Next month will mark the 10th anniversary of being diagnosed with a oestrogen receptive DCIS Breast cancer. I’ve been taking tamoxifen ever since but this will come to end soon.
Am I likely to experience any withdrawal symptoms or any other changes?
I was already post menopausal when I started taking the medication 10 years ago.
I was on Letrazol and then tamoxifen for ten years in total also and have had no withdrawal symptoms at all. I stopped taking them last October. I know not everyone is the same, and I didn’t really get any side effects while taking the drugs except hot flushes. I wS also post menopausal when I started the drugs. Hope that helps.
That’s really helpful, thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hi chillichips,
Thanks for posting.
It’s understandable that you have questions about stopping your treatment with tamoxifen. It sounds as though you have already been advised to do this and there is no need to stop taking it gradually.
If you have experienced any side effects from tamoxifen you may, in time, notice an improvement in how you feel. You don’t say how old you are now but as you were already post menopausal when you started taking it your periods are unlikely to return. If you experience any unusual vaginal bleeding speak to your GP or treatment team. Although everyone is different, as @lizaki says, most people don’t experience any withdrawal symptoms from stopping tamoxifen.
Some people worry about stopping hormone therapy, but it will continue to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back for many years after you finish your treatment. This is known as the carryover effect and may last for 5 years or longer.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.
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