Taking tamoxifen while pregnant may be harmful to a developing baby. Non-hormonal methods include condoms, Femidoms or a diaphragm. It may also be possible to use a coil IUD or intrauterine device. However, you would need to discuss this with your treatment team as not all types are suitable for women with breast cancer. In most premenopausal women who take tamoxifen, the ovaries continue to work. When you start taking tamoxifen it may stimulate the release of an egg from the ovary ovulation and could make you more fertile.
For some women, continued use of tamoxifen means periods become less regular, lighter or stop altogether. Generally, your periods will start again once you stop taking tamoxifen, as long as you have not gone through the menopause naturally while taking the drug. It may take four to five months for your periods to become regular again.
Because of the length of time tamoxifen is taken for, the side effects may hide the signs of a natural menopause. It may only be when you finish taking it that you realise you have started your menopause. Talk to your treatment team about the most appropriate length of time for you. Find out more about fertility and breast cancer treatment. Women taking tamoxifen are advised not to breastfeed as it may pass through the bloodstream into the breast milk.
Many people find it helps to talk to someone who has been through the same experience as them. For further information and support or to talk things through, you can speak to one of our experts by calling our free Helpline on To hear from us, enter your email address below. Skip to main content. Home Information and support Facing breast cancer Going through breast cancer treatment Hormone therapy.
Ovarian suppression and breast cancer Aromatase inhibitors anastrozole, exemestane and letrozole. Further support 1. Tamoxifen works by reducing the amount of oestrogen made in the body. Tamoxifen and coronavirus Covid Taking tamoxifen does not affect your risk of getting coronavirus or of becoming seriously ill if you do get it. Primary breast cancer Tamoxifen may be prescribed if you have primary breast cancer. Breast cancer that has come back or spread Tamoxifen can also be used to treat people who have: Local recurrence Locally advanced breast cancer Secondary metastatic breast cancer To reduce the risk of breast cancer developing Tamoxifen may be an option for some people who do not have breast cancer but higher risk of developing it because of their family history.
Tamoxifen is taken as a tablet. Occasionally it may be prescribed as a liquid for people who have difficulty swallowing. The recommended dose for most people is 20mg daily. How long will I have to take tamoxifen? Sometimes tamoxifen is recommended after taking an aromatase inhibitor. Stopping tamoxifen Your treatment team will tell you when to stop taking tamoxifen. Side effects of tamoxifen Like any drug, tamoxifen can cause side effects. Common side effects Menopausal symptoms The most common side effects of tamoxifen are menopausal symptoms such as: Hot flushes Night sweats and sleep disturbance Vaginal irritation such as dryness and itching Loss of sex drive Mood changes Headaches Vaginal discharge Vaginal discharge is common when taking tamoxifen.
If you are worried about this, let your treatment or GP know so they can rule out an infection. The use of hormone therapy to treat cancer is based on the observation that receptors for specific hormones that are needed for cell growth are on the surface of some tumor cells.
Hormone therapy can work by stopping the production of a certain hormone, blocking hormone receptors, or substituting chemically similar agents for the active hormone, which cannot be used by the tumor cell.
Tamoxifen is an antiestrogen. Antiestrogens bind to estrogen receptor site on cancer cells thus blocking estrogen from going into the cancer cell. This interferes with cell growth and eventually leads to cell death. The following are antiestrogen medications. Note: We strongly encourage you to talk with your health care professional about your specific medical condition and treatments. The information contained in this website is meant to be helpful and educational, but is not a substitute for medical advice.
For information about the 4th Angel Mentoring Program visit www. It's recommended for women with tumors that are hormone receptor-positive. It does not help women whose tumors don't have hormone receptors. Hormone therapy is often used after surgery as adjuvant therapy to help reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Sometimes it is started before surgery as neoadjuvant therapy. It is usually taken for at least 5 to 10 years. Hormone therapy can also be used to treat cancer that has come back after treatment or that has spread to other parts of the body.
About 2 out of 3 breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. There are several types of hormone therapy for breast cancer. Most types of hormone therapy either lower estrogen levels or stop estrogen from acting on breast cancer cells. This drug blocks estrogen receptors on breast cancer cells. It stops estrogen from connecting to the cancer cells and telling them to grow and divide.
While tamoxifen acts like an anti-estrogen in breast cells, it acts like an estrogen in other tissues, like the uterus and the bones. Because of this, it is called a selective estrogen receptor modulator SERM. It can be used to treat women with breast cancer who have or have not gone through menopause. Toremifene Fareston is another SERM that works in a similar way, but it is used less often and is only approved to treat metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
Taking regular walks will help you maintain strong bones. Eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and following guidelines for drinking alcohol will also help. Tell your doctor if you have any bone problems.
Your doctor will advise you not to become pregnant when taking tamoxifen. This is because tamoxifen can harm developing babies. It is important to use an effective, non-hormonal contraceptive during treatment and for a few months after the treatment has finished.
Even if your periods have stopped or are irregular, you still have to use a contraceptive. You can talk to your doctor or nurse about this. Women who have not gone through menopause yet may become pregnant when they have finished their tamoxifen treatment. Doctors normally recommend waiting for a few months after treatment with tamoxifen before trying to become pregnant.
Talk to your doctor if you are trying to have children. The side effects can be controlled or managed most of the time. However, they may be more problematic for some women. If this is the case, make sure you talk to your cancer doctor or nurse. They can normally suggest ways to improve the side effects. If things do not get better, go back to your oncologist or nurse. They may suggest trying something else. It is very important that you do not stop taking tamoxifen without telling your doctor, as this may affect the success of the treatment.
It the side effects are very bothersome and are unmanageable, your oncologist may suggest you start on a different hormone therapy. Tamoxifen can interact with other drugs. For example, it can increase the effect of an anticoagulant called warfarin. Tell your doctor immediately if you are taking warfarin or other drugs. Some other drugs may make tamoxifen less effective. Tell your doctor if you are taking any drugs, including complementary therapies, and herbal remedies.
If you have to go to the hospital for whatever reason other than cancer, always tell the doctors and nurses that you are taking tamoxifen. Explain that you are taking hormone therapy that no one should start or stop without taking to your cancer specialist in the first place.
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram. Web Map. Contact us at There are certain important things to remember when taking the tablets. Do not double the dose if you forget to take one of your pills. Keep the pills in their original packaging at room temperature. They should be stored away from heat and direct sunlight.
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