Friday, January 31, 2020

Can Tamoxifen cause anger and mood swings?

Ha…ஜுஜுபி(Jujubi)

For those who are not aware about the support group of Chennai Breast Centre, it is one of its kind in India. We meet once a month, discuss and talk about treatment, get clarity about things related to breast cancer from experts. We also have a whatsApp group where questions are raised and responded to.

Recently a member posed the following question in the group, “Can taking Tamoxifen for almost a year cause anger and mood swings?” If it is getting preachy please proceed to the next topic!!

So let’s discuss about it here. Generally if the question had been on anger, I could have pointed out to two rules:
1.    Anger is the manifestation of my disappointment because something didn’t work the way I wanted it, the way I expected it to.
2.    When I am RIGHT I don’t have to get angry; when I am WRONG I cannot afford to get angry. Period!

But here the question came with Tamoxifen. If we had read the literature of Tamoxifen for common side effects of the medicine we would have come across headache, mood swings, hot flashes etc. Here I would say most of the medicines we generally take do have side effects, even over the counter medicines. Have you noticed a child who is on antibiotics behaving angrily like throwing tantrums, throwing things around the house? Same thing holds good for many medicines. Even the trigger of head feeling heavy can cause an irritation in our daily routine. The constant feeling of one taking medicines also can be on huge hindrance to move on.

Identifying the source of mood swings is a challenge. It could be external or internal factors or a mix of both.
 
So how do I tackle?
Right question indeed!!

Have you observed yourself after the episode of anger?
-Hot & blood rushing
-Perspiration
-Shudder
-Complete silence
-Regret
What are we gaining from allowing the anger? More side effects adding to the existing one?

First and foremost is accepting the fact that the medicine has to be taken and no option about it otherwise. If this is clear then the tackling part is easier. 

Come on girls, எவ்வளவோ பார்த்துட்டோம் இதையும் ஒரு கை பார்க்கவேண்டாமா?

Second,
·       Regular exercise – stretches, aerobics, swimming, dancing, yoga, walking the dog - anything that makes one move around actively
·   Engaging Hands – Washing vessels, spring cleaning, filing, gardening, creating art/craft – it is said that when the hand is engaged the mind is not busy thinking of the past or future; it is completely in the present and that’s Mindfulness
·   Group Activities – Reading a novel together, stepping out with friends, volunteering in a nearby school
·       Avoiding Caffeine, alcohol, sugar/sweets  – Anything too much is not good – அளவுக்கு மிஞ்சினால் அமிர்தமும் நஞ்சு
·      Diet, hydration and sleep – Small changes to diet and sleep can go a long way. Hydrating oneself through the day is important too
·     Avoid Stressful situations – Feel good about what you have done on that day, don’t personalize everything, know that the whole world doesn’t revolve around you but to some you are the world, spend time on self care
·       Seek support – Talk to your loved ones how you feel
·       Talk Therapist – If mood swings are frequent, a talk therapist may help

Finally, it is natural to experience anger, irritation. But feeling overwhelmed by these emotions and losing control can disrupt a lot. So why not try some new things like learning a new language, exploring nearby places, and change in life style probably?!! After all we live only once they say and we CBCians have got the second lease of life. Let’s stop cribbing-googling-cribbing again and make the most of it!!

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