Arimidex
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Patoo - I was on Arimidex for 5 months - side effects started at 4 months. I started on Femara two days ago. So far -hot flashes - but still can't tell cause it's been warm here at night. Keeping my fingers crossed.
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Hey-
Reading these posts make me feel lucky that I don't have joint pain. I've been on Arimidex for six months, and don't have that side effect, thankfully. But does anybody sometimes have kind of sluggish brain, for lack of better word? Don't know if it is related to the drug or if just need to drink more coffee.
Also, I've been suffering from really dry eyes. Anyone heard of Arimidex affecting your eyes?
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I have 13 more radiation treatments then my onc wants to start me on Arimidex. I'm more concerned about that drug than the radiation. The last thing I need right now is to have joint pain. I'm 58 but very active. I am also concerned about speeding along the aging process by drying up my estrogen. However, I can't grow old if I don't get this BC deal handled. It's a trade off I guess.
Roseann
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Oh, what would we all do without each other. I have read often but never posted before. Have been on Arimidex for 2 years. Lots of symptoms--joint mostly--in first year. Walked a lot which did help. Then, miracuously, most of the joint symptoms stopped after I was on it for one year. But now I don't sleep more than about 3 hours a night---and I am having bouts of depression which I never really had before, at least to this degree and frequency. Anyone else suspect our little white round friend of causing depression? Supplements that might help? I can't take St John's. Of course a little sleep might do wonders but that seems in short supply. I can be fine for 2 weeks, then can't stop crying for 2 days. Looking for ideas.
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the sluggish brain is caused by a lack of estrogen. I will often be talking and forget what I was going to say, or can't remember a name I've used 100 times before! I've heard depression is a side effect of Arimidex. I've never heard of the eye problem, but read someone elses post about having the same thing a few pages back. I'm glad to hear that the joint pain goes away eventually, but I was too impatient to wait. I too am a walker. I was quite worried the damage was irrepairable, but it turns out it wasnt. I'm sorry you can't sleep, 2goforward. Probably another victim of Arimidex. Funny how they never tell you the symptoms when you start on it, they were all lovely surprises for me.
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Hi everyone,
DrDecker -- You might want to ask your doctor about trying Effexor. It's an anti-depressant that also helps quite a bit with hot flashes caused by AIs. I started taking it right after Dx because I was very depressed and it helped to even out my moods pretty quickly. I still have a bad day now and then, but life is basically good.
I've been on Arimidex since mid-March. There are SEs including joint pain, hot flashes, dry skin and sleep problems, but they aren't bad enough for me to consider stopping the drug. I also had 3 UTIs in a row, but those seem to have stopped -- thank goodness!
-bonnie
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kpopperwell and gage: I am having problems with my eyes. They're completely drying out on me. Unable to wear contacts anymore and have to use drops throughout the day. I read somewhere that a possible side effect of Arimidex is cataracts.
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kpopperwell and gage: I am having problems with my eyes. They're completely drying out on me. Unable to wear contacts anymore and have to use drops throughout the day. I read somewhere that a possible side effect of Arimidex is cataracts.
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BonnieK, Thanks for the suggestion, I am on lexapro and wellbutrin already. So, I took my second pill today! So far so good, Patoo, I have gained much from your experiences with taking arimidex.
Ellie
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At least I won't have to worry about cataracts when I start on Arimidex. I had cataract surgery a few years ago and had great results. I no longer have to wear contacts and only need glasses to read.
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Day 3 of taking Arimidex. I have achy bones anyway, but so far so good. I am hoping for the best!
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Hi everyone...I am taking Arimedex and having a lot of joint pains, I had muscle pain before but my onc. think it was from the Taxoter and not from Arimedex, just by chance I went to my family Doctor and ask to have a blood test for my cholesterol and iron and vitamins... well I found that my vitamin D was very low and know I am taking 1000IU a day and my calcium also was low al this from arimedex.....after taking the vitamin D for 3 days the muscle pain went a way and I think the calcium is beginning to help with the joints pain...I am know taking a omega 3 fish oil and I stop taking milk and all the by products because of the big amount of estrogen in the milk.
Please everyone MILK IS VERY HIGH IN ESTROGEN!!!!!!
xoxoxox to everyone
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What if you buy organic milk??? I don't really drink milk unless I eat cereal but I don't want to touch it if it could make the cancer come back. I too have joint pain. Mostly in my ankles and my wrists. I started taking my vitamin d again along with calcium, a multivitamin and omega 3 fish oil. I feel like I'm gonna choke everytime I take these pills because they are huge!! I hate taking them but I'm gonna do whatever I can to fight this from coming back. BTW, I heard to tv the other day that taking an acid reducer (like pecid, prilosec, etc) stops calcium from being absorbed and people who take them everyday run the risk of bones breaking. I don't know what to do! Betweent he arimidex, lupron shots and now I shouldn't take pecid (my acid reflux is horrible) I'm bound to get major osteoporosis!
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I use low fat soy milk. In Dr Love's breast book she has a whole chapter on soy. I quit regular milk because of gastric problems. Soy is easier to digest & is fortified with calcium. It does NOT promote cancer. I do take a Tylenol in the morning and at bedtime. I try to exercise which does help. I'm 71 and weight about 90 so I feel I'm in pretty good shape.
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I love my dairy products! I drink milk and eat cheese and of course the sweet tooth with the ice cream. Are you all telling me I'm killing myself from my habits. I go in August for blood work and mamo. Then I see my onc again. Guess I need to have a real sit down and ask alot of questions. I love my milk and always have. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies too. Thanks for opening my eyes.
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I have been on Arimidex since April and was so worried about side effects because I have a friend who took it and was so stiff and sore all the time and she was just a tad younger than me at 45. I am happy to say that I have minimal side effects so far. I take mine in the morning after breakfast and sleeping is okay. I do have to take .25 xanax to stop those racing thoughts I still get the minute I put my head to my pillow. I take Effexor XR for anxiety and hot flashes as well. I do get hot flashes daily a few times a day. Manageable though. I also find that my hands fall asleep if I keep them in one position too long. Anyone else experience this? As in on the phone or when I am asleep. I walk 3-5 miles daily, ( very busy dog) and do Yoga twice a week, the Yoga is wonderful btw!
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I have been on Arimidex since March - my side effects seem to come in waves. I was taking it in the morning and experiencing alot of joint and bone pain so i switched to taking it at night. THat seemed to work for awhile. I haven't had trouble sleeping. I do have to restrict my physical activitiy and when I walk alot, i experience more pain.
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Sukiann,
I take Nexium, read on this forum ( perhaps do a search) that Calcium citrate is the best absorbed one if you are on an acid reducer, maybe you should switch to this one.
Welga
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Hi everyone! What is trigger finger?
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Welga, thanks so much for the info on the calcium citrate. I'll try that because I really can't deal with this reflux. Plus I don't want to end up with esophogeal cancer on top of the breast cancer. That would really be the pits!
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DrDecker, pretend you are pulling the trigger on a gun. As far as I can tell from what others have posted, one of the se's could be that your finger stays bent in that position, that you cannot just straighten it out by itself - I think you have to use your other hand to straighten it out. I'm sure someone else will be along who has had this problem.
I've been very tired for the past week or so. Tried switching my Arimidex to mornings and just messed up my schedule altogether from forgetting to take it in the morning so took it in the afternoon instead and then wondering what time to take it the next day. Then had problems sleeping. So now I'm back to taking it at night. Right wrist has been paining for 2 days so I'm back to the wrist wrap. Right hip is still giving problems when I bend and twist the wrong way - very weird but I don't think it's connected to the Arimidex. Will see my med onc in a few weeks and talk about the supplements I'm on to see what I should add or change.
All in all the se's are still manageable.
Blessings.
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It is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to know what is the right thing to do!
he Dietary Supplement Genistein, a Soy Isoflavone, Can undermine Breast Cancer Treatment
Diana Yates, Life Sciences Editor
diya@illinois.eduCHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Women taking aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or prevent its recurrence should think twice before also taking a soy-based dietary supplement, researchers report.
Genistein, a soy isoflavone that mimics the effects of estrogen in the body, can negate the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors, which are designed to reduce the levels of estrogens that can promote tumor growth in some types of breast cancer.
The new study, which included researchers from the University of Illinois, Virginia Polytechnic and State University and the National Center for Toxicological Research, appears in the journal Carcinogenesis.
Aromatase inhibitors are a mainstay of breast cancer treatment in post-menopausal women. These drugs work by interfering with the enzyme aromatase, which catalyzes a crucial step in converting precursor molecules to estradiol, the main estrogen in the body.
About two-thirds of all cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the U.S. are estrogen dependent or estrogen sensitive, which means that the tumors grow more rapidly in the presence of estrogen.
Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are post-menopausal, so their ovaries are no longer producing normal levels of estrogen. Other tissues, however, produce a steroid hormone, androstenedione (AD), which – with the help of aromatases – is converted to testosterone and estrogens. The estrogens produced from AD can stimulate the growth of some types of breast cancer tumors.
The researchers conducted several trials in a mouse model of estrogen-dependent post-menopausal breast cancer. First, they gave the mice AD, which was converted to estrogen and created a high estrogen environment.Many supplements sold without a prescription and marketed to post-menopausal women include plant compounds, such as genistein, that can block the effectiveness of Letrozole, a breast cancer drug.This helped the researchers determine the maximum growth rate of the breast cancer tumors.
Next, they added Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor widely prescribed to post-menopausal women with estrogen-dependent breast cancer. This treatment (Letrozole) effectively blocked the effects of AD and the breast cancer tumors stopped growing.
But when they added genistein (a plant estrogen or “phytoestrogen” present in many dietary supplements) to the mix, the researchers observed a dose-dependent reduction in the effectiveness of the breast cancer drug. Specifically, the tumors began to grow again. They grew fastest at the highest dietary doses of genistein.
“To think that a dietary supplement could actually reverse the effects of a very effective drug is contrary to much of the perceived benefits of soy isoflavones, and unsettling,” said William Helferich a professor of food science and human nutrition at Illinois and principal investigator on the study. “You have women who are taking these supplements to ameliorate post-menopausal symptoms and assuming that they are as safe as consuming a calcium pill or a B vitamin.”
Many women take genistein supplements to control hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. The researchers found that the doses commonly available in dietary supplements were potent enough to negate the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors.
“These compounds have complex biological activities that are not fully understood,” Helferich said. “Dietary supplements containing soy-basedphytoestrogens provide high enough dosages that it could be a significant issue to breast cancer patients and survivors.”
Plant estrogens from soy are not the only ones of concern, Helferich said. In a recent study, he and his colleagues found that certain mixtures of estrogenic botanical components and extracts marketed as supplements to assist “female libido enhancement” and sold without a prescription appeared to spur breast cancer tumor growth at low doses, while having no effect on tumors at high doses.
That study appeared last year in Food and Chemical Toxicology.
“We are just starting to understand the complex effects of the dietary supplements that contain phytoestrogens,” Helferich said. “There is an ongoing human experiment in which the outcome is unknown. These findings raise serious concerns about the potential interaction of the estrogenic dietary supplements with current breast cancer therapies.”Source: University of Illinois.
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Sukiann,
Your welcome, this is what this board is all about, I was very happy to learn about this too, and like you was worried about stopping nexium.
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Here is some information about milk and others milk products.
http://www.rense.com/general35/av.htm
But you can use goat cheese or sheep milk, or milk from cows that are not pregnant or taking hormones
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Thanks Chiquita for the info on milk products. My ONC hasn't said anything about cutting back or out of my diet. I go in August and that will be first on my list to discuss. And I love milk!! And to think I started eating cheese about 15 years ago. Doctors talk about different stuff to each of us and we need to bundle it all together and figure out what we should be doing. They miss some stuff and not others. As in my case they never told me to stay away from dairy. This thread has been sooooo helpful. Hugs to all. Joy
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I have been on Armidex for 3+ years. My major side effects are insomia (helped by Immovane - Sleeping Med), hotflashes (helped by Effexor - 75 mg) along with FATIGUE.
I did Zoladex injections with the Armidex for the first 1 1/2 years and then had my ovaries out afterwards.
The worst s/e for me is the fatigue, I am 3 years out of radiation/chemo and still have the fatigue. I walk and it does help but I cannot function to the level that I was prior to bc. I always have to plan what housework I am going to do. I use to be the energizer bunny that could clean the house in one day....
Being highly er/pr+ with a 4 cm tumour and diagnosed at age 41 I suspect I will be on Armidex for at least 10 years as the newer studies suggest. My oncologist told me this at my last visit.
I tend to curse the "little white" pill knowing the impact that it has had on me but feel lucky that there is something to hopefully keep the beast away.
The best of luck to all you ladies starting out on this med.
Michele
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DrDecker, I have trigger finger in my right thumb (I am right-handed), and what happened to me is that I woke up one morning and couldn't bend the thumb at all. As the day wore on, I could sometimes bend it but not in any kind of "normal" way: if I could bend it at all it sort of "popped" so that the part of the thumb above the knuckle was bent at at 90-degree angle and then it would "pop" back into a straight position. Sometimes it would "pop" down and I would have to straighten it with my other hand because it wouldn't go back up. That has continued for 6 weeks but now it is worse in that most of the time it is "frozen" in an upright position and can't be bent at all. I CAN bend it with my other hand but I can't move it voluntarily at all. I now have it in a splint so it can't be bent, because if I don't have the splint on and it hits up against something and bends by accident it is painful. The treatment plan (by my orthopedist) is that I have it splinted and am taking 9 ibuprofen a day. I see him again next week and he is suggesting a cortisone shot if it hasn't gotten better. After that, he suggested surgery would be in order to free the tendon from the sheath, which is where it is sticking (inside the tendon sheath). My orthopedist was unfamiliar with the idea that this could be caused by the arimidex; I found that out myself via the internet and my oncologist confirmed it. My oncologist does not want me to have surgery if it is a side effect of the meds; he is willing to let me try the cortisone shot but if that doesn't work, he is suggesting taking me off the arimidex for 4-6 weeks to see if the trigger finger goes away, which he thinks it will. If it does go away, he is suggesting trying one of the other meds, Femara first and if that brings on the trigger finger too, then aromasin. Unfortunately, my reading suggests that all of these meds can cause trigger finger. I am upset about this because I am committed to staying on an AI but it is very difficult to not have the use of my thumb.
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Hi Ladies...my last chemo was Feb 17/09, rads finished Apr 29 and I have been on Arimidex now for 4 months now. so now my question...are any of you into running/jogging and if yes, are any of you having problems with feeling light headed? I have registered for our local Run for the Cure which takes place early October and have been slowly trying to get back into my jogging/running routine. Any feedback will be most appreciated.
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Purple,
I am registered for the 60km Weekend to End Breast Cancer in Toronto in September. We have been training since March twice a week and have worked ourselves up to 13km walking at a brisk pace. We do our first 20km this upcoming Saturday.
I do not run, my knees bother me and I developed severe plantar facitis in my left foot prior to bc due to running.
I do not get lightheaded walking fast. I would take it really slow as you are just out of rads in April and the fatigue is probably quite heavy still. Go luck in your run.
I have done the CIBC for the Cure but walked for the past three years, this year I decided to challenge myself and do the 60km. A challenge it has been, but so worth it!!!!
Michele
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Roseann:
I have had no known adverse side affects from Arimidex. I completed radiation after a lumpectomy almost 3 years ago & then began arimidex. Perhaps I am confusing aging with side effects...(minimal flashes...sleep issues...weight gain) but, all-in-all, I feel extremely lucky. I am on Boniva & take Calcium supplements. Be aware of your body but be open to Arimidex. I'm grateful.
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