Hi,

Firstly I'm sorry to hear your going through a tough time at the moment.

I just wondered if these effects have been since starting Tamoxifen as you say you only had a mastectomy a month ago which isn't that long ago so could some of these effects be down to this, your body has gone through such a shock so it will take time.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last Feb underwent a mastectomy (left side) 6 rounds of chemo and 15 sessions of radiotherapy and this Feb had my first reconstruction surgery it's been a tough time but light at the end of the tunnel. 

Ive been taking Tamoxifen for a few months now and don't seem to have much trouble, yes to hot flushes,  memory not wonderful but better than when I was having chemo.

Please don't stress get to know when your body needs you to rest but it's also important to have a little excercise too and don't expect too much too soon it's only been a month so it's early days!

Sorry I can't advise anything else that may help, others on here may have some advice.

Have a chat with your Oncologist regarding your concerns they should be able to help.

wishing you all the best 

Chris 

Hi Necie,

I am sorry to hear that you have been having some repercussions from taking Tamoxifen. I had a lumpectomy in 2010 and took Tamoxifen for a year after that. I had all the affects you mention plus more besides. I was diagnosed with a second primary almost a year to the day after I was first diagnosed. At this stage I had a double mastectomy and changed over to Letrozole instead of Tamoxifen, because it obviously hadn’t worked for me. The only problem with Letrozole is that I had the same side effects. I just stopped taking hormone therapy last month. I am now six years into my cancer journey and stayed on the Letrozole for five years as well as the first year on Tamoxifen. Like you, I was fortunate enough not to have radiotherapy or chemo, but I am hoping that by taking Hormone treatment for an additional year, I can keep the cancer away for longer.

I would discuss your problems with your oncologist and see what s/he suggests. I am not against alternative therapies where they work, in fact I have used them myself for years. Don’t try these without consulting with your specialist first. Some alternative therapies can react with allopathic medicine, so better to be guided by the doctors. My cancer team added additional medication to my list to combat night sweats, pain and swelling. I have felt totally exhausted for six years and am only now feeling a little better in that respect. I could fall asleep anywhere which was most unlike me.

I hope that you can get this all sorted with your oncologist’s help. We are always here if you want to report on your progress or need a little support.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx