Many of you will have been instructed to take Tamoxifen for 5 years after having Breast Cancer, if your Breast Cancer was hormone receptive. I am now taking Tamoxifen 2 years. I really don’t like it, even though I know its something I have to do and its for the best, I just don’t like the idea of having to take a daily medication and the side effects. Also I am pretty lucky with regards side effects as I don’t really have many. Also its nice to have something that gives you a fighting chance of preventing a reoccurance.
When I first started taking it I was getting Tamoxifen from the pharmacy, but for over a year now I have been getting Nolvadex-D which is a generic form of the medication. I don’t know whether or not it is in my head but since I can only get Nolvadex-D I am finding it harder to control my weight. I am by no means overweight but I do know my own body and I have to work harder than ever before to keep it in shape. I also find if I do over eat or not train I bloat up quickly. My hair has also become quite thin which i am not happy about.
Thankfully I don’t suffer with hot flushes and my periods have not stopped which I am happy about. There is also a big concern about falling pregnant while taking Tamoxifen. I have been advised under no circumstances to fall pregnant while taking Tamoxifen. I haven’t spoken to or met anyone who has gotton pregnant while on Tamoxifen.
However the benefits of Tamoxifen outweigh the nasty side of it for me. At the beginning I found it difficult to adjust to it but after a few weeks I did settle into taking it. I think I was really concerned with the possible side effects and I was nearly manifesting some of them as I was so paranoid. I know some girls have a really hard time on it but these days I just try to take it and not give the negatives too much energy, however when the 5 years are up I will be very happy !!!! Please share any of your Tamoxifen stories x
I’m about to start in a couple of weeks+ really hoping I don’t have weight gain or hair loss. I lost a lot of hair through chemo (3 mth ago)+ I had a baby 7 mth ago, my hair is ridiculously thin now. Also I’m very pleased with my figure post pregnancy- I really don’t want to start gaining weight 🙁
I know one person who was on it+ the only side effect they had was anxiety/slight depression. I don’t fancy that either!
I am coming up to the 5 year mark and oncologist was recommending to stay taking it for 10! Was he having a laugh, I would rather do a years hard labour than stay on it! Hot flushes were so severe I now take medication for them. Weight is a constant battle, and some days I could commit murder with the mood swings. I know we are very privileged to be provided with such good treatments but for me at this point quality of life is more important.
Ive only been taking tamoxifen since august 2015 so far my side effects are fatigue aching legs and joints and irregular periods I cant cope with the tiredness and being back to fulltime work is no help im exhausted my periods are going from light to extremely heavy and its so annoying but hey im here to tell the tale and thats worth the side effects
Thank you for reading, sorry to hear you are experiencing such side effects hopefully as time passes they will settle down, I certainly have found as time passes things improve xxx