Hi
I just wondered whether it is any better to have my radiotherapy over before starting on tamoxifen?
I’m due to have 15 rad treatments - not got a date but likely to be early/mid September.
I’ve also been prescribed tamoxifen which I could start straight away, but the onc said it’s OK to wait till after my holiday which would mean I started it on 4th September.
I know I can’t put tamox off forever, but the thought of having hot flushes and mood swings as well as a sore/itchy breast and tiredness just is not very appealing!
Also I’m a peripatetic teacher so will be back full time to a busy busy work schedule in September.
Anyone with any advice - it would be so welcome.
Thanks
Susie.
xx
Hi, I’ve just got through rads (x15 like you) and CMF chemo togather and managed it OK, although its knocked my blood counts down a bit.
A friend of mine did rads while also Tamoxifen and was utterly exhausted for weeks and weeks. She had carried on Part-time teaching and it was pretty bad for her. I think she was advised that this happened in about 10% of women who did rads while starting Tmox.
Hope this helps.
Hi SussexGirl,
I am in the same position - have just got a date of 8th Sept to start 15 rads and also supposed to begin taking Tamoxifen around then.
No one has mentioned that it’ll be worse doing the two together (in fact I’ve been told the rads are likey to be a breeze - hmm), but I’m not sure I’m convinced.
x
Hey moomintroll (great name btw),
just got my start date for rads and it’s also 8th September. For some reason I thought it would be a Monday so was surprised! I could take tamoxifen right now as I have the prescription, but am not starting till after my holiday and 50th birthday party!! The onc said it was ok to wait so I am! So I’ll start tamox on 4th September.
I put this thread onto the hormone therapy topic as well and people there have been pretty reassuring that the two together may not necessarily be bad, and also that side effects are not absolutely going to occur. (Tho my onc said 'you just have to grit your teeth and get through the first three months!! Charming, I thought.)
Your thread about anyone with no SE from tamox is also good - thanks for starting that one.
It will be good to compare notes with you as we go along.
I’m going to the Royal Sussex in Brighton - how about you?
Sandripples (also a great name), I’m glad to hear you did the treatments without too much tiredness and really hope you are ok. What happens next for you? Thanks for telling us about your friend - that’s what I thought might happen so in a way it’s good to hear she was told 10% of people might react by being very tired. We’ll just have to wait to see how it goes. My trouble is I get so wrapped up in work once term starts I always end up getting overtired! Maybe this year I’ll pull back a bit and make sure I give myself enough rest.
Thanks both for your responses and I wish us all succesful outcomes,
Susie
xx
Hello Ladies,
I started my rads this week, week 1 is now over just 2 more to go! I’m not on Tamoxafen but I have been on Arimidex for 1 month now, the rads don’t seem to be causing any interference with the tablets, though I have had SE’s from the Arimidex already.
I was told by the radiologist that it’s better to rest a little if possible after your treatment as you will heal all the quicker at the end if you do have any problems. The rads people are very kind and very helpful and I’m just glad to have got started with the rads at last after a 12 week wait for my treatment.
Best Wishes to all,
Isabelle xxx
Hi Susie,
I think you’re absolutely right to hold off on the T until after your holiday and your party - I hope they’re both fantastic!
I’m going to try and think more positively about both the T and doing it with the rads. Easier said than done of course, but perhaps I’ll manage it on my better days.
As you say, it’ll be good to compare notes as we go along. In theory I have the planning session this Wed - when’s yours? The only thing that might change that is if the results I get on Tuesday are not as expected. I had a re-excision last week to get the last traces of the original tumour, plus some other potentially dodgys bits they saw on a recent MRI but weren’t there when the original surgery was done in June. Hopefully it’s just swollen/scar tissue.
I’m at UCLH in London.
Isabelle - thanks for the tip about resting.
xx
I started to take tamoifen at the same as the rads but was so nauseous I was tole to stop and restart a month after radiotherapy had finished. Still get nauseous though.
I started Tamoxifen just before i started rads last november, I had 24 rads and was on a phased return to work, I’m a primary teacher.
I felt tired but this could also have been due to chemo which finished end of Sept. But it wasn’t anything i couldn’t cope with after chemo!!
Rads is a breeze compared to that or it was for me!
Good luck, love Debs xxx
Hi SussexGirl,
I’m three weeks post mx and have already started on tamoxifen; didn’t know you could wait! I’m going to be ‘measured up’ for rads next monday, and starting 8th September, so hope I will be over any SEs by then. I take T at night as was told I’d then sleep through SEs; has worked so far!
I keep being told (by friends) to take it easy and not rush back to work afterwards, so I plan a week or two hols, and then a phased return, but will take more sick leave if I feel dreadful. After all, we go through enough with bc, so we owe it to ourselves to get our bods back in best shape as possible before winter colds etc.
xxx