Times to take Tamoxifen

Going through breast cancer treatment Targeted therapies
1

I will be starting Tamoxifen 20mg daily for the next 5-10 years, in the next few weeks.
Hopefully I won’t have too much bad side effects.
I wondered if anyone can advise if they think the best time to take these are in the morning or at night?
What are peoples experiences with them?
Thank you for any advice.

2

I was advised by a friend to take it in the late evening with a plain biscuit (such as a Rich Tea). She swears blind that by taking it in the evening the worst of the side effects hit whilst you are asleep and the biscuit helps to stop nausea / heartburn. I have absolutely no idea if any of it is true but I’m taking this approach and I haven’t had any dramatic side effects (yet!). The official advice from oncology was that it doesn’t matter when you take it so long as it is the same time each day. I hope it goes ok for you x

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3

I was also advised to take mine in the evening so the initial side effects would be worse whilst I sleep. I also found it easier to remember last thing at night.

4

I take mine at 10pm as a friend recommended to do then. I get a little bit hot sometimes and need the loo a bit more but it has been pretty ok and better than I feared. I have been taking for just over 3 months now x

5

When I first started taking it I took it during the day but I found my anxiety levels and aches and pains to be quite bad (as well as the hot flushes), my oncology nurse suggested me taking it literally just before I go to bed so that’s what I do now and have been for about a year. It’s definitely easier. I do wake up in the night slightly restless and hot but after a while I cool and calm down and then manage to go back to sleep.
Good luck with taking it. I did find that I had all the side effects at first but after time I have found it easier, it’s true (for me) that the side effects do wear off and you get used to taking it.

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6

Hi I have been on Tamoxofen since mid December now and take it every morning just before breakfast. I had a few hot flushes at first but now hardly any side effects now! All the best xx