Tamoxifen - It’s going to be “ok”

I was very lucky to find my cancer super early.  I had a lumpectomy and radiation and then was told I needed 5 years of hormone therapy.  Being Pre-menopausal and the age of 53 my doctor decided to start me on Tamoxifen.  I did all the reading and was so, so worried about starting this medication.  The side effects sounded horrible…. Insomnia, hot flashes, mood swings, headaches, weight gain.  No fun!!!!  I am now 14 months into my 5 years on tamoxifen and want to reassure anyone about to start that it isn’t that bad… at least not for me.  It did throw me into menopause (but at my age that was coming anyway).  I do have some hot flashes, especially at night.  But again - this was probably in my future regardless.  My main worry to be completely honest was the weight gain.  I have been very strict about diet and exercise and so far my weight has stayed about the same.  Again, I think this is an issue all women deal with after menopause.  Overall I would say that what I read before starting tamoxifen was far worse than my actual experience.