At the end of December, my oncologist started me on Tamoxifen. I take a daily dose of this drug, which is a hormone therapy formulated to help prevent a recurring cancer. Tamoxifen has the potential to cause a number of side effects, but so far I've only experienced one: night sweats.
It's funny because during the day I pretty much always feel cold. It doesn't matter how many layers I dress in, I'm still feeling a chill. Even when I go to bed, I feel cold until I fall asleep. If I'm lucky I get five or six hours of good rest before I wake, hot, uncomfortable, and covered in sweat, unable to get back to sleep. Walker tells me I throw all the covers off as soon as I fall asleep. We have a ceiling fan in the bedroom, but it isn't helping.
My doctor tells me that my body should adjust to the Tamoxifen in a couple months, if I can tough it out. If this is as bad as it gets, no problem! But the lack of sleep concerns me. At first it was kinda nice to have the extra hours in the day; now I'm just tired. I can get through the day (thank God for caffeine!) but I would really like a good night's sleep.
I truly admire you and your attitude about your cancer. Their is nothing worse than short nights sleep. I am like that at 4 in the morning wide awake. Usually it is 5:00 which is better. Then I make it through the day ok but about 9:00 at night I conk out, watching tv in my recliner. Makes my hubby mad everytime. Finally got USED TO HIM complaining and ignore it.Night sweats are bad and to be cold all day wouild be very uncomfortable. My son and his father had thyroid surgery and they had terrible night sweats.. We had divorced by the time my X had them but sometimes was so bad they would change the sheets. I hope your body will adjust soon. My mother died of ovarian cancer at age 79 and my sister at age 74, of stomach cancer. My sister was a brittle diabetic also so that didn't help. I just would say this everyday, I hope the cancer is gone and never comes back. You are a courageous woman.
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