Unregistered

Suicidal on Tamoxifen...... my girlfriend was diagnosed with stage 2- estrogen receptor postve breast cancer last summer at the age of 44. After 2 surgeries (they didn't clear the margins the first time), she went through several months of chemo followed by several weeks of radiation, and is now being prescribed 20 mg. tamoxifen daily. The drug is sending her screaming in to menopause. She can't sleep, can't think, wants to die, has panic attacks where her whole body shakes uncontrollably, cries all the time, has no energy, body aches, and is now saying she is going to take a vacation from life and get on a plane and go somewhere by herself. After arguing with the doctors, they finally agreed to cut the tamoxifen to 10 mg. and titrate up once she is stable, but she seems to be wors on 10 mg.!!! I just read that tamoxifen withdrawal can also mimic menopause because it has an estrogen-like effect. She has been prescribed anti-depressants and absolutely refuses..... will not take them, would rather be devistatingly miserable!!! Does the tamoxifen really only lessen your chance of recurrence by 4-6%? I don't know what to do for her anymore and I'm very afraid for her.It is so scary to think of quitting a drug like that if it will keep the cancer from coming back. On the other hand, she is not living a life worth living right now. I am beginning to fear that she is too emotionally unstable and don't know how to help her. Any advice would be very much appreciated.