Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Roadrunner, I,ve been on Tamo for 2 months and had hotflushes from day 1 , I,m hoping that they subside with time. Like you mine vary, Last night I had about 10 through the night and feel really tired today. The night before I only had 2 or 3 and had a much better sleep. My Onc recommends Black Cohosh and says that they are completely harmless for all types of BC and def not oestrogenic. She said if they dont work there is a mild antidepressasnt that reduces hot flushes she didnt mention the name. Its terrible when you dont get your sleep, isnt it? love Andrea xx ... View more

Hi Andrea, Yes, I suffered blurred vision after being on Tamoxifen for 14 months. It got so bad, I mentioned it to the onc and he took me off it. Blurred vision is listed as one of the side affects with Tam. But you should report it as the problem could get worse. I have just read on another thread that a lady aged only 44 has been diagnosed with a cataract! And they say it was due to the Tam. Defo mention it when you see the onc and he will probably change you to something else, All the best Cynthia xx ... View more

I struggled with depression during my chemo and after treatment was finished. I soldiered on but found when i returned for work i was having the beginning of panic attacks and suffering anxiety as well as the depression. I realised i couldn't carry on with my job - primary school teacher- with the fear that i would suddenly scream at the children so went to the GP he prescribed Ciprolex which is for the anxiety more than the depression. I tried to come off after about 6 months but the symptoms started returning. I discussed it with a practise nurse and she said i should treat it as just another side effect of my treatment and continue the treatement if it helped. I now accept that i will take the tablets for as long as i need them. I think depression & anxiety are a common side effect for a lot of people. ... View more

Thanks Yvonne. I'm going to ring them tues for results. I know that I'm worrying unnecessarily about lump. But there definately feels like a lump there. I mentioned it to the doc and he felt it and the other arm,but said it could be muscle inflammation. He's probably right. The steriod injections have helped with the pain, but it still gives me gip at night. Hope everything ok with you, and that your still having good nights kips:-) Are you still having palpitations, or have they eased off now? It could have been the worry and stress that caused them, Cynthia xx ... View more

Have just looked up Pomelos. It looks very much like a grapefruit and is apparently an ancient ancestor of it. It is commonly called a Chinese grapefruit. I'm not sure about if there is any risks with eating it. But as it is closely linked with grapefruit, it might be best to err on the side of caution!! ... View more

and also please remember that i was told borderline stage 3, what that means i do not know, but that was by the surgeon, obviously my onc didn't agree with that Alisonxxxx ... View more

Hi again Yes I do have a niggle that the cancer might come back, but I've decided that I'll deal with that if and when. I'm not a very obedient patient. This is a horrible disease but I'm not going to let it, or its' treatment interfere with what life I have left. I'm a firm believer in quality rather than quantity. I've had a mastectomy with immediate TRAM recon and 8 FEC and am nearly at the end of my Herceptin. I did not feel too bad on the FEC and when the dexamethasone meant insomnia that was the first thing to reject. I also refused rads as I have asthma and did not want to compromise my lung function. The possibility of living with a permanent asthma attack was the main reason for refusing but it was just one of many - Hubby says I'm stroppy but that it's my body. The hormone treatment was horrendous so that went as well. Before I took my first pill I was concerned about one of the side effects being raised blood pressure and colestrol and the possibility of having a stroke. I'm already on medication for high blood pressure and strokes run in my family and I was only 9 when my father had his first one at the age of 43. Granted he made a full recovery with both that and the next one. However when he had his third one it put him in a wheelchair, unable to walk, feed himself or speak coherently. His brain was as active as ever but it just didn't connect to make his body function. The only word that he could say clearly was NO when we were trying to guess what he was saying. He died nearly 4 years later aged 58. To me there is something worse than the possibilty of the cancer coming back and that is living in need of an oxygen cylinder or being in a wheelchair and living my final years as my Dad did. At the moment my life is almost back to as normal as it can be. I have a lovely Grandson who is 3 and I have a wedding to look forward to as my son got engaged just before Christmas. Everyones' circumstances are different and it would be brilliant if treatment was side effect free, I would still be on Femara. Take care Marilyn x ... View more

Thanks for that Anny. TBH the severity of the headaches I get are more of a nuisance and controlled by on prescription Naramig. Over the years, I've only had 5 or 6 really severe attacks, the last one was 2006, which kept me to my bed for a week, the migraine tablets (Imigran) I was taking then, did naff all to help. I have searched the net to see if there is any contra-indications between Arimidex and Naramig but can't find any. Maybe it was just a one-off that I had the nausea this time and more disturbed vision than usual, there's so many bugs doing the rounds at the moment... it might have been one on them. I keep blaming everything on Arimidex! LOL ... View more

I really don't see what harm a natural substance such as flaxseed can do. It is full of Omega 3, which has many health benefits. This is an interesting link: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-3-000316.htm Mcgle ... View more

I have suffered what I would call mild palpitations...or a sort of double beat...I think I felt them before I was put on Tamoxifen, but it has certainly been more noticeable since starting Tamox in June 2007. The night sweats haven't been to bad and they do seem to occur early morning rather than in the middle of the night. I also cut the caffeine down to one cup of tea a day, after the first cup, I drink Decaf and I found that I feel much better for it. The only thing I do feel is tired, so 2008 is going to be my year of getting myself fit.....I hope. Like I said, I started Tamoxifen in June and whilst at first I felt absolutely awful, some days I could have crawled into a corner and stayed there, but since the beginning of September the side effects became much less and now I feel OK. Good Luck Yvonne and roll on 2012 when we finish this drug. Linda ... View more

Hi Tawny and Linda, I was on Tamoxifen for 17th months then changed to Aromasin. I have also noticed over the last few months how sparse my eyelashes have become. But I am making up for this by sprouting extra facial growth eg. chin! I will soon have to start shaving! I am also sporting a nice tash which I have to bleach on a regular basis. I have also suffered depression since being on the hormone medication. I am on mild anti depressants now which help quite a bit. But I have been having a few problems, such as family, work and personal stuff this year, which have really pulled me down, so i can't blame it all on the medication! Hope that you both soon feeling better. This b****y cancer has a lot to answer for! Cynthia xx ... View more

I intend to Cynthia, i am so looking forward to some quality time with my husband, he works so hard at the moment that we are like passing ships in the night, so i am going to be nice and cheerful (something that does not come as naturally as it once did) and just enjoy our being together, god knows when we'll get away again!!!!!!!! and thank you for your lovely words, i don't expect to see the last of the stiffness in my joints, but at least i'll only go through the menopause once, thats all i want for now. you take care, i'm about till about 9pm on wednesday, as we're getting the 4am ferry to dunkirk, so hope to talk to you before then. and don't work too hard, make time for yourself xxxxxxxxxx lots of love Alisonxxxxxxxx ... View more

Hi Grace, I did go along to the Docs last week and asked for antidepressants as I have been bogged down with so much c*** as well as the BC and hysterectomy, that I am finding it very hard to stay in a positive frame of mind. I am just going to take them for a short while to help me through things. The odd couple of glasses of vino certainly do help, but only temporarily! The anti depressants I am on are very good, They are mild ones. I took them a few years ago, when I was severely depressed, and they got me back on track. So if you're feeling low they might be worth considering in the short term. Hi Alison, did you recieve my private message ok? I sent it Sunday. I don't know if I done it right. I put your name in the box that says 'send a private message' Hope everything ok. Look forward to hearing from you Cynthia xxxxxxxx ... View more

Hi Debbie I will try this. I have just been changed to Aromasin (30 in a pack for these too) so I can't see the pharmacist being happy with all the odd tablets as this has to be ordered in as not something pharmacys usually stock. Good luck with getting 90 at a time!! Wendy ... View more

Hi Kelly, you are really lucky not to suffer any side affects. I didn't tolerate Tamoxifen very well so my Onc changed me to Aromasin, but I feel just the same, but with Aromasin I have also suffered bouts of nausea and gippy tummy which apparently is one of the many side affects. But I suppose its the price we have to pay to keep the dreaded cancer at bay! Cynthia xx ... View more

Hi Kelly It has taking me a year to stop being paranoid about my treatment compared to others and I think a lot is just a postcode matter. I am happy now that I have had all the treatment necessary and feel I can finally move on. I think most women are on Tamoxifen alone and are probably very well on it but I know how you feel. I have been reading alot of women on Tamoxifen for 10 years whereas I have been told 5 years so who knows??? Love Debbie ... View more