Tamilong 20MG (Tamoxifen)

Tamilong 20MG is Hab Pharmaceuticals & Research Ltd's tamoxifen tablet, 20 mg, in a strip of 10 tablets. Tamoxifen is a selective oestrogen receptor modulator (SERM): it blocks oestrogen in breast tissue while acting like oestrogen in bone and the uterus.

Tamoxifen is approved to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in women and men, before and after the menopause, and to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk. It is also used for ductal carcinoma in situ after surgery.nnOff label it treats and prevents gynaecomastia in men, including gynaecomastia caused by anti-androgen prostate treatment, and it is prescribed to men with low testosterone or infertility to raise the pituitary's own LH and FSH signals.

Tamoxifen sits in the oestrogen receptor. In breast tissue it blocks oestrogen, so hormone-dependent cancer cells and gynaecomastia tissue stop being stimulated. In the hypothalamus the same block removes oestrogen's feedback, so the pituitary releases more LH and FSH; in men that raises testosterone and sperm production. In bone and the lining of the womb it behaves like oestrogen, which protects bone after the menopause but thickens the endometrium.

The usual dose is 20 mg a day, as one 20 mg tablet or two 10 mg tablets, with or without food, for five to ten years in breast cancer or as prescribed. For gynaecomastia and male hypogonadism the dose and length are set by the doctor and are often shorter. Take it at the same time each day and do not stop early without asking your doctor.

• Hot flushes and sweats.n- Vaginal discharge, dryness or bleeding, and irregular periods.n- Nausea, tiredness and fluid retention.n- Mood changes and reduced libido.n- Leg cramps and hair thinning.n- A higher risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs, and of stroke.n- Thickening of the womb lining and, with long use, a small increase in the risk of endometrial cancer.n- Cataracts and other eye changes with long use.n- Rarely, liver problems.

Tamoxifen is not taken in pregnancy, and reliable non-hormonal contraception is needed during and for two months after treatment. It is avoided after a previous blood clot or stroke unless the benefit is judged to outweigh the risk. Report unexpected vaginal bleeding, calf pain, breathlessness or vision changes at once. Some antidepressants (paroxetine, fluoxetine, bupropion) block the enzyme that activates tamoxifen and are avoided with it; so are oestrogen-containing medicines.