he said it's normal. He said that during all the treatments your body is in fight mode and once you're finished and things calm down, all the emotions and fatigue surface. I guess that's reasonable but I hate the constant tired feeling. I used to be a high energy person so having a lot of trouble with this. Jill said that about 5 weeks post rads she started getting energy back. So hoping doesn't last much longer, too.

I haven't noticed any other se from tamox yet. But since I often had trouble sleeping before bc and tamox, I started taking 3mg of melatonin before bed. So far I rarely wake up in middle of night and if I do I usually can go back to sleep. I go see my MO the end of the month to get blood work and see how I'm doing on T. You're both right, this sucks!

I'm so glad to hear that the fatigue isn't just me. I didn't realize it was a common side effect of tamoxifen. As far as joint pain, I mainly notice it in my feet/toes. Sometimes in my hands. Nothing like when I was on the ai's. That was terrible. PlanB58, where apps in Michigan are you? I'm between jackson and ann arbor.

I do loads of caffeine, it actually triggers some of my hot flashes lol! I turn my fan on at my desk at work when I start drinking my coffee because I know what's coming lol!!

I etc cold, put on a sweater - then not long after , I have a hot flash. I have no idea how much is from the tamoxifen or the hysterectomy.

My onc, at one of the top 4 cancer centers in the US, said that side effects have no relationship to how well the Tamoxofen is being metabolized.

She also said....

a) you must check in with someone who specializes in drug interactions, not websites, if you want to know what you should/should not eat or take.

b) Also, when taking endocrine therapy,organ screenings (i.e. liver) do not correlate with survival rates.

Trusting this.