Help!!!
Has anyone has a skin rash due to Tamoxifen. I have been taking Tamoxifen since middle of September. I had a rash appear on a rads burn 2 weeks after finishing my rads. within a week that rash has now appeared all over the top of my legs, stomach, back, arms - about 25% of my body. GP states it is an allergic reaction and have given me cream and tablets to stop the itch - 4 days later and theres no improvement. I thought I’d read the Tamoxifen leaflet and it states can cause skin rash - do you think that this could be the cause, if so why didn’t it appear for the first month? has this happened to anyone , if so did they take you off tamoxifen and give you something else??
Hi Kelyn
I have had unexplained rashes all my life, the worse being when I was pregnant and got polymorphic toxaemia and was covered from neck down. I stopped breast feeding early as the rash started again and I thought it was hormonal. Since I burned badly with rads I regularly get rashes ( am also on Tamoxifen ). The last one turned out to be ringworm which is fungal and starts in areas of damp dead flesh…hence the rad burns. I have found that staying off sugar and citric fruits and drinking water regulary helps. Keep cool and try not to stress. I think yours is hormonal and will settle. Sometimes I find anti histamines help…just the cheap non drowsy ones from the supermarket. I am still getting side effects from Tamoxifen and I have been on it a year. The latest is acid reflux and itching in my important little places…lol. Ironically enough, I have had psoriasis for about 26 years and this has now disapppeared completely but I don’t know if it is the tamoxifen or anti depressants which I started on a month after Tam. Hope you feel better soon
Love
Debbie
Just another thought. You may be allergic to some of the bulking agents they use in the Tamoxifen. Are you on generic tamoxifen and, if so, are you on the same ones you got originally. CP pharmaceuticals seem to agree with me but I could never guarantee getting the same brand each time so am now on Nolvadex…well I will be when this latest cp lot have gone. I had a year of arguments with the doctors before they agreed to it and may even find that they don’t agree with me anyway but will give it a try. Another thought is…have you had this nasty cold going around? Could you have taken some cough mixture or medicine which has started it. I have found that my body is v different on Tamoxifen. Certain foods upset me that didn’t before and my hair has gone really curly!!! I am sure it will settle down but I know how miserable rashes can make you
Hugs
Debbie
Thanks Debbie for your reply,
I haven’t eaten anything out of the ordinary and not taken any other medicines. My breast care nurse rang and said they think it’s linked to Tamoxifen and to stop taking it. I see the specialist tomorrow for a check up after my rads and then a week tomoorow I see my oncologist for a 3 month check on taking tamoxifen so at least I have a few chances to sort it out. I dont fancy just not taking it all together but my breast care nurse thinks its best to stay off it for a week or 2 then restart it to see if I get another reaction.
still itching like **&&^^%%
seen specialist today and he has taken me off tamoxifen for 2 weeks - as I’m going on holidays in a weeks time he told me not to restart taking them until I return on the 10th Dec. when I restart them if I have another reaction it will confirm its the tamoxifen and I will have to go down another route!!!
So it does sound like an hormonal problem. Don’t worry. There are lots of other options I believe. Tamoxifen isn’t the only choice. Have a lovely holiday. Hopefully the itching will have stopped by then???
Debbie
xxx
Just found this old thread - and wondered what the outcome was.
I took my first Tamoxifen last night, and woke up with a mottled rash all over my arms and legs. It doesn’t itch - just feels a bit prickly and looks awful. My knees are swollen too so I rang NHS Direct. They told me to go to A and E. Being sunday there’s no oncology staff about, but I was seen by a doctor quite quickly who prescribed Piriton and told me to contact the BC nurse tomorrow. She also told me not to take tonight’s dose. I’m due to go on holiday on tuesday so don’t think I’ll be taking it again until I come back!
I was wondering how common an allergy to Tamnoxifen is - if this is what it is!
Tracey xx