• hot flashes;
• vaginal discharge, and/or dryness, and/or itching, and/or pain;
• fluid retention and/or weight gain;
• irregular periods;
• headache;
• nausea/vomiting;
• skin rash;
• fatigue;
• increased fertility*

*Yes, INCREASED fertility; ask your doctor about appropriate forms of birth control if you’re premenopausal. Birth control pills are no longer an option, as they alter the effects of tamoxifen.

In addition, there are possible serious side effects that are, thankfully, quite uncommon (under 1.5% of women taking tamoxifen are likely to encounter these):

• increased blood clots;
• uterine or endometrial cancer;
• stroke;
• cataracts.

As with the decision to take any drug, you’ll want to consider the side effects. But realistically, based on decades of real data, taking tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer recurrence is pretty much a no-brainer. Good luck!