Tamoxifen troubles

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1976nickers
1976nickers Member Posts: 1
edited May 2017 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

I have been taking tamoxifen for a little over a year now and the side effects are becoming ridiculous. Currently taking mylan which seems to be the best of a bad bunch.

Since the beginning I have suffered from chills (I'm permanently cold), blurred vision, insomnia, nightmares and fatigue so bad it's difficult to function normally.

But the brain fog is the worst. It regularly reduces me to tears of frustration when my brain just won't work.

Just wondering if anyone has had similar side effects? And if any otherbrands are better? I did ask my gp but they were no help at all!

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

    Hi 1976nickers-

    Welcome to BCO! We're sorry to hear you're struggling so much on Tamoxifen, it's not an easy treatment for a lot of breast cancer survivors! We have an entire thread dedicated to Tamoxifen and dealing with it's side effects you might find enlightening: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/78/topics....

    You're not alone!

    The Mods

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  • Zoritsa
    Zoritsa Member Posts: 37
    edited April 2017

    Different brands definitely have different side effects on some people. I started off on Teva and the side effects weren't to bad. I was switched at some point (to Mylan) and it didn't dawn on me until I was having horrible joint pain, hip pain, depression and brain fog. I've since asked the pharmacist to switch back to Teva and have been slowly feeling better. Try different brands if you haven't yet. Hopefully you can find a happy medium with one of the brands.

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  • Summer2016
    Summer2016 Member Posts: 135
    edited April 2017

    Yes, I have extreme fatigue, insomnia, blurred vision, horrible hot flashes and ringing in my ears off and on. I take Effexor as well to reduce hot flashes. Oh and if I don't eat with Tamoxifen then I get really sick to my stomach. I am only on my first month so hoping side effects will fade as time goes on.

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  • gardengypsy
    gardengypsy Member Posts: 769
    edited May 2017

    Summer~ Effexor has a moderate interaction with Tamoxifen. Ask your doc. I take Lexapro; this has helped tremendously with the hot flashes and it is considered more suitable for use with Tamoxifen.
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  • Icantri
    Icantri Member Posts: 93
    edited May 2017

    I take Effexor and Tamoxifen too. No need to switch unless there is a problem. Note: I was on Effexor before Tamoxifen.
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  • gardengypsy
    gardengypsy Member Posts: 769
    edited May 2017

    Icantri and Summer: In the past, I thought I had read that Effexor has interactions with Tamoxifen.

    From Dana Farber's Dr. Burstein:

    "When women are on tamoxifen, we try to avoid Wellbutrin, Prozac, or Paxil because of possible drug-drug interactions with tamoxifen. Effexor (venlafaxine) is a good option for many and does not have those drug-drug interactions."

    I stand corrected! Best of luck.







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  • Icantri
    Icantri Member Posts: 93
    edited May 2017

    no worries gardengypsy! Info and recommendations change so often,who can keep track of everything. :)

    nickers: I am sorry you are having difficulty. I took Tamoxifen in the mornings for 3 months and was extremely tired. My physician assistant suggested I take it at night instead and that solved the problem for me. Any chance this might help you too?

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