Struggling with fatigue

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AMLMom
AMLMom Member Posts: 102
edited December 2019 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Hi, I started tamoxifen in May, but took a break starting in August until the beginning of November. I have been taking it regularly since then.

For the past few months I have been really struggling with fatigue. By 7pm I’m dragging my feet and really struggling to stay awake. I typically go to bed around 8:00 or 8:30. It’s becoming a real issue and impacting my family and friends.

I don’t know what to make of it. I have assumed that it was the tamoxifen, but was hoping that I would have adjusted by now. I don’t recall it being that bad when I took it earlier in the year. Wondering if others on tamoxifen have had a similar experience?

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited December 2019

    When do you take it? I broke mine into 2 doses and took one in the morning and one at night and it helped me.

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  • AMLMom
    AMLMom Member Posts: 102
    edited December 2019

    thank you for the suggestion. Originally I took it in the morning, but the side effects were bad so my doctor suggested taking it before bed, which I have been doing since November. Maybe I can try splitting the dose. Did you have issues with fatigue at any point

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  • DorothyB
    DorothyB Member Posts: 305
    edited December 2019

    I found that staying active (walking, using weight machines at Y) has helped some with the daytime fatigue.

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited December 2019

    My fatigue has been terrible since starting tamoxifen. I will say that regular exercise did help improve my fatigue by about 30%. I have not been consistent with it lately though. I hit a bad time with anxiety and my fatigue hit me even harder. I know I need to get back at it. I hope it improves for you, I completely understand how frustrating it is!

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  • DorothyB
    DorothyB Member Posts: 305
    edited December 2019

    Dani, I found that Effexor (generic is something like venaflaxin?) helped with the anxiety when I started on tamoxifen. My PCP is a cancer survivor and she used it also. It is one that is OK to take w/ tamoxifen. I am currently doing 10 mg of tamoxifen and 1/2 of a 37.5 mg pill of generic effexor and that has handled the anxiety really well. Even today when I have a swollen lymph node near my collar bone that the med onc wants to get ultrasound and maybe biopsy on, I'm not really anxious.

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