Tamoxifen
Description
Tamoxifen is a nonsteroidal agent which is used in both men and women to treat breast cancer. It is also used in women to prevent breast cancer. This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women. It is advised that you discuss all the risks and benefits with your doctor before taking this medicine.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Tamoxifen
- Vaginal bleeding
- Chills
- Skin rash or itching over the entire body
- Pain or swelling in the legs
- Weakness or sleepiness
- Absent, missed, or irregular periods
- Troubled breathing
- Decrease in the amount of urine
Uses of Tamoxifen
What is it prescribed for?
- Breast cancer
- Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
- Breast Cancer Prevention
- McCune-Albright Syndrome
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe time required for this medicine to show its effect is not clinically established.
- Duration of effectThe duration for which this medicine remains active in the body is not clinically established.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit forming tendency has been reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women due to the potential for serious adverse effects on the unborn baby. It should only be used in life-threatening conditions where the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women due to the potential for adverse effects in the infants. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before taking this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to Tamoxifen.
Pregnancy
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women due to the potential for serious adverse effects on the unborn baby.
Venous thromboembolic events
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known history of venous thromboembolic events due to an increase in the risk of such events.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women due to the potential for serious adverse effects on the unborn baby. It should only be used in life-threatening conditions where the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women due to the potential for adverse effects in the infants. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before taking this medicine.
General warnings
Suppression of menstruation
This medicine may cause irregular periods in some women. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before taking this medicine.
Venous thromboembolism
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known history of venous thromboembolic events due to an increase in the risk of such events. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before taking this medicine. Replacement with a suitable alternative might be required based on the clinical condition.
Uterus-Endometrial Cancer
This medicine has shown to increase the risk of uterine cancer. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before taking this medicine. Replacement with a suitable alternative might be required based on the clinical condition.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost the time for your next scheduled dose. Do not double the medicine to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Carbamazepine
Erythromycin
Amiodarone
Warfarin
Ritonavir
Dexamethasone
Disease interactions
Disease
Information not available.
Food interactions
Combined use of Tamoxifen with soy products may affect the action of the medicine and may stimulate tumor growth in some cases. Hence, it is advisable to avoid consuming soy products while taking Tamoxifen.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Tamoxifen works by preventing the action of a specific hormone (estrogen) in the breast tissue. This helps both in prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Selective estrogen receptor modulators
Schedule
Schedule G
DailyMed - Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:
Tamoxifen: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:
[Internet]. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:
Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database [Internet]. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 5 Jan 2018
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.