Index
It is used to treat breast cancer or reduce the risk of breast cancer if you are more likely to get it.
Suppose you and your healthcare professional consider using Nolvadex to reduce the risk of breast cancer. In that case, your knowledge of the dangers of treatment becomes more critical because you currently do not have breast cancer.
Treatment with Nolvadex can uncommonly be associated with severe side effects, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT, blood clots in the veins of the leg), and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), and uterine cancer.
In some women, these events can be fatal. Less serious side effects such as hot flashes, vaginal discharge, menstrual irregularities, and gynecological conditions can also occur.
Whether the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks depends on your age, health history, level of risk for breast cancer, and your judgment. Treatment with Nolvadex to reduce the risk of breast cancer may not be appropriate for all women at increased risk.
An assessment with your healthcare professional of the potential benefits and risks before starting treatment is essential to reduce the risk of breast cancer. It would help if you understood that Nolvadex reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of breast cancer.
Nolvadex blocks the actions of estrogen. Estrogen is a natural female sex hormone. In some types of breast cancer, estrogen can help cancer cells grow.
Your doctor will have explained why you are being treated with Nolvadex and indicated what dose to take. Follow all the recommendations that your doctor gives you. Your doctor may prescribe this drug for another purpose. Nolvadex is not addictive.
Contraindications
Do not use Nolvadex if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding. We do not know if it is safe for you to take it while pregnant.
It can affect your baby if you take it during pregnancy. Your baby can take Nolvadex from breast milk if he is breastfeeding.
Do not use Nolvadex to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer if:
- You are taking medicines used to prevent blood clots, such as warfarin.
- You have had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT, blood clots in the veins in your leg) or a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in your lungs).
- The patient is an infant as there is no knowledge of its use in children.
- The expiration date printed on the drug package has passed; there may be no effect or an entirely unexpected effect if you take it after the expiration date.
- The drug or packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Additionally, do not use the medication to treat any other symptoms unless directed to do so by your doctor. Do not share this medicine with anyone else, even if the person has the same condition as you.
Precautions
You should inform your doctor if:
1. Have an allergy to:
- Tamoxifen, the active ingredient in Nolvadex, or any of the other components of the drug listed at the end.
- Other anti-estrogen medications.
- Any other medication.
- Any other substance, such as food, preservatives, or colorants.
If you have an allergic reaction, you may experience a skin rash, hay fever, trouble breathing, or feel weak.
2. Do you have or have you ever had any of these medical conditions:
- Any unexplained vaginal bleeding.
- Problems with your blood
- Liver problems
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT – blood clots in the leg veins) or pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs).
It may not be safe for you to take Nolvadex if you have these conditions.
3. You are taking other medications:
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications, including the following:
- Oral contraceptives (‘the pill’).
- Hormone replacement therapy.
- Medicines used to thin your blood, e.g., warfarin.
- Rifampicin
- Chemotherapy.
- Any medication you buy at the pharmacy, grocery store, or health food store.
Nolvadex should not be taken with aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane.
These medications can affect the way Nolvadex works, or they may not work as well. They could also cause side effects if you take them with Nolvadex.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you take any of these medicines.
If you haven’t told your doctor about any of these things, let them know before taking any medicine.
Management
Follow all instructions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets you will need to take each day. If you do not understand the instructions on the package, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
How much to take?
Your doctor will decide how much Nolvadex to take. The usual dose is 20 mg of Nolvadex every day. This is two 10 mg Nolvadex tablets taken together or one 20 mg Nolvadex-D tablet taken once a day.
Some people need to take 40 mg once a day. Your doctor will tell you if it is necessary. Take your Nolvadex whole with a glass of water. Do not chew or crush the tablets.
When to take it?
Take it if possible, at the same time every day. It is not relevant whether you take Nolvadex before, with, or after food.
How long to take it?
Keep taking Nolvadex for as long as your doctor or pharmacist tells you.
If you forget to take it
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, as long as 12 hours have passed before the following amount is due. If it is less than 12 hours for your next dose, do not take the missed dose.
Do not take another dose of medicine to make up for a missed dose. If you have questions about what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some suggestions.
Overdose
Call your doctor or pharmacist urgently or go to your nearest hospital if you think you or someone else may have taken too much Nolvadex. Follow these recommendations even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
If you take too much Nolvadex, you may experience problems with your heart rhythm.
Recommendations while using the drug
Make sure to keep up with all of your medical appointments to check on your progress. Tell any other doctor, dentist, or pharmacist treating you that you are taking Nolvadex.
Tell your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist that you are taking Nolvadex if you start any new medicine. Tell the medical staff that you are taking the drug Nolvadex if you enter the clinic.
Things not to do
Do not get pregnant while taking Nolvadex. Ask your doctor about reliable birth control methods while taking Nolvadex.
Do not take Nolvadex to treat any other symptoms unless your doctor tells you to. Do not stop taking Nolvadex or lower the dose unless you have discussed this with your doctor.
Side effects
The drug helps most people with breast cancer, but it may have unwanted side effects in some people.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Unusual pain or pressure around your pelvis, bones, or anywhere in your body.
- However excesiva.
- Swelling of the hands, ankles, and feet.
- Any change in your vision.
- Pain and redness around the tumor.
- Lumps anywhere on the body.
- Unusual tiredness, shortness of breath, and dizziness when exercising and looking pale.
- There is a frequent infection, fever, severe chills, sore throat, or mouth ulcers.
- Unexplained bruises.
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark-colored urine.
- Vision disturbances.
Cases of optic nerve diseases have been reported in patients receiving tamoxifen, and blindness has occurred in a small number of issues.
It is not known if this increases the risk of fractures. Ask your doctor for advice on ways to keep your bones healthy.
Tell your doctor immediately or go to your nearest hospital if any of the following occurs:
- Rash, itching, or hives.
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat.
- Wheezing with shortness of breath.
An increased risk of blood clots and ovarian cysts (in premenopausal women) has been seen with Nolvadex. These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical treatment.
Serious side effects are rare. Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- Hot flushes.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Any change in your periods.
- She is itching around the vagina.
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Headache, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
- Hair thinning or hair loss.
- Leg cramps.
- Sudden onset of weakness or paralysis of the arms or legs, sudden trouble speaking or walking, difficulty holding things, or difficulty thinking can occur due to reduced blood supply in the brain’s blood vessels.
These symptoms could be signs of a stroke. These are all mild side effects of Nolvadex.
Rarely an increase in triglycerides (increased levels of fats in the blood) has been observed, sometimes with pancreatitis (pain or tenderness in the upper abdomen) with Nolvadex.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice something that makes you feel unwell. Some people may have other effects while taking Nolvadex.
Storage
Keep your Nolvadex tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. It will not keep well if you take Nolvadex out of the blister. Store it in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 30 ° C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Store it where small children cannot access it. A closed cupboard at least one and a half meters from the floor is an excellent place to store the medicine.
Do not leave it on the windowsill or in the car on hot days. Heat and humidity can affect some medications.
Arrangement and appearance of the medicine
Ask your pharmacist what to do with the leftover tablets if your doctor tells you to stop taking them or if the expiration date has passed.
Nolvadex 10 mg tablets are round, white to off-white film-coated tablets, marked with Nolvadex 10 on one side.
Nolvadex-D 20 mg tablets are white to off-white, octagonal (eight-sided) film-coated tablets marked with Nolvadex-D on one side.
Ingredients
Nolvadex contains tamoxifen as an active ingredient. Nolvadex 10 mg tablets contain 10 mg tamoxifen, and Nolvadex-D tablets contain 20 mg tamoxifen.
It also contains other ingredients such as:
- Cornstarch.
- Lactose monohydrate.
- Croscarmellose sodium.
- Gelatin.
- Magnesium stearate (572).
- Hipromelosa (464).
- Macrogol 300.
- Titanium dioxide (171).
