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v-ness · 11-17-2014, 08:19 AM

my onco is leaning toward keeping me on tamoxifen for 10 yrs. i went on blood thinners in june because i got a blood clot in my leg on long trains and planes home from italy. so i have to be on coumadin for as long as i am on tamoxifen now. the idea of both for 10 years is a little daunting. but since my only SE is hot flashes, and i've had 5 yrs of those now, what the hell, might as well. i should actually be on AIs since i am 54 and post-menopausal, but i was not AI friendly, terrible side effects from every one. apparently, given the blood clot, i am not terribly tamoxifen friendly either!

my theory about weight gain is this: yes, being overweight contributes to breast cancer and yes, tamoxifen can make you gain weight. so what to do? get your ass to a gym or outside and workout. it does double-duty in making you feel better, lose weight, and decreases the chance of recurrence. a lot of people will say they're too tired to exercise, but it seems to me that the alternative really sucks. and when you get yourself going, you actually pick up more energy and it evolves into a happier, healthier you. so if treatment makes you fat, flip it into something good all round.

11-17-2014, 08:19 AM	#4
v-ness Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: western ma Posts: 280	Re: 10 years of Tamoxifen? my onco is leaning toward keeping me on tamoxifen for 10 yrs. i went on blood thinners in june because i got a blood clot in my leg on long trains and planes home from italy. so i have to be on coumadin for as long as i am on tamoxifen now. the idea of both for 10 years is a little daunting. but since my only SE is hot flashes, and i've had 5 yrs of those now, what the hell, might as well. i should actually be on AIs since i am 54 and post-menopausal, but i was not AI friendly, terrible side effects from every one. apparently, given the blood clot, i am not terribly tamoxifen friendly either! my theory about weight gain is this: yes, being overweight contributes to breast cancer and yes, tamoxifen can make you gain weight. so what to do? get your ass to a gym or outside and workout. it does double-duty in making you feel better, lose weight, and decreases the chance of recurrence. a lot of people will say they're too tired to exercise, but it seems to me that the alternative really sucks. and when you get yourself going, you actually pick up more energy and it evolves into a happier, healthier you. so if treatment makes you fat, flip it into something good all round. __________________ 8/09 - IDC 1.8 cm triple positive, lumpectomy left breast 10/09 began chemo (taxotere & carboplatin) and weekly herceptin. 1/21/10 finished chemo, continued on herceptin every 3 weeks until 10/2010. 2/10 began 7 wks of radiation 6/10 mom dies of primary peritoneal ovarian cancer 8/10 got my last remaining ovary out 10/10 mammogram all clear 3/11 MRI shows 5 'spots' in right breast, largest 1 cm unidentifiable on US needle biopsy proved the largest to be old inflamed cyst -phew! 7/10 switched to Arimidex 8/9 switched to Femara - allergic to arimidex Femara made me lose hair quickly so switched to Aromasin Aromasin made my hair fall out too and the bone pain was too much. back on Tamoxifen 1/2013. blood clot from trains and planes 5/2014 so on coumadin per onco for as long as i am on tamoxifen tamoxifen was supposed to be up with my 5 yrs in may but my boyfriend was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer so i am staying on tamoxifen indefinitely because i want some ammo against BC, given the stress. lost my husband in only 10 wks in 2007 to stage 4 esophageal cancer. cancer's screwing with another man i love 2/2016 - 6yrs in remission, off tamoxifen and off coumadin - yay!