Has anyone found it difficult to lose weight when they are on Tamoxifen? I am really hungry all the time? I have been on it for 2 years. Any advice would help.
Hi There
I have been taking Tamoxifen for 11 months and I have put on weight, my daughter calls me a dustbin for eating everyones leftovers lol…so I have started jogging, swimming and pilates in a bid to get fit and shift some fat!!
I have read on here lots of comments about ladies suffering with weight gain… I still feel bloated from the anaesthetic!!
I don’t have any magic words of wisdom sorry…just hope that whatever good Tamoxifen is doing is worth it.
Take care xx
Hi
As soon as I started taking it, I used to wake up in the night hungry. I alos had the most horrendous volcanic eruptions of hot flushes.
I decided the dubious small benefit of taking it wasn’t worth it. After 3 weeks I stopped it, joined a gym and started the 5:2 diet. I’ve lost a stone since May. My bcn lectured me on how having too much body fat encourages oestrogen and means recurrence is more likely. Then they give you a drug which makes you put on weight!
For me, reducing my body fat and getting fit will be far more beneficial. That’s just my opinion though xx
I had thought why should I take tamoxifen, i feel it makes me ache gave me hot flushes etc but the side effects are starting to reduce and research points to a very significant benefit. cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/cancer-news/press-release/2013-06-02-study-confirms-long-term-benefits-of-tamoxifen
I’m doing my best to eat healthily now and increase exercise it is difficult with this fatigue though and its a bit hit and miss at the moment
Hi , no longer on tamoxifen and within a year the weight left me, I had spoken to my own gp about the weight gain and she told me it was an appitite enhancer. So that why always feeling hungry
charhie
Hi,
I started Tamoxifen but had horrendous flushes like my insides were at boiling point every 10 mins then a chill straight afterwards.and night sweats. Also i started spiralling into depression, memory loss ,hair thinning and WEIGHT GAIN. I have came on and off the drug twice. i didnt know Tamoxifen makes you hungry ? Well thats good to know why i never stop eating and all the wrong foods. before my op I was 2 stone lighter . this weight gain is definetley out of control . I cant see the benefit of taking tamoxifen if it is giving me all these side effects “its depressing”. Also Tamoxifen is a carcinogenic ,thats great you keep clear of breast cancer but it can give you uterine cancer . Woudnt you think that after all these years of research into cancer treatment that they would of come up with someting better than tamoxifen . This drug is nearly 50 years old it was discovered in 1966 by a scientist researching the birth control pill . …it makes me so mad that there isnt anything better at the moment to control the side effects of the drug . !!!.. Rant over…Anyway i think the only way to combat the weight gain is to take control of the situation and start eating healthily and exercise . gud luk…ali xx
i’ve been on Tamoxifen since Jan '15 and have definitly noticed an increase in girth!! It came as quite a shock as previously I had been quite slim and able to control my weight relatively easily! The weight gain along with the lymphoedma I’m suffering sent me really low, but I’ve come to accept that I am going to have to get used to it and try to be positive - at least I’m still here to be able to complain. What made me realise that I am one of the lucky ones was a letter that came home from my daughters school informing us of the death of one of the mums from cancer. She hasn’t had the chance to see her two boys grow up beyond 8 & 6 ?
Have been taking Tamoxifen since 2014. The hot flushes have been very difficult to accept, I have put weight on and have been suffering with very painful feet for the past few months. Getting very depressed with all this, I decided to join the gym, also swimming. From reading the posts here I can see now that these are definitely side effects from the drug, I wasn’t sure about the painful feet. I can honestly say that joining the gym about 4 weeks ago has been the best thing for me both mentally and physically and would recommend to anyone. I still get hot flushes but not as often, I feel I am doing something to combat the weight gain, I am ignoring the feet! but the best thing of all is it is helping me sleep better and I have more energy. I no longer feel low and my moods have become lighter. I am also drinking lots more water as recommended at the gym. Yep. definitely a good decision.
Always hungry for the wrong things. Was overweight anyway now even worse. Better than the alternative!