Arimidex
Comments
-
Lisa, your montage is really good. Do you do it professionally?
I hope you started the Arimidex, and that it works for you as it works for me; some bone pains, moderate, and a bit of hotflashes, not much. for the rest, it is all clear...
And you look really great with your new short hair!!!
a true blonde!!! 0 -
Tried cleaning some today and couldn't get down on the floor and then back up. I ache in my knees. Was down on the floor with yoga yesterday and I couldn't get back up without a lot of moaning. Rain again so I will go to the grocery store and do some walking and spending.
0 -
Good for you for doing the yoga! That is great. Give yourself credit. I know what you mean about the stiffness, it sux!
Love,
Ellen
0 -
Just sharing here as I am also on Arimidex. Today was the 1st anniversary of my DMX - I did a double spin class!! Why do my hands hurt so much?? Hoping to start running again but I'll spin and bike for the rest of my life if I have too
0 -
Good for you, bobcat! You're an inspiration.
0 -
I just can't believe the pain with the arimidex. I'm hoping it is temporary but I don't think it is from reading the posts. I had to take some ibuprofen today because I am just so stiff. The pain is in different places - today it's my legs and hips. Other days it's my back. Like Joy, I can hardly get up. I can't even imagine starting exercising again. I was planning on doing yoga this fall as a start to getting back into some kind of activity. Shoud I medicate before with some kind of pain reliever or just try to work through the pain?
0 -
Well the joints are starting. Wrists a little but not too bad. Left knee hurts when sitting or getting up. Right hip and knee are the worst. I'm having to take Tylenol PM to sleep and when I get up to walk I look like I'm 20 years older. Sitting here now my right knee is killing me and I need to get up to take my meds but dread getting up because of the knee pain.
I have to say, however, that my tolerance for pain is ZERO so what I call pain would probably be just minor discomfit for most (I get novocaine to clean my teeth!) so maybe it's really not so bad but just out of proportion for me?
I go to see my med onc on Tuesday and don't really know what to tell him. I had right hip pain pre-bc and I'm on the computer all day anyway so that could be the cause of the wrist issues. My sister, 4 years older is having knee problems so maybe I'm just starting to have problems earlier. So, is it the Arimidex or not. I'm not planning on going on anything else right now because I don't think the se's call for that yet. I'm hoping they will subside.
One thing - Arimidex may cause bone loss - I did not have a bone scan. Should that not have been done to get a baseline or something to test against later? Because of the pains I'm guessing the glucosamine may not be as effective when taking Arimidex. Any ideas?
0 -
Yes, Patoo, I think you should have had a bone scan, to get a baseline. So sorry about your joint pain. I am hanging in there with my stiff hands. God Bless you and all our sisters!
Ellen
0 -
I have been on Arimidex for about four months and I am doing well and I am grateful. I think the key here is EXERCISE. In my previous life (before bc) you would not have ever heard this coming from my lips, but that was then and this is now. I have been living in Florida full time for over five years now and I am retired, so I do have the time to pursue things. I have been playing tennis and doing walking for awhile now, but lately (since the arimidex) I have added some serious exercise. It started because I was afraid of the boneloss from arimidex. When I first started I too felt tremendous joint pain. I have arthritis and it got much worse very quickly. If I went to a movie, when I got up it took minutes before I could move at all and then it was painful until I walked a few minutes. Now I do pilates twice a week and personal strength training in a small group (3 to 4) twice a week. I have been doing this regimen less than two months and it has really relieved the pain. I don't even take tylenol or advil anymore. I do take gloucosimine, but I have been for years. I am still walking and still playing tennis, but the pilates and strength training is what has made the difference. Went to the movies the other night and got up at the end and walked right away with very little discomfort. So my advice is to move as much as you can. Do whatever you can. I know, it seems crazy to think of exercise if you are in pain, but I am telling you the more you move the less the pain will be. Well I can't promise, but it has made an incredible difference for me, so give it a try. If you aren't doing anything now, just take a ten minute walk and then increase it as you can. If you already do some exercise, try to add to your program. I really believe it will help with joint pain. Plus it is great for a natural high, and I think it aids in sleeping too. And you get in better shape........................it is really a win, win , win.
Hope this helps.................................Caren
0 -
patoo,
I started taking a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM supplement two weeks ago.
A little bit about me ... I have a physical disability since birth and my left hip is inwardly rotated. I consider that joint to be a barometer of how things are going in my body. Sure enough, that's the joint that started bothering me after about five months on Arimidex. Since my walking is normally bad enough without hip pain, I decided to try G/C/M. I bought a supplement called Flexamin Triple Strength at Walmart (about $16 + tax for 96 pills). Within several days, the joint pain in my left hip disappeared, literally disappeared! No joke.The only question I have is that on the label there is very small print that says that this product contains blah, blah, blah and soy products. I've heard that bc patients should avoid soy products so I called the company. They told me that vitamin K2 contained in the product comes from soy beans. I will ask my onc about this when I see him at the end of the month.
This has been my experience. I hope this is of some help to you.
0 -
Wow, those AI"s are such a trade-off--they gave me some peace of mind and have enabled me to celebrate my 7th anniversary NED, but it takes constant vigilance if you want to stay on them--my SE's seemed to shift around. I would just get one problem area taken care of--like a shoulder--then my knee would pop out of joint constantly. Then I would get dizzy. In the winter SE's were different than in the summer. As Caren just wrote, it is important to exercise. Even when it seems dreadful. Never sit for more than ten minutes. If you are on the computer a lot, set a stove timer and get up and walk around the room. Ten minutes goes fast. Don't travel. Never pass up an opportunity to swim. Get a hot tub. Keep notes on what to do for inflammation in your particular body. Talk to you MD about switching. Arimidex and Femara are chemically very similar, non-steroidal AI's. Aromasin is different-a steroidal AI. I got temporary relief from switching around. Aromasin has to be taken with food. Your body will teach you what to do for its inflammatory responses if you listen. But don't give up--the AI's are took effective to pass up!
0 -
Right now for me the worst things are the hot flashes and while I don't get as many as I did going through meno, the flashes now are soooo intense...drip, drip, drip. Bad enough through the day but those I can handle it's the night sweats that are a real pain in the "you kow what". The other thing for me that I am so pissed about is the "bye-bye libido" and the "Sahara Desert Vagina". I'm 54, love sex and am not a happy camper. My onc and I spoke about these two things back in July at my first follow up and I agreed (god knows why) to continue until our next appt in October. Not experiencing much in the way of joint pain - thank heaven. Have been exercising regularly - running, weights, yoga so perhaps that is helping to some degree.
0 -
Caren - thanks so much for the motivating post. I know exercise is important and will really push myself to get back to it.
Cw89134 - I see my onc on Tuesday so will also ask abut the soy because I've heard it's a big no-no for ER/PR+.
Weesa - aren't hot-tubs contraindicated because of possibility of triggering LE? Thought I read that somewhere on these boards. I would hesitate to switch back and forth with AI's - just me.
You all have been very helpful. A big thank you!
0 -
Hey weesa...why "don't travel"? I notice on occasion I get the dizzy feeling as on occassion - although some of my friends might say.."girl you is already dizzy" LMAO.
Also, for those who have had lymph nodes removed (whether you have lymphedema or not) you will want to pass on hot tubs and saunas since heat can cause fluid build up.
0 -
Like Patoo I didn't have a bone density test either. Will ask when I go back to the ONC next week. The hot flashes are dripping for me too, Bad when I am waiting on a customer and start sweating. In an Inn no less!! I sit too and when I get up it takes a while for me to get moving. So many questions and no answers.
0 -
It troubles me so much that women continue to suffer on this drug when it is not necessary. I struggled with the arimidex issue for months. Finally, I realized my stress over it was my subconscious telling me that I had to learn more about it. I started researching like mad and have found so much evidence that this drug is not the only answer for prevention, especially for those of us who had early stage bc. I am not telling you all what to do, I am just suggesting that if the side effects are ruining your quality of life, please look into all the alternatives out there. A good place to start for information is here:
http://www.breastcancerchoices.org/rr.html
I have found that nutrition, exercise, iodine, and other supplements have actually made my QOL better than before bc. I have been taking tests that have shown my deficiencies and then doing follow up tests that prove what I am doing is working. I found a great doctor, who specializes in hormones to read my tests, and help me with all of this. Does you onc even know what your hormone levels are? Mine did not even bother to test them, just wanted me to take the little pill. How do they know if it helps if they do not even test us? We get cancer because our bodies our off balance. We need to each figure out what is wrong in our body chemistry and try to correct it. This one size fits all treatment of telling us all to take a pill is infuriating to me. Arimidex blocks all of our hormones. Only one form of estrogen is detrimental. When it becomes dominant we have problems. The problem with this drug is that it throws out the good with the bad. We need hormones for our heart health, our bones, our minds. This is why the se's are so bad when they are blocked. Then we end up with more drugs to counter the side effects. So I am just saying if it all becomes too much, educate yourself. There are safe alternatives. You do not have to suffer so much.
0 -
I have been on arimidex for 5 years and have just been advised to continue on it for another year as the research is showing that it does prevent the return of the cancer. By this time next year the research will be complete. I have been fortunate I suppose in as much as I have not had any side effects other than slight loss of libido which I have managed after discussion with my GP and husband. As regards costs I live in the UK and other than paying for a prescription charge for the arimidex until I was 60 [4 years ago] my care including the lumpectomy, radiotherapy and care of my arm with lymphoedema had been free on the NHS. I was given a choice about whether to stay on the arimidex [2 weeks ago] as I had had a borderline Grade 2/3 tumour and had negative lymph nodes. However I did accept the advice and am staying on it. I was prescribed calcium and have had 2 Dexa scans, I swim, go walking and go to the gym Jane
0 -
Hey, Patoo, I enjoy your posts. To answer your good questions--I have heard hot tubs are bad for lymphedema (although they used to say exercise was bad and have just reversed it)--I got me a big hot tub I can splish splash around in and keep it at 99 degrees, barely over body temperature. It allows me to swim in place--I hook my legs over the side so I'm stationary and give my arms quite a workout. It''s not a pretty sight, but I feel great when I get out. Especialy feels good round about Feb. About travelling--I should have said that was a rule for myself. If you tend to freeze into one position a five hour flight wedged into the middle seat can be your undoing. Car travel is a bit better but my dh doesn't want to stop every ten minutes so I can uncreak.If you know you can sit motionless for a long time, then go for the travel!
0 -
Weesa - "It''s not a pretty sight," - thanks for the giggle! Travelling - take shorter flights? Or don't do a non-stop and if you are booking online many times you can select your seat when searching flights and choose an aisle seat. I've passed up flights rather then sit in a middle seat.0
-
cw89134, maybe someone has already responded but I haven't read all the posts. I just got my first prescription for Arimidex (I'm in Canada).....there is no generic at this time. It cost me $524 (Cdn) for 90 days of Arimidex. I was told that by next year there will be generic but I don't know if that is accurate. My extended health insurance should be covering the total cost.0
-
Hi HRF,
My insurance reduced cost of Arimidex in the US is $339.00 for 30 days! I am thinking of ordering it from a pharmacy in Canada. $524.00 for 90 days does not sound so bad,
Pam
0 -
Pam, just make sure you get it from a real pharmacy. The Canadian dollar is currently about 90% of a US dollar.
0 -
A few more thoughts about Arimidex which I started in May 2003. I was determined to take it for the long haul, being stage 3 and not being eligible for Tamoxifen. After two years I thought I could not take it another week, let alone three more years.I started with my Oncologist's ok to switch around between aromasin, femara, and arimidex. Each time I would have my estradiol checked with a sensitive assay, and my levels never changed no matter which of the three I was taking. Each time I would switch it seemed I had an easier couple of months (maybe it was purely psychological, but I didn't care--it was great, if temporary, relief.) Then when the se's would creep back in I would know it was time to switch around again. Finally in March of this year I had to give them up entirely but it had been almost six years. I stopped--I was on Femara the last few months--cold turkey and my se's evaporated like magic.If you are unlucky enough to get se's with the AI"s, let me encourage you to work on them step by step. By trial and error I discovered a good many things I could do. No one thing seemed to be a panacea--it was more that the combination of things I did all added up to it being bearable. Swimming, exercise, Mobic, never sitting for more than ten minutes straight, and yes, switching around, to name a few of my bag of tricks.
0 -
hrf,
There is one website that shows that they sell "generic" Arimidex:
http://www.planetdrugsdirect.com/Drugs/Arimidex/1348/
I know nothing about this product. Having said that, my doc says no generic Arimidex for me for at least the first two years. That is when the risk of recurrence is highest.
The copay on my drug plan (a Medicare part D type plan) for a 90 day supply is $87.50 (US). However, after I reach the infamous part D "donut hole", the cost is totally mine ($923 for a 90 day supply). It is at that point that I would opt for ordering brand Arimidex from a Canadian pharmacy. It's half the price of brand Arimidex here in the US.
My doctor has been extremely generous in supplying me with samples. I should really say his nurse has been extremely generous
. The "donut hole" counter gets reset back to 0 on January 1, 2010. I am therefore stockpiling for next year so that I won't end up in the "donut hole".0 -
cw89134, thanks for sending me the website but I couldn't open it. Regardless, I am suspicious of anyone who says they can sell generic Arimidex as I know the patent is not up yet and there is no legal generic Arimidex in Canada at this time. So, IMHO, what this website is selling is either illegal or not really Arimidex. It's expensive but seems to be almost half the cost of the drug in the US. I hope the nurse can continue to give you samples.0
-
Hope I am doing this right. Am new to the site. Has anyone experienced itching while taking arimidex? I just get feather-like itches here an there. The itching comes and goes. I've only been on the arimidex for 3 days and really want to continue. This is my second bc. First was left breast, Stage 1, 0 lymp involvement, estrogen neg. This one 1 1/2 years later, right breast, Stage 1, 0 lymp involvement, estrogen positive. Anyone have this problem? I have lots of anxiety - even before taking the arimidex and trouble sleeping and some pain in my right hip but overall not bad so far. Hope about the itching issue?
carole41078
0 -
I am not on Arimidex any longer (gave it a good 8 mos...pain was intolerable), Caroleb..but I did have on and off itching, as you describe. It would just come and go...I would scratch, usually too hard...and the itching would last about 15 min..then just go away. It was usually on my feet or hands, or forearms.
0 -
carole
I had bilateral mastectomies. Not sure what treatment you had for the breast cancer. I get these annoying little itches in my underarm/back areas. It is an odd feeling because I can scratch and then, due to the overall numbness, I am not really sure I am scratching the right itch! I still am pretty numb on my chest and underarms and upper arms. Perhaps the itch is from nerves being cut????? I also have pain in one hip but only when I lay on it. It almost feels like a sciatica as it will travel the length of my leg. I did mention it to the nurse practitioner and she felt it was more nerve related but of course I dwell sometimes on IS IT METS? This pain (probably a 3 on a scale of 10 in intensity) is just annoying enough to wake me up from a sound sleep. I take 800 mg Ibuprofen before bedtime but it is not that helpful. I have better luck taking generic Benadryl (diphenhydramine, which is probably also in all those tylenol PM products?) and I actually sleep better using that. I have gained some weight but not sure if it is from stopping smoking or if it from this med. And I am a bit depressed but not sure if it is from the medication or my general fear of cancer and feeling of being so darn alone with all this crap.
0 -
Carole,
Sorry you are feeling a bit depressed. I know I experienced more depression from the Arimidex. I was already on the effexor xr for the hot flashes, and a little depression. But after 3 months of the arimidex, I was feeling very blue. I had to increase my mg of arimidex. It made me feel 100% better. I did also gain a little more weight from it, and also from the hysterectomy. But since being off the arimidex, I have lost some weight.
I know exercise can help some of the side effects of the arimidex. Unfortunately, it did not help me. I am an avid runner, and even though I kept it up during this time on arimidex, it did not lessen the discomfort and pain I experienced. I think we all tolerate every drug out there differently.
I wish you comfort and pain free journeys!
Lisa
0 -
Here is another Canadian website claiming to sell "generic" Arimidex.
http://www.canada-pharmacy.com/drug-prices/arimidex.html
Can you open this website?
This one refers to it as a "generic alternative". It also refers to the drug as Anastrozole, which is the active ingredient in Arimidex. It's all pretty confusing.
I, too, have read that the US patent on Arimidex is set to expire in 2010 but that numerous legal issues could make that date later.
0
