Treating breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body. It is also used along with other medicines to treat other types of breast cancer. It is used in women who are at high risk for breast cancer and in women with DCIS (after surgery and radiation) to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
Tamoxifen is an antiestrogen. It works by blocking the effect of estrogen on certain tumors. This may prevent the growth of tumors that are activated by estrogen.
Do NOT use Tamoxifen if:
you are allergic to any ingredient in Tamoxifen
you are using Tamoxifen to reduce your risk of breast cancer and you have a history of blood clots in the lung or leg
you are using Tamoxifen to reduce your risk of breast cancer and you also take certain anticoagulants (eg, warfarin)
you are taking anastrozole
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Before using Tamoxifen :
Some medical conditions may interact with Tamoxifen. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
if you have a history of blood clots in the legs or lungs
if you have high levels of calcium in your blood, a weakened immune system, or low levels of white blood cells or platelets in your blood
if you have high cholesterol or lipid levels
if you have cataracts or other vision problems
if you are using cytotoxic cancer medicines
if you are confined to a bed or chair
Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Tamoxifen. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of bleeding may be increased
Cytotoxic cancer medicines (eg, cisplatin) because the risk of developing blood clots may be increased
Rifampin because it may decrease Tamoxifen 's effectiveness
Fluorouracil or mitomycin C because they may increase the risk of Tamoxifen 's side effects
Aromatase inhibitors (eg, anastrozole, letrozole) because their effectiveness may be decreased by Tamoxifen
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Tamoxifen may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.
How to use Tamoxifen :
Use Tamoxifen as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
Tamoxifen comes with an extra patient information sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it carefully. Read it again each time you get Tamoxifen refilled.
Tamoxifen may be taken by mouth with or without food.
Take Tamoxifen with water or another nonalcoholic liquid.
Swallow this medication whole. Do not break, crush, or chew before swallowing.
Continue to take Tamoxifen even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses. Taking Tamoxifen at the same time each day will help you to remember to take it.
If you miss a dose of Tamoxifen , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Tamoxifen.
Important safety information:
Tamoxifen may cause dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Tamoxifen with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
Tamoxifen may reduce the number of clot-forming cells (platelets) in your blood. Avoid activities that may cause bruising or injury. Tell your doctor if you have unusual bruising or bleeding. Tell your doctor if you have dark, tarry, or bloody stools.
Tamoxifen may lower the ability of your body to fight infection. Avoid contact with people who have colds or infections. Tell your doctor if you notice signs of infection like fever, sore throat, rash, or chills.
New tumors have occurred in body sites other than the uterus in patients taking Tamoxifen. It is unknown if Tamoxifen may be the cause. Discuss any questions or concerns with your doctor.
Women who take Tamoxifen to reduce the risk of breast cancer should have a breast exam, mammogram, and gynecological exam before starting and during treatment with Tamoxifen.
Women who may become pregnant should begin taking Tamoxifen during a menstrual period. Women who have irregular menstrual periods should have a pregnancy test immediately before starting Tamoxifen. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about how to begin taking Tamoxifen.
Women who may become pregnant must use effective nonhormonal birth control (eg, condoms, diaphragm) during sexual intercourse while they are taking Tamoxifen and for 2 months after they stop taking it. Do not use hormonal birth control (eg, birth control pills); it may not work as well while you are taking
Tamoxifen. Discuss any questions about effective nonhormonal birth
control with your doctor.
Tamoxifen will not prevent you from becoming pregnant.
Lab tests, including breast exams, mammograms, gynecologic exams, complete blood counts, and liver function tests, may be performed while you use Tamoxifen. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
Tamoxifen should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN; safety and effectiveness in children have not been confirmed.
PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: Tamoxifen may cause harm to the fetus. Do not become pregnant while you are using it and for 2 months after you stop using it. If you think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Tamoxifen while you are pregnant.
It is not known if Tamoxifen is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed
while taking Tamoxifen.
Possible side effects of Tamoxifen :
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Bone pain; constipation; coughing; hot flashes; muscle pain; nausea; tiredness; vaginal discharge; weight loss.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unexplained hoarseness); abnormal menstrual periods; abnormal vaginal bleeding or bloody discharge; chest pain; coughing up blood; dark urine; decreased sexual desire or ability; depression; fever, chills, or persistent sore throat;
groin or pelvic pain or pressure; loss of appetite; loss of balance or
coordination; missed menstrual period; new or increased breast tumor or pain;
new or unusual lumps; one-sided weakness; pain or swelling in one or both legs;
red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; severe or persistent tiredness or
weakness; shortness of breath; skin changes; stomach pain; sudden severe
headache; swelling of the arms or the legs; unusual bleeding or bruising;
vision or speech problems; yellowing of the eyes or skin.
What is the shelf life of the pills?
The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.
Your email was addressed as a survey and the only link was the one I am responding to now.
To question #1; Did I receive the medication shipment as ordered?
The answer is yes, and I was impressed with the time in which it was delivered to my home; only 10 days!
To question #2; did the medication meet my expectations?
Again the answer is yes! I was also impressed with your website which explains everything about ordering outside the U.S., quality of the medication made at the India labs, number(s) to call if the shipment is held up in Customs, and the ease in placing the order.
- Dave
Why do doctors in the USA get away with being so unethical and denying women informed consent?
By tying birth control to pap smears? There is no medical reason for a pap smear to be required before getting birth control. All that's needed to safely prescribe birth control pills is a check of the circulatory system (blood pressure and heart) and a medical history.
That's not saying pap smears aren't helpful for some women, but why don't women have the right to choose their own healthcare plans like men do? We are just told and coerced into doing "what's best for us." If a woman wants to have pap smears every three or five years instead of annually that shouldn't mean a doctor can hold her birth control prescription hostage. If a woman wants to get a birth control prescription from her family doctor and go to a gyno a few months later for a pap smear, that should be her prerogative. Women should have the right to make an informed choice and accept the risks and benefits of that choice. Men aren't coerced into getting prostate exams (a MUCH more common cancer than cervical btw) in order to get viagra or condoms.
Not to mention in most other countries these "well woman" exams are not even recommended at all. Finland has the lowest rates of cervical cancer in the world and they don't start paps until age 30 and every 5 years.
megan, it doesn't matter if it's in the woman's best interest. The point is that it's for HER to decide when, where and IF she has one. A prostate exam is in the man's best interest but he is always given the option and not witheld services or treated like a naughty child for not having one.
And you're clearly deceived if you think a pap smear has one thing to do with safety of birth control. A pap smear is a cancer test, period. It has nothing to do with birth control safely. This question is not about me anyway, this is about the sorry way women are treated.
megan you just aren't getting the point. It's great if a woman goes in for regular paps and they can be useful, but there is no reason for it to be tied to birth control! That "policy" is just a paternalistic attitude on part of the doctors. A woman can get birth control on one visit and come back later for a pap smear, there's no reason it should have to go hand in hand.
When they withhold your birth control, yes they are pretty much forcing you, and for no medical necessary reason. Because it's either have the pap right then, or not get pills and probably get pregnant. And once again you just really don't understand that it's about the difference between how men and women are treated, not about whether the exam is important or not because I agree with you pap smears are helpful. But it's not right to take away informed consent just by virtue of someone being female.
about longer hair growth?
I am 33 years old male. I am suffering from androgenic alopecia, i am using minoxidil and finasteride even my hair not growing properly. It is very short and i would like to my hair to grow long. Any body please suggest me how to grow hair healthy and long. please please please..........
How long do I wait after drinking vodka before I can take tramadol ?
I want to drink vodka but I take tramadol if I'm going to stop taking tramadol tommorow morning and not have them untill after I drink in aprox 45 hours time how long do I wait before I can take my 50 my tablet
JUST TRYING TO FINISH MY OTHER.?
Well my question got put in Earth Day and I don't know how to move it. My previous question was in Diabetic? MY CONCLUSION IS: MY DOG TOOK DEREMAXX AT 0630 and then became disoriented and ate the poo which in effect had NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE LIFE THREATENING SEIZURES. SHE WOULD BE LETHARGIC, DISORIENTED, LISTLESS, CATATONIC, NO EATING,I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT IF DIABETIC INSULIN CAT POO COULD BE TOXIC SO I WOULD KNOW HOW TO TREAT HER FOR WHAT I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT WAS SEVERE HYPOGLYCEMIA OR ADESONIAN CRISIS. Please be careful with DEREMAXX. It helped my dog for months but then something went WRO G OR TOXIC OR SOMETHING AND I KEPT DIGGING TO FIGURE IT OUT. I think I came just shy of killing my dog because it didn't seem there was any answer for these episodes until I read a blog about DEREMAXX. So I stopped the DEREMAXX 8 Days ago and there has been NO SEIZURE/HYPOGLYCEMIC/ADESONIAN EPISODES AND I WASN'T TROLLING (whatever that is) and LASTLY MY DOG HASN'T MESSES WITH THE CATBOX EITHER BECAUSE WE HAVE BLOCKED HER FROM GETTING TO IT ESPECIALLY IN THE NIGHT. Conclusion DEREMAXX: CAUTION. Now I just give my dog Tramadol and DASEQUIN and she is happier than she has been in months. Thank you!
Problems with tramadol hcl 50mg?
I got prescribed this for middle ear infections in both my ears a few days ago and now I'm feeling really weird. Like...I'm laying in my bed about to fall asleep and it feels like everything is jumping. And my heart feels like it's racing really fast. I don't know if this is supposed to happen or what. But it's really freaking me out and I don't want to go to sleep. Anyone ever experienced this before with this medicine? What do I do to make it stop? I'm not gonna take these pills anymore. I'll just deal with the pain. But idk what to do. Please help me.
medication jumble.... too many combinations?
I'm usually on Prozac for depression, birth control (irrelevant), Buspar for anxiety, weening off xanax (4mg) (doc said to take a little buspar and ease it in as im easing off xanax), cyclobenzaprine for tmj pain and tramadol (100mg) for tmj pain. This is a lot and I don't know if they are a doctor or not but is this a lot?
What are the side affects of ( ETODOLAC ) 500mg blue tablet?
What are the side affects of ( ETODOLAC ) 500mg blue tablet?
And what are the side affects of one ( 500mg ETODOLAC & five 50mg TRAMADOL )
I took 5 tramadol and 1 etodolac only because i have a very high tollerance to pain pills and it made me feel really loopy for almost 12 hours now, is that normal?
If anyone has any thoughts or more information about these two pill being taken together or seperate please feel free to add on,
Thanks
Prescribed Ultram and Tramadol at the same time?
Today my doctor gave me 2 prescriptions for pain medications 1 was Ultram, and the other was Tramadol. He said I could take these together. I looked up both and they seem to be the same thing. I also read that they can cause seizures if you take too much. Im not sure whether or not to trust my doctor on this one. Does anyone know anything about these medications or have any advice on what I should do?
has anyone tried pink viagra for women?
If anyone has or you know someone who did, did it work? Im considering ordering it online since the FDA has not approved it but I want to make sure Im not buying some useless pill.
Voting Question: What medications should I avoid touching in the pharmacy if I'm pregnant?
I'm a pharmacy tech, and I'm 15 weeks pregnant. I was just told by the pharmacist yesterday that there are a few medications I should avoid touching. She only named Methotrexate, Avodart, and Finasteride. She couldn't remember what else. I can't find a list anywhere online, can someone please help?