Anyone here feel like Throwing the towel in and coming off tamoxifen.?
Hi
I threw in my towel after 3 weeks. Evil stuff!!
I’ve had little problem with it, I do take Venlafaxine along side as recommended by my surgeon to help with SE and so far so good! X
I have been told that I have to take these. I am worried. I was getting horrendous premenopausal symptoms, hot flushes ALL day and night, terrible periods etc. had the coil fitted in May and taking hrt… just starting to get my life back and now im off the HrT, got to have the coil removed and put on these which say will give me even worse symtoms… is it really that bad 
Nick, my menopausal symptoms are no worse on Tamoxifen and my periods seemed to have stopped.Give them a go and see how you feel.Different brands seem to be better than others for side effects although everyone is different,most women seem to find Teva or Mylan brand the kindest.
Hi Rosie, I am so with you ? I have an appointment with the oncologist tomorrow to discuss just that! I know it’s a wonder drug and I should be grateful. BUT I have been on it for 17months and it’s driving me nuts ? I am so unhappy! I just can’t carry on like this for another 4years!! Xx
Hi ladies,
came me accross this thread and had to respond. I was much the same as far as taking tamoxifen is concerned. The side effects were awful. Hot flushes, rivers of sweat running down my back and forehead and the most painful joints in my hands and feet. Really just wanted to come off it, but then one of the lovely ladies on this site suggested I try Mylan brand. Since I’ve been on Mylan, my hot flushes occur about twice a day (normally in the evening) and I get the occasional cold sweat (normally after strenuous exercise). My joints are still painful, but seem to be improving and the sweats are almost a thing of the past. The lady who told me about it did some research to find the brand which had the least additives before commencing tamoxifen, and I so wish I’d done the same. Would’ve saved me a year of misery! It may not be right for any of you ladies, but perhaps it’s worth a try before throwing in the towel all together? Hope you all have minimal side effects whichever brand take or non at all if you take the plunge and give them up all together. Ann x x
I’ve been on them for about 6 weeks and I’m definitely ready to bin them. I’m scratching almost constantly in some cases until I bleed & the night sweats are awful. I’m awake at least 3 times a night throwing the quilt off and absolutely pouring with sweat. I’m seeing the Oncologist tomorrow, there’s no way I can carry on like this. ??
I was looking for a forum that relates to taxoxifen . I been taking this drug for five weeks and I feel like a whale. I really can’t cope with this and going to see my oncologist. I have recently finished radiotherapy after a bilateral mastectomy. I present I really feel ugly and big and yes I should easily throw the towel in
Hi D,I found that the first few weeks were the worst and then things did settle down a bit so hang on in there for a couple more weeks if you can see how things pan out .Maybe also be worth trying a different brand as mentioned below as they do seem to affect people differently .Teva brand has been generally kind to people and Mylan seemed to work for Ann.You can speak to pharmacist about this,I know have “Teva brand only” on my prescription now.Hope you feel better soon.
Diabbott and Jules wondering how you got on with your oncologists. I have been taking it for 6 weeks and at first was pleased no physical side effects like I had with ananstrozole but my mood has been low like in a fog, can’t concentrate and have no interest in anything. prior to taking it I was working, going to gym, enjoying have my daughters and partners round at weekends and walking. Not sleeping well and have a cracking headache.
This is weekend past was really bad so I stopped taking tamoxifen on Sunday morning, today I feel brighter and my sister said I she could hear I was brighter. I have done 2 loads of washing, got the ironing out, taking meat out to make dinner for tonight - I feel like a Duracell bunny.
i am on the Teva brand which is supposed to be kind. I am reluctant to take anti depressants and sleeping tablets, and Boots maybe out of paracetamol soon lol
Just two months on Tamoxifen and I don’t stop crying
Very low moods or anger very fast
I hate this .
Went doctors yesterday and they gonna see if anti depressant are they way forward as I lost my younger brother a couple of months ago so I one big mess at moment
When will the moods from tamoxifen stop or calm down xxx
Hi ,sorry you are feeling so low .Its very hard sometimes to tease out what is being caused by the meds and what is the fallout from all the stress of diagnosis and treatment .If you have had a bereavement you are dealing with allsorts of other emotional stuff too.No doubt in some people Tamoxifen can cause these symptoms too.
Sometimes they suggest a break from the meds for a few weeks to see if things settle down and then you know for sure what is causing the problem ,a few weeks break doesn’t make any difference to prognosis do don’t stress about that.Hope you feel better soon.Jill.
Hi Klwarner,
Jill is right. It’s not always easy to establish what might be causing a dip in mood when you have been through so much with diagnosis, treatment and, in your case, other upsetting circumstances too. Tamoxifen can be a factor but not necessarily. I think it’s worth taking everything you have gone through recently into account and talking to your GP. Nothing shameful in asking for help. I’ve coped pretty well with Tamoxifen but, after 13 months of increasing hot flushes, I gave in and went to see my GP as I’d heard that some mild antidepressants can help with those side effects. So glad I did as they have reduced considerably AND, an added bonus, is that I feel so much happier and more relaxed. I know that medication is not necessarily the answer but when you feel so low and have so many stressful things going on in your life it’s good to have something to possibly help you through until happier times return. And they will.
Look after yourself.
Ruth xx
Hi Ruth,how are you? What antidepressants have worked for you ,Consdering them myself -chocolate sprouts stopped working …
Thank you for your reply
I’m sure it’s everything on top of each other
My brother all the treatment
Chemo aug 2016 a mastectomy jan 2017
My brothers death march radio march to April now tamoxifen
Went to doctors two days ago and the talking about maybe giving me anti depressant but have not got back too me as yet
Even tho my back is in pain another side effect I’m going to try and jog a little today I’ve got to do something
So today I’m gonna be a little positive and try
It really helps to me on this to find woman and men going through the same and that we are not on our own 
Hi Jill,
I was prescribed Venlafaxine. I kind of suggested it myself to my GP after reading several people here say they had found it effective and she was very amenable to prescribing it. I can’t say that it’s completely killed the hot flushes but they are now far less frequent and when they do appear less intense than they used to be. The weird thing is that one of their possible side effect is … excessive sweating. I seem to get this about 45 minutes after I take it in the morning, usually when I’m at the same train station so there is a pattern. For about five minutes everything is a bit clammy, even my palms, but it soon passes and I’d take that any day over the hot flushes I was having until recently. It has definitely improved.
How are things with you?
Ruth xx