Before taking tamoxifen, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Taking tamoxifen with certain medications for adrenal gland disorders can decrease the amount of tamoxifen in your blood.
Taking tamoxifen with a blood thinner can increase the amount of the blood thinner in your body. Taking tamoxifen with bromocriptine increases the amount of tamoxifen in your body.
If you need to take these drugs together, your doctor may adjust your dosage of tamoxifen. Taking tamoxifen with certain cancer drugs decreases the amount of the cancer drugs in your body. Taking tamoxifen with these drugs also increases your risk for blood clots. You should not use tamoxifen with these drugs. Taking tamoxifen with certain seizure drugs may lower the amount of tamoxifen in your body. Taking tamoxifen with certain tuberculosis drugs can decrease the amount of tamoxifen in your body.
If you need to take these drugs together, your doctor may increase your tamoxifen dosage. Examples of these drugs include:. A prescription for this medication is refillable. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription. There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Some may be more suitable for you than others. Talk with your doctor about possible alternatives.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.
The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. My breast cancer diagnosis taught me to protect my energy so I can enjoy time doing what's really important — without the added stress.
Papillary breast cancer is a rare and slow-growing type of breast cancer. Learn about symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and more.
Learn about the characteristics of metaplastic breast cancer along with causes and risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and more. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can detect tumors or abnormalities in the breast tissue.
Learn more about who should get one and how they…. Drug information provided by: IBM Micromedex. Use this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not use more of it, do not use it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. Medicines used to treat cancer are very strong and can have many side effects. Before using this medicine, make sure you understand all the risks and benefits. It is important for you to work closely with your doctor during your treatment.
This medicine comes with a Medication Guide. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. Shake the oral liquid well before each use. Measure the medicine with a marked medicine cup. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid. Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. Rather, LCIS is an indication that a person is at higher-than-average risk for developing invasive breast cancer at some point in the future. There are several types of hormonal therapy medicines.
Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator SERM , is one of the most well-known. Tamoxifen can be used to treat both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. In the early s, the aromatase inhibitors:. Still, like most cancer medicines, both tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors can cause side effects. Tamoxifen may cause hot flashes and increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. Aromatase inhibitors may cause muscle and joint aches and pains. Less common but more severe side effects of aromatase inhibitors are heart problems, osteoporosis, and broken bones.
Endometrial cancer is a less common but more severe side effect of tamoxifen. Because so many women stop taking tamoxifen early, researchers wondered if a lower dose of tamoxifen could still reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer and cause fewer or less severe side effects. Half the women were followed for longer than 5 years, and half the women were followed for shorter periods of time. The study found a small increase in hot flashes in the low-dose tamoxifen group compared with the placebo group but no difference in vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.
Typically, women taking a 20 mg dose of tamoxifen report a higher rate of both serious and mild side effects, Dr. De Censi says. Oncologists must balance how much of a drug will be effective without increasing side effects to such intolerable levels that the patient may stop taking the drug, says the codirector of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Virginia Kaklamani, MD , the leader of the Breast Cancer Program at UT Health San Antonio.
Kaklamani was not involved in the study. If you can find ways to give it at lower doses, these women are going to benefit.
Early-stage breast cancer patients may be safe in choosing either radiation of the axillary lymph nodes nodes located in the armpits or surgery to remove the nodes when cancer is detected in a sentinel lymph node those closest to the tumor , said the authors of a study presented December 6 at the annual meeting of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Typically, women with early-stage breast cancer have sentinel lymph nodes removed during the time of surgery to look for signs that cancer has spread beyond the breast. When cancer is detected, these patients usually undergo removal of the axillary lymph nodes, too. But this surgery can cause side effects, including swelling called lymphedema and difficulty moving the arm.
The new trial, called AMAROS , was a phase 3 study to test whether radiotherapy of the axillary lymph nodes could be as beneficial as surgery to remove the axillary lymph nodes but with fewer side effects.
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