Hi all,
I’m now 2 years down the line with Tamoxifen and have suffered with the hot flushes and leg cramps at night. My GP recommended tonic water or bitter lemon for the leg cramps as they both contain quinine which helps to prevent cramp. It’s working well but reading the comments on bananas I’ll give them a go next as I’ve read that fizzy drinks are not good for your bones.
As far as the flushes go I’ve found that the less I eat in the evening the better I will be at night. Ideally I aim to eat by 6, but this isn’t always possible as the days I work I get in later, or I eat only a small amount. I go to bed hungry but it does cut down on the flushes. Only 2 or 3 mild flushes a night compared to 5 or 6 sweltering hot.
During the bitter weather we had in winter poor hubby was going to bed wearing a fleece over his pyjamas and a woolly hat as I insisted on leaving the window open all night.
Only another 3 years to go!!!
Hi there - I am about 8 months into taking tamoxifen and it has really affected my sleep. I am also on zoladex injections. I can’t stay in the same bed as my husband for more than half an hour and every night end up in the spare room as I am just so hot and uncomfortable and restless. I wake up every hour or so and am so tired and find it difficult to get up in the morning. I haven’t found that there has been any relief from this as the months have gone on - if anything I am getting worse!
Now about 8 months on Tamoxifen and 7 months on Zoladex, still sleeping badly. I’m still waking up 3 or 4 times per night - a good night’s sleep is when I wake up but get back to sleep after not too long. I’ve tried a range of different drugs to help with it, various anti-depressants, sleeping tablets, evening primrose oil, and now settled on a low dose (10mg versus a depressant dose of 100mg or more) of Amitriptyline, but nothing really works. It’s the one remaining effect of the BC that I’m really struggling to cope with because it’s affecting my ability to do my job and it’s making me short-tempered because I’m always tired. I would love to find a magic wand solution to this!
P.S. I was also getting severe leg cramps until I realised that those coincided with taking the Wockhardt brand of Tamoxifen. I don’t seem to get the cramps with APS brand.
Hi glee - don’t think I could stay in same bed as my hubby now as he sweats at night too. Went into spare bed after surgery and have stayed there ever since - 18 months. Love sleeping in own room as I can read as long as I like.We were used to sleeping apart anyway as he worked away for most of the week for over 7 years and are both happy with this arrangement as it means he does get some sleep and I can throw back the bedclothes with gay abandon!!!
Also use a chillow and have now got rid of quilt as it was too hot and use cotton sheet, fleece blanket and Spanish style cotton bedspread which is proving to be a big help.Unfortunately I have found that wine defo has an effect on the night sweats so avoid it when at work the next day. Hope you get some sleep soon. Marli x
Hi Iv’e been on Tamoxifen since August last year, My hot sweats have now got worse !!! Really getting to me now, sleep for approx 30 minutes then awake with bad flushes, awake for anything from 10 to 20 minutes then sleep for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Driving me slowly insane!
My oncologist has told if still the same next month then he will try the Anti Depressants, but worried about SE from these…
xx
i was told to try another brand.
Hi Poppy, I too have done this but never made any difference! Did it work for you?
Hi, I have been really struggling with the night sweats and hot flushes, ended up going to the doctor because I was so tired and struggling. Am now on anti depressants and they have decreased them slightly. I find that if i have alcohol, chocolate, normal coffee and spicy foods they are considerably worse. I use a chillow at night just when i am actually flushing. Hope this helps. Liz xx
Oh dear! I can identify with insomnia (and other SE too!) I’ve been on Tamoxifen for around a year and a half now and noticed that some of the SE (insomnia particularly) seem to improve, and even disappear, but then you get a sleepless period again.
I take a small dose of clonazepam and it helps most of the time. It is not ideal, but I cannot afford not to sleep.
Hey muffet, I haven’t Swopt brands yet as I’ve only been on them just over a week, , xx
Hey muffet, I haven’t Swopt brands yet as I’ve only been on them just over a week, , xx