Tamoxifen....Again!

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  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Talk to your doctor
    Hello everyone. I have been on tamoxifen for 7 months. it is not fan, but because I was estrogen positive there is no choice for girls under 50. I think it is very risky just not to take pills, especially for estrogen positive who still having periods after Chemo treatments. Talk to your doctor!
    New Flower

    Tamoxifen
    I am also still putting it off.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
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    Talk to your doctor
    Hello everyone. I have been on tamoxifen for 7 months. it is not fan, but because I was estrogen positive there is no choice for girls under 50. I think it is very risky just not to take pills, especially for estrogen positive who still having periods after Chemo treatments. Talk to your doctor!
    New Flower

    I am glad that you are doing
    I am glad that you are doing well on tamox NewFLower. I hope it continues! A lot of the info about tamox does make one think about it more now. Even the oncologist's aren't real pushy lately. I am sure everyone will make the best choice for them.

    Lex♥
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
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    You know ladies,
    I have to say. I went to the website(thank you,Tash)and read the article. And yes,reading it could scare you. But you also read quite a few times in there doctors saying that how it will help you outweighs the risk.Think about it,a lot of us have been through chemo(very toxic drugs) and rads already,and these have risk involved. I know we are all afraid of a reccurrence and when you read about taking a drug that is supposed to help against reccurence and it has a risk of a whole nother cancer,it doesn't make sense.Everyone can make their own choice.
    I guess for me,I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I could be doing all the right things and still get a reccurence or a different kind of cancer tomorrow.None of us knows what the future holds. Having cancer taught me that.Some of you make think I'm crazy,but I for one am going to continue to take tamoxifen until my intelligent onc who I have no doubt cares about my well being decides to get me off of it. I'll bring up the article and see what he has to say.
    Ladies,everything takes risk,especially now for us. Talk it over with your onc,spouse,significant other,and make your decision from that. In your mind's eye,is the risk of something happening bigger than the potential of how tamoxifen could possibly help you?
  • djteach
    djteach Member Posts: 273
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    tasha_111 said:

    Oh Dear!
    I just can't feel right about this. I got my doc to change my antidepressants onto lexapro last week, but they are way to low a dose, I think the best thing to do for now is skip the tamoxifen and go onto zoloft again. This is just too scary. Without the happy-pills I feel I am slipping into a more dangerous place than cancer. Back to zoloft tonight and meeting with onco and doc next week... Man, as if I don't have enough headaches! LOL

    Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    oh dear!
    Hi Tasha,
    Have you ever taken Femara? I had very few side effects from that drug. But Tamoxifen has it's place. It does help with bone retention and is one of the better estrogen+ drugs that kills the E+ cancer cells. Please talk with your onc.about it. I think we would be smart to get alternatives to take by the 5 yr. timeline. Everything I have read says that the danger starts after 5 years.

    Love and gentle hugs,
    Donna
  • butterfly343
    butterfly343 Member Posts: 39
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    Execellent post outdoorgirl!
    Execellent post outdoorgirl! I'll be following these discussions and news articles with my onc. I still have 3 more chemo and 6 weeks of rads to get through before I start tamoxifen. Thanks for the link to the article too.
    Julie
  • EveningStar2
    EveningStar2 Member Posts: 491 Member
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    You know ladies,
    I have to say. I went to the website(thank you,Tash)and read the article. And yes,reading it could scare you. But you also read quite a few times in there doctors saying that how it will help you outweighs the risk.Think about it,a lot of us have been through chemo(very toxic drugs) and rads already,and these have risk involved. I know we are all afraid of a reccurrence and when you read about taking a drug that is supposed to help against reccurence and it has a risk of a whole nother cancer,it doesn't make sense.Everyone can make their own choice.
    I guess for me,I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I could be doing all the right things and still get a reccurence or a different kind of cancer tomorrow.None of us knows what the future holds. Having cancer taught me that.Some of you make think I'm crazy,but I for one am going to continue to take tamoxifen until my intelligent onc who I have no doubt cares about my well being decides to get me off of it. I'll bring up the article and see what he has to say.
    Ladies,everything takes risk,especially now for us. Talk it over with your onc,spouse,significant other,and make your decision from that. In your mind's eye,is the risk of something happening bigger than the potential of how tamoxifen could possibly help you?

    Good post
    I agree and please remember that the article is talking about the *rare* occurrence of aggressive cancer in the other breast. Would have been nice to know what "rare" is. Just to add to the discussion, tamoxifen is the standard for DCIS. I have been on it for 4.5 months and other the hot flashes, its OK. And those have been better since I started taking half a pill am & pm.

    Maureen
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
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    Alexis F said:

    I am glad that you are doing
    I am glad that you are doing well on tamox NewFLower. I hope it continues! A lot of the info about tamox does make one think about it more now. Even the oncologist's aren't real pushy lately. I am sure everyone will make the best choice for them.

    Lex♥

    Tamoxifen is sucks, but ...
    Alexis,
    I never sad that tamoxifen is pleasant and I like it. I personally cannot put my family and my friends who have been helping me during my recovery down and take a risk. Maybe because my case is complicated. I was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 3 about 14 months ago at the age of 46. Over the past 12 months I had four surgeries, six chemotherapy treatments, 8 weeks of radiation and currently on tamoxifen. So I have been taking tamoxifen for my Mother, Husband, Son, and everybody who love and help me through my long tough fight.
    I wish everybody to get well soon and make responsible choices,
    Cheers,
    New Flower
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
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    Execellent post outdoorgirl!
    Execellent post outdoorgirl! I'll be following these discussions and news articles with my onc. I still have 3 more chemo and 6 weeks of rads to get through before I start tamoxifen. Thanks for the link to the article too.
    Julie

    I am still undecided. It
    I am still undecided. It just makes you really leary of tamox as they tell you to take it, yet, one of the side effects is that it can give you another cancer. It just makes no sense.

    Kylez ♥
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
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    Good post
    I agree and please remember that the article is talking about the *rare* occurrence of aggressive cancer in the other breast. Would have been nice to know what "rare" is. Just to add to the discussion, tamoxifen is the standard for DCIS. I have been on it for 4.5 months and other the hot flashes, its OK. And those have been better since I started taking half a pill am & pm.

    Maureen

    Bad reports latetly
    I wonder how many more articles will be coming out about how recurrances, new cancers, blood clots, can't take most antidepressants and so forth might happen with tamox? It seems that lately there has been a lot of "not so good" reports about it.

    ♥ Noel
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
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    Kylez said:

    I am still undecided. It
    I am still undecided. It just makes you really leary of tamox as they tell you to take it, yet, one of the side effects is that it can give you another cancer. It just makes no sense.

    Kylez ♥

    I stopped
    I need the Zoloft right at this moment more than the tamox. So I stopped taking it 3 days back and have upped my dose of happy pills. I will discuss this with my doc and my onco, But I hit rock bottom and had to make an immediate decission.
    Thanks all Jxxxxxxxxxxx
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
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    tasha_111 said:

    I stopped
    I need the Zoloft right at this moment more than the tamox. So I stopped taking it 3 days back and have upped my dose of happy pills. I will discuss this with my doc and my onco, But I hit rock bottom and had to make an immediate decission.
    Thanks all Jxxxxxxxxxxx

    Yep,
    like I said,we're all big girls and can make our own choices!
    Tash,how are you and that new apartment?
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
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    tasha_111 said:

    I stopped
    I need the Zoloft right at this moment more than the tamox. So I stopped taking it 3 days back and have upped my dose of happy pills. I will discuss this with my doc and my onco, But I hit rock bottom and had to make an immediate decission.
    Thanks all Jxxxxxxxxxxx

    Hey Julia, hope you start
    Hey Julia, hope you start feeling better soon.

    hugs
    jan
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
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    Yep,
    like I said,we're all big girls and can make our own choices!
    Tash,how are you and that new apartment?

    Outdoorgirl!!!!!!!!
    It's just great! It's peaceful and quiet, spotlessly clean and I can soak in a nice bubble-bath with scented candles anytime I feel like it. It's wonderful. I almost live at the local library as I am getting through 5 books every 3 days.. I LOVE reading!

    Thanks for asking. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
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    tasha_111 said:

    Outdoorgirl!!!!!!!!
    It's just great! It's peaceful and quiet, spotlessly clean and I can soak in a nice bubble-bath with scented candles anytime I feel like it. It's wonderful. I almost live at the local library as I am getting through 5 books every 3 days.. I LOVE reading!

    Thanks for asking. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxxx

    That sounds so
    nice Tash! Sounds like you are really enjoying it-you were long overdue for this!
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
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    tasha_111 said:

    I stopped
    I need the Zoloft right at this moment more than the tamox. So I stopped taking it 3 days back and have upped my dose of happy pills. I will discuss this with my doc and my onco, But I hit rock bottom and had to make an immediate decission.
    Thanks all Jxxxxxxxxxxx

    Patty and Tasha
    Patty, I join the others in thanking you for your post, with sound and wise advice. We sure don't know the future, but we can make the best, most well-informed decisions we can.

    Julia, I understand about needing the Zoloft. I hope you will see your doc and Dr. Charisma-bypass soon, though. (Re Dr. CB, your charm is winning him over, I think. Have no idea how he resisted for so long. He must be very dull-witted!)

    And, if we haven't told you already, Aortus and I are both relieved and happy that you are in your own place now. What you did took courage. I just wish more women could find that courage in themselves.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
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    Moopy23 said:

    Patty and Tasha
    Patty, I join the others in thanking you for your post, with sound and wise advice. We sure don't know the future, but we can make the best, most well-informed decisions we can.

    Julia, I understand about needing the Zoloft. I hope you will see your doc and Dr. Charisma-bypass soon, though. (Re Dr. CB, your charm is winning him over, I think. Have no idea how he resisted for so long. He must be very dull-witted!)

    And, if we haven't told you already, Aortus and I are both relieved and happy that you are in your own place now. What you did took courage. I just wish more women could find that courage in themselves.

    Tasha
    I hope everything will be ok with you Tasha. You have such a good life ahead of you now!

    Hugs!