1. < Breast Cancer
Profile picture for newtosc

Reminder to report all adverse reactions to any and all drugs

Posted by newtosc @newtosc, Mar 25 11:14am

I retired from the pharma industry and was prescribed 10mg of Tamoxifen in Nov. Within a month I had serious personality changes, insomnia and brain fog. My ONC was great and told me to get off it - I felt better the next day. Then I tried 5mg for 2 months. Similar reactions but not as bad and I plan to get off it. Now my ONC is suggesting I take 5mg every other day. I look forward to reducing my difficulties. Long story short - I remembered my pharma days - always report your reactions. That is how patients get more info. Here is the Tamox webpage to report. https://www.tevapharm.com/teva-medical-information/report-a-side-effect-form/patient-form/

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

Profile picture for Rubyslippers
Rubyslippers | @triciaot | Mar 25 3:25pm

Good to know! I believe the Tamoxifen manufactured by Dr Reddy’s Lab I received was not the dose as marked (higher), or it was some other drug.
I have been on tamoxifen since 2022. Started at 20 mg, by about 7 months later I was taking 5 mg daily, after trying 10 mg and a drug holiday. As far as I can tell, and I have pretty accurate records, I’d never been given tam from Dr Reddy before last July. I started having intense warm flashes, developing varicose veins in legs, more darker face hair, and more wrinkled upper arm skin. (I have had very little side effects with the 5 mg.) I had been on Dr Reddy’s for about 6 weeks by then. By 8 weeks, I switched back to taking some old 20 mg tablets that I cut. Didn’t know if they were still good, they mark all prescription drugs expired at one year (unless it comes in the original manufacturers bottle). But it was a vacuum sealed bottle, I had left over when I switched.

I then had a regular appointment with my general practitioner, and she said my symptoms were all over the place, and didn’t think I could attribute it to the tamoxifen manufacturer. I didn’t realize until later, that yeah, my symptoms would be all over the place because the dose was disrupted for 2 months and then I was back on my usual dose. I went through changes like taking a high dose, then changes when it went back to 5.

I also discussed this with my brother, a retired general surgeon with emergency and burn specialty. He also dismissed my concern, So I didn’t contact the cancer center - you know, it’s really difficult to get physicians to act on these menopause type symptoms. I will bring it up at my upcoming cancer follow up. But at this point, I told my pharmacy I don’t want Dr Reddy's Lab tamoxifen, and they’ve filled it elsewhere.

I don’t think Teva can do anything about Dr Reddy’s Lab, it looks like Teva actually divested certain drugs - and licenses were sold to Dr Reddy’s and also the manufacturer that makes what I use now, Aurobindo Labs. I also had no trouble with Maine Pharma Labs, but the two major pharmacy chains near me can no longer get tamoxifen from them. They tell me options are difficult right now, and they have to search for where they can get pharmaceuticals every month. Supply chains are a mess. Teva is an Israeli company, Dr Reddy’s Lab and Aurbindo Labs are in India.
But it’s good to know that Teva has a reporting site, maybe I can find similar with the other manufacturers.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for newtosc
newtosc | @newtosc | 4 days ago
In reply to @triciaot "Good to know! I believe the Tamoxifen manufactured by Dr Reddy’s Lab I received was not..." + (show)
Profile picture for Rubyslippers @triciaot

Good to know! I believe the Tamoxifen manufactured by Dr Reddy’s Lab I received was not the dose as marked (higher), or it was some other drug.
I have been on tamoxifen since 2022. Started at 20 mg, by about 7 months later I was taking 5 mg daily, after trying 10 mg and a drug holiday. As far as I can tell, and I have pretty accurate records, I’d never been given tam from Dr Reddy before last July. I started having intense warm flashes, developing varicose veins in legs, more darker face hair, and more wrinkled upper arm skin. (I have had very little side effects with the 5 mg.) I had been on Dr Reddy’s for about 6 weeks by then. By 8 weeks, I switched back to taking some old 20 mg tablets that I cut. Didn’t know if they were still good, they mark all prescription drugs expired at one year (unless it comes in the original manufacturers bottle). But it was a vacuum sealed bottle, I had left over when I switched.

I then had a regular appointment with my general practitioner, and she said my symptoms were all over the place, and didn’t think I could attribute it to the tamoxifen manufacturer. I didn’t realize until later, that yeah, my symptoms would be all over the place because the dose was disrupted for 2 months and then I was back on my usual dose. I went through changes like taking a high dose, then changes when it went back to 5.

I also discussed this with my brother, a retired general surgeon with emergency and burn specialty. He also dismissed my concern, So I didn’t contact the cancer center - you know, it’s really difficult to get physicians to act on these menopause type symptoms. I will bring it up at my upcoming cancer follow up. But at this point, I told my pharmacy I don’t want Dr Reddy's Lab tamoxifen, and they’ve filled it elsewhere.

I don’t think Teva can do anything about Dr Reddy’s Lab, it looks like Teva actually divested certain drugs - and licenses were sold to Dr Reddy’s and also the manufacturer that makes what I use now, Aurobindo Labs. I also had no trouble with Maine Pharma Labs, but the two major pharmacy chains near me can no longer get tamoxifen from them. They tell me options are difficult right now, and they have to search for where they can get pharmaceuticals every month. Supply chains are a mess. Teva is an Israeli company, Dr Reddy’s Lab and Aurbindo Labs are in India.
But it’s good to know that Teva has a reporting site, maybe I can find similar with the other manufacturers.

Jump to this post

@triciaot

Hi - I am not sure about who this Dr. Reddy is but the pharma companies are required to report adverse reactions so if you find other sites, please submit your concerns. The link I posted is working so I assume they are still tracking and other companies my be producing Tamoxifen like drugs as it is off patent.

Please consider doing this for all drugs you and family members are taking. That is how it ends up in publications and the package insert.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.