Tamoxifen and post menopausal feelings of PMS

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Kilkenny326
Kilkenny326 Member Posts: 3
edited October 2017 in Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts

I've been on Tamoxifen for 6 weeks now. We experienced a death in the family, a flood, a new roommate and construction to repair flood damage, all this on top of my 3rd cancer and a total mastectomy. I'll be a year out in October. I'm a freaking wreck! I was fine until about 2 weeks ago, then my moods started to go wild. Everything annoys me and I'm lost. I hate being in my own skin right now. My family is trying to be patient, but something has to give. I had to go off my Bupropion, due to interaction. Now I'm on Sertraline. I'm at my wits end. I'm well past menopause, but it does feel like pms. How can this be?!?

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  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited September 2017

    so sorry all this has happened at once. In answer to your question it could be the effects of the tamoxifen blocking the estrogen that the fat cells in our body produce from testosterone. This conversion process was happening before menopause and continues after menopause. It happens in both women and men - It's the same process that causes overweight/obese men to grow breasts. Anyway, that little bit of estrogen may be part of what was keeping you on an even keel and now that pathway is blocked. That estrogen could also be building up in your bloodstream if it's not being cleared by the liver quick enough. Combine that with the recent stressors and having to change from Wellbutrin to Zoloft and it shouldn't be surprising to your dr.

    Did your MO say why he didn't recommend an aromatase inhibitor instead of tamoxifen? AIs stop the conversion process so the estrogen isn't there at all. I'd ask if not. And maybe ask about increasingthe Zoloft dose too.

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  • Kilkenny326
    Kilkenny326 Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2017

    Lula73, thank you for your response. After my first breast cancer 5 years ago (lumpectomy & radiation) I was on anastrozole. During the 4th year of anastrozole, I developed this second breast cancer HERS+. This one is a very different type of cancer from the first. I should also add that I am a DES daughter. I developed cervical cancer at 22. My doc figured that the tamoxifen was the best choice, thinking the anastrozole was ineffective. I think you might be right about increasing the zoloft.

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  • ndgrrl
    ndgrrl Member Posts: 741
    edited September 2017

    HI, I came her looking for answers myself and found your post.

    I was dx in 2013- started on Tamoxifen and Effexor for night sweats- had my ovaries removed in 2015 but bucked switching to a new drug. I did finally switch to Arimidex ( horrible bone pain) switched after 4 months to Femara and stated on the 6 months but my BP got out of control and my bones were thinning and cholesterol was going up. My new MO switched me in May back to tamoxifen. I went to see her Sept 1 and my BP was crazy, she ended up having her nurse bring me to the ER. I am under a lot of stress right now and it is like my body can not deal with it like before. The ER ended up treating a migraine and the BP went down. Tues Sept 5th at my PCP office my BP is still up- I am already on an BP drug but she also believes its stress related.

    I am starting back on Effexor this weekend. It tends to make me sleepy so I can not start it on a work night/day.

    My MO took me off of Tamoxifen for 3 months. I am not sure that is the best decision to be off of something that long. I am 100 percent ER and PR positive and have a whole lot of cancer in my family. 4 of us in the family were diagnosed in 2013 with breast cancer.

    I am quite confused and my PCP will see me in 2 weeks and thinks I need a 2nd opinion on stopping Tamoxifen for 3 months.


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  • Kilkenny326
    Kilkenny326 Member Posts: 3
    edited October 2017

    Ndgrrl, I can relate. I'm sorry you're going through this. I also have a lot of breast cancer in my family. My mom, her sister, and my cousin died from BC. And since my last post in Sept. my sister was diagnosed. Last week she had a lumpectomy and rec'd a radiation implant during surgery. The docs feel confident she'll be OK. There was no sign in her nodes. She's pretty uncomfortable right now. I've also started Effexor because of my mood swings. I found it easier when I was the cancer patient than it is watching my sister go through it. I want desperately to take it from her. Now I know how she felt. She's my best friend. We went through genetic testing, with no conclusion. I hope we all can keep laughter in our hearts, and find joy again. One foot in front of the other. A week from today I'll have my last herceptin treatment. I can't believe it's been a year! Hopefully I can get my port removed soon. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

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