Many questions have been asked about why drug medication tamoxifen is a prescription drug medication. The easiest way to answer this question is that drug medications should follow a very strict system that ensures compliance to various medical requirements such as drug authenticity, ingredients, doses, duration and of course, a drug’s efficacy in treating a specific condition. Without prescriptions, the manufacture, distribution and use of medications would be jeopardized.

Why tamoxifen is prescribed

The use of Tamoxifen for treating breast cancer in both men and women that has spread to other areas of the body is a well-established healing practice and one that’s been widely used by millions of people who suffer from breast cancer.

It’s main use is the treatment of early breast cancer in women who have already undergone treatments of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

It’s  also applied in order to decrease the risk of growing a worse type of breast cancer in women who’ve suffered from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, a kind of breast cancer that does not extend outwards from the milk duct where its formation started).

It’s use is also applied to women who’ve undergone surgery and radiation treatments.

It’s also used to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who are especially vulnerable to attack by cancer in view of their age, personal medical history as well as family medical history.

It is therefore because of all these special attributes and threat of cancer encroachment in your body especially your breasts that tamoxifen needs to be prescribed as the recognized and  most effective drug medication for the treatment of breast cancer.

How to properly utilize tamoxifen

Because tamoxifen comes in the form of a tablet, it should be taken in the mouth and swallowed whole once or twice a day with or without food.

Ideally, it should be taken at about the same time each day but for enhancing clarity and accuracy in using it, you should make it a habit to read the prescription label carefully.

If you find it difficult to understand the inscribed instructions, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain them so you fully understand what needs to be done.

You should take tamoxifen exactly as you’ve been instructed to do and avoid taking more or less than the amount specified and likewise, you shouldn’t take it more often than as prescribed by your doctor.

When taking your tamoxifen tablets, do so by swallowing them whole. Don’t split, chew or crush them  and use a glass of water to assist in ingesting them. Don’t take your tablets with alcoholic beverages.

Duration of treatment course

Normally, if you are taking tamoxifen to prevent the development of cancer in your breast, you’ll be required to take it for a period of 5 years.

But if you are taking tamoxifen to treat breast cancer that has already developed in your breast, you doctor would be the best person to decide for how long you should continue to take the medication.

Whatever, you do, you shouldn’t stop taking tamoxifen without discussing your intentions with your doctor.

Inadvertently missing your scheduled dose              

Sometimes, it happens that you may accidentally forget to take your dose and you miss it.

When that happens, you should take the dose the moment you discover your blunder, and continue as usual in taking the doses that follow.

However, you need to do things differently if you know that your next scheduled dose is just around the corner.

In that case forget about taking you missed dose and take your scheduled dose instead and then continue with your next scheduled dose as if you never missed a dose.

What you shouldn’t do though is you should never double up your dose to make up for the one you missed.

Are there any other uses for tamoxifen?

Sometimes tamoxifen is also used for:

  • Inducing ovulation or egg production in women who can’t produce eggs but strongly want to become pregnant.
  • Treating the McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS, which is a condition that causes:
    • bone disease
    • early sexual development
    • dark colored spots on the skin in children.

You should discuss the possible risks of using tamoxifen for treating your condition with your doctor

It’s also the case that tamoxifen may be given under prescription for other uses as well so, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information on the other uses for tamoxifen.

Do you need to follow special precautions?

Listed below are some of the precautions you need to take before you actually start taking tamoxifen:

  • inform your doctor and pharmacist if you have any allergic propensities to tamoxifen or any other drug medications.
  • Inform your doctor and pharmacist every other medications you are taking or plan to take that should include:
    • prescription medications;
    • nonprescription medications;
    • vitamiss;
    •  nutritional supplements;
    • herbal products ;

You should also mention the following medicatons:

  • aminoglutethimide (Cytadren); anastorzole (arimidex);
  • bromicriptine (Parlodel);

Also cancer chemotherapy medications such as:

  • cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar);
  • letrozole (Femara);
  • medroxyprogesterone (Depo-provera, Provera,in Prempro);
  • phenobarbital; and rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane).

It may be necessary for your doctor to alter the doses of the medications you’ve been given or strictly and carefully monitor your condition for any side effects that may occur.

  • Usually there’s an “IMPORTANT WARNING” alert section in the prescription label or separate content that lists the type of conditions that may occur from taking tamoxifen. In spite of the alert you should also inform your doctor if you’ve ever experienced high levels of cholesterol in your blood.
  • Are you pregnant or planning to get pregnant? If you are pregnant, you should not be taking tamoxifen during treatment of 2 months after the end of your treatment. 

If you are not pregnant  you should stay that way while you are undergoing treatment with tamoxifen and for 2 months after your treatment.

To make sure you don’t get pregnant during your treatment course you should use a dependable non-hormonal birth control method to prevent getting pregnant while you’re on tamoxifen  and for an extra 2 months from the time your treatment ends.

You should discuss the types of birth control methods that are suitable to your needs with your doctor. You should continue to use the chosen method even though your menstrual periods during treatment do not occur regularly.

If you do get pregnant during your treatment course, you should promptly call your doctor. The reason is that tamoxifen can harm the developing fetus.

  • If you are breastfeeding, tell your doctor but be reminded that you shouldn’t be breastfeeding during your treatment with tamoxifen.

Inform all your doctors and healthcare providers you are on tamoxifen.

  • Your goal before and during treatment with tamoxifen should be to look for early signs of breast cancer. Ask your doctor about the frequency of examining your breast yourself and also ask for X-ray examinations of your breasts.  Immediately call your doctor if you find and new lump in your breast.

Conclusion

For tamoxifen to be classified as a prescription drug medication means that it has been recognized by the highest authority in the United States (FDA) as a genuine, effective, safe and beneficial drug medication. As such it has endorsed the use of tamoxifen as a prescribed treatment for specific conditions which, in this case, is breast cancer. It has been used to treat millions of patients successfully and has proven its efficacy.