Tamoxifen and side effects. Different brands.....??

[nickif]

I work near a boots and asked them if they could get teva in for me... the answer is no 😞 So I do go Lloyds pharmacy and they get it in for me. I went through nearly every brand and teva seems to be the best, not brilliant, but better than the rest. 

[lorac170]

Would love to know what Wil!iam101 thinks about buying Novaldex online. What are his thoughts re this? X

[Bondgirl]

Oopppps sorry just saw it was Carol who sent the link - thanks Carol xx

[Bondgirl]

Hi William, I am post menopausal, but as I cldnt tolerate the ananzstrozole oncologist wanted me to try tamoxifen. I struggled with this too. My oncologist wrote to gp and said I should be prescribed Nolvadex tamoxifen but gp said not manufactured and gave me teva, struggled on this too. When I saw oncologist last week he said mol added is def still available so I go to see my gp (new lady) this Thursday and will def show her the link Foxyferret has sent.  

I am 2 years 4 months from first surgery and am NED but worry I am tempting fate by not taking the tamoxifen. Will see what gp says and may consider buying the nolvadex on line for myself to see if it makes a difference.

thanks Foxyferret for the link

[lorac170]

Hi there,

Not sure if you're interested but apparently you can buy Nolvadex online. It's about 38/39 pounds for 3 month supply. Might be worth it for quality of life and peace of mind.

http://www.onlinepharmashop.com/Nolvadex

Good luck & best wishes

Carol x

[william101]

It should still be manufactured by AstraZeneca UK Ltd, but not sure. Give them a call on 08007830033 or e-mail medical.information@astrazeneca.com. You might only be able to get it on a private prescription, but again I'm not 100% sure.

[william101]

If you're having trouble with teva, a lot of people find that relonchem is a good alternative, unfortunatly it is out of stock but should be back by mid October.

Arimidex is usually indicated for treatment of hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer but can be used in early invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It can also be used in postmenopausal early invasive breast cancer who have had 2-3 years of tamoxifen treatment, maybe why your GP refused to prescribe it for you. Most people find that Wockhart is the worst of the brands and few get along well with it. Your pharmacy can order any brand of tamoxifen from a generic Prescription, but if the prescription states a brand, they can only give you that brand. Ask your GP or ONC to prescribe generic and hopefully the relonchem will work out better for you.Good Luck.

May I ask if you are premenopausal as Anastrazole should not be used in premenopausal women without a biochemichally defined lutenising hormone or follicle stimulating hormone level if there is any menopausal doubt, maybe that's why you didn't get on with it. It can also diminish bone density and added risk of fractures.

[Bondgirl]

Going to throw another brand in to see what the fantastic William101 can advise!!! 😀😀😀

I finished treatment Dec 14 and my onc wanted me to start ananstrozole in Jan 15 managed 15 days with horrendous side effects. He said I could try Arimadex but my gp refused to prescribe it. onc tried for 12 months to get me to try Tamoxifen but was too scared to until my surgeon said please give it a go, my onc said he wanted me to use Nolvadex due to severe side effects of the ananstrozole - my gp said Nolvadex no longer make it. So I went on the generic Teva brand

i tried for 6 weeks and suffered badly so stopped. 

Can the wonderful William tell us if this is true.

you may regret the day you posted on here William as we ladies have lots of questions re our hormone therapy prescriptions

THANK YOU FOR BEING SO OPEN 😄

[william101]

The cost of the brand makes no difference to the pharmacy, if they endorse the RX with the brand given the NHS pays for it anyway, and you're right about the cost less than £2 per pack!! Independent Pharmacies will try and rip you off at every opportunity.

[rubycat]

Just wanted to add my praise of Boots - they bothered to take note of my docs request for the Accord brand when the doctor's pharmacy refused to order it as they said it was too expensive - just seen somewhere that it costs less than £2!!  Arrrgh. Big thank you Boots.

[william101]

Check with the BNF (British National Formulary) you can find it online, gives all herbal and medicinal interactions.

[william101]

To be honest some are brilliant, some don't really care and if you get a locum you might as well talk to the wall. Most of us try to do our best under pressure, but certain drugs and conditions you have to take the time to deal with it as best you can. And you get people complaining because they've got conjunctivitis!

[william101]

And i work in Canary Wharf, we do over 1800 prescriptions a week and we can still find the time to find patients their preferred brand, not every manufacturer uses the same excipients which can have a big affect on patients reactions, it's not just about the "active drug"

[Jill1998]

I guess some people are more prepared to put themselves out than others !I have been very grateful for my Boots pharmacist .

[william101]

And if thety know you have problems and have a supply problem they can phone other boots and try to see if anyone has any spare. Some of the things I've read on here today are just shocking

[Jill1998]

It really helps a lot when the pharmacy are understanding ,enough to deal with without battling over the brand of drugs .

[william101]

Pharmacy technician

[Jill1998]

Yes Boots pharmacist has been very helpful with me and has got me Tera brand each time after I talked to him about the impact of different brands ,when he struggled to get iTeva he phoned me to explain and managed to a small supply til he could get more .R u a pharmacist William101?

[william101]

I work for Boots. All they have to do is pick up the phone to their supplier Unichem and ask for Teva brand, even on a generic prescription as long as its endorsed with the brand given and the NHS pays for the cost of the drug and the dispensing fee, they are just being lazy. Next time you go in tell them to phone unichem in front of you, if they phone before 11am it will be with them in the afternoon delivery. It's shocking they've not offered to do this for you. I have a shelf full of Teva in my dispensary. Some meds do go mcs (Manufacturer cannot supply) from time to time but never for very long.

[william101]

Go to your Boots pharmacy and tell them you are having trouble with WH, many people do. All they have to do is phone their supplier (Unichem) and order teva or relochem, if they say they can't then complain to the store manager and just say the magic phrase "GPHC" and you will get the brand you want (if it's in stock at suppliers, some meds do go out of production from time to time) Even on a generic prescription all the pharmacy have to do is endorse it with the brand given. I'm a Pharmacy Tech for Boots and i do it all the time, it costs us nothing apart from a 2 min phone call. They are just being lazy and extremly unprofessional.

[william101]

Not many people get on with WH, ask your GP to specify Teva on the RX, but a good pharmacy will order your preferred brand if you are having problems with one or another, it is a simple matter of endorsing the RX with the brand given. I do it every day, day in day out. It's no extra work or cost to the pharmacy as NHS pay for the cost of the drug anyway. All the pharmacy have to do is phone their supplier and request a specific brand. If it's ordered on the electonic order pad then the supplier will send you anything they have to hand, but call them and they'll send what you ask for. Explain this to your pharmacy next time you go in, but they should already know this.

[william101]

Boots favored brand is Teva, but they can order any brand from their suppliers (Unichem) if it is available, some meds do go out of production from time to time but not usually for long.

[william101]

Teva brand is Boots preferred brand. GP can specify brand but many don't or won't. It doesn't matter, all the pharmacy have to do is endorse the prescription with the brand given, they can order any brand from their suppliers, although "Specials" can take up to 5 working days to arrive.

[william101]

Yes if the GP prescribes generic tamoxifen then the pharmacy will give you what they have. But a good pharmacy will order your preferred brand for you if you explain you don't get along with teva or wockhart ect.
I have a patient who can only take relonchem and i order it for her even from a generic RX, as long as the precription is endorsed with the brand it makes no difference, they just can't be bothered.

[Jobey68]

I've had WH consistently for the past few months and they are definitely the least agreeable, nothing major but odd days of feeling sickly and having palpitations, today I've picked up my repeat prescription and these are of no specific brand from what I can see, just says Genesis Pharmacy on the side so god knows what they will do! 

[Jill1998]

If that's true it's not good at all.I have had no trouble getting Teva brand ordered by local
Boots so far,they put on my repeat prescription "Teva brand only ".Someone said you can ask G.P to specify brand on prescription too.

[Suz1]

Hi,

I am having a skin rash on WH , have been told to try Teva Brand but although it's listed no one even a large  Boots only stock WH .  Has WH paid a back  hander to the suppliers so that they only stock this brand or is this so cheap that margins are better alround for using it. I think that its a disgrace that we are made have only one choice. I now don't know what to do except go back onto WH and watch out for the skin rash does anyone have any ideas where you might get another brand in the UK????? 

[Laineybo]

Hi Jules19

Sorry  but can't  recommend  re lack  of sleep as I  had disturbed nights on tam and also now with anastrozole -think it's  par for the course with all hormone  therapies.But can say that as much exercise as you can cope  with and things like blackout curtains and going to bed same time every night does help.Also try not to have caffeine after lunch time although  as a coffee  and tea addict I  find that hard!

Hugs and best wishes x

[jules19]

Hi I've tried 3 different brands, WH, Teva & Relonchem, the anxiety is definitely worse on WH. Teva and Mylan are supposed to be the best so maybe ask your chemist if they can get these in for you. Good luck

[jules19]

Hi Laineybo

Thanks for letting me know, I have stopped the sage, do you know of anything that helps with the sleep. Have changed brand again as hated the wind caused by Teva. Jules

[Jill1998]

Hi Q,I haven't myself but I have read posts from others on the Forum who have had relief from anxiety from changing brands,definitely worth a try ,what brand are you on ,some seem a lot worse than others.

[Questioning]

Please can anyone who has changed tomoxifen brand due to acute anxiety please can you let me know if your anxiety symptoms decreased and what brand you used. I am really suffering with this thank you 

[Laineybo]

Hi Jules19

There are quite a few authorities - have a look online or check with the BCN-THAT indicate there may be an interaction between tamoxifen and sage which makes the drug less effective.Sorry if I have  worried you but I

feel it is worth pointing out.Same applies to grapefruit

[jules19]

A friend advised me that Tamoxifen comes in various brands something I was unaware of and the doctors don't tell you this either.  I was having problems sleeping and the notorious hot flushes at all hours of the night and day, the only positive was weight loss not gain. Having changed to Teva I am now sleeping through the night and the hot flushes have disappeared. Slight weight gain is a bonus considering the other 2 are not longer happening. I also take Sage supplement from Holland and Barrett as this is supposed to help with the sleeping pattern. 

[Kiki-Boo]

Hello,

I have been adviced by my McMillan nurse to go onto Nolvadex (Tamoxifen).

But none of my local chemists stock it.

Can anyone help?

Is it still being made?

Thanks,

Kate

[Jayne_m]

I have been having acupuncture for the dreaded hot flushes and it seemed to be working but two days on Wockhart instead of Generics and they are back - could it be the brand change or just bad luck?

[DaisyGirl]

[color=#faa0e0]Thanks for that Cheshire! I'm taking the Relon brand at the moment which is better than WH but my legs really ache. When I mentioned the aching joints etc to the Specialist her response was that it was unlikely to be Tam as "that is not a known side effect", I think we would beg to differ! Need a new prescription so will see if the Pharmacist can source the 10gm Teva for me.
[color=#faa0e0]For those who are interested, I recently read and article about Jennifer Saunders which mentioned low serotonin levels and so I did some research and found some that suggests that Tam can affect serotonin levels, one of the symptoms is depression. If you want to know more google serotonin deficiency, there are lots of foods you can eat to boost it, I have found it has made a big difference to my moods which were affected by the Relon in the beginning.
Daisygirl xx

[hazelmary]

Hello
I compared all the ingredients in about 5 different brands, this was for Letrozole, and the difference seemed to be in the coating, something the first drug company who made Letrozole, Femara didn't include. My Onc told me that he was having problems with some GPs who insisted that the cheaper version was prescribed, my Onc said that if the cheaper version had a significant effect on the quality of life of the patient whilst taking it with the side effects then Femara should be prescribed.
I have problems with Letrozole but I have found that Teva is okay and I am happy to stay on it for the final year of hormone treatment.
Hazel

[nicky08]

Hi
Although I'm not on Tamoxifen I was on Arimidex up until recently and the same issue came up about different brands and how the side effects are worse with some. We had a very long thread about this some time ago and many ladies pointed out that the active ingredient is the same, so why should the tablets cause different problems. However a good analogy would be the Technical Challenge on The Great British Bakeoff: same ingredients, same outline method, 10 different results! That wasn't just my words a friends oncologist explained it that way to her.
Nivky

[CheshireCheese]

Only just seen this, hence the late response!
Like a number of other women out there I didn't get on with Wockhardt Tamoxifen and found APS much better.
For info for all you APS fans out there, Teva branded and APS branded Tamoxifen are the same. Teva took over APS several years ago but continued to produce Tamoxifen under the APS brand. More recently (last year?) they started to produce it as Teva. With much research and a helpful pharmacist I found that the ingredients, including the non-active ones, are exactly the same in both brands, and I find it makes no difference to me which of those two brands I take.
However, for some reason it has been difficult, if not impossible to get hold of either brand in the 20mg size tablets for the last few months. It might be worth asking for 2 lots of 10mg tablets instead, my helpful pharmacist has been managing to get those for me although she still can't get the 20mg ones.

[Guest user]

Hi All
I have been on tamox for 4 years with very few SE's up until 2 months ago. The pharmacy suddenly changed the brand from APS to Relon and since then I have suffered severe joint pain and headaches, itchey scalp, night sweats and have been very emotional. At first I thought the onset of these symptoms meant the cancer was back but it suddenly dawned on me that it's the brand change. After reading this post I will be visiting the pharmacy tomorrow to ask for a return to APS!
Kirsten x

[JCJ]

That's good news FF. I can recommend swimming to aleviate itching - especially upside-down! Whoops! wrong thread! 🙂

[foxyferret]

Quick update...been to talk to my lovely pharmacist today. Teva is still unavailable but he had some Relon in stock so gave me those instead of the Wockhart.
Phew, I'm so relieved. It will be back to the itches but that's better than this awful pain and I shall try anti-histamines.

[JCJ]

I found that certain things: raw onions and raw peppers especially, cause me more windy problems, so I avoid them now. It's a shame because I love a bit of pepper in a salad, but it's just not worth the discomfort!!

I can recommend Rennies, but they don't help everyone.

[foxyferret]

JCJ - meant to say that I thought your idea of taking the tablet with Rennies as a chaser was brilliant. Will be trying that.

[foxyferret]

Thank you very much for your replies ladies.
I have stocked up today with every remedy, both natural and chemical, known to man!! Once fully recovered I shall be taking steps to prevent it occurring again, rather than trying to cure it.Today I've had to resort to painkillers and so feel ok at the moment.
Patchit, I agree that stopping and starting Tamoxifen is not good but had to find out if it was the tablets and not something in my diet. I will persevere with it, I've got to take it.

I will also visit Drs. and start being more assertive in trying to get Teva. Failing that Relon - I'd rather itch than have this pain.

P.S. Peppermint and Fennel tea tastes disgusting!!!!

[Everton_babe]

Hi

Wockhart - no likey! Had them at the beginning and felt awful so got onto APS which were great. Unfortunately they are no longer available so about to start TEVA.
I foung with my my independant chemist and Boots were very accomodating and always got APS for me. Hope you get settled ok

Cathie x

[Patchit]

Hi Foxyferret
I always haev the Wockhart brand which seems to suit me really well (so far anyway!). I'm sorry you have had to change brands, especially as the Teva suited you better. Have Teva stopped making them or is it that your pharmacist couldnt get hold of them that particular month? Might be worth checking out?
I'm not sure that its a good idea to stop and start taking the Tamoxifen. That would worry me more than coping with the side effects, so it might be worth persevering with other brands until you find one which suits you better?
Hope you get sorted out soon
Best wishes
Joan xx