Hi Susie,

I know nothing about Tamoxifen, but I do remember the high publicity campaigns to have it made available on the NHS - basically NICE argued that it was too expensive. I just did a search on Google and stumbled across this article about side effects vs outcomes (which you may already have seen).

www.theguardian.com/.../breast-cancer-drug-study-tamoxifen

Best wishes
Dave

Hi Suziesuze :)

Ive been taking Tamoxifen for the last 3 months and apart from slight weight gain around my middle Ive not experienced any other side effects at all from them...so please dont be put off from taking them...im currently cutting back on my food intake to combat the weight ive got atm but its very doable ....I wish you all the best in whatever you do decide to do,but please dont go into taking the tablets with negative thoughts that you will suffer all of those unpleasant side effects cos you may well find that youre worrying over nothing ok :) 

HI Debbs, I now have the script for Tamoxifen. I know what to expect with the flushes as peri menopaual so not looking forward to that again wearing flip flops and vest tops in summer ! I just remba last year being a night mare to sleep I felt as if i was flushing with embarrasment half of the time.

Weight gain i really hope not as ive lost a stone throu stress and quite like being a nice 14 again and slimmer I am determined not to let that happen.

It still worries me the 10 year thing,  i know its only a pill but still it does have side effects. I hope i am one of the ones who it dont hit full force. I am a gardener and i would hate for my legs and arms to ache all the time as some ladies have reported. Allready have a foot prob and artritus in my one elbow that disables me enough lol. 

any more advice would be apriciated.

Hi! I am exactly your situation. To the T! 
what did you do? I'd love to hear your feedback as all I'm getting is take the drug and I really don't want to. 
I do hope you are well and cancer and tamoxifen free. 
kind regards

stacey 

Hi there ...

I read you said your oncologist was bossy ... well they see lots of patients every day, so what's "normal to them, is a first for us"  I told my surgeon from the start .. gently but firmly .... this is my cancer ... I will take all the facts and statistics... and percentages and weigh them all up, and then decide what is right for me .. he was taken aback, but he was amazing after that .. and we had respect for each other ..

Now to cut a long story short, l asked the % of tamoxifen, that would make a difference... it was a lot lower then I thought .. if I were you, do your homework and find that out .. as I don't want to persuade you either way ... 

I decided to try it ... and see how it goes .. as I was oestrogen positive.... the first month, my emotions were all over the place .. crying at everything, and I'm a pretty tough cookie ... then it settled down, and I managed to stay on it for two years,before the pain and aches were unbearable ... as I have servere bone problems any way ..  and had to stop it, and my aches and pain has eased lots ...

But everyone is different ... I'm one that wants to find out all I can about everything to do with my breast cancer ... but lots can't do that, and are happy to go along with their oncology team ... so all I can say, is find out ..ask questions ... and you decide ... and even if you start , there's no law saying you have to stay on them ... Chrissie x

Just started taking anastrozole and have awful side effects, insomnia, sore mouth,headaches, why am I taking this drug ,dont think I will be continuing  with  it,dont want this for next 10yrs.

Hi there. I was put on anastrozol 4 years ago and experienced awful side effects especially with my ankles and feet swelling and giving me pain. In the end I took myself off them and told my oncologist I wasn't prepared to continue. I was asked to try Tamoxifen and have been taking it ever since. All the side effects I experienced on anastrozol disappeared but unfortunately my hair is a problem on Tamoxifen as it has come back very fine and showing bald patches on top. I had been wearing a wig up until last month and since decided to leave it off and I now wear a headband which helps to disguise my baldness. I still feel safer taking Tamoxifen than leaving it off.