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← Return to Tamoxifen and mental health
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I've been taking Tamoxifen for 3 months (I am pre-menopausal). I found that some of the side effects that I started feeling in the first couple of weeks have subsided - such as feeling extra emotional all of the time and reduced libido. I haven't really had hot flashes yet, but I do get night sweats more often than before I started the meds. While of course some people chose not to take Tamoxifen because it can be rough, there are others in some support groups who have said they wish they had because their cancer came back metastasized.
Replies to "I've been taking Tamoxifen for 3 months (I am pre-menopausal). I found that some of the..."
Hi! May I ask your age? I am 46 and will be starting tamoxifen in a few weeks. Did you get any migraines or vaginal dryness with this med? Nausea? I am a bit nervous to start it, but not terribly as my oncologist said if I can’t handle the 20MG tablet she is willing to adjust the Dosage for me. Also what stage was your breast cancer? Mine was DCIS. had lumpectomy plus radiation.
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There are some up sides to tamoxifen, if I’m reading the research correctly. It is protective of the myelin sheath on nerves. It is cardio protective. It has properties that change some fat into brown fat which is better. It can help protect the bone you have. It is a mild systemic anti-fungal.
At my age, 70, tamoxifen is acting as an estrogen agonist and has reversed my genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Maybe someday they’ll figure out that they need to add progestin to protect against uterine cancer.
If I were younger, I would take the risk and put the tiniest amount of estradiol .01% on my clitoris only to improve blood flow and libido.