Hello Sandy and thanks for your post

Some people can be allergic to the coating in the tablet. Speak to your specialist or breast care nurse about this. They can advise about changing to another brand of tamoxifen. Your GP can prescribe a different brand, but sometimes there are cost issues/considerations. However, if a hospital specialist stipulates a particular brand in a prescription, then the GP will usually prescribe it.The pharmacist should also be able to advise you on this.

The organisation Breast Cancer Now has an online forum where patients have discussed this topic. You can see it by clicking here. 

I hope this helps. Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Celene

Hi Celene

Many thanks for getting back to me.  I spoke to the pharmasist and was basically offered two brands milpharm or another one beginning with "G" which I can't remember the name of.  I chose the Milpharm brand as I have read on here that the brand beginning with "G" was making people feel very tearful.  I have been taking the new tablets from Wednesday and have had the most awful headaches and neck pain.  I had none of this with wockhardt, my throat is also very sore.  I will take your advice and ring my breast care nurse tomorrow to see if she can suggest anything.  

Kind regards,

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

I have just googled the wockhardt brand and found this thread. I have just been prescribed 20mg of wockhardt tamoxifen which I haven't had before so was looking it up so it still seems to be around. I have been trying to get accord but pharmacy couldn't get it. I too can't take mylan or relonchem. I've had milpharm in the past but the last few weeks have experienced herendous sweats and flushes low mood and fatigue. I'm really hoping wockhardt will be better . I really hope you managed to get hold of some. I'm in Devon and got mine from a pharmacy in Exmouth xxx

Hi ladies 

I will only take tillomed brand have found these the best with less side effects 

hope you find the brand that suits you 

love Lara ️

Hi how have you been able to only take Tilomed? I have had least side effects with Mylan and Tilomed but the pharmacy have been extremely unhelpful and said they get what they are sent and they can't get anything else. For the last 2 months I have been given Wockhardt and it's been awful. I am at my wits end as the breast care nurses say stick to a brand you get on with but the pharmacists say they get what they are given and can't change it. I am so upset about this. How can I get Mylan or Tilomed which I got on very well with? Also does it mean that the ones that we have more side effects on such as hot flushes / joint pains etc means that they are stronger and having more of an oestragen blocking effect than the ones we don't have much side effects on? Any ideas? 

Snuggles 

I refuse to take the wockhardt brand they are horrendous I was falling asleep all day flushed all the time I won't let those last my lips 

I have been told if you use boots chemist 90 per cent of the time they give you tillomed these are the only ones that will pass my lips 

hope this helps 

how are you ? 

I have read the ingredients on both and they are different , but side effects are crazy on that wockhardt brand I only took for 2 weeks oh my god I was in a state I'd rather be without the tablets than take those no way I will touch them they are horrible 

no the effects on blocking are 100 recent the same the market wouldn't be allowed to have less effect .

Hello and thank you for your post,

Do speak with your breast team and ask them if they can specifically prescribe a different brand of Tamoxifen, I am not sure if they can. The pharmacist may only be able to get brands that are available and these might not be the ones you want.  You could also ask another chemist what brand of tamoxifen they are able to supply their customers, it might be different than your own chemist. 

Because the medication is strictly regulated each brand will have the same amount of the active ingredient Tamoxifen in each tablet, so each brand will have the same level of effectiveness.

Tamoxifen tablets can affect the way some other medicines work and some medicines can have an effect on Tamoxifen tablets. So, do let your doctor know about any other medicines you are being prescribed or you are taking yourself. 

Please remember that you can report any suspected side effects of medicines to the Yellow Card Scheme, you can see this on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency website here 

I hope this has been useful. Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Take care,

Caroline 

Hi Laraj

thanks so much for this info. I went into boots and they said they have a contract with a company that supplies Tilomed brand. I could have kissed the man behind the counter! I have now changed my prescription going to my local pharmacy and will get my tamoxifen from boots now. Wockhardt is the worst brand I've tried to date - joint pains, extremely dry eyes hot flushes etc. can't wait for them to run out and go back on Tilomed brand. Thanks so much for your advice. Apart from the tamoxifen I'm good. Had early breast cancer last June with lumpectomy and radiotherapy and all went well. Tamoxifen since sept. Just keeping fingers crossed my 1st year check up is all ok. I think I'll relax a bit then. Hope you are ok? X

Hi Caroline

ive gone into Boots chemist and they say they usually get Tilomed brand in so I'm going to get my prescription from there from now on. 
thanks for your reply. 
vicky x