My Masectomy : Am on day 6 of Tamoxifen... - My Breast Cancer ...

My Breast Cancer Community

3,901 membersβ€’1,842 posts

My Masectomy

Sue-E profile image
Sue-E
β€’32 Replies

Am on day 6 of Tamoxifen-have been taking it 7.am. I wake sweating every hour or two till I get up at 6.am. Am going to take today's tablet just before bed-does anyone know if this will help please?

Written by
Sue-E profile image
Sue-E
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
32 Replies
β€’
Ali52 profile image
Ali52

Hi there, I've been on Tamoxifen for nearly five years. It took me 7 months for my body to ' get used' to it. I started taking it in the morning like you, but switched to night just before bed and found it a lot better. I do get sweats at night. Flushes during the day and terrible cramps in feet and legs, but I am so used to all that now it's just a part of life! Good luck, hope your body acclimatises soon

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toAli52

Thanks Ali that's very helpful. I'm only in the 1st week and moaning already! Lol will get used to it 😁X

Abcdefghijkl60 profile image
Abcdefghijkl60β€’ in reply toSue-E

I think we all are aloud to moan like mad πŸ˜€

Sandradawn123 profile image
Sandradawn123

I have been in Tamoxifen for 2 years and take it around 7 in the morning as taking it at night caused too many night sweats, I found I could cope better throughout the day with the sweats good luck and best wishes

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toSandradawn123

Thanks Sandra x

Susan8574 profile image
Susan8574

I take mine at bed time, and get a few hot flushes on the evening, I also take venaflaxine to combat the hot flushes , which has been a god send .

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toSusan8574

Thanks Susan-what is venaflaxine? Is it on prescription?x

Abcdefghijkl60 profile image
Abcdefghijkl60β€’ in reply toSue-E

Hello did you find out what venaflaxin is I'm intrested !

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toAbcdefghijkl60

Yes it's an anti depressant sometimes helps with hot flushes according to Google!x

Susan8574 profile image
Susan8574β€’ in reply toSue-E

It's an antidepressant , a low dose 37.5

There Are a few that are listened , but gps never tell u about them, makes a massive difference

Nixh profile image
Nixh

Hi Sue, I found the sweats and hot flushes worse in the first couple of weeks, am about 6 weeks down the line and take my tablet about 9pm now as that seems the most manageable for me. I get a few sweats in the night but they aren't as many or as intense and can cope a bit better with them 😊

I moved my taking time forward an hour or two until I found what worked for me. Some people have half in the morning and half at night haven't tried that though...

Good luck try to think about what good it's doing.

Every hot flush is a force field lol!

Nix X

Sue-E profile image
Sue-E

Think I will copy you Nix-I know its doing its job just don't think I will handle work well on very little sleep,my job with racehorses is very physical,early start and late finish! I will be so grumpy! Lol X

Nixh profile image
Nixhβ€’ in reply toSue-E

Poor you, it does get better, I'm still tired, but think its the whole bc thing rather than just the tamoxifen sleep depravation, the more exercise I do the better I am though, so just keep going and maybe it'll even out. 10 mins just shutting my eyes mid afternoon works as a freshener too x

Abcdefghijkl60 profile image
Abcdefghijkl60β€’ in reply toSue-E

Hi sue I used to be late to bed ! When starting tomoxfin , bed early ,wake so many times flushes I have a cleaning bussiness very physical !the summer want to not work as get so hot ! πŸ˜”

nikonBlue profile image
nikonBlue

hi Sue,

Oh how I can relate!! I'm 3 and a bit months in with Tamoxifen and am sorry to say that for me the 'power surges' are relentless. 24/7. So much so that when I saw my oncologist last week, she is putting me on something to combat the flushes, which as you'll know leave me totally exhausted. Not to mention having to change clothes sometime 3 times a day ...there's now washing on EVERY day!!!

Sorry, I can't give you glad tidings. I'd hoped it would settle down but....

I take my tablet at teatime half way through eating as I feel it will prevent having any more 'tummy' issues as I did at the beginning.

It's been suggested to me that I 'half' the tablet and take have with breakfast and the other half at teatime so as not to bombard the body with the dose all at once. Am going to ask my doc if it's ok to do that and maybe, just maybe that will help!

Take care and I really hope that for you, it settles down. Guess I've just been unlucky that the side effects are brutal. :-(

Blue x

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply tonikonBlue

Poor you! This has helped put my discomfort into perspective! Thanks for your post😊X

Artemis-angel profile image
Artemis-angel

I took tamoxifen for nearly 5 years, I used to take mine about 6pm in the evening.

I did get night sweats but I found this the best time to take the tablet.

I also found symptoms tend to come and go so perserve if you can

blue_sky1 profile image
blue_sky1

Tamoxifen definitely does have these side effects and although they were worse to begin with, for me, they have never gone away. I find light daily exercise very helpful, keep the alcohol intake on the low side and try not to load up on the stress (easier said than done I know).

Mell profile image
Mell

Hi Sue I started tamoxifen mid December 2015 and have always taken it between 9-10pm. I was ok for about a month then started waking at 2am sweating but also it was just as I was finishing my radio so the heat would come out at night like sunburn does. It didn't happen every night perhaps 3-4 times a week but now seems to have settled - I hope! But what I did do was swop my duvet for a 4.5 summer duvet and still sleep in just knickers and a vest tee (even when it's freezing outside) and this seems to work for me. Good luck let us know how it goes x

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toMell

Thanks Mell am doing same as you duvet/no jamas &window open.x

Abcdefghijkl60 profile image
Abcdefghijkl60

Hello I'm going to be honest ! Tryed that, it diddnt work for me , may do for you though ,i have done five years on it have got used to the sweats , not saying I enjoy them ! Good luck ....Kate

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toAbcdefghijkl60

Honesty is good! Thanks x

Eileen2014 profile image
Eileen2014

Hi I take mine at 9pm the hot flushes calm down over time. I find some things trigger them like the obvious coffee. But a year on it can still wake up in a puddle of sweat. It helps if I avoid a hot drink before bed. It gets easier

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toEileen2014

Oops-every time I wake up I have a cup of tea!πŸ˜•

nikonBlue profile image
nikonBlue

Lordy ladies......just not fair is it?

I counted how many 'power surges' I had in a 24hr period.......and it was 31!! Yes from 5am till around 9pm. I never get more than about 3hrs sleep at any one time as they actually wake me up and on goes the fan. I too sleep in a vest tshirt n pants and thankfully am alone (a poor man would freeze with the fan on most of the night )

I'd hoped for some kind of 'getting used to it' but it's worse now than when i started. Oddly enough, the oncologist I saw last week has suggested taking me OFF ...which sent me into a bit of a panic i must say as i've always been told i'd be on it for 10 years! No wonder we are all stressed eh?

Am now off to photograph a new baby (my great-grandaughter)!! :-)

now thats the most positive thing ever!!

Blue :-) x

Mac99 profile image
Mac99

Hi, I am like you, early on, only started 10 days ago. I take it at 9 every night. I am constantly freezing unless I am having hot flushes or night sweats which are frequent. I also have had a couple of nights of severe pelvic pain around ovaries. I am also like a teenager with mood swings and tearfulness which again is not like me. Think I might end up taking venaflexin for the flushed if it does not settle down

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toMac99

That sounds horrible-were you this way from start of Tamoxifen or has it got worse during the 10 days? X

Jayne1964 profile image
Jayne1964

Hi I have been taking it for the last 13 months and tried every way which, so now I take it first thing in a morn so I don't forget it, I still get hot flushes and joint pain. anti depressants have been offered to me but I am just going to keep trying without them,

Sue-E profile image
Sue-Eβ€’ in reply toJayne1964

Yes Jayne-will try do without antidepressants if I can,you're doing well,13mths of it,well done you!x

I've been taking tamoxifen since start of year.I was advised to take them at night and so far only having few flashes but getting bad leg cramps

Mac99 profile image
Mac99

Was having the flushes and sweats since chemo, has worsened, and hoping that it will settle down over the next few weeks. Sailed through chemo, surgery and radio so think this will be my biggest challenge. Hip pain today, hopefully unrelated.

Sabrina4 profile image
Sabrina4

I Always took my Tamoxifen at night. It worked better for me. Now I'm on Arimidex and doing the same. Drink lots of water and walk daily. That has helped me with side effects.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

My Masectomy

Just like to say that 3mths on after my operation,I haven't felt as well as I do now,for years! I...
Sue-E profile image
β€’

My Masectomy

Had my right breast and some lymph nodes removed 15th Feb,day surgery. I feel fantastic,pain free...
Sue-E profile image
β€’

My Masectomy

Got my post-op results yesterday.All 4 lymph glands removed tested clear and the cancer was totally...
Sue-E profile image
β€’

My masectomy

Saw my scar for 1st time today! Had my op Monday 15th February-the nurse said it's healing well.
Sue-E profile image
β€’

Reconstructive surgery vs masectomy

I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in Feb 2016. I'm 52. I had a mastectomy, 6 chemo...
Patrenee profile image
β€’

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.