Topic: Preferences on AIs?

Aug 4, 2012 12:15 PM MondaysChild wrote:

I do not know that there is a criteria for drug selection other than physician preference and patient tolerance. I was prescribed generic Femara in September, 2011 and I have not had a single identifiable side effect from it from Day 1.  I cannot tell at all that I am taking this drug, but I have read others could not tolerate it and had to quit. 

It may just be trial and test until you find one that you do not have too many problems with.  I hope you are as lucky as I have been with AI hormone therapy using generic Femera.  Almost everything related to surgeries did not go well for me, medically or otherwise.  Chemically? I breezed through A/C, Taxol and now Femera.  At least I caught a break somewhere! I hope you do, too.

Aug 8, 2012 08:42 PM Lee7 wrote:

Hi Galsal & MondaysChild,

I'm on Arimidex.  I do have some SE's(mostly joint pains) after a year and a half but none so bad I'd consider stopping it.  I thought I might ask to try Femara, just to see if I'd feel any better on that one.

So, I saw my med onc last week, and she started talking about switching me to Tamoxifen to help my bones. That really confused me.  I thought the all the AI's were better.    

Aug 18, 2012 05:31 PM, edited Aug 18, 2012 05:34 PM by ruthbru

I'm finishing up my 5 years on Arimidex with no problems. It was the one my doctor was most familiar with, and happily it worked for me.

Aug 18, 2012 06:13 PM proudtospin wrote:

my doc said she felt they were all the same so I could chose, since I had no knowledge of them, she gave me femara to start.  I had  some problems that were not from the meds but I blamed them so she switched me to aromasin.

I do not have anything I can actually blame on the meds but I do feel so much older now than at the start of this stuff

Aug 18, 2012 06:42 PM dogsandjogs wrote:

My onc wanted me to try Aromasin since I have very bad osteoporosis and Aromasin had the least impact on the bones (according to him)

However, after a couple of months I was having severe SEs -bone and muscle pain (could not jog, it even hurt to walk)  depression, diarrhea, increase of atrial fibrillation, etc. etc. so I quit.

Others do fine on Aromasin - it really depends on the person.

Aug 18, 2012 06:54 PM Galsal wrote:

What is DIM?

Aug 18, 2012 07:42 PM proudtospin wrote:

can't remember now if the aches and such were sudden or not!  stopped spin during rads and have not gone back to it, really not sure I could do it so do easier stationary bike

lordie but my balance stinks, it that part of the meds or what?

Aug 20, 2012 10:30 PM, edited Mar 25, 2013 10:08 AM by Shrek4

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Aug 24, 2012 11:41 AM rgiuff wrote:

I think many are prescribed based on studies.  For example, aromasin was studied for use after 2 or 3 years of tamoxifen, for women who become postmenopausal while on tamoxifen.  The protocol in that study was to do a total of 5 years of the 2 drugs.  Then there was a study using femara after a total of 5 years of tamoxifen has been completed, for a total of 10 years.  With arimidex, I believe many women just start off on that when they are already postmenopausal from the start.  I'm sure that either of these could be switched around though, since they are all AIs with a similar action.

Oct 6, 2012 10:07 AM Galsal wrote:

I really don't know what Onc did.  Picked up what thought would be Aromasin but it is Arimedex.  I'm thinking that after a blood test result she was seeking came in, she changed her mind and they expanded my options.

Oct 6, 2012 10:18 PM Galsal wrote:

Thanks Lee.  I'll do that.