Arimidex
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Thanks Curlylocks...guess because I feel pretty good, I should be able to just jump back in...patience has never been my strong suit! I'll have to really slow my pace down and build up as much as I can and in the end if I walk instead of run at the CIBC event..oh well. It is just so hard not to be able to do the things I used to do...maybe over time it will improve...must learn to be patient, must learn to be patient, must learn to be patient. If I repeat this often enough maybe it will sink in...
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Waking up now with numb fingers and feet. Is this normal? Patient was never my strong hold but have learned to slow down and pace myself now. Now easy but I'm trying. I just don't have the energy to do anything at all. I haven't really slowed down at all since Dx and never missed work through the ordeal. I did have to take a day off a week when taking radiation but that was because i had to travel to another town for treatments. Looking forward to having Tuesday off. Maybe I can get something done. Have a great day.
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Hi there, am on arimidex for 7 months, had a complete hysterectomy/oopharectomy. They did warn me to check my thyroid function in about 6 weeks after. Could be worth it?
Anyone: weird SE of hips "clicking" and shoulder joints also. They don't hurt, but they do click.
I feel like Snap, Crackle and Pop and Rice Krispie Kids.
Good luck to all!
xoxo
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p.s.: I have begun cardio exercise and lots of aerobic stuff: I am losing weight, instead of gaining it. Calorie cutting, tho.
So it is possible to have good things happen on arimidex, besides the obvious of no cancer!
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anniealso..I've been on Arimidex for 4 months now and just recently noticed my right hip clicks when I do certain excercises and my shoulder clicks (right side again - which was my surgery side) when I do shoulder presses. I'm just ignoring it...LOL love the Krispie Kids analogy!
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About exercise and feeling dizzy:
I have been on arimidex 6 weeks. Mild SEs but nothing major. It is HOT where I live and I walk 2 miles and ride my bike 2 miles every morning. I get light headed if I am dehydrated so have to be sure to have plenty of fluids before exercise. I have the same feeling if I am rushing around, like at the farmers' market This has only happened post radiation when I began Arimidex so don't know which assault to blame it on.
Congrats to being a runner. I am envious but too old for that!
pam
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pj102345...I'm blaming my dizziness on the Arimidex...but who the heck knows. I find that I also get light headed if I am rushing around which is a royal pain. I'll try drinking more water before I go for my jog and see if that makes a difference.
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I'm also not sure what's from the Arimidex and what's from aging. As long as I can tolerate it it doesn't much matter to me so I'm not complaining. But I do have the clicking shoulder, right side same as surgery. I had rotator cuff surgery there 2 years ago, pre-bc, and thought something was just happening because of that. But now that you mention the clicking, HA, I bet it's from that. Go figure!
The more I learn, the less I know. Good grief.
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My trigger finger (numbness) started while on Arimidex. I have been off now for 2 months, and unfortunately, this has not gone away. It is less however, but still there. I tried aromasin for a month, it was worse than the Arimidex. I had severe s/e on Arimidex..gave it 8 mos. I am so happy for those of you who have had little or no s/e. I pray it stays that way for you. I am going to go backwards and go back on tamoxifen. That I was on for a year, and the s/e's were much more tollerable for me.
All the best to everyone!
Lisa
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Sobx-I use to be a huge dairy user too. Just could not get by without milk and cheese. But when I started reading all the connections between dairy and bc I quit cold turkey. Check out Jane Plant's books on the dairy connection.
anniealso, please do follow up on the thyroid issue. Check out the information on the links between tyroid and bc at breastcanceraction, and look into all of Dr. David Brownstein's research. I firmly believe that iodine will overcome arimidex as a preventative, when their studies are finally given the credence they deserve. Right now, the only one who can afford to do clinical trials are drug companies, hence they dictate our standard protocols. But more and more doctors are looking at alternatives and documenting their positive outcomes. I have been on iodine for only 2 months, and I notice a huge difference. After a few days of headaches and tiredness from detoxing, not only am I sleeping 8 hours again but my energy has soared. The changes in my breast are incredible. My good breast, and the other half of bc breast are noticibly softer. The hardness around my nipple from rads has gone away, the breast tissue is now smooth and I have no more pains, and my scar is really diasppearing. Dr. Brownstein explains that iodine is stored in the breast tissue and essential to breast health, that is why a deficiency causes so many problems. Get his book, "Iodine, why you need it and why you cannot live without it". It explains everything.
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Arimidex is in my future since my tumor was estrogen positive. Right now I'm recovering from my surgery last Fri. (bilat with immediate one-step reconstruction). I've been suffering hot flashes for the past month because I discontinued HRT when I learned my diagnosis on June 25th. (I'm having a hot flash this moment). My gynecologist gave me a starter kit and prescription for effexor. I was a little afraid of taking an anti-depressant, so haven't begun taking the pills. I'm hearing from many of you on this thread that Arimidex causes terrible hot flashes. So I guess I should start taking the effexor. It seems that I have years of hot flashes ahead of me.
Any advice?
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I take the generic Effexor. I only take one 25mg tablet a day about 9:00 PM, I think it helps me sleep. No bad side effects. I do have some hot flashes after 7:00 PM which aren't bad at all. I do take Arimidex, I've been on it since Feb 09 with no bad side effects either. I think exercise is important though.
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Joy I do think the Doctors are afraid of end up in court!!!
Soy bean products can mimic estrogen and soy is in a lot of products from hand lotion to soup!!!!
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Hi,
I'm on Arimidex for 5 months. I have joint pain and finger cramping. It's was hurt getting up from bed or sit.It was even very hard to turn around in bed. So I did not sleep well.
But execise did help a lot. I do light execise and play table tennis 4 or 5 time a week. Now, I feel better. Less pain. Better sleeping.
I'm 45. I'm still working. I hope I can fiight out this BC.
I'm just wondering one thing, my hair grown curled after Chemo. It was straight before Chemo!
Does any one have similar change like me?
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Hi LanaHN...I have always had curly hair, however, it has come back even curlier after chemo. So it is very common for your hair to come back curly. However, I also understand that over time (I think I had read a couple of years) it will go back to the way (straight for example) it was before you had chemo.
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Purple, My hair was long curly ringlets before bc and prior to chemo. 3 years out of chemo it is even curlier and thicker than before and hasnt gone back to the way it was. I now wear a short pixie cut that I love and it keeps the curls away.LOL.
Michele
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Hi Ladies, I had been on Arimidex for the 5 yrs my onco suggested, she asked if I wanted to continue on for another 5 yrs, I said NO. I had very bad leg pain and stiffness, could not walk without looking like I was a drunk, also could not sleep, hot flashes and could not control my emotions, I would cry at the drop of a hat, my hair is thin in spots and is very depressing. It took about 1 yr to get it out of my system and start to feel human again, I am going on my7th yr and I guess some could be attributed to the Arimidex.
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I have been on Arimidex for 7 months. I have also had the bad leg pain, foot pain, fatigue,and have just now started the hot flashes. I have been having headaches and dizziness for going on 4 weeks now. Had a MRI today that was negative. Dr. said it possibly could be Arimidex and wants me to go off for 1 week to see if headache goes away. If it does, she wants to try me on aromasin. Has anyone else experienced headaches on Arimidex?
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Hi there, glad (tho not for those of us experiencing SEs) to hear that others have the Rice Krispie effect. It's after I work out, not on my BC side, but on the non affected side. Mostly my hip, when I do weight bearing stuff; it doesn't hurt, just pops like it's going in and out of joint. I"m reasonable sure, in my saner moments, that I shall be obliged to discover that this is just "part of the fun" from arimidex.
Re: hot flashes, I don't get them. I had all the plumbing pulled march 11th, and was on lupron for ages before that, so perhaps that's why. Or perhaps I just am someone who doesn't get them? I got one, and man oh man, was it a doozy. It came with a lovely anxiety attack and heart race, so along with being beet red, sweaty, and hot, I am really glad it lasted a minute of so.
My hats off to you ladies that tolerate this so well. I do ward off "impending" hot flashes by keeping bottles of water in the freezer. I tote one wherever I go, if I feel "hot" (mn, not the sexy kind obviously) I hold one of those in my hand, or against my neck and it wards it off. Worth a shot?
My onc has me on Omega three fish oil caps; I take 1200 mg. daily. This is supposed to help with hot flashes, joints, stiffness, achies, (all of which I have, but can abate with exercise)
heart and cognitive issues and blood pressure//cholesterol issues. I assume it is working very well for me then, as I do not have this stuff so far. Besides the obvious blood pressure skyrocket when in a drs. office ha ha.
I get purified Omega 3 from GNC...it has really, really worked for me. I also take .20 mg. of amitryptylline at night, it is a small dose of an antidepressant that I was on for fibromyalgia before and I think that may have something to do with helping.
Good luck all, and thank you for weighing in on the Krispie Kid joint thing.
xoxo
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whoops: my two cents: re soy n supplements
They told me to stay away from soy produces, altho soy sauce is fine, just not added edible soy, such as edame, or soy milk or tofu.
Also milk products and dairy is AOK IF (very important) what you get is from an organic source ie: cows not receiving hormones.
They mentioned flaxseed; not a good thing, as it acts like a phytoestrogen in the body..
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kamico3, I was on ai's for seven years (tried them all) and developed trigger fingers, rotator cuff tears and knee tears. The trigger fingers were the easiest to deal with--found some simple stretching type exercises and could do them on my bad hand with my good hand. Once I started doing them a few times a day (I would always try to do them when I was stopped at a red light for instance) I never got trigger problems again. My rotator cuffs had to be repaired surgically. The orthopedic sugeron doubted the first time around my inflmmation and subsequent tears were caused by AI's. which he had barely heard of. By the second shoulder two years later, he was convinced my inflammation and subsequent weakness was Ai related. He insisted I stop them immediately; I told him it wasn't that simple...He gave me a prescription for Mobic. It helped.
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Ladies,
I've been reading all your posts about se's. I've been on arimidex for about 2 weeks. So far I've had stiff ankles and wrists which seemed to have gone away this week. But.... I've now developed an extremely sore lower back and leg pain on one leg. I'm really in pain. I went to the oncologist to talk about the clinical trial for biophosphonates (another story!) and I told him about the pain. The nurse that was with him said it could be the arimidex. He said maybe but if it continues that I should see a pain specialist. Also, he could send me for a bone scan. I've never had back trouble before, never thrown my back out. I feel like it catches and then I scream out in pain (embarrasing!) It is also hard to sleep at night because if I turn over I hurts so much. Anyone else out there with this kind of pain?
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My knees are really hurting today. Have been starting to feel some pain the last few days. Now it hurts when I sit or bend them; when I get up from sitting you'd think I was 80. I have a 3-story townhouse - lots of steps - ouch. Is it the Arimidex or aging? Hmmmmmmm, at 60 I'm gonna believe it's probably the Arimidex. Sigh.
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Patoo, sorry to hear that you're starting to experience the joint pain SE. I've been following this discussion to get an idea of what might be in store for me, and you've been one of the few Arimidex users who had few complaints. Seems like it's an ongoing process, the longer you take it, the more SEs.
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I've been on Arimidex for a few months now. The SE seem to come and go. Some days joint achiness and stiffness; some days they're either minimal or none. The thumb and finger joints at times bother me, but that hasn't happened often. But I really find that the more I do, the less the SE. At least for now!!
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Weesa, are you saying that your knee tears were caused by taking Arimidex? I had taken it for 5 yrs off for around 1 1/2 yrs now, about a month ago I was sitting on the couch and when I went to get up I could not straighten out my leg. My knee was locked at a 45deg angle. I crawled all weekend till I could get into the dr. for a shot to help me straighten it out. I have been wearing a knee imobolizer and am having surgery this Wed, Aug 5th, the dr says I have torn cart. in the knee. I have been having trouble with my shoulders also, they feel like they are going to fall off. I also wonder if it is the Arimidex that has caused all our problems.
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Hi PurpleMe!
Thank you for reply. It seems not many people have hair changes like ours. I now look much differently with new curl hair
.Friends told I look younger and better than before BC! 
I believe the stifness, joint and back pain will down. The pain was realy bad in 1-st month of Arimidex. But it become easier on 3-rd or 4-th months.
I'm doing execises and meditation in morning and try to play sport as much as I can.
I feel much better now.
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Patoo..sorry you are feeling the ills of arimidex. That is how my knees are. After being on it for 8 months...it never ever got any better. I think the pain actually go worse. I sure hope yours doesn't. Even though I have been off for 3 months...I don't have the pain in my knees..but still the stiffness everytime I get out of my chair. I am 49...and was in very good shape...even a runner. But like you said..when I get up...I feel 85!
Weesa....those are some severe side effects! I tried two AI's, doc wanted me to try femara...I said, no...if the last two were that bad for me...I didn't want to try a third. I am back on tamoxifin. I know my body tolerated that much better, since I was on it for a year. Also, studies are back on tamox...the AI's are newer....and it's the unkown I worry about.
All the best to you ladies here...and prayers for lessen s/e's.
Lisa
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My fingers in the morning are hard to curl around a coffee cup or pour my hot tea. One way to make me cut down on the tea! My son helped me in and out of the boat this weekend. Never bothered me before! Achey when I get up and feel soooo old. I'm 57. No malls to walk in and really to muggy for outside stuff so hopefully this weather will break and I can get some exercise and limber up the joints. Been on Arimidex since January '09. Aronmasin and femara was worst for me to take. Joy
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Yes, to clarify, I do think my tendon and cartilage tears were caused by my six and a half years on AI's. I got up from sitting too long and felt my left knee tear back in the winter. Before that I had both rotator cuffs repaired because the tendons tore off the bone. My orthopedic surgeon says I got something called entheospathy which is inflammation where the tendon meets the bone.He took pictures of my rotator cuff surgery and was very adamant it was the worst inflammation he had ever seen and he said, "And I do these surgeries all day long." I didn't want to keep having surgeries to repair tendon tears so when my left knee went bad I got off the AI's. And guess what? My left knee, which I was on the verge of having surgery for, miraculously got entirely better. I have cancelled my surgery for a torn miniscus. Maybe it will come back but right now I am walking, jogging, gardening etc. and can't get it to hurt..I did not get these tendon tears until I had been on the AI's a couple of years, it took a while to develop.I am glad I took them, but no more! Had 17 surgeries of various types in a period of five years aand don't want to see an operating room again. Google "Aromtase Inhibitors and Rotator Cuff tears..."
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