Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Tamoxifen as follows:
Vision changes
- Tamoxifen use can result in damage to the lens proteins with clouding of lens and development of cataracts. This can result in progressively diminishing and blurred vision with haloes around light.
- Increased risk for development of stroke, secondary to tamoxifen use, can also contribute to the risk for diminishing vision.
General allergic reactions
- Tamoxifen use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response with tamoxifen, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
New tumor growth
- Patients newly started on tamoxifen, in the initial stages of tamoxifen intake, could present with side-effects, such as, increase in the size of the tumor, growth of new masses in the breast tissue, exacerbation of pain, worsening lymphedema and swelling.
- These side-effects could be self-limiting, which settle over a period of time. Occasionally, these findings could also indicate poor response to tamoxifen and progression of tumor growth in the breast tissue.
