Medical Oncologist
Hormone therapy
I want to stop my tablets: how to have that conversation
Wanting to stop hormone tablets is common, usually because of side effects, cost or worry. Telling your oncologist first often reveals options such as switching tablets or treating symptoms. This page explains, in general terms, how to prepare for the conversation and what stopping can mean.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
On this page
- What should I do if I want to stop my hormone tablets?
- How to prepare for the conversation
- Options your oncologist may suggest
- The vocabulary, in plain language
- What stopping can mean
- How to start the conversation
- Looking after yourself after stopping
- What other women say when they want to stop
- What people assume about stopping hormone therapy
- Common questions about wanting to stop
The short answer
What should I do if I want to stop my hormone tablets?
Tell your oncologist before you stop. Wanting to stop tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor is very common, and it is a reasonable thing to raise. Most women who feel this way are struggling with side effects, cost, tiredness of daily tablets or worry about long-term effects. An honest conversation often uncovers solutions, such as switching tablets or treating symptoms, that let you continue. If stopping is still right for you, your oncologist can help you do it with a clear understanding of what it means.
Why talking first matters
Your oncologist knows the features of your cancer and can explain how much protection you would lose by stopping now. That figure is very different for a small, low-grade cancer than for one that had spread to lymph nodes.
What the conversation usually covers
Why you want to stop, which side effects bother you most, what has already been tried, the benefit of continuing for your cancer, and the options that remain.
When stopping may be the right decision
If side effects severely affect your quality of life despite real efforts to manage them, or if the remaining benefit for your cancer is small, stopping can be a sensible, informed choice.
This page gives general information only. Please talk to your oncologist before stopping any treatment.Before the appointment
How to prepare for the conversation
Write down your reasons
List the side effects, worries or practical problems that make you want to stop, and how much each affects your daily life.
Note what you have tried
Write down any remedies, exercises or medicines you have already tried for the side effects, and whether they helped.
Bring your treatment details
Know which tablet you take, when you started and how many years are planned. Bring your pathology report if you have it.
Decide what you want to ask
Ask how much benefit you would lose by stopping, what alternatives exist and whether a trial of a different tablet is possible.
Consider bringing someone
A partner, friend or family member can help you remember the discussion and support your decision.
Before stopping
Options your oncologist may suggest
Many women find one of these makes continuing possible.
Switching tablets
Moving to a different aromatase inhibitor, or between an aromatase inhibitor and tamoxifen, can ease side effects noticeably.
A short planned break
A brief supervised pause can show whether symptoms are truly caused by the tablet, before restarting or switching.
Only with your oncologist's agreement.Treating the symptoms
Exercise and physiotherapy for joint pain, non-hormonal medicines for hot flushes, and counselling or medicines for low mood.
Reviewing the length
For some cancers, a shorter total course may be reasonable. Your oncologist can explain whether this applies to you.
Also worth asking about
- Lower-cost generic tablets
- Support groups
- Referral to a menopause clinic
Words you will hear
The vocabulary, in plain language
- Endocrine therapy
- Another name for hormone therapy.
- Early discontinuation
- Stopping hormone therapy before the planned years are complete.
- Absolute benefit
- How many women in a hundred gain from continuing treatment.
- Shared decision-making
- Making a treatment choice together with your doctor, based on evidence and your priorities.
- Quality of life
- How well you feel and function day to day, which is a legitimate part of treatment decisions.
- Treatment holiday
- A planned, supervised pause in treatment.
Being straight with you
What stopping can mean
Hormone therapy lowers the chance of hormone-sensitive breast cancer returning, and that protection continues for as long as the tablets are taken and for some time afterwards. Stopping early can reduce the protection. How much depends on your original cancer and how far through treatment you are.
You are not being difficult
Many women feel guilty about wanting to stop, or worry their doctor will be disappointed. Oncologists hear this regularly and would much rather discuss it openly than have you stop quietly.
Stopping quietly has risks
Women who stop without telling their team miss the chance to try solutions, and their follow-up may not reflect the change. Honesty keeps your care safe.
Your life matters as well as your risk
Treatment exists to help you live well. If the tablets make life very hard, that deserves to be weighed seriously, not dismissed.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how much protection you would lose. Only your oncologist can estimate that for your cancer.
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Finding the words
How to start the conversation
Starting is often the hardest part. Simple, direct words work best, and there is no need to justify yourself at length.
Opening lines that help
You might say, "I am finding these tablets very hard and I have been thinking about stopping. Can we talk about my options?" or "I have missed a lot of doses recently and I want to be honest with you about why."
Be specific about the problem
Instead of saying the tablets make you feel bad, describe what happens: stiff hands every morning, hot flushes that wake you at night, or low mood that stops you enjoying things. Specific details point to specific solutions.
Ask for time to decide
You do not need to decide in the appointment. Ask for the information you need, go home and think it through, and arrange a follow-up conversation.
If you decide to stop
Looking after yourself after stopping
If, after discussion, you and your oncologist agree that stopping is right, a few steps help keep you safe.
Keep up follow-up
Continue attending reviews and having mammograms as advised. Follow-up matters even more once treatment has stopped.
Know the warning signs
Report new lumps, bone pain that does not settle, persistent cough, breathlessness or unexplained weight loss promptly.
Leave the door open
If side effects ease or circumstances change, restarting hormone therapy may still be possible. Ask your oncologist whether and when that would make sense.
You are not alone
What other women say when they want to stop
Hearing that others feel the same can make it easier to speak up. The reasons women give are remarkably similar, and each one has something that can be tried.
"My joints ache like I have aged twenty years"
Joint stiffness on aromatase inhibitors is one of the most common complaints. Regular exercise, weight management, physiotherapy and switching tablets often bring real relief.
"I do not feel like myself any more"
Low mood, irritability and loss of interest in sex are real effects of lower oestrogen. Counselling, treatment for low mood and practical help with intimacy can make a meaningful difference.
Commonly believed
What people assume about stopping hormone therapy
My doctor will be angry if I say I want to stop.
Oncologists expect these conversations and would much rather hear about problems than have you stop without telling them.
If I stop, the cancer will definitely come back.
Stopping can raise the chance of recurrence, but it does not make it certain. Your oncologist can explain the size of the change for you.
There is no alternative to putting up with it or stopping.
Switching tablets, treating symptoms and reviewing the length of treatment are all possible middle paths.
Once I stop, I can never restart.
Restarting is often possible. Discuss it with your oncologist if you change your mind.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about wanting to stop
Is it normal to want to stop?
Yes, very. Many women consider stopping at some point, usually because of side effects. Talking about it openly is the best way to find a solution or make a safe decision.
How much benefit would I lose?
It depends on your cancer and how long you have already taken treatment. Ask your oncologist for an estimate for your situation.
Can I try a different tablet first?
Often yes. Switching tablets helps many women with side effects.
What if my family disagrees with my decision?
Invite them to an appointment so they can hear the facts. The final decision is yours, made with your doctor.
Should I get a second opinion?
If you are unsure, a second opinion from another medical oncologist can help you feel confident.
Will stopping make side effects go away?
Many side effects ease over weeks to months after stopping, though some changes, such as bone thinning, need continued attention.
Can counselling help?
Yes. Talking to a counsellor can help with low mood, anxiety and the stress of long-term treatment decisions.
Where can I read about my own tablets?
Your oncology team will give you written information about your hormone therapy. Use that as your main reference.
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Sources
- Journal of Clinical Oncology — Early discontinuation and nonadherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy in women with breast cancer
- Breast Cancer Now — Hormone therapy side effects
- National Cancer Institute — Hormone therapy for breast cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.