As a breast cancer survivor I take a daily dose of tamoxifin (and will for the next 5 years). The only side effect I seem to have currently is weight gain. I'm just curious if there are any other vegans out there that may have the same problem, and if they were able to do anything about it through their diet.
Blessings!

Hello fellow Survivor.  I was diagnosed in Nov 2008.  Just got home today from my last recon surgery. 

I am on Tamoxifen - I started it on 1/11/10 at the same time I went from being a vegetarian to a vegan.  I have not had any weight gain. I really feel like I have had minimal side effects because of my diet and my oncologist agrees. 

We are in the same boat with this - I would love to stay connected and share expriences with you.

Kim

i dont have any personal experience with this but it was nice to see this post. my mom was dx with breast cancer when i was 7. she did tamoxifen for a while (it was in more of an experimental phase then) back in the early 90's. it did make her gain weight. sadly she passed in 1996 after a 7 year struggle. with all the advances we have made in the past few years with BC treatment there is so much more hope now.
i went for the BRCA test last october and was thankfully negative, though because no one in my family who has had BC and died from it (mom, both GM's and several aunts)  has ever been tested, it is unclear whether i had been speared the gene mutation or if there is another gene mutation going on in my family all together. therefore they put my risk at a 1 in 3 chance. i will be on survellience measures. i have also heard of people in a hish risk group being given tamoxifen- so this interests me in particular.

how are you feeling on it, besides the weight gain?

Hi guys,

The superhero plan will reduce your risk of developing breast cancer with more effectiveness then any other intervention, regardless of genetic potential or previous occurrence.

Following the plan and avoiding all dairy places you in a category of women for whom breast cancer is extremely rare.

You may or may not want to hear that studies done on animals confirms this type of diets' protective effects.

The conditions created in the female body that result from the superhero plan are even capable of reversing existing disease.

It works the same for men and the prostate.

Let me know if you have any questions, Justin

Hi there,

Sad to admit still, I am just coming through breast cancer treatment, with a nother surgery on the horizon next week. I am brca2 positive also... I started Tamoxifen on January 1st, and had to abruptly stop it cuz it tremendously crippled my left leg. We are hoping I just need to be further out from chemo. I was three months
out when we tried to start it- so now looking toward June. I have wretched side effects in the menopausal arena from chemo-still. In particular the weight gain seems irreversible at present, hot flashes, loss of libido etc... They all went through the roof the mere two weeks I was on Tamoxifen so not looking forward to giving it another try (but not ready to lose my ovaries yet either-regardless of dx recommendations). I don't know how old y'all are. I'm in my thirties now and have been told these side effects are often rougher when you aren't as close to the menopausal onset age... But who knows - learning so much is truly individual as well. I've been vegetarian since I was fifteen. Hopeful to find some more guidance here. But concerned as I've eaten an extremely low fat diet for over half my life now. So even when I contemplate eating more macrobiotic or entirely vegan, I get confused and concerned that I'll blow up even more than I have this past year from the chemo, drugs, steroids, etc... I'm up twenty pounds total :(

Anyways, I'm sorry you guys have had to go through this - it's much harder than I initially thought it would have been. That's for shizzle ;)

Much peace,

~b

hiya, Stacy.

while i am not on tamoxifin i want to recommend this site for anyone who is battling cancer, a survivor, or battling other diseases (fibro, chrohns, MS, IBS, candidia, etc.) : http://crazysexylife.com

it's kris carr's site; she's vegan and been living with cancer for a few years now (her growths are actually shrinking). her site is wonderful !!! there's sooo much information that would most likely be very helpful to you, and there's forums for all kinds of survivors, and people battling many other diseases. you might want to check it out!

i hope it helps a little. :)

I love that site too Jessy!
I actually put her book "Crazy Sexy Cancer" in my profile list of favorite books :) :)

be elle - so sorry you are having such a difficult time with your treatment.  Chemo is rough, radiation is rough and surgeries are really rough.  I understand!!

I am 38, diagnosed at 37.  I too have been a vegetarian since I was a teenager (14 years old).  I started Tamoxifen on 1/11/10 and went totally vegan on 1/19/10.  Feel free to contact me if you need anything!!  Cancer is tough especially as a young woman.

Hugs,
Kim

be elle - so sorry you are having such a difficult time with your treatment.  Chemo is rough, radiation is rough and surgeries are really rough.  I understand!!

I am 38, diagnosed at 37.  I too have been a vegetarian since I was a teenager (14 years old).  I started Tamoxifen on 1/11/10 and went totally vegan on 1/19/10.  Feel free to contact me if you need anything!!  Cancer is tough especially as a young woman.

Hugs,
Kim

Oh, thanks so much Kim - and right back at you... :) That's really sweet. We sound near identical from vegetarianism to breast cancer diagnosis to hormonal therapy... My cancer was estrogen positive so really confused with the whole eating soy debate these days. Anyways - hope you are doing okay. Feel free to contact me too - even if just to vent, I totally get it :)

~b

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if this will help at all---my father is currently on Tamoxifin (he finished chemo about 2 years ago...also for Breast Cancer) His doctors told him he can have processed soy only on occasion-he generally tries to stay away from it. There are so many vegan options to avoid soy that it shouldn't be that hard--stick to rice or nut milks, and beans as a source of protein instead of tofu. You may have to be more creative but if you're considering being superhero you'd probably avoid all that processed soy anyway! Good luck to all of you--wishing you a very speedy and easy recovery :)

I don't know how you feel about alternative cancer treatments but you might want to look into the Budwig Protocol. I have breast cancer and skin cancer. I have decided against sugery, chemo or radiation. My oncologist suggested Tamoxifin. Instead I'm using the flaxseed mixture that is on the Budwig diet. It is supposed to do the same thing as the Tamoxifin. Some people who have decided to go the traditional route for their care are also doing the Budwig Protocol along with it. I was bedridden when I was diagnosed (from Lupus and Crohn's). A week after I started on the protocol I could roll over in bed by myself. (I started the day after Thanksgiving so I could have one last meal!) I no longer have high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension, my kidneys were shutting down and have now stopped getting worse, I was taking 24 pills 3 times a day plus remciade infusions every 6 weeks. I am now down to Vit D, calcium and half a blood pressure pill which I'm coming off of soon. I am now out of the wheelchair and on a walker. I went on this for my cancer but it has helped so much with my other health problems. It's been life changing for me!

Dear Katherine,

I am so sorry for all you have been going through. All the best and continued success
with the Budwig diet. Thank you so much for sharing, I am definitely looking into it!

~b