Started tamoxifen 3 days ago

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robang13
robang13 Member Posts: 333
in Breast Cancer #1
I started tamoxifen 3 days ago and is it possible to have side effects so soon? I experienced leg cramps last night. I haven't had them since they were a side effect of another medication 6 months ago! I hate, hate, hate leg cramps in the middle of the night! Is there anything I can do to help not get them? Is this the beginning of the end, already??!!

Angela

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  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #2
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    Yes, it is possible
    Angela,

    I had the first hot flash of my life the 2nd night after I started Tamoxifen. What time of day do you take it? If you take it at night, maybe switching to taking it in the morning would help with leg cramps at night? Switching it to the morning, plus taking Vitamin E morning and night (after checking with my oncologist and gynecologist), really made the hot flashes manageable for me.

    You also might try drinking tonic water for leg cramps? My girlfriend and her daughter swear by it. ChenHeart on this board also has this crazy "cure" that involves putting bars of soap under your sheets -- personally, I think she's been hitting the wine a little too much :-), so I'll leave it to her to tell you about that one.

    I'll also say that I've now been on Tamoxifen for 18+ months -- once I got the hot flashes under control, I don't have any other side effects. Talk to your doctors, but please don't decide this is "the beginning of the end" just yet!

    Traci
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #3
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    TraciInLA said:

    Yes, it is possible
    Angela,

    I had the first hot flash of my life the 2nd night after I started Tamoxifen. What time of day do you take it? If you take it at night, maybe switching to taking it in the morning would help with leg cramps at night? Switching it to the morning, plus taking Vitamin E morning and night (after checking with my oncologist and gynecologist), really made the hot flashes manageable for me.

    You also might try drinking tonic water for leg cramps? My girlfriend and her daughter swear by it. ChenHeart on this board also has this crazy "cure" that involves putting bars of soap under your sheets -- personally, I think she's been hitting the wine a little too much :-), so I'll leave it to her to tell you about that one.

    I'll also say that I've now been on Tamoxifen for 18+ months -- once I got the hot flashes under control, I don't have any other side effects. Talk to your doctors, but please don't decide this is "the beginning of the end" just yet!

    Traci

    @Traci,
    Hot flashes I've
    @Traci,

    Hot flashes I've been having for over a year! Funny thing is the stopped after my lumpectomy? Weird? I take it in the morning with my other meds or I'll forget all about it. I will try the tonic water, though I hate it. Hubby loves the stuff! Soap under sheets huh? I'd love to hear that one : ) . What you say is encouraging! Sure hope I have your luck with it! Just hoping the leg cramps don't get horrid. I had them last year when I was put on meds for chronic pain. It was so bad at night that I would spend most of the night walking them off. I finally had to cut those meds back, the muscles in my calves were rock hard from all the spasms! Thanks!!
  • mollyz
    mollyz Member Posts: 756 Member
    #4
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    @ Angela
    I got chenhearts back,The soap works but I will let her tell you. I started femara 2 weeks ago and boy the hot flashes are OWN FIRE! they had just subsided from when i had had chemo oh well! MOLLYZ
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #5
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    Make sure you have your gyno
    Make sure you have your gyno test for thickening of uterus...MINE did not do it as rule of thumb for him but did after serveral requests from my oncologist! after 2 1/2 yrs I had issues with thickening of uterus. (NOT to scare you-it can be side effect but not always) BUT due to it I just had complete hysterectomy 3 wks ago...

    I would not have known without the repeated request to have test @ 6mths with my gyno

    Denise
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #6
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    disneyfan2008 said:

    Make sure you have your gyno
    Make sure you have your gyno test for thickening of uterus...MINE did not do it as rule of thumb for him but did after serveral requests from my oncologist! after 2 1/2 yrs I had issues with thickening of uterus. (NOT to scare you-it can be side effect but not always) BUT due to it I just had complete hysterectomy 3 wks ago...

    I would not have known without the repeated request to have test @ 6mths with my gyno

    Denise

    @denise
    My gyno contacted me
    @denise
    My gyno contacted me as soon as she heard about my dx and told me that she is going to be keeping a close eye on me from now on. She told me to come in in august and she will do an internal sono and take it from there. I should also expect to see her at the least every 6 months. So, I am confident in her and the way she will treat me. Hopefully I will not follow in your shoes : )
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #7
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    Another crazy cure
    The guys I work with swear that eating a big spoon of plain yellow mustard when the leg pain starts will stop it.

    Don't know that I could do it but they swear it works,

    Jennifer
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #8
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    grams2jc said:

    Another crazy cure
    The guys I work with swear that eating a big spoon of plain yellow mustard when the leg pain starts will stop it.

    Don't know that I could do it but they swear it works,

    Jennifer

    @ Jennifer really? well, if
    @ Jennifer really? well, if they get that bad I will give it a try. Now to explain to hubby why there is mustard on the nightstand! I don't want him to get any ideas "wink wink"

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