I have finally finished tamoxifen ten years after starting it. I had a bit of a gap after five years (long story, it was during the period oncologists were switching from five years to ten years), but today is ten years to the day from when I started taking it.
It has been a challenge, I wouldn’t like to try to count the number of hot flushes I’ve had in that time. I went through various different medications trying to deal with them before I settled on citalopram. I still have hot flushes but they are manageable rather than life destroying. They still wake me a couple of times every night, so I’m hoping that goes away and I can stop being tired all the time.
I’ve put on a bit of weight over the ten years, but only a few pounds. As my name suggests I’m a runner so I do a lot of exercise to try to keep fit.
I’m proud of myself that I’ve managed to stick it out all this time. I now feel I’ve done everything possible, from a medical point of view, to prevent a recurrence. I’m trying to stick to the lifestyle factors that also help to prevent recurrence (exercise, diet, trying to limit alcohol, with varying degrees of success), whilst remembering that life is for living.
Good luck to everyone out there still struggling with medication. You can do it!
Wow! Roadrunner that’s fantastic! How do you feel?
I hope the side effects of your treatment now diminish and you can truly move on.
After only one year of letrozole, I have along way to go. But am looking forward to the day when I too don’t have to put up with all these side effects.
Oh what a fabulous post and incredibly positive for us ladies who have recently commenced on tamoxifen (I have been taking it for nearly a year now). I am going to be on it for 10 years, bit of a misunderstanding as I thought it was only for 5 years and was worried about what happened after that but my lovely oncologist reassured me that it was for 10 years. I have flushes and occasional joint aches but on the whole I have so far been very lucky with my journey with Tamoxifen
Well done and congratulations. Yes you are so right we can make lifestyles changes but we do still have to remember that life is for living.