gonna do the tamoxefin

lookrider
lookrider Member Posts: 10
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Well praise God, I was able to avoid the chemo (big relief) but will go on tamoxefin. How long before I will experience any of the side effects? I have only taken it for three days but I keep waiting for the hot flashes and what ever else is going to happen. Also got my last fill yesterday and man oh man did that one hurt. Surgery to get these rocks out of my chest will be around Thanksgiving and then I will have my 'real' fake boobs. After the bilat. mastectomy followed by an axillary node dissection I am ready to be done with it. Not that any of us are ever really done; how can we be after something that is life changing???

What is everyone's experience as to taking the tamoxefin at night or in the morning?
Nancy

Comments

  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #2
    I have been on Tamoxifen for
    I have been on Tamoxifen for 5 weeks tomorrow. I started noticing hot flashes at about 3 weeks I am moody feeling and kinda irritable. The hot flashes have not been to bad, not yet any way. I did have some on chemo that were worse. I am taking mine of a morning. I had read on here that some women would wake up with hot flashes at night if they took it at night. So far so good I don't like the irritable and moody feelings or the hot flashes but I can tolerate them if thats what I need to do! We have to right! God Bless
    (((Hugs))) Janice
  • b7pima
    b7pima Member Posts: 16
    #3
    I have been on Tomaxifen for
    I have been on Tomaxifen for three months and am moody, can't sleep, can't eat and have flashes day and night. I take one in the A.M. and one in the P.M.
  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #4
    b7pima said:

    I have been on Tomaxifen for
    I have been on Tomaxifen for three months and am moody, can't sleep, can't eat and have flashes day and night. I take one in the A.M. and one in the P.M.

    Hey b7pima
    I have had some sleep problems too. I did not even think about the Tamoxifen, I should have but didn't. I bet thats it. God Bless
    (((Hugs)))Janice
  • Miss Murphy
    Miss Murphy Member Posts: 302
    #5
    Boppy_of_6 said:

    Hey b7pima
    I have had some sleep problems too. I did not even think about the Tamoxifen, I should have but didn't. I bet thats it. God Bless
    (((Hugs)))Janice

    Finally Hit Me
    It finally hit me that for me, being on Tamoxifen is like having PMS 24/7! I'm moody irritable, don't sleep well and have hot flashes (mostly at night and I take it at night as I'd rather have them then than break out in a sweat and turn red during the day). And I've been on it a year.

    I think we all just have to hang in there. Hugs, Sally
  • lookrider
    lookrider Member Posts: 10
    #6
    Miss Murphy said:

    Finally Hit Me
    It finally hit me that for me, being on Tamoxifen is like having PMS 24/7! I'm moody irritable, don't sleep well and have hot flashes (mostly at night and I take it at night as I'd rather have them then than break out in a sweat and turn red during the day). And I've been on it a year.

    I think we all just have to hang in there. Hugs, Sally

    did you see the episode of
    everybody loves Raymond when his wife was PMSing? Raymond goes out and buys her some medicine and tries to get her to take it but she is moody, irritable, you know, all the signs and symptoms. Raymond is like well, just take it, it will help. And then Debra says, What Raymond, what does it help with, will it help with me being bitchy?" Then Raymond fumbles around, starts to read the label and can't find bitchy as one of the symptoms that it will relieve and he says..."I guess you need a prescription for bitchy."

    The doc gave me a script for depression, one to fall asleep, one for this, one for that......i have gone from not even a multivitamin taker to a cancer junkie.
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #7
    lookrider said:

    did you see the episode of
    everybody loves Raymond when his wife was PMSing? Raymond goes out and buys her some medicine and tries to get her to take it but she is moody, irritable, you know, all the signs and symptoms. Raymond is like well, just take it, it will help. And then Debra says, What Raymond, what does it help with, will it help with me being bitchy?" Then Raymond fumbles around, starts to read the label and can't find bitchy as one of the symptoms that it will relieve and he says..."I guess you need a prescription for bitchy."

    The doc gave me a script for depression, one to fall asleep, one for this, one for that......i have gone from not even a multivitamin taker to a cancer junkie.

    tamoxifen
    I've been on tamoxifen for about 6 months. I was also afraid of side-effects and was not looking forward to hot flashes. So ... I thought I had a brilliant idea ... and asked the oncologist to write a prescription for 10mg pills ... (instead of the usual 20mg) ... and I would take one in the AM and one at night. Well ... for whatever reason ... I haven't had ANY side-effects. (knock on wood ... that it stays that way)

    hugs.
    teena
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #8
    Hi Nancy
    Ive been on
    Hi Nancy
    Ive been on tamoxifen for about 4-5 months now. my syptoms started about a month into it. I have insomnia, hot flashes during the day and nite and sometimes moody. Oh ya i take mine in the morning.

    Im so glad you got to avoid doing chemo...thats great to hear!
  • sal314
    sal314 Member Posts: 599 Member
    #9
    Hi Nancy
    I just finished my 5 years of Tamoxifen on Aug. 31st. It took about 6 weeks until I started feeling the side effects like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings. It was hard to deal with for the next several months, but then leveled off and was easier to live with. Though I will tell you, my mood was drastically altered and I went on an anti-depressant. It is quite common to do that and certain anti-depressants help with the hot flashes...so says my onocologist. :)

    Anyway...I took the standard 20mg. per day. I know you can get the doseage in either 10mg. pills or 20 mg. pills. I took 2 10mg. pills a day. One in the morning and one before bed. I didn't start out that way...at first I took both in the morning. It was MUCH better after I switched to morning and evening. Not such a jolt to the system. And...I think it stays in the bloodstream more consistently when you break it up.

    Hope this is of some help?! Good luck!:)

    Blessings,

    Sally
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #10
    sal314 said:

    Hi Nancy
    I just finished my 5 years of Tamoxifen on Aug. 31st. It took about 6 weeks until I started feeling the side effects like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings. It was hard to deal with for the next several months, but then leveled off and was easier to live with. Though I will tell you, my mood was drastically altered and I went on an anti-depressant. It is quite common to do that and certain anti-depressants help with the hot flashes...so says my onocologist. :)

    Anyway...I took the standard 20mg. per day. I know you can get the doseage in either 10mg. pills or 20 mg. pills. I took 2 10mg. pills a day. One in the morning and one before bed. I didn't start out that way...at first I took both in the morning. It was MUCH better after I switched to morning and evening. Not such a jolt to the system. And...I think it stays in the bloodstream more consistently when you break it up.

    Hope this is of some help?! Good luck!:)

    Blessings,

    Sally

    I take 20 mg at night. it
    I take 20 mg at night. tamoxifen it made me nauseated in the morning so I take it at night and sleep through it. I have hot flashes at night. and noticed a slight change in mood, but that was it. I want to take it once per day as I might forget. I dont think its that bad. I thought I would be crazy but I've had worse PMS. I also take a small dose of antidepressant, so that may be why. My onc told me it has a long half life meaning it stays in your system for a long time. so I dont think there makes a difference in taking it once or twice a day, except it may help with side effects. He seemed alittle anoyed when I told him it made me nauseated, i guess he is sick of hearing about nausea? anyway that seems to be my big issue the digestive system. anyway I was realy anxious and it's ok so far been on it since may
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #11
    Boppy_of_6 said:

    I have been on Tamoxifen for
    I have been on Tamoxifen for 5 weeks tomorrow. I started noticing hot flashes at about 3 weeks I am moody feeling and kinda irritable. The hot flashes have not been to bad, not yet any way. I did have some on chemo that were worse. I am taking mine of a morning. I had read on here that some women would wake up with hot flashes at night if they took it at night. So far so good I don't like the irritable and moody feelings or the hot flashes but I can tolerate them if thats what I need to do! We have to right! God Bless
    (((Hugs))) Janice

    I haven't taken tamox yet,
    I haven't taken tamox yet, but, want to wish you good luck!
  • Giant Poodles
    Giant Poodles Member Posts: 79
    #12
    carkris said:

    I take 20 mg at night. it
    I take 20 mg at night. tamoxifen it made me nauseated in the morning so I take it at night and sleep through it. I have hot flashes at night. and noticed a slight change in mood, but that was it. I want to take it once per day as I might forget. I dont think its that bad. I thought I would be crazy but I've had worse PMS. I also take a small dose of antidepressant, so that may be why. My onc told me it has a long half life meaning it stays in your system for a long time. so I dont think there makes a difference in taking it once or twice a day, except it may help with side effects. He seemed alittle anoyed when I told him it made me nauseated, i guess he is sick of hearing about nausea? anyway that seems to be my big issue the digestive system. anyway I was realy anxious and it's ok so far been on it since may

    I take 20mg in the morning
    I have been on tamoxifen almost 2 months. I take my in the morning. My hot flashes are better than on chemo. They are not that bad right now. In the last week I have noticed it takes me longer to get to sleep and I wake up earlier in the morning, but again not too bad.
    Rhonda
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #13
    Miss Murphy said:

    Finally Hit Me
    It finally hit me that for me, being on Tamoxifen is like having PMS 24/7! I'm moody irritable, don't sleep well and have hot flashes (mostly at night and I take it at night as I'd rather have them then than break out in a sweat and turn red during the day). And I've been on it a year.

    I think we all just have to hang in there. Hugs, Sally

    I am also on Tamoxifen, ( 3
    I am also on Tamoxifen, ( 3 months) and have had no major SE's. I started out taking them at night, and did have horrible hot flashes. TraciInLA had the same problem, and started taking them in the morning to lessen the effect. I did the same, and am pretty much not bothered by the hot flashes anymore at all! I think it has something to do with being up, awake and being able to mitigate any flash easier than waking up in a heat-filled, damp bedsheet! I must say that for me, switching to mornings has made all the difference in the world! It has also helped me sleep better~ hot flashes in the middle of the night are a definite sleep interuppter! Which would of course contribute to moodiness, and a host of other unpleasant SE's!

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • jillnog
    jillnog Member Posts: 2
    #14
    Hi Nancy,
    Wow, no chemo!
    Hi Nancy,
    Wow, no chemo! That's great news.
    I've been on tamoxifen for four years now. I started out taking it in the morning, but the nausea was terrible. So now I take it at night so I can sleep through it. My doctor gave me anti-nausea medication to use when I really need it, so I take that with the tamox when necessary. By morning I'm usually feeling pretty good.
    For me, the side effects from tamoxifen were by far the worst during the first year. I think my body adjusted somewhat to the tamox after that. So hang in there! Sounds like the worst is behind you.
    Big hugs to you :)
    Jill
    www.anewshadeofpink.wordpress.com

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