Tamoxifen and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Sil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 21, 2015

For Breast Cancer "I have male breast cancer. I do find it uncomfortable to only read about ladies' issues, but understandable. I have found that I feel depressed and have mood swings for sure. Upset tummy is common, so try to keep hydrated. I seem to get lethargic and tired around 3-5 pm, but I take my medication just before bed, 10-11 pm. I may consider changing this. Given the alternatives and worrying how my family would cope without me as the breadwinner makes the decision to continue to take it an easy one. I am not going to give in to it. I'm 59 and lost my brother to it aged 39. I played my first 70-minute game of tennis today in 14 months and really found it made a difference. So maybe keeping fit is one way of fighting back."

• Sil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 21, 2015

For Breast Cancer "I have male breast cancer. I do find it uncomfortable to only read about ladies' issues, but understandable. I have found that I feel depressed and have mood swings for sure. Upset tummy is common, so try to keep hydrated. I seem to get lethargic and tired around 3-5 pm, but I take my medication just before bed, 10-11 pm. I may consider changing this. Given the alternatives and worrying how my family would cope without me as the breadwinner makes the decision to continue to take it an easy one. I am not going to give in to it. I'm 59 and lost my brother to it aged 39. I played my first 70-minute game of tennis today in 14 months and really found it made a difference. So maybe keeping fit is one way of fighting back."

• tlc...
• September 1, 2010

For Breast Cancer "Though this medicine may give you a chance at living longer, the mood swings are massive. I feel depressed and have no energy. I am always nauseous. Everything hurts. My sex drive is basically gone, and my periods are slight if not altogether absent. I have shrunk inside a bit, so now sex is painful. I have hot flashes that keep me awake at night and make me very unhappy during the day."

• Hal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2017

For Breast Cancer "62 year old white female. Stage 2. Tumor and some lymph nodes removed in February 2015. I have been on Tamoxifen for 6 days and now the side effects are draining me. Extreme tiredness, itching skin, headaches, arm and leg pain with numbness, dizziness, and hot flashes. I am having a war with myself about medications and alternative medicine. I was extremely ill with Arimidex, suffering from stomach pains radiating to my back. The unconcern of my oncologist set me off to find alternative methods. I found an excellent alternative medicine doctor, and we started cleaning out the estrogen from my liver, kidneys, etc., but I am having a problem eliminating body fat. My breast surgeon scared me into taking Tamoxifen. The alternative doctor says there are always other things you can do. I'm torn."

• mer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 8, 2012

For Breast Cancer "Going on month two now... It made me very tired (loss of vitality), but it is much better now, had constipation but increased my fiber, water, and exercise - all is well as long as I do this, joint pain in my hips but is better with exercise, nausea - I had a little when I started, it got better, and now it is back and worse - I have started taking Pepto-Bismol, and it has helped - you can try mint (candy, gum), anxiety - happens occasionally but so far tolerable. It is always best to speak to your health professional before trying the above."

• cma...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 30, 2013

For Breast Cancer, Prevention "I have been on Tamoxifen for a year now. In the beginning, I was very depressed, had night sweats, hot flashes, and severe sweating. My doctor gave me Paxil for the hot flashes and depression. It has helped with my depression, but it's still hot, hot, hot! I keep thinking I want to get off of it because it makes me yawn a lot, whether I'm tired or not, but my mood is so much better. I'm afraid I will start feeling bad again."

• Rox...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2022

For Breast Cancer, Prevention "I took 25 mg a day for stage 1 breast cancer. I felt exhausted most of the time. I didn't know it was messing with my hormones and giving me osteoporosis. I stepped up on the sidewalk and my leg broke in two places. The breaks left me with a drop foot. That happened 7 years ago, and I only took tamoxifen for 5 months. I never took it again, and I'm cancer-free without it."

• Jmh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 26, 2023

For Breast Cancer "I started tamoxifen one year ago. For the first four months, I had not one side effect, but then I slowly started getting side effects. I was severely depressed, angry, and agitated, had hair loss, sweats, chills, insomnia, tiredness, aches and pains in my ankles and knees, pins and needles, and cramps, and the worst is the UTI, but when you have tested, it’s negative. I just get the side effects of UTIs, so can’t have any medicine as there is no infection, hmmm. It’s easy to take. I’m on 20 mg daily for 10 years as I’ve had invasive lobular breast cancer and had some lymph nodes removed as well. The only good thing with this drug is I haven’t had a period in five months or any period cramps. I’m 52 years old and was not menopausal, but I’ve found different brands give different side effects, and trying to get the brand you prefer is much harder than people think. This is a potent drug that is doing at the minute what it’s supposed to do, so I will carry on taking it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2021

For Breast Cancer, Metastatic "I take tamoxifen for bone mets. I take 10 mg tamoxifen at the same time as 10 mg of melatonin and 125 mg of vitamin E succinate. I also juice veggies, eat vegan, and take supplements. The side effects I have experienced are lighter periods and moods (my PMS is gone); mild, sporadic itching across my whole body; bone and achiness; tiredness. I’m hoping the tamoxifen will help to fill in the holes the cancer has left in my bones (I have heard reports of this happening)."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2018

For Breast Cancer "I have been on this drug for one year. Have pain, weight gain, lack of sleep, tiredness, but I am alive. I think it gets easier as time passes. I try to remain positive."