Tamoxifen & Constipation

Hi @bubszane10. Sorry you’re going through this. It sounds very hard. Have you contacted a colorectal surgeon about the fissure?

I have not had Tamoxifen. When I was constipated after my reconstruction from pain meds, I did drink prune juice mixed with club soda to help. And I used colace and miralax.

Again, sorry you’re going through this. Hope you get some answers and help soon. Hugs.

Susan
Thank you for responding!
Yes finally got an appointment with a Gastro Have been working with an NP & she got me in!

This will probably end up with Some type of surgery as even the prescription cream NP gave me not working.

I’ve been taking Linzess & doing fine for yrs but this drug just shut everything down.
Guessing this happened because of my issue already.

@bubszane10 I’m so sorry to hear of your problem. I take tamoxifen and did not have this issue but I don’t have the gastro problem.

I think our doctors often aren’t clear about how hormone therapy throws the body into a postmenopausal state with all the side effects. Natural menopause is generally gradual starting with a few years of perimenopause preparing the body for the big change. Oncological hormone therapy can be a shock to the body.

The Cleveland Clinic, a source I trust, has an article* about constipation and menopause. “It’s very common in the post-menopausal or peri-menopausal period for a person to develop constipation. Through complex mechanisms, shifts in hormones can worsen constipation.”
Could be that tamoxifen made your situation worse.

I hope you can avoid surgery. Best of wishes as you deal with this!

*Article link:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-really-works-for-your-constipation-after-menopause

Thank you - yes It did - hope can get it fixed ! Cannot believe how painful the burning is from such a big fissure !

Thank you so much, @bubszane10. I go to the Cleveland Clinic link with hope in my soul! My body has been regular for 78 years. Three days after my first 20mg dose of this hopefully protective yet literally gut-wrenching drug, constipation became my daily companion. Metamucil and supplements of Magnesium Oxide and Trifala have been helpful though not totally relieving. Into my third year on Tamoxifen, however, the above three seem to growing useless in treating Tam's drug-induced constipation.

I hear everyone. I just started Anastrozole and the constipation is truly awful.
I already had a constipation problem for years but the AI has taken it to a whole new level.
Prunes and Miralax are my go to's. I am already on Linzess for several years now.
I feel it is quite dangerous...sometimes I feel I am going to have a heart attack while straining to move my bowels. Ugh!!

Tamoxifen might have worsened my chronic constipation. But a lifesaver, literally, for me has been Senokot. Sixty years ago a surgeon cut my sphincter muscle clear into two pieces during surgery for a fistula. Well, I've managed to find other muscles to use but have taken laxative if absolutely necessary. I have gone for 3 weeks without a BM. Constipation was the goal because for me there's no handling of diarrhea other than staying in the bathroom. But in the last year a pharmacist told me to try Senokot. It's over the counter. I took it every third day at first. That has gradually led to once every couple of weeks. I am in seventh heaven. I'm even going without the omeprazole. No more heartburn. I hope you get some help from my experience.

400 mg of magnesium glycinate got me through cancer treatments.
I have also had a lifetime of constipation problems.

I drink organic Dandelion root tea twice a day and it improves my regularity.