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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 4 ratings/reviews, Nolvadex has an overall score of 6.25. The effectiveness score is 8 and the side effect score is 6. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Nolvadex review by 46 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | breast cancer |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20 mg taken daily for the period of currently 2 years |
| Other conditions: | | anxiety |
| Other drugs taken: | | effexor | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The benefits of tamoxifen have been to be cancer free 2 years after my diagnosis. Hopefully this "clean bill of health" will continue as I begin year 3 of tamoxifen in my 5 year plan. The benefits of effexor help balance the mood swings caused by a lowered amount of estrogen in my body. Tamoxifen does its job by keeping the estrogen blocked in my body so any abnormal cells can't feed on the estrogen. My cancer was highly estrogen-positive. Lowered estrogen causes depression and mood swings. Effexor helps to alleviate these symptoms along with my exercise regime and healthy eating habits. |
| Side effects: | | Side effects were more severe at the onset of taking tamoxifen. I had hot flashes that were quite severe. They often came without warning especially at mealtime. I also had some body aches and pains. Vaginal dryness was also severe. My period became erratic. After 2 years most side effects have decreased - hot flashes are gone as well as the aches. My period has been non-existant for 4 months. However, I feel irritable and edgy about the regularly scheduled time for a few days. The effexor helps. Dryness is still a problem but not as severe. Vaginal odor continues to be a concern. |
| Comments: | | I was put on Tamoxifen for 5 years following my 9/05 breast cancer diagnosis. I started Tamoxifen 12/05. I started Zoloft 2 months later when I began having mood swings. Zoloft helped for a year then I felt my symptoms returning. I began Effexor at 75 mg and have been fine. My oncologist felt I am young and strong (age 46, exercise 4 times weekly, runner, martial artist) and that I should try to lower or end my Effexor. However, I didn't agree. I needed help with the mood swings and irritability. I can't lose my temper at work. I work with developmentally disabled adults. Losing my temper could be my job. I did try a natural regime of vitamins (B-12 and E) for several months but I felt no relief. Friends even told me about my mood. I went from depressed to angry in a flash. The 75 mg of Effexor is wonderful. My estrogen is blocked by the Tamoxifen and the effexor helps keep me at an even keel. |
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| | Nolvadex review by 53 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Breast Cancer |
| Dosage & duration: | | 1 TAB 20mg taken everyday for the period of must take 5 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The objective of Tamoxifen is to work against the effects of estrogen on cancer cells. As a treatment for breast cancer, the drug is supposed to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells that are present in the body. I am praying that this is fulfilling its purpose but only in 3rd month of taking it so who knows.
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| Side effects: | | Main side effect : vaginal discharge, slight weight gain (water retention I hope)
and heartburn. |
| Comments: | | I have to take Tamoxifen for 5 years. |
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| | Nolvadex review by 49 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | breast cancer |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg taken daily for the period of 3 months so far, but for next 5 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | herceptin | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | prevention of recurrence of estrogen positive tumours |
| Side effects: | | severe menopause symptoms - hot flashes, cold sweats causing disturbed sleep and insomnia. symptoms seen to be worse after herceptin and the most distressing is the inability to get warm. I have also developed a discharge that is not pleasant but not too terrible and a change in the smell of my body odour. My skin also seems thinner. |
| Comments: | | take 1 pill daily |
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| | Nolvadex review by 53 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | breast cancer |
| Dosage & duration: | | 20mg taken once a day for the period of 3 years |
| Other conditions: | | Celiac disese |
| Other drugs taken: | | Calcium tabs | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Breast cancer was oestrogen and progesterone positive so taking this following surgery and radiotherapy reduced likelihood of recurrence |
| Side effects: | | My hot flashes, which had stopped with HRT taken some 8 years prior for 5 years, came back ++. |
| Comments: | | Following a 6 week course of radiotherapy I went onto daily tamoxifen, then after 3 years on this I was changed onto Arimidex which I tolerated better. |
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