Can anyone please give me some tips on how to control hot sweats while taking tamoxifen. At the moment i’m that hot i’ve been cleaning in my bra (not a pretty site). Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks and keep well everyone. xx
Hi baileys
I was just about to post my own thread re hot sweats. I’ve had a bad night and was wondering what others thought of the chillow pillow. I see there is also a chillow plus pillow. It may be worth a try.
I’ve been on tamoxifen for three years now. My hot flushes have never been as bad at this. When the weather is humid it really gets to me. In fact the first thing I do when I get home is to change into sloppy loose clothing and fling off my bra. I enjoy wearing a cotton “sloppi” bra top for comfort and it’s perfectly acceptable to wear about the house and going to the gym etc.
Looking forward to hearing what others have to say.
Love
Jeannie
Hi there Baileys and Jeannie
Here is a link to a Breast Cancer Care publication called ‘Menopausal symptoms and breast cancer’ which you may find useful to read, please also feel free to call our helpline on freephone 0808 800 6000 for further support and information about safely managing your symptoms, the line is open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm.
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/menopausal_symptoms_jun_2006_0.pdf
Best Wishes
Lucy
Hi
I’m on Arimiex and mainly suffer my hot flushes/night sweats about 10 mins after getting in to bed. I have had these for quite a while now and a couple of months ago, I realised that there was a spray can of Magicool on my bedside so tried that.
Wow!!! Why hadnt I thought of this sooner?! It works for me so worth giving it a go
HTH
Anne xx
At the moment I’m sitting at the computer in my bra and knickers having just had a monster hot sweat ! (I’m on Aromasin).
What is Magicool please? I’ll try anything.
Anthi x
magicool is a cooling water spray, you can get it in supermarkets or Boots etc. i haven’t tried it but was wondering if it might be helpfull and now reading Anne’s post I am definately going to get some.
I hate the flushes, especially at night. I have been on Tamoxifen since last Nov and really miss snuggling up in bed with hubbie, I still try but only last about 2 minutes before i have to move over and fling the quilt off. it is so depressing.
i have a fan on my desk at work that i quickly put on if I feel one starting our cos flinging ones top off whilst sitting at your desk can cause some raised eyebrows but i often end up ironing in just my underwear hoping no-one walks in the front door unannounced!!
Ahh the joys the joys
AJxxx
I love my Chillow and couldn’t be without it. Seriously thinking of buying another one to lay on.
Hi everyone,
Thanks for your comments and advice, will try the magicool and will also check out the web site.
Take care
xx
Hi all,
Has anyone been pescribed Megace to help with hot sweats? I’m just about to have a try. I’ve already tried Venlafaxine which made me feel awful. The only thing is my breast cancer was oestrogen and progesterone receptive so I have concerns about taking Progesterone. Anyone in the same situation?
Malan x
Someone advised on one of the forums to take starflower oil with a minimum GLA of 220mg,(was on half price offer at a well known health food shop, don’t know if I am allowed to say which but you can probably guess as they often advertise half price offers) I have been taking it for about 2 weeks now but so far I have only noticed a slight improvement, I am going to persevere until I have used all the bottle and see if it takes time to get into your system. Also was advised to try evening primrose oil and vitamin E but you must take them at the same time so I will try that next if the starflower oil does not work. An alternative therapist also advised sage tincture but I have not tried that yet either.
Hi,
I couldn’t cope with hot flushes at all, I live in Italy and from April to November life was an unremitting hell. When I began talking about stopping the hormone treatment and having a double mastectomy my doctor gave me an antidepressant which I think in Britain is called Sertraline; it really did make a big difference, I still didn’t sleep much but at least the bed was more or less dry. I finished my five years at Christmas and slowly, slowly the hot flushes are receding, I do sleep now and only occasionally do I have to rip my clothes off, though I have rather got used to ironing in my underwear especially when the temperature is around 34" Centigrade. I did try Clonidine and all the other pills and potions people recommend but nothing had much effect, at least ask your GP. x Fay
Hello
I really recommend acupuncture for hot flushes. I am on Zoladex and Tamoxifen and started going during my chemotherapy. It’s not a complete cure but I have a lot less and they’re not as severe now.
My acupuncture lady sticks the needles in my feet and legs. It doesn’t hurt and often after 10 minutes or so, I will literally lay there shivering as all of the heat is drawn out of me. Amazing stuff. Not a clue how it works but who cares?! 
I do still get a couple when I get into bed so have an emergency mini fan on my bedside table. Once they’ve passed that’s it for the night. I no longer wake up in a hot or cold sweat.
Jxx
Hi All,
Someone recommended using a water spray (for plants/ironing) and lightly spraying on your sheets and pillow before you lie down, in hot weather. I haven’t used it during the night for hot sweats, but could be worth a try.
Also, I had quite a lot of hot flushes when I first started tamoxifen. I had to change brand because of skin problems, and since switching to Nolvadex I’ve stopped having hot flushes too! Not often we get an added bonus!
Jacquie
Hi Jeebee, Ive also read that 80% of women on tamoxifen can stop hot flushes with acupunture… not going on it until the end of August ( 2 chemos left). did your surgery recommend someone? not sure how to go about finding someone good… do you mind me asking how much they charge so i at least have an idea of cost( and if im being ripped off!) thanks very much
JO X
Hi Jo,
I have had three sessions of acupuncture for hot flushes. They did seem to lessen afterwards. My first session cost £40 - that included a very thorough medical history & general chat about lifestyle & health, subsequent sessions were £30.
I found the acupuncturist through yellow pages initially, but then asked around & found someone else who had used the same one and was happy with her.
Having said all that, last night I finally slept through till 6am. This was my first full night’s sleep since 2 March 07 when I had my mastectomy. I suspect this is down to a variety of causes - I take starflower oil & vitamin E, I’ve had the acupuncture, and then last week I tried taking the tamoxifen in two halves - half in the morning & half at night. I’d read before that this could help, but was sceptical as I had tried taking it in the evening, and then had tried taking it in the morning, and was having hot flushes around the clock both ways. So I didn’t see how splitting the dose would have any effect. But the hot flushes have definitely lessened since I’ve been splitting it. I know you can get tamoxifen in 10mg tablets so if the reduction in flushes continues I shall ask my doctor to change my prescription (at the moment I’m cutting the 20mg tablets in two).
Hi Jo
Someone recommended the person I go to at a breast cancer support group. My first session was more expensive too - same as Roadrunner. I think it was £60 for the first one, but every subsequent session has been £35. Initially I had to go every 2 weeks but once it starts to take effect, you can get away with having it once every 4 weeks.
Just be aware, it’s quite normal to not get instant results. Often you will need to go for a few sessions before you notice a difference - so it may not be because you haven’t found a good one. I absolutely love going now. She always asks me how I’m feeling in myself and I get a mini-service! If I’m tired or fed up, she will perk me up and make me “bouncy” and if I’m stressed out, she makes me feel relaxed.
I have definitely got on better since switching to taking my tamoxifen at night rather than in the morning. I’m not sure I’d trust myself to remember to take 2 doses a day but may give it a whirl if they get worse again. Thanks for the tip Roadrunner!
Jxx
nightowl… it was me who recommended Starflower Oil capsules. I also said that you need to take them for at least 6 weeks before you see the benefit of taking them.
I had to stop taking them for 2 weeks prior to an operation and the hot sweats came in with a vengeance [almost 1 every hour!] Once I started to take them again, I was soon back to 4 or 5 sweats a day.
Spooks - I still get my hot flushes every 40 minutes (I can pretty much set the clock by them) but the intensity is less now with the starflower/vitamin E/acupuncture/split dose of tamoxifen.
RoadRunner… do you find that hot flushes & aches and pains run in cycles? For about the last 4 days, I’ve had a total of 2 hot flushes, but have been absolutely freezing cold most of the time, sometimes even shivering!
In the winter, I was permanently cold in between the hot flushes. Got really fed up with it. But since the weather has got warmer (relatively speaking!) I haven’t had that problem.
But the intensity of the flushes definitely come & goes. That makes it really difficult to know what, if anything, is working, as you never know what the flushes would be doing without the latest thing you are trying for them. Having slept through the night on Wednesday night, I then had a bad night last night, but not aware that I’d done anything different. BUT overall they are definitely a lot better than a few months ago. Maybe that’s just passage of time, and nothing to do with any remedies? But I’m too scared to stop the starflower oil etc in case they really are working.