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Tamoxifen

OZ
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Hi all,

I hope someone can help me please and throw some light into a matter.  I have just finished chemo therapy as a result of a ER+ HER+ small breast tumor. I am lso on Herceptin now and waiting to start radiotherapy which scares me a lot. 

I have been given Tamoxifen and told to take it every day and I dont know what to expect fro taking it, I was told not to take Evening Primrose oil or Start Flower oils as they interfere with the drug.

I do take Cat's Claw, Cordyceps and Reishi mushroom every day and I was told to stop it also. I am looking into taking so B12, B6, Zinc and Selenium Vitamins but I dont know what inteferes and what doesnt with Tamoxifen.

I still take my mushrooms as I havent read anywhere that they produce estrogen in the body but I am confused and dont know what I can or cannot take.

Does anyone have any reliable source of information as to what can be safe to take in term of supplemets please?

Also any info on what to expect from Tamoxifen is helpful please.

Finally any comments on how to deal with radio therapy will be much appreciated as I am terrified by the idea of it and the side effects sound horrendous. 

Thanks a million.

Olga 

 

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    Hi Olga. I’m on Tamoxifen and had radiotherapy for breast cancer at the end of 2017. 

     

    As far as the radiotherapy goes, make sure start moisturising as soon as you can. Some hospitals will give you cream to put on to try and keep your skin in good condition, some don’t. Mine was in the second category so I used a combination of bio oil and aveeno. I’m milk bottle white and the staff where I went seemed surprised that I had no skin problems at all. Got to admit to being ocd whilst going thro the treatment. The other thing that will help but you’ll be familiar with us to stay hydrated.

    It took me a while to acclimatise to Tamoxifen but have settled down now  

     

     

  • Offline in reply to rileyroo

    Hi Rileyroo,

     

    I am also milk bottle white and I burn easily so I am worried that my skin will crack. All this treatments have got me scared of how my body will react and how I will feel afterwards. The oncologist was talking about breast shrinkage after radio therapy and limited arm movement.

    Thanks for your reassurance. I hope all continues to be well with you

    Olga 

  • Offline in reply to OZ

    Well I’ve not had any loss of arm movement at all. I made sure I did the exercises I was given to do so lost nothing in terms of movement. 

    As for shrinkage, I’ve got the opposite problem, I have a prosthetic on the breast that wasn’t treated to make it look the same size as the one that was, yep, I’m probably two cup sizes bigger on the one that was treated. I completed treatment in October 2017 and it ain’t got smaller!

  • Offline in reply to OZ

     

    Hi Olga,

    The best people to tell you what reacts with your Tamoxifen are your consultant and your breast care nurses. Phone up your breast care nurses and ask. I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 9 years and was told to stop taking Evening Primrose and Star Flower Oils. Make a list of the other alternative therapies that you are taking and ask them to investigate, if they don't already know the answer.

    Tamoxifen has a lot of different side-effects, but not everyone gets them. You are probably just as well not to read them, as you can then persuade yourself that you have a number of them. I took Tamoxifen for a year and, it was quite 'doable'.

    I haven't had radiotherapy, but Rileyroo's advice is one often given to people undergoing radiotherapy.

    I hope that it all goes well for you. Do please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

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