Tamoxifen and skin dryness ??

[Acorn72]

Hello,

I’ve been using Takoxifen for a while. I feel my skin aged so much . Became very crepe, lost elasticity and is sooo dry . Has anyone else experienced that ? What to do ??

[Knapweed]

Hi I am on anastrazole not Tamoxifen for 6 months now - but yes certainly my skin and hair have changed - itchy arms and now allergic to a watch i have worn for a decade or so! I guess i have got used to the effects and go with it as not much choice xxx

[Curbs]

Hi I’ve been on tamoxifen for 8 years now and skin in very dry and my nails are paper thin and ridgey too, I can only suggest tonnes of skin moisturiser, unfortunately it’s just one of the many things we have to put up with sorry 🤦🏼‍♀️ X

[Traveller66]

Totally understand the dry skin challenges- I think the anti- estrogen effects of Tamoxifen are really hard on the skin- I am using a serum and night cream and more moisturizer during the day - feel as if I have aged a lot since I started taking it- also need a lot more body lotion on the rest of me as well- guess it’s another one of those unfortunate side effects

[Cu4281]

If you already haven’t had suggestions of using fish oil tablets, flaxseed oil tablets - talk to your Dr or nutritionist and add these to your diet routine and it can help with the dry skin and eyes.

[Acorn72]

Thank you both! I’m taking fish oil and feel like I’ve tried every moisturizer on the market .. it’s like if I have to bath myself in a moisturizer, and nothing helps - it dries out so quickly on my skin, I reapply and it immediately dries again.

I also started taking supplements containing protein and alpha hydroxy acids, but nothing helps. So frustrating and hard to handle this feeling .

[dulcigirl]

Tamoxifen ages you from the inside out. It makes you old before your time. So all the things that go with aging are sped up. I'm hoping that when I stop taking it, that some of those effects will subside.

[Acorn72]

Few more questions, if anyone can weigh in here :

Are there estrogen receptors on the skin that the Tamoxifen blocks ? Maybe Tamoxifen only limits the reach of estrogen only to the breast but not to the skin ?

Maybe we are wrong about assessing whether Tamoxifen ages us or we are just aging unrelated to Tamoxifen . I really don’t know .

[VStrong]

Yes, my skin is dry too. I've been on Tamoxifen for two years now. Given my age (56), it's hard to tell how much of this is from the Tamoxifen and how much is from general aging and menopause. Aside from moisturizing, I'm afraid that I don't have any suggestions. My bigger complaints are muscle cramps and extreme hot flashes.

[PJBinMI]

My skin is very dry! It was a bit dry before BC but I've developed eczema and am having a very hard time with itching and yucky skin. Before now I've had beautiful skin, probably my best feature! I've seen a dermatologist and now an allergist. Some things to help dry skin: take the shortest showers you possibly can with water as cool as you can stand, soap esp for dry skin (I use Dove in cream form), dry yourself after shower by patting you skin so a bit of water is left on and as quickly as possible get a good moisturizer onto your skin. MY pharmacist recently suggested using an aloe vera gel so I've been rubbing that on right after mildly drying myself. After the gel has had a few minutes to sink in and dry, I use another moisturizing cream that is especially for dry skin. I've also been going off one med at a time for a month to see if I have an allergy to one of them. I'm on alot of meds besides the ones for mbc. Right now I am off Celebrex and several of my joints really ache, joints where I have arthritis, all spots that have been injured. I really want to be able to go back on Celebrex! If anyone here has found a moisturizer that really works well, I'd love to hear about it! I've tried so many.......lol! So far I like Neosporin (sp?) cream. Not their anti bacterial stuff in small tubes, but a larger cream product. Aging sure takes alot out of us! Then add MBC and this covid19 stuff--makes me want my mommy! (who died 45 years ago)