Taking a Lower Dose of Tamoxifen?

@raebaby I feel the same as you , I don’t want to take my anastrazole if it isn’t working. Unfortunately, for me when I asked my oncologist‘how do you know it is working, when you do not even have a baseline of my estrogen level’ His reply was We Just Take It For Granted. This is not the answer a doctor should give a patient. At least not in my book. I changed oncologists, took a blood test for estrogen and also a saliva test. Both tests showed that my estrogen is low ,,, so I guess therefore it is working. My new oncologist did explain things to me , so that was helpful. We have to stand up for ourselves. Glad you gave good drs.

So, you are taking your anastrozole? My oncologist said i didn't have to, it's just recommended. I went through a lot of mental unhappiness during menopause and i don't want to go through anything like that again. If I also physically feel bad, at the age of 80 with the anti-hormones what do a few more years of living badly, matter? As it is, I'm happy. I look outside at the oak trees, enjoy my family and friends and I feel lucky to be alive.

Sequola
What the oncologist said after tests done? Stop medication for a while ?
How long you had taken med.before oncologist recommend blood and saliva text. Thank you

Thank you for valuable info
Will bring to oncologist

I did the same. Seems doctors just love to push meds because its their job to do so and a liability if they dont. I wont take tamoxifen. Im 52 and turning 53 in may. Im going to let my body go into menopause naturally and then I will decide from there. I've been dealing with the same small under 1 cm tumor since 2005 it never progressed into my lymph nodes nor my other breast so because I'm one who thinks outside of the box, i chose not to do a thing. If it was to get me or progress it would have done so by now. And I asked the doctor if I should take tamoxifen and he said if you were my wife I would tell you too and I was like ummmm no ty.

Talk to my surgeon today, asking for possibility to change oncologist, because he isn’t responding. I don’t know how can I switch. At the same time, I keep digging for answers to my questions about quantity of the med, it interaction with other med, immunotherapy and target therapy based on the past and ongoing trials
When I get to my oncologist will try to bring to his attention all of this .
It is many around so call private “ORG” offering cancer treatment by private oncologist
Either it’s scam, or money laundering.GOT LOST !

What kind of insurance do you have? My husband with Parkinson's was able to switch to a specialist when we found his neurologist to be a hateful man who enjoyed making my husband feel worthless and me cry. Just keep pushing for what you want. An example of not knowing one has to keep at it, my brother is autistic. I went with him to SSI to get disability for him. We were turned down. Years later through a support organization i learned they almost always turn down an applicant the first time, so I went back to fight for him again. This time he got it and he got a check for $30,000 back to the first time he applied.

@raebaby good for you! Unfortunately we do have to advocate for ourselves. It took me over a month just to change oncologists. They never returned my calls letting me know they f things were ok and I could get an appointment w/ the other oncologist. I ended up having to call the patient advocate person snd then all fell into place. It is a shame we have to do that. I wonder if the doctors actually KNOW what is going on. Took me over a month to finally have the new oncologist’s office call me to make an appointment. Just keep fighting for what we need/want. Stay strong!

Hi @raebaby ! After 2 years of taking Anastrozole, I’m having side effects that are affecting my life and enjoyment. It started w/ my groin & hip. I thought it was my shoes. Got new shoes. Didn’t get better. Went to physical therapy & that helped some. (Thinking stretching & movement). Then my back started acting up worse than normal. Muscle spasms since end of August & a month ago my feet are so sore I walk like I’m crippled. I was going to say an old lady, but I am only 68 & older ladies & men probably walk better than me. Getting in and out of car is difficult. After I’m up snd walking a bit, it gets better. I do walk 2+ miles a day. Some days I miss. Thank God I can walk, as it really helps me physically AND mentally. All this to say that I’m finally admitting that this Anastrozole is affecting me! 💡.
I had mastectomy 2 years ago. No rad & no chemo. It was very small, but 15 yrs ago I had DCIS in left breast and w/ that history , surgery was better choice. What surgery did you have. I ask as I’m thinking of stopping Anastrozole for my Quality of life in the here & now. Raebaby, thank you for your comment.

I had a lumpectomy. Yesterday I saw the radiologist for my 6 week check up after ending radiation. She convinced me to try the Raloxifene. I came home and took half of the dosage. I'm going to see how that goes.
I talked to a friend who has the same oncologist as me. She had breast cancer and a lumpectomy 5 years ago. She took Tamoxifen as prescribed. She said it made her feel awful. She took it for 3 years and then told our doctor that she couldn't stand it any longer and was quitting it. He said okay, and that it actually only helped around 2% more in having the cancer not come back. Your situation sounds awful and I hope stopping Anastrozole helps.