Changing from Tamoxifen to AI

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Anne2871
Anne2871 Member Posts: 20
edited May 2020 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Hello,

I look forward to some advice. I started Tamoxifen (20mg) 2 months ago. After 30 days of miserable side effects, my doc prescribed Effexor for the hot flashes and mood swings, and decreased my dose to 10mg to adjust. The hot flashes have improved, but the anxiety and extreme mood swings are not tolerable. I am a stable and pretty chill person. Now I’m in hysterics over nothing.

Sooooo...my recent blood labs revealed that my FSH is high enough to qualify for an AI. I am almost 50 and was peri menopause, but apparently I have graduated to menopausal. Yay. 🙄.I would like to give AIs a shot. Any particular AI that is less likely to cause major mood swings? Has anyone moved from Tamoxifen to AIs with success? Thank you in advance.

Stacey

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  • orangeflower
    orangeflower Member Posts: 146
    edited May 2020

    All of these drugs affect different people differently. It seems like messing with our estrogen can cause mood problems. I've been on ovarian suppression plus an aromatase inhibitor for over a month. It was worse at the beginning. I was really irritable. I'm still kind of irritable at times, but the problem is improving. Sometimes you need to give it time. I'm sorry you're going through such a hard time with the drugs. They are a challenge, for sure. Hang in there my friend!

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  • MsPrecious
    MsPrecious Member Posts: 59
    edited May 2020

    Sorry, you had to deal with these effects. Usually it takes a couple of months before the body adjust to low estrogen level. I'm on tamoxifen since November 2019 and my body is still adjusting. Hope you do well on AI

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  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited May 2020

    My MO still hasn't switched me to an AI. She told me I had to be demonstrably menopausal for one year before switching, unless we removed my ovaries or did suppression. She said if you switch too early it can actually reactivate your ovaries and make them produce a lot of estrogen. That shocked me.

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  • Anne2871
    Anne2871 Member Posts: 20
    edited May 2020

    Thanks, everyone. I still haven’t decided. My MO wants me to stay on a lower dose of T before switching. 🙏 Will give it another month. Thank you.

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