What time of the day do you take tamoxifen?

Mariannemm
Mariannemm Member Posts: 136
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Does it matter what time of the day you take the medicine? Currently I take it at night. I am asking because my hot flashes are sooooo bad during the night and then during the day I am freezing. Do you think it would make a difference if I took it in the morning instead? I am having a hard time sleeping thru them. Thanks for you input!! Marianne
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Comments

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    I'm on Femara so not the
    I'm on Femara so not the same drug but I take it in the morning. Easier for me to remmber to take it when I get up than at night. I usually fall asleep on the couch either reading or watching TV and then go to bed whenever I wake up so probably wouldn't remember to take it. I haven't had any hot flashes but then I didn't have any when I went through menopause 20 years ago. I am always cold though - always have gotten cold easy but since the first of Chemo almost a year and 1/2 ago, I've been in the 96.something to 97.something.

    Susan
  • jessica80
    jessica80 Member Posts: 11
    Tamoxifen
    I always took mine in the morning and I still had bad hot flashes at night,so I really dont think that it matters cause I have been switched to aromison and I still have them really bad anight and barely ever during the day!!Hope this helps!!
  • pinkflutterby
    pinkflutterby Member Posts: 615 Member
    jessica80 said:

    Tamoxifen
    I always took mine in the morning and I still had bad hot flashes at night,so I really dont think that it matters cause I have been switched to aromison and I still have them really bad anight and barely ever during the day!!Hope this helps!!

    took mine in the am too,
    took mine in the am too, also had bouts with hot/cold flashes. good luck!!
  • Mariannemm
    Mariannemm Member Posts: 136

    took mine in the am too,
    took mine in the am too, also had bouts with hot/cold flashes. good luck!!

    Good to know...
    I thought maybe I had missed the boat on this and should be taking it in the morning. Thank you!!!
  • cindycflynn
    cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
    It couldn't hurt to try
    switching the time you take it to see if it makes a difference for you.

    I think I remember TracinLA saying that she switched taking hers to the mornings and it seemed to help.

    For me, I take mine in the morning, also take vitamin E and Effexor (per my doctor's suggestion to help with the hot flashes), and STILL get hot flashes both night and day. But they were worse before I started taking the vitamin E and Effexor, so it is helping some.

    My mom told me recently she still has hot flashes occasionally, and she's over 70 now - ugh!
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    I take mine religiously at
    I take mine religiously at 10:30 every morning...for some reason that time of the morning just works best for me. I took them at night for a month or so, but changed to mornings when I was inconsistant about the time I took them at night. If I went to bed at 10 I took them at ten, midnight, I took them at midnight, etc. Seemed to me it was better to take them at a regular schedule. I took Arimidex for 5 years and have been taking Tamoxifen since June, and thankfully I have not suffered much at all from either hot/cold flashes with either of those meds. I had a much harder time with the chemo-induced menopause hot flashes; I can't complain at all about the Tamoxifen, even though my oncologist said I would probably have them again. So far so good!
    Sleep? Now that is another subject altogether...I can scarcely remember what that is! I sleep maybe 4 hours a night; on a good night. But, with ear-buds and Internet Radio, I am so up to date on world events I am practically an expert on trivial and political happenings around the globe! LOL

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • Mariannemm
    Mariannemm Member Posts: 136

    It couldn't hurt to try
    switching the time you take it to see if it makes a difference for you.

    I think I remember TracinLA saying that she switched taking hers to the mornings and it seemed to help.

    For me, I take mine in the morning, also take vitamin E and Effexor (per my doctor's suggestion to help with the hot flashes), and STILL get hot flashes both night and day. But they were worse before I started taking the vitamin E and Effexor, so it is helping some.

    My mom told me recently she still has hot flashes occasionally, and she's over 70 now - ugh!

    Tried both
    I have tried vitamin E, taking it twice a day and it didn't help. Then last week I started taking Effexor and I had a couple of the side effects happen. So now I am not taking that! Ugh...I wish there was a solution. My mother in law is in her 70's and she said the samething she still gets them from time to time. My mom died of BC before we had a chance to talk about hot flashes! I was in my 30's and hadn't thought about that time of my life. Then just 5 years after she died I found out I had BC. I wish everyday she was here to answer my questions!!! Marianne
  • Wolfi
    Wolfi Member Posts: 425
    I had the same problem
    Marianne,

    When I first started on Tamoxifen I took it at night and I had the same problem with hot flashes while I was sleeping. I take it in the morning now and only have occasional problems with hot flashes while I'm at work. With all this snow around here it feels nice to not freeze when I go out to my car in the morning. :-)

    I hope you find some relief if you switch to taking your pills in the morning.

    Wolfi
  • sal314
    sal314 Member Posts: 599 Member
    Hi Marianne...
    I'm assuming you take 20 mg. each day. Do you have one or two pills? When I first started it I was taking the one 20mg. pill. I had a terrible time and then I switched to the two 10-mg. pills and took one in the morning and one at night. It made a HUGE difference. I think because it stayed in your blood stream more consistantly.

    You may want to try it. If you just started it, your hot flashes will be worse before they get a little better over time. They won't go completely away, but they seem to not be as often or as "hot" after awhile. Also, you may want to ask your doctor about getting on an anti-depressant like Effexor XR as it has been shown in studies to lesson hot flashes brought on by hormonal therapies like Tamoxifen. Many oncologists prescribe it to bc patience. Not to mention, it does help with the whole "mood" thing caused by Tamoxifen as well.

    Blessings,

    Sally
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    sal314 said:

    Hi Marianne...
    I'm assuming you take 20 mg. each day. Do you have one or two pills? When I first started it I was taking the one 20mg. pill. I had a terrible time and then I switched to the two 10-mg. pills and took one in the morning and one at night. It made a HUGE difference. I think because it stayed in your blood stream more consistantly.

    You may want to try it. If you just started it, your hot flashes will be worse before they get a little better over time. They won't go completely away, but they seem to not be as often or as "hot" after awhile. Also, you may want to ask your doctor about getting on an anti-depressant like Effexor XR as it has been shown in studies to lesson hot flashes brought on by hormonal therapies like Tamoxifen. Many oncologists prescribe it to bc patience. Not to mention, it does help with the whole "mood" thing caused by Tamoxifen as well.

    Blessings,

    Sally

    I also tried switching the
    I also tried switching the time and it didnt make a difference. I have not tried halfing the dose and taking it twice a day. it works better at night for me as far as being compliant. I have tried sleeping pills and not found one that works yet. I firmly believe that everyone is different, so its worth a shot. Perhaps it will work for you.
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    carkris said:

    I also tried switching the
    I also tried switching the time and it didnt make a difference. I have not tried halfing the dose and taking it twice a day. it works better at night for me as far as being compliant. I have tried sleeping pills and not found one that works yet. I firmly believe that everyone is different, so its worth a shot. Perhaps it will work for you.

    Had the same problem, Marianne
    I started taking Tamoxifen at bedtime -- I had never had a hot flash in my life up to then, but, by the 2nd night, I was up all night with them. Cindy is correct -- I switched to taking it in the morning with breakfast, and my hot flashes became much less frequent and less severe.

    I know it doesn't work for everyone (sounds like Wolfi and I are the lucky ones), but it can't hurt to try.

    Traci
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    I take mine at night - my
    I take mine at night - my hot flashes were terrible the first week or so that I was on Tamoxifen, now they're not so bad. I take them at night because I don't want to go around having hot flashes during the day. I don't do well with Effexor so I can't take that, either. It doesn't really interfere with my sleep, I have sleeping meds if I need them, but usually I'm exhausted by these kids by 8 o'clock that I have no problem getting to sleep1
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • waffle8
    waffle8 Member Posts: 234

    I take mine at night - my
    I take mine at night - my hot flashes were terrible the first week or so that I was on Tamoxifen, now they're not so bad. I take them at night because I don't want to go around having hot flashes during the day. I don't do well with Effexor so I can't take that, either. It doesn't really interfere with my sleep, I have sleeping meds if I need them, but usually I'm exhausted by these kids by 8 o'clock that I have no problem getting to sleep1
    *hugs*
    Heather

    time to take tamoxifen
    I have tried to take it both in morning and night..Did not notice difference in hot flashes.....They are awful.....I spend most of the day and night taking off clothes or blankets and then putting them back on cause of the chills...
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    I take it at night. You
    I take it at night. You might want to ask your doctor if it's ok to take in the day. I can tell you that when I asked about it, the doctor said to take it at night. That was just my case, might be different for you.

    Take care, God bless.
    BL
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    I just started Arimidex
    last week and I take it in the morning. I've been having hot flashes for more than 12 years and they're bad - enough to drench my hair. Now that I still have no hair my head, face & neck get wet! I've also been experiencing night sweats.
    Char
  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    I'm on Arimidex
    Hot flashes and night sweats no matter when I take it. But, because I take meds for bp in the am, I take the Arimidex with dinner. (I just feel better about separating the meds, quirky, I know).

    Sue
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    sbmly53 said:

    I'm on Arimidex
    Hot flashes and night sweats no matter when I take it. But, because I take meds for bp in the am, I take the Arimidex with dinner. (I just feel better about separating the meds, quirky, I know).

    Sue

    I forgot i take the
    I forgot i take the tamoxifen at night because it makes me nauseated. so i sleep throught he nausea. However since i havent been sleeping, that isnt working either LOL!!!
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    first thing am
    The only thing I changed is I used to take all my other meds at bed time and my heart would race 99 MPH so oncologist told me to take in morning..but I do tamoxfin in the am as my routine so I DO NOT forget!

    I sleep terriable, BUT I am not sure if meds, menopause or what!
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member

    first thing am
    The only thing I changed is I used to take all my other meds at bed time and my heart would race 99 MPH so oncologist told me to take in morning..but I do tamoxfin in the am as my routine so I DO NOT forget!

    I sleep terriable, BUT I am not sure if meds, menopause or what!

    Same as Sal314
    I'm 66 and had read about hot flashes and other possible side-effects from tamoxifen and I didn't want to go through the hot flash stuff again ... so when it was time for me to start taking tamoxifen I asked my oncologist if he could prescribe the 10 mg tablets ... and I'd take one in the morning and one at night. It's been about 6 months now ... and I haven't had any hot flashes that weren't manageable. I can remember the REAL hot flashes of menopause ... when you want to yank your clothes off and jump in a freezer ... and NONE of my hot flashes have been like that. I guess I just have "warm flashes" ... but not even many of those.

    10 mg twice a day works for me ... :-)

    hugs.
    teena
  • Jean 0609
    Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
    Femera
    I take my Femera in the morning when I brush my teeth. I actually have one of those Sunday through Saturday pill compartment boxes that I fill up every Sunday. It helps my chemo brain remember if I took it that day or not. Even though my chemo has been done since August, I still blame it on chemo brain!