Hi
I have just finished rads and today i collected my prescription for tamoxifen. I have just read up on all the side affects and i am interested to hear if any of you have experienced any of them. I dont like the sound of them. I haven’t taken any yet i just wanted to talk to someone first as i dont think it has been explained properly to me any advise would be appreciated, thankyou
Kaz xx
hi kazza,just to say every one is diffrent.ive been on them9months nearly and im struggling. hot flushes aches and pains in feet and joints menopausel bad moods weight gain. but u might be totaly diffrent love. on the other side if it stops reacurrence then it will be worth it also i dont sleep.
Thankyou Sharon43 for your comment I guess i will just have to go with it!!! I hope you dont suffer for too much longer 
hey kazza,
been on them now 3 months,
dont sleep well, and end up napping in day, flushes mainly of a night, did have joint pain but thats stopped.
its naff and i really didnt want to take it for 5 years. but if it helps my army fight it if it trys to return im up for it.
xxxx
kaz
I’ve been on Tamoxifen since the middle of February and haven’t had any problems really. I get the hot sweats at night and have taken to keeping the over-head fan on (much to Hubby’s discomfort)but I can still get a decent nights sleep most night.
I put on the weight during Chemo and although I lost some afterwards I think the Tamoxifen is not helping to shift the rest.
I suffered really aching bones to begin with but started a daily Cod Liver Oil capsules and I’m sure it helps as I’ve been fine for weeks now.
Karen
I’ve been on Tamoxifen since the start of April. Like Karen I get hot sweats at night, but not sure if that is because of the tablets or the fact that the chemo put me through the menopause.
I have also put on weight and just started a diet this week to try and shift it (yuk!!!).
Also got the joint pains, but that seems to have settled down a bit. My consultant told me that they age people by 10 years,oh the joys of this cancer treatment!
Julie
x
Hey ladies thanks for your replies i am getting the hot sweats both day and night anyway now as since chemo 5 my periods stopped! so not to bothered about them although they are not nice!! I like the idea of an over head fan Karen but like yourself not sure if hubby would like it too much… Oh well he could always go in the spare room!! Hehe.
Tablets are still sitting on the side at the mo as i have not started them yet i did ring my bc nurse yesterday but she was unavailable and she is going to ring me on Monday.
I know that all tablets have se’s with them but i was just shocked to read these ones but hey i dont want it to return so i guess these se’s are nothing compared to it returning.
Hope you are all well
Thanks again
Kaz
Hi Kaz,
If any of us took too much notice of the side effects we wouldn’t have had chemo. Don’t worry too much, it is the easiest part of the treatment, you are through the worst!!
Have a good weekend
Julie
Hi Kaz,
I got my tablets yesterday and worried a bit when I read the side effects! I have just taken my 1st one tonight,so I will let you know how I’m getting on with them!
Helen
Have had mine for the past three weeks and can’t remember whether to start 3 weeks after chemo (today) or 4 weeks. Took tablets out tonight toying with the idea of taking now and promptly put them back. Just thinking if I do get SE’s, I want another week where I feel relatively human. Bit daft given that I will potentially be on them for next 5 years!!
Hi Browneyes,
Thats just how I was feeling tonight! I finished my chemo 20th May and am now feeling ok and human again!(after 6mnths of feeling crap) I’m just hoping I don’t get too many SE’s,I’m also starting Herceptin next month and I’m worrying about that aswell!
Helen
HI
I was put on Tamoxifen six weeks ago to try to reduce the size of my tumour before having an MX. They didn’t have much of an effect - did reduce the tumours a bit, although I’ve read other people’s posts that said they did - so it really varies. But I haven’t had any side effects at all really. I felt a bit sick for the first few days - not sure if that was their fault. But after that felt completely fine. Had one period as was due, the week of starting to take them, but then nothing afterwards. So reactions seem very mixed - but if it stops the growth…
Good luck with everything
xx
I had 5 years of Tamoxifen and whilst I put on about a stone in weight no other problems, everyone is different.
Now on Femara, not doing too well,aches and pains and a really dry mouth which has plagued me the 18 months of the 2 years that I have been on it. The upside is that the weight I put on whilst on Tamoxifen has gone.
Hazel
Hi
Well after having a long chat with my bc nurse i have started taking the tamoxifen so i will just hope and pray i dont get too many side affects. Like everyone else on here i just want to get back to some kind of normality now. Lets just hope that the next six months is nothing like the last!!!
Good luck to you all and thanks for your replies
Kaz x
1 Like
I have been taking Tamoxifen for a week now and besides headaches and feeling a bit sick, I have a horrid discharge!!! I rand the BC nurse who said it is common and if it doesn’t clear up after "A few weeks"then to ring again!!! Yuck.
I go for mapping for my radiotherapy on Monday.
Good luck to everyone and try to keep smiling I find it difficult some days but keep on going!!!
Maureen
Oh poor you the discharge doesn’t sound nice, hope it clears up soon. I am on day 3 of taking it now and have had a bad headache all bloody day!!! I hope this is not the start of things… 
Kaz x
Hi Kaz - have just skimmed through this thread. I have been taking Tamoxifen for about 15 months and deliberately didn’t read the side effects leaflet because I felt that I would end up with them ALL! Do have aches and pains in knees and feet which are not listed as a SE!!
Night sweats also started during chemo and were bad for about a year BUT once I reduced the amount of bedding(dumped the duvet) they have all but disappeared. I do sleep in the spare room I must admit because we both need our sleep and also use a Chillow which I would not be without. No flushes during day but find my body thermostat is a bit dodgy now. Only read the SE leaflet when something comes up and I can’t explain it. I have managed to lose 21 lbs with WW while taking it so the weight does not always have to be a problem.I think it is just a case of taking it and seeing what happens. However I think that I will be changed to another drug after 2 years (need to be 2 years without a period before considered post menopausal even though I am 58) Good luck ladies. Marli x
hi all
been taking tamoxifen since april and have put on weight -however eating comfort food and not exercising like I suppose I should so that could explain it also.having flushes at night and low mood at present .However if it saves me going through all this again I am happy -feels like my crutch at the moment
I feel really upset today because I booked to get my teeth whitened by lazer and they rang me today to say that as I was taking tamoxifen I had to be three years clear [which means I have to be 8 years to wait]. I have rang the helpline and noone has heard of a reason that this cant be done- I feel frustrated and very upset and cant stop crying as I feel I cant even have my teeth done without a big fuss…any one know any thing about this ???
Oh poor you such a shame about your teeth!! Have you asked your dentist why it cant be done because i cant see how this can affect the tamox??? Its seems rather bizarre to me!!!
Kaz xx
hi kazza
feel like i overreacted yesterday when others have bigger worries.Think I am fed up generally at the lack of control in my life- everything is about cancer and nothing simple .
I am waiting for my oncologist to get back to me via breast nurses.
will let everyone know what the take on this after that
thanks for replying
xxx