Chronic thrush on tamoxifen?

[Joolz123]

Oh forgot the ovestin moisturiser on prescription this has oestrogen in. 

vagisal you can buy over the chemist counter it has a numbing cream in worth £5, trust me.

[Joolz123]

Yes Me too 

it turned out it’s licen Planeis 

the doctor gave me hydromol cream to wash and use all the time and steroid based cream

I changed my loo roll to Andrew aloe vera

if I become ill it gets worse so I take a botica based hood multivitamin everyday, sometimes 2 if it’s really bad 

I go once a month for a zoldrex injection , this flares it up for a week or so After too

[DellyMel]

Hello,

I am so thankful for finding this forum, I no longer feel alone. I have been taking Tamoxifen for a year and for most of that time I did not have any problems in terms of thrush, but two months ago I developed horrendous thrush, the worst I have ever suffered and I could not think what had caused it as it will not go away. Having read the posts on this forum I feel better as I now know the cause. I have found that an Aloe Vera wash helps or just Aloe Vera gel which  I keep in the fridge, it's cooling effect helps the itch.

Hats off to everyone who has posted.

Thank you.

[Ginger 15]

I am having the same problems, I keep hoping my GP will eventually prescribe me with something that gives me some relief .

[DidntCthatcoming]

Hi, I’m new to this forum. Aged 49 and feeling perimenopausal,  I was reading all about the benefits of HRt But then was diagnosed Invasive BrCa in March.
I’m ER+ so can’t have HRT. However I have read that 70% of women can get Vaginal atrophy when oestrogen is low. Plus risk of UTIs. Have looked into this when starting Tamoxifen. My info comes from The menopause doctor ( Newson Clinic). Their advice is that topical vaginal oestrogen is safe in ER+ve women as only locally absorbed. Asked my GP and she was not keen but agreed to prescribe it. I’d do your own research. There’s resources on their website free to use. They also run teaching for GPs as there is little or no training in med school re menopause/ hormone deficiency in women. After all that is what Tamoxifen is doing to hormone receptive women.  
Best wishes, 

SAA

[ELC]

Hi. I’ve never joined a forum before but I feel I need to share. I too suffered with persistence thrush with tamoxifen. After years of suffering I saw a new female GP. I was diagnosed with atrophic vaginitis. It’s normally treated with oestrogen cream but obviously I couldn’t have that. She said it wasn’t the brand of tamoxifen more the drug it’s self. I also suffered with what seemed like little paper cuts. She prescribed me stuff to get rid off the thrush and also prescribed the canesten with hydrocortisone in. It’s the same as the normal tube buts it’s blue instead of red. She also prescribed replens. It’s an internal Pessary gel moisturiser you use every 3 days. It’s been 3 months now and 🤞I’ve not had any problems and haven’t needed to use the cream. Just using the replens. Only problems is after I’ve used the gel, there is quite a bit of discharge for a couple of hours. I don’t mind if that’s the only side effect after years if misery.

[REM]

Thank you fir sharing this. I have been on Tamoxifen for two months now . Wockhardt Brand is what I have Been prescribed. I go up and down with Vaginal itching But in particular get a lot of discharge which can often come out in small lumps when I wipe after a pee I am constantly wearing a cotton panty liner and have to change msg be 3 times a day. I also Often have to pee and it is not that comfortable , feels sometimes I have more but can’t pee . I am wondering if I am suffering from thrush . Your  suggestion on canisflor is a relief , I will try as I am getting pretty down with just feeling uncomfortable down there. Thanks again 

[whitelily]

Hi SusanLly 

Does your GP take swabs every time to confirm it is thrush? Or just go on your symptoms. Also as with me it turned out to be extreme vaginal dryness that was then causing the soreness and sometimes thrush. Have you tried Replens vaginal moisturiser or Sylk moisturiser? both of which you can get on prescription from your GP to address any dryness. If you haven't tried these I recommend you do as it may help a lot as it did me. Not sure how old you are but the treatment put me in early menopause which along with the tamoxifen can cause these symptoms and make worse x 

[SusanLly]

Hi,

I've been on Tamoxifen now for 7 years and, although I have sufffered with thrush every now and again over this time, I have been suffering with chronic thrush for the best part of the last 12 months.  I have seen my GP and have been prescibed fluconazole and creams and, although they helped initially, they don't seem to be having any effect at all now.  My GP has referred me to a gynacologist who I will see next month to see if there is anything else that can be done.  My breast cancer was oestrogen driven so I am uncertain of what else to try as I have always been told to avoid anything that has oestrogen in it.  I am at my wits end, it is really getting me down.

That said, it was such a relief to see that I am not on my own with this and a comfort in a way to know that there is hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully the gynacologist will have a few more ideas.

[Jade23x]

Hi all I'm unsure whether or not this thread is still going but I wanted to firstly say what a relief it is to read other people are going through similar side effects through taking tamoxifen. I am 24 years old and was diagnosed with a benign tumour aged 15. I have been on tamoxifen previously for 2 years I came off it as my tumour was stabilised but last year I unfortunately had to start taxing it again. I experienced barely any side effects previously but this time round I have been getting thrush every week, dryness and just general discomfort in that area. I have been to my gp on numerous occasions and have been prescribed fluconazole and thrush creams I get relief for about a week but intercourse is still excruciating. I am now being referred to see a gynaecologist and to have an internal pelvic ultrasound in the hopes they may be able to come up with something new to try and to rule out any other causes although I'm pretty sure it's tamoxifen causing all these symptoms as I've never had thrush before. I have also spoken to my consultant at UCL about the reacurring thrush and have had a letter to say that many women taking tamoxifen have experienced these side effects, she recommended to try estrogen cream to help with painful intercourse. I was a little worried about this at first but apparently the cream has a low dosage of Estrogen and so shouldn't affect the growth of the tumour. I have also tried other things such as probioitcs, vagisan moist cream, lubricants and vaginal moisturisers but none of these seemed to help. I'm really hoping I'll get some more answers as Myself and my partner of 3 years would love to start a family one day but I'm petrified that the symptoms I'm getting will rule this out.

[Kimmydoll21]

Hugs back sweets xxx

[Kimmydoll21]

Wow, I just burst into tears reading your posts because at last I found out what's wrong! & there's things to help. Thank you guys for sharing 🙂 I finished my treatment for breast cancer a month ago but have recurring thrush & it's really painful to have intercourse. I worried about telling the doc that I had thrush (which causes discharge) & dryness at the same time as I thought "who'd believe that?" Had problems explaining to my boyfriend as well. But now I know it's not just me is such a relief!!! Thank you, will be at my GP the moro & hopefully get sorted 🙂 People think that once your cancer treatment finishes that's the end & you're all better, but it's not!! There is still s**t you have to go through & deal with... I feel so much better reading your experiences & its really helped :)) stay strong ladies XXX

[K.Stevensen]

I'm so happy to read this helped you! I hoped someone might read it, thank you for letting me know, Im glad I wrote it all down! Big hug to you x

[holiday]

Can't thank you enough for posting this.  I was on the mylan brand with exactly the same side effects as yourself.  Was crippled with pain and constantly using canesten.  I asked my doctor if I could be out on the Wockhardt brand.  I have now been using this for 3 months and have no side effects whatsoever.  My doctor was not aware of the different makes and binders which were used.  Thanks again for posting this really was helpful for me xxx

[K.Stevensen]

Hi everyone, I am 42 and have been on Tamoxifen for 1.3 years. I have joined this website especially to pass on some information that has helped me hugely with having constant thrush, dryness and vaginal fissuses  (tiny paper cuts either side of labia) . When I started Tamoxifen I was on the brand that Boot's chemist stock most of the time made by Wockhardt. I had no side effects at all and felt absolutely fine for months. Over the past year I then had different brands from different chemists and suddenly the thrush began, then the cuts, then the dryness. It was agony and I was constantly taking thrush tablets, using vagisil to combat the dryness and basically couldnt have sex with my husband because I tore every time 😞 . Things reached the worst point when I started a new brand called Mylan and within two weeks I was in a terrible state. This was when I ended up buying pretty much every product Canesten sell for thrush treatment and when I discovered thier product 'Canesflor'. This is a probiotic that prevents recurring thrush and stabilises the natural moisture of the vagina. I also discovered that although all Tamoxifen is essentially the same from different brands, the binders they use in the tablets are different and can cause different effects for people. So I immediately requested a new prescription and went back to the original Wockhardt Tamoxifen, and started using the Canesflor tablets. It's now been 7 weeks and I am absolutely back to normal - no thrush, no cuts, no dryness and can even be sexually active without being terrifed I'll hurt myself. The relief is enormous, I thought I'd never be ok again. This may not work for everyone, but I hope this advice may help some of you xxxx 

[Toughieone]

Been on tamoxifen for 2 out of 10 years now and have constant vaginal thrush! I never had it before being on tamoxifen. I had cotrimazole pessary from gp which did little to help. It is obviously a side effect that is causing discomfort to many women!
I think tamoxifen has many side effects but for me I will put up with them if they keep the BC at bay. Good luck xx

[MTP]

Hi all, I have been on tamoxifen for a year now after a masectomy I am 64 years old and was never prone to thrush before starting on tamoxifen. I have had at least three bad episodes of thrush since being on it and the discomfort is pretty much constant. I have also just been diagnosed as borderline diabetes. This does not run in my family history so I really do think it is courtesy of the tamoxifen also. I read with interest the creams used as there is of course vaginal driness now I have very little estrogen. Will be contacting my doctor on this one. Also the use of probiotics. Thanks again for this tip. Will also try. Anything to break the cycle.

[DJ0322]

I'll be looking for your answer. The thrush and yeast infections are really aggravating!!😳

[whitelily]

Hi ladies just noticed this thread. I had the same problem but would say that it is the dryness caused by the lack of oestrogen because of the tamoxifen. I get Replens internal moisturiser and sylk both on repeat prescription from GP and these have helped a lot now I don't really have any problems when using  these regularly. Also try lactacyd feminine wash x

[LeslieM]

Hi ladies! Can I just say thank you first and foremost for sharing your experiences! Just started tamoxifen 2 months ago and long story short thanks to you guys I now know I'm not alone!! I will absolutely post on that website! Also reporting to FDA here in the USA. Looking forward to healing and walking the journey with you ladies.

[Make it Lady]

Could I ask all ladies that get persistent thrush as a result of taking tamoxifen to report it at this website.
Www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

[Make it Lady]

The moisture pessaries work but the acidity gave me a urine infection. Great! I've started the probiotics and will keep you posted.

[Make it Lady]

I have also found a probiotic for women's problems. They are Optibac for women and are on Amazon. The friendly bacteria have been chosen to reach the vagina and should help balance yeast. Research on probiotics to prevent breast cancer is in its early stages but there are indications that taking the for women probiotics can help as a preventative.

[Make it Lady]

Went into boots today and found Balance active menopause, moisture pessaries plus. It's a one a day treatment that balances the PH in the vagina and moisturises and heals as it contains Almond oil rich in Vit E. I shall try them and report back . I'm thinking that if I can balance the PH and stop the dryness, I'm less likely to get the thrush. I will report back.

[Make it Lady]

I have been researching hard on this and thrush is seldom listed as a side effect but virginal dryness and itchiness is as for the menopause. Your vagina is usually acidic but take the Oestrogen away and it becomes more alkaline. The PH inside your vagina becomes more favourable to yeast infections. 

You need to do all the obvious things like wearing cotton pants, don't wear tight trousers so much, change and shower straight after exercise and don't sit around in a wet swimming costume. 

Further reading led me to find that inserting a vitamin E capsule into the vagina and rubbing vitamin E oil on the external skin will help with the dryness and will moisturise for sex. Using it once a day or just before sex will help but is not recommended for use with condoms as it dissolves them.

Look on the Livestrong website for information.

[Make it Lady]

Try menopause.org.au and search for vaginal care after breast cancer. Useful downloadable leaflet

[dmhaynes71]

Before I had my IUD removed I was going to be taken off tamoxifen

[dmhaynes71]

Hi I eventually went to a sexual health clinic on the recommendation of a sexual health nurse friend of mine. The doctor I saw was brilliant and specialised in treating chronic conditions. I had been asking for a while if it could be due to IUD I had in but every time the answer was no. I ended up having an ultrasound scan of my abdomen and it showed the IUD had slipped and that was causing the pain. It was taken out and guess what my thrush stopped almost immediately!! I've had a bout since but it went quickly. I hope this helps xx

[Make it Lady]

My Doctor won't admit that this is a side effect of the Tamoxifen. They said persistent Thrush was a symptom of diabetes. I was sent for a fasting blood test but had no diabetes.
I have just been prescribed internal cream to be inserted once a week. The cream is more gentle for continued use and lasts for two weeks before the thrush returns. It is canesten and can be bought over the counter.
My breast care team think it may be lack of Oestrogen that is causing dryness and the dryness is allowing the thrush to keep taking hold. Probiotics haven't worked so far but I have not tried internal probiotics.

[Samcar]

Hi, just got back from the hospital, I have had an ultrasound and biopsy to check for womb cancer.  They seem confident that I am fine so the biopsy is just routine. There was a slight thickening of my womb, which they think is caused by the Tamoxifen but nothing to worry about.  I mentioned my bouts of thrush and asked if it was because of the Tamoxifen and the Drs said they don't think that Tamoxifen causes thrush as a side effect!  So back to square one on the that.  Funny how thrush has got much worse on Tamoxifen!!!  Anyhow, will get my results in 2-3 weeks.  I'm sure all is fine. xx

[Samcar]

Hi everyone, I'm exactly the same and experiencing bouts of thrush on Tamoxifen.  My stomach has defo increased in size too.  I am not sure if I have gone through the menopause or not, as I didn't have a period for over 12 months, they stopped during chemotherapy, but I have recently had a bleed and the GP told me my cervix is slightly 'inflamed'.  I have a hospital appointment tomorrow to see a Gynaecologist just to ensure everything is ok.  I have googled my symptoms until I am blue in the face!!!  I know, don't google but I have too much time on my hands at the moment and cannot resist!  Ladies you are not on your own, I will ask tomorrow about the thrush and get back to you. xx

[Wendyy]

Hi 

only just seen this post and I can empathise completely with expanding waist line and thrush but sadly that's all I can do as I've not found any solutions. 3x flucanozole on consecutive days gave me relief for about a week but it soon returned. I'm a year on from dx and was expecting to be putting this all behind me by now.  Not a lot of ideas sorry but it sometimes helps to know it's not only you. I would be interested to know if the probiotics help. 

Wendy x

[dmhaynes71]

I've been on Tamoxifen since January and like many others on here I am also suffering from the belly increase - it's so nice to hear that it is not just me! What I have been suffering from as well is chronic thrush which started about a month after starting the Tamoxifen. The GP is at a loss on how to treat it as we have tried the fluconazole etc and I am just about to commence another pessary instead. Has anyone else had the same problem taking Tamoxifen? If so any recommendations on what to do? I am going to take some probiotics to see if that helps. It is getting me down, this combined with the weight gain and just the feeling that everything is not working quite right. This getting over treatment is much harder than going through the treatment itself.