Taxmoxifen and chest (wall) pain?

Wolfi
Wolfi Member Posts: 425
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone.

I've been on Tamoxifen for two months now and the past few weeks I have been experiencing chest pain (not heart related) while I'm sleeping which wakes me up every night. I take the pill before I go to bed and two to four hours later I am wide awake and my whole chest feels like someone is sitting on it. If I get up, walk around and stretch for a while it gets better but I seem to be taking longer to recover from the pain. I also have pain in my wrist which I didn't have before starting Tamox.

I have mild hot flashes, cramps, and my skin is like the Sahara, but other than that I'm fine.

I'm trying to get in to see my oncologist but he is on vacation this week so I can't get in until next week. Has anyone else had this problem? I am really tired and don't like that I can't sleep for more than four hours at a time.

Thanks.

Comments

  • teresa41
    teresa41 Member Posts: 471
    #2
    i have been taking tamoxifen
    i have been taking tamoxifen for a month the only thing i have noticed is dry skin other than that i havent had any problems.maybe you could try taking it early in the day might help with sleeping.i take mine in the afternoon i sleep very good.


    good luck hope things get better..


    teresa
  • pattimc
    pattimc Member Posts: 431
    #3
    teresa41 said:

    i have been taking tamoxifen
    i have been taking tamoxifen for a month the only thing i have noticed is dry skin other than that i havent had any problems.maybe you could try taking it early in the day might help with sleeping.i take mine in the afternoon i sleep very good.


    good luck hope things get better..


    teresa

    I've been on
    Tamoxifen for about 5 months. My skin is very dry (like I'm itching all the time)but have no trouble sleeping. I take mine in the a.m. I do have some hot flashes at night but not unbearable. No chest pains like you're describing. Maybe try switching the time you are taking it?? Check with your onco first, though. Good luck!
  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
    #4
    I started Tamoxifen on Nov.
    I started Tamoxifen on Nov. 7th, about the same time as you, Wolfi. I am 57 and went through menopause naturally eight years ago. I've had dry skin, hot flashes, and leg cramps since then. So, when I started taking Tamoxifen, the flashes became more severe and frequent again, the leg cramps returned with a vengence, and the dry skin is still a problem. New: vaginal dryness, but that is getting better on its own. Also new: free floating feelings of anxiety that pop up out of nowhere. I don't attribute that to Tamoxifen but rather to having had breast cancer.

    Since Tamoxifen can create blood clots, I would go to the ER with your chest heaviness. I don't think you are having a heart attack, since you said it gets better with movement and slight exertion. If it was your heart, the pain would increase with exertion. Could it be that you've caught an upper respiratory bug that is making your chest tight?

    In any case you need sleep. Could the onc's office send a prescription for a little bit of meds for sleep? We all feel better if we get quality sleep!!! So many other things resolve themselves when we've had our healing rest. My best wishes to you to get this resolved.
  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
    #5
    One other thought? Could
    One other thought? Could the chest wall pain tightmess from radiation? My chest muscles tightened up about a month after I finished accelerated partial breast irradiation. That was almost 3 months ago and I still must stretch the muscles to feel better. None of my doctors mentioned that it would be a possible side effect or what to do about it. Could that be your issue?
    ~~Connie~~
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #6
    crselby said:

    One other thought? Could
    One other thought? Could the chest wall pain tightmess from radiation? My chest muscles tightened up about a month after I finished accelerated partial breast irradiation. That was almost 3 months ago and I still must stretch the muscles to feel better. None of my doctors mentioned that it would be a possible side effect or what to do about it. Could that be your issue?
    ~~Connie~~

    Chest pain
    Did you have radiation? Sometimes, during or after radiation, you can develop chest inflammation called costrochondritis. It is an inflammmation where the muscles in the chest attach to the cartilege on the sternum. This can be very painful but can be treated. I would suggest having it checked out by your MD or Radiation Oncologist. Feel better and please let us know how you're doing! HUGS!!! Cathy
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #7
    cruf said:

    Chest pain
    Did you have radiation? Sometimes, during or after radiation, you can develop chest inflammation called costrochondritis. It is an inflammmation where the muscles in the chest attach to the cartilege on the sternum. This can be very painful but can be treated. I would suggest having it checked out by your MD or Radiation Oncologist. Feel better and please let us know how you're doing! HUGS!!! Cathy

    could it be gastric reflux?

    could it be gastric reflux?
  • Wolfi
    Wolfi Member Posts: 425
    #8
    crselby said:

    One other thought? Could
    One other thought? Could the chest wall pain tightmess from radiation? My chest muscles tightened up about a month after I finished accelerated partial breast irradiation. That was almost 3 months ago and I still must stretch the muscles to feel better. None of my doctors mentioned that it would be a possible side effect or what to do about it. Could that be your issue?
    ~~Connie~~

    No upper respiratory bug.
    No upper respiratory bug. This only happens at night. Yes, I did have radiation but no one ever told me about chest muscle tightness after radiation (although it makes perfect sense). Both sides are tight not just the side where I had the radiation. I have sleep meds but if I take them I only end up feeling worse when I wake up in the middle of the night (groggy).

    Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll just tough it out until I can get in to see my doctor next week.
  • Tux
    Tux Member Posts: 544
    #9
    I had 33 rad treatments in
    I had 33 rad treatments in the fall. About a week after they ended, I had severe upper abdominal pain-to the extent that I had to go to the ER. in the week that followed I had all kinds of tests, but nothing was found. My onc rad doc said he thought it was "soft tissue damage"--I had no knowledge of this side effect until it happened to me. I missed a week of work, but have recovered OK since.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #10
    Wolfi said:

    No upper respiratory bug.
    No upper respiratory bug. This only happens at night. Yes, I did have radiation but no one ever told me about chest muscle tightness after radiation (although it makes perfect sense). Both sides are tight not just the side where I had the radiation. I have sleep meds but if I take them I only end up feeling worse when I wake up in the middle of the night (groggy).

    Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll just tough it out until I can get in to see my doctor next week.

    I had 35 rad treatments and
    I had 35 rad treatments and a lumpectomy. I didn't, nor do I have any tightness of my chest. Did you have a mastectomy? That might explain the tightness Wolfi. And, I am not on tamox.

    Sue :)
  • Taina
    Taina Member Posts: 166
    #11
    Tamoxifen
    hello, i had night sweets, couldn't sleep....
    i take the pill in the mornings....much better.
  • Wolfi
    Wolfi Member Posts: 425
    #12
    Thanks everyone
    Just wanted to update you.

    I spoke to my doctor on Wednesday and he suggested I try taking the pill in the morning instead of at night right before I went to sleep. Last night I slept the whole night through (for the first time in many weeks). He mentioned esophogus issues that could have cause part of the chest pain. I still have some chest pain (tightness) when I sleep but it doesn't wake me up anymore.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #13
    Tux said:

    I had 33 rad treatments in
    I had 33 rad treatments in the fall. About a week after they ended, I had severe upper abdominal pain-to the extent that I had to go to the ER. in the week that followed I had all kinds of tests, but nothing was found. My onc rad doc said he thought it was "soft tissue damage"--I had no knowledge of this side effect until it happened to me. I missed a week of work, but have recovered OK since.

    I take Tamoxifen in the morning
    Wolfi,
    I have been on Tamoxifen for 9 months. Initially I took it before going to bed and it made my night horrible. Now I am taking it in the morning after breakfast. I do not take anything else with it. This change improved my sleep even I still need to take sleeping pills from time to time. As for chest pain I think it is related to radiation and swelling, however both "swellings" and "chest pain" have listed as side effects of Tamoxifen, which suppose gradually disappear.
    New Flower

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