Hello I hope everyone is safe & staying well. I’ve been taking tamoxifen since March 2020 when I got diagnosed with breast cancer (ER positive). I had a lumpectomy in early July & at the same time they removed my mirena coil. About a week & a half ago, I started to get really bad headaches, more like migraines really & I vomited a couple of times as well after eating - that can happen at random times in the day. I take my tamoxifen at night. The hot flushes have dramatically increased as well. I’m wondering how long these new side effects last? I start a short course of radiotherapy next week. Has anyone else experienced this & if you resolved it, how did you do it? Thanks in advance for supporting me.
Hi Spu1
I hope someone is able to share their experience on what worked for them, however should you wish to speak to one of our breast care nurses, please remember you can do so on freephone 0808 800 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 9am-1pm).
Sending our best wishes
Bernard
Hi Spu1
Sorry to hear your struggle with tamoxifen etc. I have been on tamoxifen for a year now - the first couple of weeks were pretty tough with constant nausea but after that it levelled off - having said that I’d say that generally 1 week per month on average I don’t feel great - extreme tiredness and nausea - I try and listen to my body though and make sure I’m getting enough rest and leave the chores for when I do get my energy back - I haven’t experienced headaches though - have you contacted your GP as the migraines may be unrelated although if you’re starting radio next week they could be anxiety driven? I found the radio was fine so try not to worry too much about that - it’s more the hassle factor of having to get to hospital each day that I found the worse bit. The best piece of advice I was given was to be kind to yourself - if you are too tired to work through radio then don’t (if that’s possible) and take time out each day to rest. Best wishes, Heather
Hi, hope you’re feeling less nauseous. The nausea could be linked to anxiety. Like you I had my ER+ diagnosis, coil removal & lumpectomy very quickly and close together. I found radiotherapy a few months later very tiring. If I’m not too late, My advice would be to make sure you do your physio throughout radio and well beyond to avoid a frozen shoulder. Stick with the tamoxifen and talk to your GP about any side effects, including the headaches and nausea. I’m 2 yrs on and doing well. If you miss the hormones from the coil, be open minded about anti-depressants, they’re saved me! All the best x