If breast cancer occurs, there is no guarantee that it will be detected at an early stage. This is why it is important to continue with regular check-ups. Like many medicines, tamoxifen citrate causes side effects in most patients. The majority of the side effects seen with tamoxifen citrate have been mild and do not usually cause breast cancer patients to stop taking the medication. A rare but serious side effect of tamoxifen citrate is a blood clot in the veins.
Blood clots stop the wflow of blood and can cause serious medical problems, disability or death.
Women who take tamoxifen citrate are at increased risk for developing blood clots in the lungs and legs. Some women may develop more than one blood clot, even if tamoxifen citrate is stopped. Women may also have complications from treating the clot, such as bleeding from thinning the blood too much. Symptoms of a blood clot in the lungs may include sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or coughing up blood. Symptoms of a blood clot in the legs are pain or swelling in the calves.