Side effects of Tamoxifen

After Radiotherapy treatment I have been taking Tamoxifen for l8 months and i have put on loads of weight, the sweats are awful but I am sleeping better now, before i could'nt sleep and felt anxious, i get a numbness in the side of my hand but very painful feet that effect my walking at times. My oncologist prescribed me Ventoflaxin antidepressants solely for the sweats as they make me feel very uncomfortable but i found they helped me sleep at night and help the sweats a little, i would like some advice about my feet, hope this has helped you Hevver good luck. Maria

Hi Maria

My GP said he could prescribe an anti-depressant for the sweats, but I am so reluctant to go down that route. It's such a nuisance isn't it?

I put on loads of weight with chemo and am now battling to get rid of it, I've completely changed my diet and have just joined a gym so hopefully I will start to see the benefit soon.

How strange that it affects your feet too? I hobble like an old woman when I get out of bed in the mornings!

Hi Hevver

I don't blame you for being reluctant about taking anti-depressants,I was, i'm still not sure, i think they put on weight too.

I did'nt have to have chemo, just radiotherapy treatment which was'nt too bad, I know putting on weight seems to be a small price to pay, but when your clothes don't fit anymore its so frustrating, not use to having to watch my weight.I'm on the cambridge diet at the moment,I'v lost abit of weight.

I was pleased to find someone else with painful feet, it confirmed the Tamoxifen, sorry dont wish it on u or anyone, Yes the mornings are the worse and when you sit down and get up, I'm going to tell my specialist next month when i go for my check.

Good luck with the gym and take care.

hi all, i developed sore knee joints and had terrible morning sickness like symptoms for 50 days on tamoxifen, and the dreadful sweats and flushes, then i went onto zoladex, still got the hot sweats, more stiff joints but no sickness, then after getting rid of the ovaries and the rest of that tackle i am now on arimidex, the hot sweats and hot flushes are a little better as i take a drug called clonidine but the joints are awful! i too tried anti-depressents and ended up with even more side effects! so now i just try to get sleeping pills off the gp, i take one every other night and that gets me off to sleep but the sweats can overcome any sleeping tablet! the other night when i don't have sleeping pills i just lie there and sweat and doze and hope the night goes quickly. i am hoping that with time the side effects will lesson, not sure if its the menopause proper for the sweats, but i expected to the joint pain to increase with arimidex and it has! keep posting on the subject as new people may have some good hints and tips
Alisonxxx

I've been taking Tamoxifen since May 04., for me the side effects seem to of subsided for the past few months, the hot flushes were worst for the first 12mths then they started to come and go as did the night sweats....unfortunately the weight gain has stayed though.
I found accupuncture a great help. I would check any medication from health shops/complimentary therapies with BCN or onc., before taking them

karen

Hi
I've been taking tamoxifen for a few weeks now and got the hot flushes at night! My breast cancer nurse suggested trying the chillow pillow, which I ordered on-line (£25, chillow.co.uk) It arrived within 2 days and has helped me a lot. It works with a special foam inside that you fill with water to activate it (only needs activating once) and then it just keeps this really cool temperature all the time. I find it too cool to sleep with all the time but keep it by my bed and just drag it in when I need it for a really quick cooling down. Hope this helps.

Hi Glenis,

The chillow pillow sounds helpful, I'm always kicking the duvet off lol, my daughter always feels cold she said she wish she was hot, i say, you would'nt. I love being cold now, if i get the chance. lol. That chillow pillow sounds loveley and cool, can you use it during the day? I suppose you could, when sitting down, which is rare for me, you could put it behind your head or neck, cool the body right down, I often go outside to get some air, my kids laugh, they say mum its freezing out there, ha ha! anyway Glenis take care, thanks for that tip.

Maria

Venlafaxine is the best of the antidepressants for menopausal symptoms- it takes some getting used to but does work

Hi all. I'm new to the site, this is my first comment. I'm 52, had surgery at 47, in Oct 2002. I was on Tamoxifen for a couple of years after chemo and then radiotherapy. It caused bleeding from my uterus so I was put on Arimidex instead. The side effects are similar, though the joint pain was worse. I was promised by the oncologist that the flushes would be less on arimidex but that didn't happen, in fact they got worse as well. I now take glucosamine/chondoitrin tablets, which have helped the stiff joints enormously (except for my knees, which I now accept are still sore because I do too much walking/jogging while overweight). The thing I found most helpful for the hot flushes was a homeopathic consultation. The amazing thing was, I thought the tablets she gave me were to ease the flushes but they didn't seem to help. However, what I did notice was that I wasn't so uptight about them any more and when I had a followup consultation a month later the homeopath said "right, now I'll give you something to help the flushes!" I don't think that really worked but I'm much, much less bothered by them now. I only have to take Arimidex for another couple of months, though I've been informed by the BCN that I'll then have a normal menopause. Something to look forward to!!
Hope this helps
Floramac

Hi Maria,
chillow pillow do a smaller narrower version to use under your wrists when sitting at keyboard, I'm getting one for when I return to work to give me a quick cool down when the dreaded hot flush descends.. would be great for putting on the back of your neck cos original pillow is a bit cumbersome and heavy. Hope it helps
Glenis

Hiya

Just wondered if you got tested for your ft3 and ft4 in the thyroid gland as well as your other hormones during this treatment?
Hormones are so difficult to pin down by I have autoimmune illness associated with my HPA axis and many of those symptoms including the sweating, aches and pains are what I get.

God bless
Whittersx