Tamoxifen and weight gain

Catmason

waffle8 said:

Weight
I didn't notice when I started to read this thread that it was an older one! but then I saw my old response! Well here I am 6 months later and I have now gained weight! I do blame it on the tamoxifen!

What a relief it is to see that my frustration with Tamoxifen is not exclusive to me. I have always been able to control my weight - I was an athlete in high school so exercise has always been part of the picture and when I diet, I am dedicated. It seems now that the more conscientious I am about dieting, the more weight I gain. And then a friend told me to try just chilling and not watching every morsel I put in my mouth and I gained 5 more pounds. Aarrrghh! Just frustrating but it makes me feel so much better to know I am not alone

JuJuBeez

Catmason said:

What a relief it is to see that my frustration with Tamoxifen is not exclusive to me. I have always been able to control my weight - I was an athlete in high school so exercise has always been part of the picture and when I diet, I am dedicated. It seems now that the more conscientious I am about dieting, the more weight I gain. And then a friend told me to try just chilling and not watching every morsel I put in my mouth and I gained 5 more pounds. Aarrrghh! Just frustrating but it makes me feel so much better to know I am not alone

I haven't really gained any
I haven't really gained any weight... I fluctuate +/- the same 7 lbs... BUT I do think it's harder for me to lose weight than before. I've been on Tamoxifen since Aug 2010. I blame every little weird and frustrating thing on Tamoxifen.. LOL

Frankie Shannon

Catmason said:

What a relief it is to see that my frustration with Tamoxifen is not exclusive to me. I have always been able to control my weight - I was an athlete in high school so exercise has always been part of the picture and when I diet, I am dedicated. It seems now that the more conscientious I am about dieting, the more weight I gain. And then a friend told me to try just chilling and not watching every morsel I put in my mouth and I gained 5 more pounds. Aarrrghh! Just frustrating but it makes me feel so much better to know I am not alone

I also gained 20 lbs from
I also gained 20 lbs from Tamoxifen and yes that is a side affect of it.
Hugs Frankie

RozHopkins

Tamoxifen
Yes to weight gain. Though sounds excessive I take around 8 or 9 classes per week in the gym. But these aren't kick boxing or Zumba type classes (though I love watching others, to fast for me). Yoga, Pilates and others. I know its not my age or muscle build up. At any other time I would be a good 14 pound lighter doing this amount of activity. Plus I'm drinking all natural, home made fruit slushes through the day and much less food. Haven't lost one pound so dread to think what I'd look like if didn't hit the gym. It can be very sole destroying, especially if you saw what I look like at the gym. Guess who gets hot flashes whilst exercising, I hope this drug is worth it.

MAJW

RozHopkins said:

Tamoxifen
Yes to weight gain. Though sounds excessive I take around 8 or 9 classes per week in the gym. But these aren't kick boxing or Zumba type classes (though I love watching others, to fast for me). Yoga, Pilates and others. I know its not my age or muscle build up. At any other time I would be a good 14 pound lighter doing this amount of activity. Plus I'm drinking all natural, home made fruit slushes through the day and much less food. Haven't lost one pound so dread to think what I'd look like if didn't hit the gym. It can be very sole destroying, especially if you saw what I look like at the gym. Guess who gets hot flashes whilst exercising, I hope this drug is worth it.

Best friend...
I'm not a candidate for Tamoxifen , wish I had the type of bc to be on it..I'm triple negative...anyway my best friend is on it and she's put on 20 pounds since going on Tamoxifen....gone from 130 to 150 ...and she's an avid tennis player, playing 3-4 times a week...she can't drop a pound! Plus she works in her yard all the time and is on the go constantly.....

So it's obvious by all these replys that Tamoxifen does indeed cause weight gain..
Hugs,Nancy

disneyfan2008

I was not/ am not sure I
I was not/ am not sure I gained 25 lbs..but put on steriods while going through radiation...so was it that or tamoxifen? I lost some but I have always been THIN..not junk food eater-only eat when hungery! OR IS IT I am now 52 yrs old...?

unsure...or combo of all

Denise

BethInAz

I have begun to succeed!
Jo Jo: I gained about 9 pounds on tamoxifen - my GP said that was pretty good since she's seen women put on 25 pounds! It's that whole "being pushed into menopause" thing that causes the weight gain, I think. I have good news, though! I'm finally being successful in getting the weight off! I went online to http://caloriecount.about.com where you can log your food, your activity, and your weight daily. My GP said to limit intake to 1200-1400 calories per day and exercise 30 minutes 6 days per week. I've been faithfully doing the calorie counting and I swim daily. I've been really excited to have lost 15 pounds since end of January! It's slow and it takes willpower but it's doable! And YOU can do it! B.

Server666

Weight gain and Tamoxifen

I have been on Tamoxifen for three and a half years and i am so over it!! I have gained 40+ pounds since i started. I have literally tried everything to lose weight and my scale hasnt budged. I also had a complete hysterectomy in Dec. 2015, which hasnt helped the situation. What are the risks of stopping the Tamoxifen or does anyone recommend a good otc diet pill, not that i want to take another pill but im at my wits end here!

 

disneyfan2008

wow 2010 and this popped up..

wow 2010 and this popped up..

Kcramernh

Weight gain

i took tamoxifen for over a year until I was switched to arimidex.  I gained over 25 pounds and as we all know it is very hard to lose weight while on chemo drugs.  I recently found a nutritional program that has gotten rid of my really bad headaches, I have lost 10 pounds and over 28 inches over all, all in a short period of time.   If anyone is seriously interested please contact me.  My email is kcramernh@comcast.net or on Facebook Kathy Howard Cramer  .  I know how hard it is to live with being a cancer survivor, the weight gain and worrying about a recurrence.  They say the heavier you are your chances are higher.  I finally found something to help me release weight and feel better and I want to share and help fellow cancer survivors.

Kcramernh

Server666 said:

Weight gain and Tamoxifen

I have been on Tamoxifen for three and a half years and i am so over it!! I have gained 40+ pounds since i started. I have literally tried everything to lose weight and my scale hasnt budged. I also had a complete hysterectomy in Dec. 2015, which hasnt helped the situation. What are the risks of stopping the Tamoxifen or does anyone recommend a good otc diet pill, not that i want to take another pill but im at my wits end here!

 

Weight gain

see my post below on how I am finally losing weight after breast cancer

 

kathy cramer

awsmGirl

Dagnabbit!

I do NOT want to gain weight!  I am already 5'6" and 215 (55, post-menopausal, and a couch potato), so i was kinda hoping this experience could "help me" lose weight!  Can anyone tell me if the course of "TAC" chemo i will start next week -- that's Taxotere, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), Cyclophosphamide -- may be likely be a trigger to gain weight?  I am ER+, so anti-estrogen (steroid?) treatment may be a thing at some point.  Is very much the Grrr...  Send me some hope, yall -- or at least some tips to help offset! (Blargh, i may actually have to eat better and move and stuff!)  

Double Whammy

Say it ain't so . .

My weight is totally dependent on what I eat and how much I eat, and being older and more sedentary does not help.  I lost 25 lbs. on Tamoxifen because I stopped eating everything in sight and exercised regularly.  You know, the things that are good for anyone. . . I've gained some of it back lately because I've been once again eating everything I see and not exercising as much.  When I pay attention to what I'm doing, I can be successful.  It may be easier to gain weight on Tamoxifen and more difficult to lose weight on it, but for me, I think the issue was more related to my age and lack of discipline.  I can eat so much ice cream, it's embarassing.

Suzanne

Teach76

Not the time to diet

AsmGirl, if I remember correctly, you are just beginning your chemo treatment.  Your doctors would probably tell you that this is not the time to try to lose weight.  I was told that my chemo regiment would not have me losing any weight.  The steroids given at infusion helped with side effects (swelling in legs and feet).  You may find that as little or as much exercise that you can do will help you to at least not gain anymore as you go through treatment, but honestly, the scale should not be your main focus now.  There will be plenty of time after all treatment is over to reclaim your physique.  While some medications may cause weight gain ( you mentioned post-treatment hormonal therapy), don't look too far ahead.  Stay healthy and strong now - get plenty of protein and greens.  One step at a time . . .

Double Whammy

During chemo is not time to worry about weight

I totally agree with Teach76.  I understood that the question was about Tamoxifen causing or not causing weight gain and wanted to convey my experience.  Weight should also not be a concern about whether to take the drug or not.  The estrogen therapies are said to be very effective and the possibility of weight gain should not even be considered when balancing the risks vs. benefits.  This is all a conversation to have with your oncologist, you need to trust your oncologist and get answers to any questions you may have about why a certain protocol is being recommended for your specific cancer.  Best of luck to you.  It is a long and difficult journey, but one that hopefully will all be worth it.

Suzanne