Tamoxifen side effects - does age make a difference?

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mellee
mellee Member Posts: 434
edited February 2017 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

A doctor told me that, in general, younger women tend to have an easier time on tamoxifen than older women. Any idea if this is true?

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited February 2017

    Just wanted to raise this question again. Particularly interested in those 45 and under on tamoxifen. Did you experience lots of side effects or find you tolerated it pretty easily?

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  • Cwill
    Cwill Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2017

    I am 48 and have only been on Tamoxifen for 6 weeks - but so far no noticeable side effects. I've been more anxious than usual but have had a few life stressors occur - so don't feel like I can blame it on Tamoxifen. Crossing my fingers that things stay this way.

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited February 2017

    Hope you stay SE-free, Cwill!

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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited February 2017

    Started Tamoxifen at 35, my only significant side effect is hot flashes. The hot flashes are really bothersome though, mainly because I have them so frequently during the night that I haven't had a good nights sleep in a couple of years. However, I also am doing ovarian suppression (Lupron) so I'm not really sure what is causing what. I know my hot flashes started with the Tamoxifen and then increased once I started the Lupron. I should be done with the Lupron this summer so I'm curious to see if the hot flashes get better once I've been off that awhile.



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  • Optimist52
    Optimist52 Member Posts: 302
    edited February 2017

    I took Tamoxifen at 41, after a couple of weeks started having extremely heavy periods which I had never had before. At 45 I ended up having a huge fibroid removed. The ongoing heavy bleeding led to anaemia and daily lightheadedness and also heart palpitations which were frightening. I took it for two years and it took quite a toll on me. If I had taken it postmenopausally, I'm sure it would have been different.

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  • SummerAngel
    SummerAngel Member Posts: 1,006
    edited February 2017

    I have not found any data stating that tamoxifen is easier on younger women. I had horrible side effects when I hadn't expected any. I usually do fine with medications.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2017

    I've been on Tamoxifen for 8 months - I'm 41 yrs old. I have absolutely no side effects and I'm even an Ultra Rapid metabolizer of the CYP2D6 pathway, so should be having more SEs than others. Nope. Nadda. Zilch. It's a sugar pill to me.

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited February 2017

    Thanks to everyone for chiming in. It sounds like it's impossible to predict how one will respond. I've been on tamoxifen now for 5 days. So far, so good! Hoping it stays that way.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2017

    Fingers crossed for you. :)

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  • Michelle_in_cornland
    Michelle_in_cornland Member Posts: 1,689
    edited February 2017

    Had hysterectomy, salpingo oopherectomy, two weeks ago. Started Tamoxifen today. Felt a little "weird" with a dry throat and a bit tired. Am really hoping I can do this and am a little bit scared....

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited February 2017

    Good luck, Michelle!

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  • Michelle_in_cornland
    Michelle_in_cornland Member Posts: 1,689
    edited February 2017

    Mellee, how are you doing on tamox so far?

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited February 2017

    It's hard to say because I'm also on hard-core antibiotics now that have really messed up my whole system. I feel tired and have been struggling with insomnia, but those are problems I've been having for awhile now. They don't seem to be worse yet on the tamoxifen. I haven't had any hot flashes yet.

    I have heard that supplements can really help with side effects. Right now, I'm taking magnesium glycinate and melatonin at night for sleep. The magnesium is calming, plus it's supposed to help with joint pain/muscle cramps. I take Vitamin D and fish oil during the day.

    I've heard that side effects can take awhile to appear as the drug builds up in your system, but I've also heard that some of the SEs you experience at first often go away over time. So it's still wait-and-see for me.

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