Weight Gain, No loss - Due to Tamoxifen?

roz123 · 10-22-2012, 04:51 PM

jessica would love to hear the responses on this aswell. I gained back all the weight i lost on chemo plus and extra 5 lbs (which does not seam like a lot but i am very petite) the last month before my bmsx surgery i worked out 4-5 days a week and was following weight watchers - i lost 1 pound in an entire month
and the weight is mainly in my middle area which i never had before
think it is a combo of menopause and tamox

AlaskaAngel · 10-22-2012, 05:57 PM

The problem of weight gain following treatment hasn't gotten much attention by treatment providers. My impression is that while medications may have some impact, the weight gain is mostly the result of slowing of the metabolism due to the initial treatment.

I was frustrated and baffled too because pre treatment I only had to exercise twice a week for less than half an hour to maintain and not gain, and then after treatment initially I had to cut my diet in half and increase my exercise just to maintain and not gain. With time it got even worse -- really miserably impossible.

I saw an endocrinologist, who by blood analysis and lab results said I was eating exactly the right things in the right quantities, and he suggested increasing my exercise to TWO hours a day, seven days a week.

Although the labs showed clearly that I am not diabetic, I requested a low dose of metformin. I still have to exercise 1 hour a day 7 days a week to maintain and not gain, but that is so much better than having to focus my life around endless exercise with no weight loss.

You can't go back to eating many carbs, but the metformin may help you to live and eat a little more "normally". Get your blood sugar level tested and consult with a health care provider.

AlaskaAngel

jra40 · 10-23-2012, 06:10 AM

Thank you for your post - I am going to ask for a test on my blood sugar. My oncologist said that it would take about 2 years for my body to get back to normal and that there is no evidence that tamoxifen causes weight gain. I just don't believe her on that one.

Roz - my weight gain is the same as yours in my mid section. I'm fighting menopause right now so I think that is another contributing factor.

I think your right about cutting back on the carbs, I'm going to try hard on this and see what happens.

jra40 · 10-23-2012, 06:20 AM

Just found a great explanation here: http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nut...at/lose_weight

jaykay · 10-23-2012, 06:25 AM

I gained weight with tamoxifen - about 5 lbs - and I worked out pretty much every day and watched my diet. Also had serious fluid retention and had to take a diuretic every other day.

I lost the 5 lbs within 1 month of completing tamoxifen. Don't take the menopause factor lightly. I was post-menopausal pre BC and was fighting the weight battle then. My doctor told me that every 10 years your metabolism slows down and I either had to work out more or eat less. Unfortunately, she had been proven right every 10 years

Hopeful · 10-23-2012, 06:49 AM

There is also an additional, hidden culprit in standard treatment (i.e., chemotherapy) that affects the ability to lose weight. Steriods are given as support drugs for the chemo. The affect of steroids on the body is to decrease muscle mass, and decreasing muscle mass equates to burning fewer calories when you move around, which results in weight gain over time.

Hopeful