Need your Tips for Taking Oral Hormonal Meds as Prescribed !

Anastrazole has been reported to cause/aggravate insomnia when taken at night, so I take mine in the morning. I keep it next to my tea bags, so I see it first thing each morning. All my side effects so far have been related to lack of estrogen: drier skin, some minor thinning of my hair and horrible hot flashes. My MO started me on a low dose of Effexor, which is an antidepressant also used for anxiety and panic issues. It has worked really well. I had a DEXA scan last summer, which showed mild osteopenia. I'm increasing my calcium intake and weight bearing exercise. I will have another DEXA scan in the summer of 2020 (two years after the last one). At that point, if the osteopenia has worsened, my MO and I will discuss osteoporosis meds.

It's just another pill to take. I take mine after supper with another pill. No drama necessary.

I set up pill cases for my various pills for two weeks at a time. Tamoxifen goes in the evening meal compartment as my pharmacist recommended taking it with the evening meal. Have some insomnia which may or may not be related to Tamoxifen. Side effects have been generally tolerable and are somewhat cyclical as they come and go.

I believe that mindset is important during the journey of anti hormonals. “You do the meds, don't let the meds do you." Ownership is a powerful tool.I take mine at night and it helps me sleep. Third year of Tamoxifen and going strong!!

I take them the same time every day - my AI with a calcium/D3 before bed, another calcium/d3 with other vitamins, claritin + aspirin after breakfast.

I use a pill organizer to make sure I am not forgetting a day. And I keep a dose of the day time calcium in my bag in a little pill box for days that I am out of the house early in the morning.

I take my tamoxifen in the morning while getting ready for work. I'm very routine with it, lol, take it right before blow-drying my hair. Once or twice I couldn't remember if I had taken it, so, since you are supposed to take it with a full glass of water, I take it then leave the Tervis tumbler on my nightstand. So when I get anxious and can't remember if I took it, I text my husband to find out if there's a slightly damp cup on the nightstand. He works from home so he can check for me. :-)

I was one who prided myself on taking zero pills before my dx. I've added a couple of supplements since starting the AI, and I do think it's easier when you have several pills to take at the same time. I don't eat breakfast, so take them all with lunch (my first meal of the day). I'd heard about some potential sleep impacts with the AI, had read quite a few recommendations to take it with food, plus I'm fortunate to work from home, so it's part of my lunch prep routine (most days I turn on the wee frying pan for my scrambled egg, take my meds, cook my egg, and bingo!).

Just re: motivation to stick with it, I've posted on other forums about a general BC conversation I had with my BS at a post-op appointment. He said anti-hormonals have "the biggest bang for the buck" in terms of preventing recurrence, and that was confirmed for my particular dx with an online calculator. When I see that the AI is more important for me than chemo was, it's a pretty serious motivator to keep up with it.

Vitamins in the morning, prescriptions in the evening.

When I was taking the weekly Vitamin D I did have to set an alarm on the phone as I could never remember what day of the week I last took it.

The calculator for me I get like 3% or 7% added benefit. There are days I want to flush those little white pills down the toilet! However, I read on my of my latest reports that my lifetime risk is greater than 21%. I really hate trying to learn all these different statistics! Also, my MO didn't prescribe it just to torture me, so I take it. Keep moving is key. I feel so much better after exercise/even just walking or doing house work. It's unfortunate that I have a desk job. I am still working on getting on even keel/routine of how much moving I will benefit from to stop being miserable. #workinprogress

for those who take their tamoxifen at night, how in the world do you not have to wake up to pee at like midnight after drinking a full cup of water?? I must have a tiny bladder, lol

I use a Fitbit alarm as my nightly reminder and now it’s just a habit, take pills, brush teeth, do lymph system related stretches, go to sleep.

Aside from that, I’m committed to doing my part in treatment, docs have their job, this is mine.

Hi

I take a lot. Of tablets for pain relief anyway so wasn't much of a bother however when I started. Them by time. I got. Prescription it was before tea time and was on another chemo based drug precliobib or something and you had eat with it so putting them two together in had it at evening tea time. Though stopped thst chemo based one kept. At same. Time., I also have like a lost. Of. Medicines written down morning lunch time tea and bed and fill. I'm when taken xx

I take Aromasin, which is given to me in a blister pack. I write the days of the week (abbreviated M T W, etc.) on each blister so that I can see that I've taken it. I also take a calcium supplement prescribed by my oncologist. That's in a bottle, so I use a sharpie to write the day of the week after taking it.

I keep a cookie tin of bottles by my bed and take them at night (that sounds like a lot of bottles, but it's really just the Tamox and vit D and random other occasional pills like asprin. The cookie tin is because I hate looking at all the bottles, makes me feel like a sick person when they're sitting on the counter or even in the daily plastic boxes.). That way I don't have to make the decision to get out of bed if I forget them until I'm falling asleep... I had a bit of issue with sleep when I started Tamox, but it's fine now. I keep my bedroom dark and use an eye mask as well. If I do wake up in the middle of the night, I keep the lights off, go to the bathroom, take a sip of water, and usually fall right back asleep. I also have 'take pills' in my habits app, Strides, so I have a visual reminder of how I'm doing.

mine is to take right before bed. Also helps that I have to take sleeping pills along with my hormone pill

Hi! I've been taking my medication right when I get home. It's my ritual and it's been working fine, except when I decide to delay it a bit more, or when I dine out right after work. Just a couple of nights ago I couldn't remember if I had taken it! Luckily I hadn't, but I've been finding that taking Letrozole has affected my short term memory. I'd suggest setting an alarm in your phone