Hi CVD,
How are things going for you? I hope you were able to find an alternative way to support your mental health.
Michala
I was fine on tamoxifen in relation to side effects. Its difficult when your hormones are ganging up against you but it has to be done. Stopping the cancer coming back is the most important thing. Ihad 9 years before mine returned.
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Iām sorry to hear this Suzy 
. Did the cancer return after a time of not being on Tamoxifen? Also, if you dont mind me asking, was it breast cancer that came back?
Sending love x
Thank you. I was on tamoxifen for 5 years then moved to letrozole as post menopausal and the letrozole stopped working after 4 years. My cancer returned to my abdomen not my breast but they still call it secondary breast cancer . 
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So kind of you to ask! Sorry for the late reply. I am now fully off the anti depressant and getting the full blast of tamoxifen. Iād say itās going okay so far. I do have night sweats, some fatigue/brain fog, and joint pain, but I would say itās not unmanageable at the moment. Itās definitely disrupting my sleep, which of course makes everything else worse.
Instead of trying another antidepressant (I donāt really want to start another new medication), Iām thinking it would be more productive to try to find a therapist I like in my insurance network, but thatās a big undertaking with a lot of time cost. I havenāt made much progress yetā¦
I hope everyone else is doing well with their treatment! Curious to hear how itās goingā¦
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Oh no, Iām so very sorry to hear this. Youāll be in my thoughts. 
Iām glad that youre doing okay 
. I posted this on another thread but thought it would be helpful here too for an update!
I decided to try Tamoxifen. I was really torn and worried for a while as I couldnt bare the thought of potential side effects impacting my life for the next 5 years.
As Iāve been struggling with acne alongside my cancer (acne flared up at the same time as breat cancer symptoms), I have been avoiding dairy, so I requested the lactose-free version of Tamoxifen. I started on the suspension as thags what they prescribed me at first from the hospital. I did have side effects like sweeping moments of fatigue, fogginess, hot flashes intense bloating, my period had reduced by a day but rode it out for 7 weeks until my prescription finished. I read that symptoms peak at around week 6 and ebb off, which they seem to have.
I am now on lactose free pills and also made the decision to take the dose at night before bed, as I read from other women it can minimise the side effects as youāre sleeping through it. So far the intensity of the side effects have subsided thankfully, although i think I do still have mild fogginess but not as bad. By having a lactose-free version, it gives me some control to keep to the same brand too, as I heard women get different side effects with different brands.
Iāve requested a blood test to check my thyroid because we all should be tested in the first year of taking tamoxifen, as it can impact the thryoid (makes sense with the sweeping fatigue, bloating, slight weight gain etc).
Iām hopeful that my body has balanced out now and i can ride out the next 5 years with no issues 
. Iām also taking a herbal supplement called Salvestrol which is supposed to reduce the chance of cancer too. X
Thank you for the update! Iām glad to hear your side effects have balanced out for now. I hear that they can ebb and flow over time, so Iāll keep my fingers crossed that ours stay manageable!
I have struggled with acne my whole life too, so I definitely feel your pain there. Avoiding acne flare-ups is my #1 mission in life. Itās so miserable to look like teenager as an adult. Of course, it also means we have to be super careful about what moisturizers we use. Iām sure I have only given my skin 1/10 of the moisture it requires, and Iāll be wrinkling prematurelyā¦Iāve had mild flare-ups through this whole medication adjustment process, but it seems to have calmed down for now. If your acne is caused by hormones, maybe the Tamoxifen will actually help? One can dream!
I did not know about tamoxifenās impact on the thyroid! I have hypothyroidism thatās been successfully managed with medication for years, so Iāll be sure to get regular blood tests to keep an eye on this potential issue too! The list never seems to end.
My sleep has been terrible. I finally broke down and started taking Trazodone, which seems to help a little, but my sleep tracker still tells me every day that I havenāt slept enough, havenāt slept deeply enough, havenāt gotten enough REM, and will likely feel tired and moody.
All the best to everyone!!
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