Hi,
I’ve just joined the forums. I want to wish everyone all the best for 2011.
I had mastectomy in Feb 2010, and have been taking tamoxifen since Mar/April 2010.
Since Oct 2010 my abdominal area has been really bloated, and have had abdominal pain on and off since then. Only a few spots of blood once.
I’ve had a pelvic ultrasound scan done, nothing found thankfully but am still in a lot of pain in my abdominal area - back and front.
I’ve spoken to my GP who’s said about me having a CT scan.
I assume this is connected to taking tamoxifen, but daren’t stop taking tamoxifen.
I’d be really grateful to hear from anyone who can tell me more about it, or has been/is going through the same thing. xx
I don’t think you can blame Tamoxifen for your symptoms but I would certainly be nagging my GP and ask for further tests. Doctors sometimes dismiss things out of hand but you know your own body and what feels ‘right’.
I hope your doctor can sort you out soon and best wishes for 2011.
Best wishes,
AlexG
Hi, I too had a mastectomy, reconstruction and then Tamoxifen from March 2010. Apart from the usual warm moments and feeling jittery sometimes, I thought I had escaped the side effects. However, in October I began to feel really nauseous with a sicky headache that just would not go away. My joints began to give me trouble and my brain felt like it was racing all the time. I had also given up any hope of ever getting a decent nights sleep and I felt so absolutely awful and exhausted that I went to see a doctor. I got a locum who said that he thought I was intolerant to the Tamoxifen. (Effects are cumulative hence why it took 7 months to feel so bad)I decided to stop for a while and then re start, just to see if it was the Tamoxifen. Even half a tablet made me feel terribly nauseous within an hour of taking it so I gave up. My GP agrees that I’m probably intolerant and as I don’t want to take other medications like anti nausea, anti depressants, sleeping tablets etc etc I’ve been referred back to the hospital. I don’t like not taking the Tam because I realise the implications but on the other hand I have to have a quality of life as well. I haven’t taken it since mid November and only now am I beginning to feel more like my old self again.
It is really important to see a doctor but Tamoxifen just may not suit you. Good luck and I hope you get it sorted soon.
Val
Hi Pink One
Both Val and Alex may be right. It could be the Tamoxifen, on the otherhand it may be something else, so it’s worth getting it checked out. Talk to your gp or go back to the hospital.
If you browse this site you will find lots of women who don’t get on that well with Tamoxifen. Some are prepared to put up with side effects and others aren’t.
It may have affected you cumulatively as it did with Val, but I reacted to it badly within 3 weeks of taking it. I had dreadful stomach pains, bloating and wind (though i do have IBS also). I have been taken off it and will be reviewed in 2 weeks time about possible alternatives, though I’m not sure if there are any for me drug-wise, so could have a difficult choice to make. But I’m not prepared to feel that awful all the time.
Good luck. Denisthemenace.