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Tamoxifen side effects

Star42
  • 1 reply
  • 37 subscribers
  • 172 views

Hi,

I wanted a little advice about dealing with the side effects of tamoxifen.

I have been taken it for nearly 9 months now, most of time I feel fine but the mood swings/short temper when I’m due on my period is getting me down a little and feel like my family get the brunt of it. I also take meds for an underactive thyroid and wondered adds to the effect.

Any advise of how to deal with this would be appreciated.

Thanks

  • Hi Star42

    Thanks for getting in touch.

    My name is Gemma, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    Sorry to read that you have been having difficulties with taking tamoxifen.

    Mood swings can be a side effect of tamoxifen.

    Depression, sadness, frustration, irritation, and anger are the most common emotions linked to mood swings. When hormonal changes in your body affect the chemistry of your brain it can lead to these emotional changes.

    These can feel very difficult to manage, There is a really useful video from the Royal Marsden about the side effects of Tamoxifen.

    Try and speak to your clinical team they can often put you on a short break from the drug or sometimes changing the manufacturer can ease side effects.

    Your breast cancer nurse specialists may also be able to suggest some more holistic approaches including massage or other touch therapies.

    Also, our online forums are a brilliant resource to be able to speak to other women on this drug and see how they are managing their symptoms and side effects.

    Underactive thyroid symptoms can cause side effects such as depression and change in mood, check with your GP surgery to see if you need to have your thyroid levels checked.

     

    I hope that this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch again. Sometimes it can be good to talk through what’s happening. If you think it would help you can call us free on 0808 808 0000. Our line is open every day 8am-8pm. You can also contact us by email or Webchat and we aim to reply to your email within two working days.

     

    Kind Regards

     

    Gemma

    Macmillan Specialist Cancer Nurse

    Ref-GeS/DS

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