Starting Tamoxifen today - best time to take?

jewels5
jewels5 Member Posts: 57
in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone,

I had been planning all along on taking the Tamoxifen at night after reading someone's post about nausea. But suddenly now that the day is here I am wondering if I should take it in the morning/daytime? Your thoughts/advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Julie
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Comments

  • jewels5
    jewels5 Member Posts: 57
    #2
    P.S.
    ...and does anyone still drink coffee while on it? I don't know if I can give that up, lol! :)
  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #3
    jewels5 said:

    P.S.
    ...and does anyone still drink coffee while on it? I don't know if I can give that up, lol! :)

    I take mine in the morning.
    I take mine in the morning. It made me nauseated in the very beginning and my doctor had suggested taking 10mg in the morning and 10mg at night but to be honest, I just kept taking it in the morning...it was much easier for me to remember. Also, I never heard anything about not drinking coffee. I still drink it. :) My family would probably leave me if I tried to give that up!! LOL! Good luck. Everybody's side effects seem to vary quite a bit. I recommend not listening to them to much because I, for one, start thinking I'm having SE I'm actually not when I hear "everybody" has "this" when they take it.
    Dana
  • jewels5
    jewels5 Member Posts: 57
    #4
    missingtexas said:

    I take mine in the morning.
    I take mine in the morning. It made me nauseated in the very beginning and my doctor had suggested taking 10mg in the morning and 10mg at night but to be honest, I just kept taking it in the morning...it was much easier for me to remember. Also, I never heard anything about not drinking coffee. I still drink it. :) My family would probably leave me if I tried to give that up!! LOL! Good luck. Everybody's side effects seem to vary quite a bit. I recommend not listening to them to much because I, for one, start thinking I'm having SE I'm actually not when I hear "everybody" has "this" when they take it.
    Dana

    Thanks Dana!
    I think I will do the same- take it in the morning. I don't know what I'm waiting for, it's like I need someone to hold my hand, lol! I am trying not to get too hung up on different people's side effects as you say. Thanks again. I hope you are doing well. :)

    Julie
  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #5
    jewels5 said:

    Thanks Dana!
    I think I will do the same- take it in the morning. I don't know what I'm waiting for, it's like I need someone to hold my hand, lol! I am trying not to get too hung up on different people's side effects as you say. Thanks again. I hope you are doing well. :)

    Julie

    I had the same issue...I
    I had the same issue...I don't know why either!!
  • JuJuBeez
    JuJuBeez Member Posts: 332
    #6
    Hi Julie!
    I take mine in the
    Hi Julie!

    I take mine in the morning, too. I had not heard anything about not drinking coffee with it. Shoot, I take my meds with coffee sometimes. I take my Effexor at the same time, and sometimes I do feel queasy. I'm not really sure which med does it. I've been on it just over a year. The SE are not horrible, just a bit annoying sometimes. And any time I have something new or weird pop up, I tend to blame it on the Tamoxifen.

    Good luck. Let us know how you're doing on it.
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #7
    night for me!
    I had nausea so started to take it at night. Meant I had more night-time hot flashes but I actually liked that better. Doesn't draw so much attention as running out the door or turning on the fan in my face at work. Thankfully, 6 months in, I am not having so many hot flashes, it seems to be better.

    And no one told me to give up my coffee so I haven't.

    Good luck,

    Jennifer
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #8
    Julie: From My experience
    Julie: From My experience (just over 3 1/2 yrs...) I take mine first thing in the am...IT may be coincidence that IF I forgot in the and took mid day I was wired at night. I have not done this intentionally to see if that was the culprit

    Denise
  • Ballerina
    Ballerina Member Posts: 152
    #9
    jewels5 said:

    P.S.
    ...and does anyone still drink coffee while on it? I don't know if I can give that up, lol! :)

    Tamoxifen and coffee
    Hi Julie, I take all my medications including tamoxifen in the morning. I am a coffee drinker as well. I have noticed I get a little warm while drinking it but no big deal. However, I noticed if I have a second cup, I'm on hype mode 10 but I take an anti depressant that makes me a little hyper. I should stick to one cup but it's hard.

    Ballerina
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #10
    disneyfan2008 said:

    Julie: From My experience
    Julie: From My experience (just over 3 1/2 yrs...) I take mine first thing in the am...IT may be coincidence that IF I forgot in the and took mid day I was wired at night. I have not done this intentionally to see if that was the culprit

    Denise

    AM a must for me
    Hi, Julie -

    The only real side effect I have from the Tamoxifen is hot flashes, and they're worse at night for me, MUCH worse if I take the Tamoxifen in the evening. So my doctor was fine with my taking it in the morning.

    I have a very weenie tummy (I'm sure that's the medical term for it :-), so was concerned about nausea, but I ALWAYS make sure to take it with food, and haven't had a single problem with nausea, over 2 years on it now!

    You just have to take a deep breath jump in, , and give it a try, Julie -- you can always make changes after you see how your body does with it.

    Good luck!

    Traci
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #11
    when
    I want to wish you well while taking tamoxifen. It will be OK. The first weeks are tougher, then it becomes easier. For me it was depression and hot flashes. But it got a little better, especially with depression. I didn’t really have stomach issues.

    I decided to take mine in a time when I knew I won’t be working, traveling, busy, sleeping, eating, etc... and also an easy time to remember and when you know you’ll be relaxed. This is my suggestion.

    Best of luck sister!
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #12
    jewels5 said:

    P.S.
    ...and does anyone still drink coffee while on it? I don't know if I can give that up, lol! :)

    I don't take tamox, but,
    I don't take tamox, but, wanted to wish you good luck on it whatever time you take it!


    Hugs, Noel
  • Frankie Shannon
    Frankie Shannon Member Posts: 457
    #13
    Hi Julie have been on
    Hi Julie have been on Tamoxifen for a year and a half i take mine in the morning after my two cups of coffee do not have nausea i tryed taking it at night but found i get more hot flashes in the day time so went back to morning can't give up the coffee my family wouldn't be able to stand me LOL all the best hugs Frankie
  • jewels5
    jewels5 Member Posts: 57
    #14
    Frankie Shannon said:

    Hi Julie have been on
    Hi Julie have been on Tamoxifen for a year and a half i take mine in the morning after my two cups of coffee do not have nausea i tryed taking it at night but found i get more hot flashes in the day time so went back to morning can't give up the coffee my family wouldn't be able to stand me LOL all the best hugs Frankie

    Thanks for all the feedback
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I love all the support here. I ended up taking it this morning...after my coffee. :) I will see how this goes and hopefully won't need to change. Day 1 is down!
  • CelticGoddess
    CelticGoddess Member Posts: 11
    #15
    jewels5 said:

    Thanks for all the feedback
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I love all the support here. I ended up taking it this morning...after my coffee. :) I will see how this goes and hopefully won't need to change. Day 1 is down!

    tamox pm
    I take tamoxifen B4 bed, so I sleep thru most of the hot flashes (I also take Ambien, so yes, I SLEEP)and the Effexor(225mg) in the am takes care of the rest. I don't get nausea from it, but the vaginal SE's are nasty. My advice is to have a lot of sex now if you can, B4 the pain/dryness sets in, which can make it anywhere from uncomfortable to impossible. (If that happens, ask for Vagifem tablets--way easier than messy Premarin cream.) Watch out for mood swings when your estrogen level tanks (think mega-PMS). Everyone's SE's are different, so you are your own guinea pig. There are meds for all the SE's, too--you'll find out what works for you. Good luck!
    hugs,
    Kim L.
    p.s.--your son is soooo cute!
  • mollieb
    mollieb Member Posts: 148
    #16
    Morning, in Case I am Forgetful
    I took my Tamoxifen (and now my Arimedex) in the a.m. because if I forget it, I will probably remember at night and not miss a dose. I didn't have nausea, though. I don't think it matters to your body.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #17
    jewels5 said:

    Thanks for all the feedback
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I love all the support here. I ended up taking it this morning...after my coffee. :) I will see how this goes and hopefully won't need to change. Day 1 is down!

    Congrats on Day 1! Wishing
    Congrats on Day 1! Wishing you success and no side effects with tamox!


    Sue :)
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #18
    Julie that first pill is the
    Julie that first pill is the hardest!! I used to take mine in the am with all my other meds but the hot flashes and exhaustion was too much for me. Now I take it right before I close my eyes. It has helped curb both side effects for me. If you find the flashes too much, mine were every 10 minutes all day long, ask for effexor. It helped a LOT! Good luck on your journey! Hopefully you will not have any issues!

    Angela
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #19
    CelticGoddess said:

    tamox pm
    I take tamoxifen B4 bed, so I sleep thru most of the hot flashes (I also take Ambien, so yes, I SLEEP)and the Effexor(225mg) in the am takes care of the rest. I don't get nausea from it, but the vaginal SE's are nasty. My advice is to have a lot of sex now if you can, B4 the pain/dryness sets in, which can make it anywhere from uncomfortable to impossible. (If that happens, ask for Vagifem tablets--way easier than messy Premarin cream.) Watch out for mood swings when your estrogen level tanks (think mega-PMS). Everyone's SE's are different, so you are your own guinea pig. There are meds for all the SE's, too--you'll find out what works for you. Good luck!
    hugs,
    Kim L.
    p.s.--your son is soooo cute!

    Kim,
    I find just the
    Kim,
    I find just the opposite is true for me. Now I have to wear a mini pad all day because there is always something coming out. Sorry for the grossness! Plus there is NO sex drive. Really sucks for hubby I tell you : )

    Angela
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #20
    robang13 said:

    Julie that first pill is the
    Julie that first pill is the hardest!! I used to take mine in the am with all my other meds but the hot flashes and exhaustion was too much for me. Now I take it right before I close my eyes. It has helped curb both side effects for me. If you find the flashes too much, mine were every 10 minutes all day long, ask for effexor. It helped a LOT! Good luck on your journey! Hopefully you will not have any issues!

    Angela

    I am not a puker but it made
    I am not a puker but it made me so nauseated that I was on the verge. so I switched to taking it at night and it is much better. I tried to switch it up a couple of times because of the hot flashes, but it didnt work . So back to nights again. I too was really hesitant about taking it but it hasnt been bad. I try to look at it as if it will help save my life. i also take an aspirin a day.
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member
    #21
    carkris said:

    I am not a puker but it made
    I am not a puker but it made me so nauseated that I was on the verge. so I switched to taking it at night and it is much better. I tried to switch it up a couple of times because of the hot flashes, but it didnt work . So back to nights again. I too was really hesitant about taking it but it hasnt been bad. I try to look at it as if it will help save my life. i also take an aspirin a day.

    Femara instead of Tamoxifan BUT
    my MO says to take everything at mealtime, preferably at supper. That's what I've been doing and have had no problems. (Other than the nuclear hot flashes, but the evening primrose oil has helped with that.)

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