Tamoxifen and Memory Loss

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Hi! I'm not sure if there is a thread on this, but I wanted to know if anyone out there is having difficulty w/tamoxifen when it comes to memory loss. I was never great to begin with, but my short-term memory is literally abysmal these days. I know I'm getting older, but I'm only 40. I feel like it has to do with the drug which I've now been taking for exactly two years. (I'm still on my first line treatment of Tamoxifen and Lupron.) If you have this problem, please let me know and let me know what you're doing to address it. Thank you!!!

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  • blainejennifer
    blainejennifer Member Posts: 1,848
    edited March 2017

    I'm just spitballing here, but it seems that estrogen depletion will lead to some memory loss, so it could be the Lupron.

    Ladies who don't have cancer report memory loss as a part of the menopause.

    And, yes, a lot of us ER/PR+ ladies here have been vaulted into senior moments by the various estrogen depleting maneuvers we have done/have had done to us.

    Chemo can also impair cognition. Chemo fog is real.

    Personally, I've had to keep a small notebook with me all the time to jot things into, and I have to check it each night. Also, get a big calendar that you can write on, and keep it in a prominent place and train yourself to update and check it daily (it also makes a nice record for medical appointments and treatment courses). I also found a pliable refrigerator magnetic whiteboard that has come in handy for household chores and shopping lists.

    With all that, I still forget stuff. But, not quite as badly as if I had no coping mechanisms.

    Best of luck.

    Jennifer

  • cliff
    cliff Member Posts: 290
    edited March 2017

    does it seem to be connected to a general "brain fog" kidneys can do that last time I had problems and had to go to ER, kidneys were part of the problem.

  • Goodie16
    Goodie16 Member Posts: 446
    edited March 2017

    I'm not on tamoxifen anymore, but am on Arimidex. Brain fog is definitely one of my symptoms. I guess you don't realize how much estrogen does for your body until it's gone!

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited March 2017

    Hi bloomingdale,

    Yes, this seems to be a very common side effect of breast cancer and also its treatment, including hormonal and chemotherapies.

    While you wait for some more helpful tips from our amazing members, you may also want to check out the main Breastcancer.org site's page on Memory Loss for some good tips to help manage this difficult side effect.

    We hope this helps!

    --The Mods

  • hodges
    hodges Member Posts: 17
    edited March 2017

    I take Tamoxifen, and suffer from memory loss. However, cannot say Tamoxifen can be the cause of the memory loss . My last MRI revealed temporal and frontal lobe abnormalities, so mets is the cause. For me, I experienced less side effects with Tamoxifen.

    Hug


  • bloomingdalechik
    bloomingdalechik Member Posts: 21
    edited March 2017

    Ladies & Moderators, thanks for your comments. Yes, perhaps it's the Lupron, i.e. loss of estrogen, that's leading to the short-term memory loss. I'll look at the moderator's suggested 'Memory Loss' thread for suggestions. Thank you so much.

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