I don’t know if anybody has the same as me. I take Tamoxifen and get occasional hot flushes. They are not too bothersome but when the hot flush comes, I get very itchy across the top of my back. It usually only lasts for a couple of minutes as the hot flush comes over me. When I cool down again, the itching stops. It is around the area of the shoulder blades so in a place that is difficult to reach to scratch myself. I usually have to ask my husband or whoever I am with to scratch my back 'cause can’t reach the itchy part myself. I don’t know if this is caused by the Tamoxifen. My friend said she gets very itchy since she has started her menopause. I am 53 so it could be hormonal. Would like to know if anybody else has this problem.
Sandra, thats really weird. I have an itchy top half of back for about a month. I started Femara a month before this. Had a rash but seem to have cleared up now. But this itchy back thing is weird. i go around rubbing my back on the door frames and when hubby is here i get him to do it about twice a day for me.
I have been on Arimidex for about 2 years and have an itchy top of the back ever since I started taking it, literally in the 4 -6 inches below my neck and between my shoulder blades. The area gets little raised areas like small spots or bite occasionally, and I don’t know that’s happened until I scratch it and find I’ve just taken the tops off. It takes ages to heal when that happens, and seems to be itchier when I have the small sores.
I have been on Arimidex for 3 months and have gone mad scratching for the past week. Can’t say it’s just my back because it isn’t - it’s everywhere. Tried not using body lotion in case that’s got something to do with it but I don’t hold out much hope. It wasn’t funny walking to work the other day stratching my head like I’d got nits!!
Seeing my Oncologist on the 31st so I’ll mention it to him. He’ll probably nod sagely and tell me it’s the tablets!!!
Hi sandra,
I have been on tamoxifen for 3 years now and have had an itchy back for about a year, i never put it down to tamoxifen, but it is getting worse. I itch at night and in the morning have blood on my sheets were i have scatched my skin. might ask my onc about it next time i see him.(something else to add to the list)!!
marg
It’s reassuring to know that it’s not just me that suffers with this problem. I will also mention to Oncologist at my next appointment in November. The hot flushes don’t bother me as much as the itching that accompanies it!
I have been having trouble with an itch between my shoulder blades for quite a few months and before I started Tamoxifen. I put it down to a hormone problem as it seemed to occur midway between a period or when I had my period. It was quite bad and I used to wake up with blood on the sheets, went to see the Doctor and she put it down to the washing powder/conditioner I was using and advised me to stop using the conditioner. Since chemo I no longer have a period and the back has been okay but I started the Tamoxifen three days ago and my back is quite bad again - nothing worse than lying in bed and trying to reach the area which is itchy. I wouldn’t have thought that just three days on Tamoxifen would start my back off again!!