Arimidex
Comments
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I don't know about Femara. I tried Arimidex for 8 mos...could not take it any longer. Then my oc put me on Aromasin, lasted 1 month, it was worse than Arimidex. She said, she wanted me to try the Femara...I declined. Maybe I should have given it a try. I went back to tamoxifin.
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I am on arimidex and they tried me on frema and they put
me back on arimidex, and there I stay, Have all the side affect.
But like Jo said I agree, Side effects or cancer. Take care and
good luck to you all. Debbie
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DENTHOMAS
My Onc.Dr. told me to stay way from any soy product, I do read all labels and avoid skin lotion and cream with soy.
Please research breast cancer ER+ and soy.
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Evening everyone - Been there done that here. Tried arimidex then femara and then aronmasin. I'm back on Arimidex. The side effects got worse with each med. Been on it since February and guess now for the next three months. I keep hoping things will get better or go away. Night sweats and all of the aches and pains. Better than the alternative.
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JO, you are such an encourager, thanks! I just have achy joints although my right hip sometimes brings me to the point of tears when I try to straighten after bending down. I also have a problem with vocabulary - can't pull up a word more oten than not. No-one has said anything about me losing words so hopefully that's because I don't and not because they are being kind. I'm up to at least 4 nights a week with tylenol PM so that the joint aches don't keep me awake.
But, JO's right - se's easier to manager so I'm handing in there.
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Jo, funny you should mention your left hip. Mine has been killing me when I lay on my left side.
I am also left handed so wonder if I am lifting something wrong (like picking up my grandkids for hugs and kisses........won't give THAT up!) and that is causing the pain. The hip pain also involved my left knee and my lower leg. Not a continuous pain like sciatica, tho....it seems to skip some parts of my leg.
AND now for the last 2 nights........the pain is gone. Go figure.
I seem crabbier than usual, but at least no pain. I have no plans to change from Arimidex. I will just suck it up. Sue
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Hi Jo-5 and Sue,
I will be going on Arimidex next week as I just finished radiation theropy. Don't they check periodically to be sure about the estrogen levels? Thanks.
Roseann
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I started Arimidex 2 weeks ago. No one checked my estrogen levels before I started and there was no indication that they would be doing so at any time. I will have to check on that.
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I haven't started Arimidex yet, but have been reading this thread for several weeks to see what might be in store. Now when I have one of the symptoms listed as SEs, I make a mental note of it. See there, you had a twinge in your hip joint! Or your bones feel a little achy this morning! As some of you have pointed out, we post menopausal women have reached the age where we have some aches and pains anyway. We also experience some cognitive malfunction without Arimidex. I frequently find myself drawing a blank for the right word.
Am not looking forward to taking Arimidex. And do we have any proof that taking it helps us avoid recurrence of bc? I haven't done much research on the question. It does not seem like a good thing to totally deprive the female body of estrogen.
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carolhalston, I agree that it doesn't seem to be a good thing to totally deprive the female body of estrogen. However, there is a lot of research that proves that the A.I. makes a huge difference in preventing recurrence. I wish the drug companies would use the billions of dollars to find a way to kill the cancer rather than find ways to destroy the female body.0
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hrf,
Well said!!!!!
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I have the left hip sydrome as well. When my DH is away every two weeks, I can roll around the bed as much as I want. When he comes home, I spend most of my time on my left side facing away from him. Firstly, because he snores like a tree full of male Koalas in rut and, secondly, because when I snore, (sinus) I make a soft popping kind of noise sort of like those fish in tanks that seem to be blowing invisible bubbles. This sound drives him nuts when I am facing him so he tells me to turn over, which I do immediatley. Then the pain gets bad and I assume the 'coffin' position, flat on back, toes pointing up, with hands on chest. Until, once more, I turn to my right and the whole thing starts again. He won't allow me to sleep elsewhere, so the beat goes on.
Our daughter sleeps in another room when he is home as his snoring keeps her awake. I asked her once how she knows it isn't me snoring and she said that she never hears snoring when he is away.
Sheila.
P.S. When he is looking for a mate, a Koala sounds like one of those dirt bikes without a muffler, so imagine a tree full of them.
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Hi Jo-5,
I'm 59. If I don't have much estrogen then why did I develop estrogen receptive breast cancer? Wouldn't you think that the doc's would want to know how the drug is doing? I do! I heard it is a simple urine test so how expensive could it be? I see my onc on Friday and I'll ask her about it. She's easy to talk to so I'm sure she'll give me the scoop and when she does, I'll pass it on.
Also, I was told that by my chiropractor that she was told at a recent seminar that cancer cannot grow in an alcoline (sp) environment so I bought some strips and test my urine 2 times a day to make sure it is not acid. They sell them along with some drops at the health food store.
Thanks for your response.
Roseann
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Hi Ladies,
Thought I'd join in this group. Have been on Arimidex for 2 years now. About 3 months after beginning the drug I developed really horrible knee pain. The article came out the day before I saw my onc that I might have a Vit D deficience. Live in Michigan. Yep, that was it. So gradually after upping my Calcium and Vit D. the pain became less and less. Now almost none. But now I have sciatica for which I just started PT today. Guess I have a nerve in my butt that is getting pinched. Hopefully this will do the trick.
The main question I have for all of you is about this vaginal dryness. It is getting horrible. Feel like I'm sitting in dessert sand. Kind of like when I was in chemo. My GYN suggested I try Vitamin E vaginally. So I began that 3 nights ago. At first I bought some oil; but how do you insert? So I bought some capsules. But use at night because it is messy when the outer gel dissolves. I'm hoping this will help. The ACS here is planning to have a speaker on sexuality issues. I can't wait for her talk in October!
Yes, the Arimidex has all sorts of side effects; but better than the alternative.
If any of you have had suggestions on what to do for the vaginal dryness/atrophy, please share. You may have discussed, but I haven't read through the thread.
I send my best to all of you. Linda
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hi everyone
thought i would add my 2 cents. i was on arimidex for 5 and half years. for me, the decision was primarily to prevent relapse of my estrogen positive cancer. (i was on estrogen patech for 5 years prior to my BC diagnosis...) i have to tell you that my body now has felt better then it has for a long time since i was on arimidex and in treatment. my joints and bones have stopped aching...i feel better totally. i am shocked actually as to the aches i was dealing with on a daily basis while i was on the drug. HOWEVER...i would take it again if it meant moving forward without a relapse of my cancer.
my oncolgist has encouraged me to take vitamin D> even tho i live in sunny california....and she also had checked my levels in my blood. they were in normal range but she recommended me take extra vit D. i have been taking supplement and i have to say that i feel even better since adding vit D to my multiple vit, and calcuim. i think it has really made a difference and i am not real big on extra supplements but i think adding Vit D is a winner.
dry vagina....hmmm. that is one area where the arimidex really causes "issues" lack of sexual desire...sahara dry ...like a desert...vagina. i have used Vagisil...and i think KY makers have some sort of "bead" with lub to insert. i haven't tried that yet. major downside as far as i am concerned to taking arimidex and being in major "no estrogen" mode. BUT, i am grateful to be alive....and doing well.
best wishes. hang in there.
diana50
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Hi,
I was on HRT for 25 years so my BC was estrogen positive. BC starts growing for 10 years before it's detected. No one has ever checked the estrogen in my body. If I had taken progesterone cream along with the estrogen patches perhaps I wouldn't have had BC. Who knows? I am 71 and had a hysterectomy in 1990 & started on HRT before that. I've been on Arimidex since Feb 09 and have no SE's thank goodness. In Dr Susan Loves' Breast book she has a whole chapter on soy not being bad for BC. That book has been my bible since finding out I had BC last Dec. I pretty much do what I feel is right after researching on the Internet & reading books. Dr Lee's book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer" is another good book. You can find them used on Amazon. That's where I bought the books. I see my Dr next month & also have to have a blood test. I don't know what the blood test is for other to check and see what the Arimidex is doing to my liver. I did have a bone density test in Feb & will have to have a mammogram on my left breast next month.
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I have two questions. (1) the issue of acidity vs alkaline ....where is the actual research on this? I asked the nutritionist at the cancer centre and she said there is no truth to this. If it is accurate then why aren't all of the onc's telling us about it? If it is true, then I would certainly make the necessary changes to my diet but I haven't seen scientific evidence. Can someone tell me where to find it? (2) I have heard many people write that cancer grows for many years before it is detected. I have had 2 bc dx. I always went for mammograms, mri etc. Nothing ever showed until "it was there" .... if it was growing slowly (which it was), how come it didn't show up a little bit first? My onc told me that many bc grow quickly .. just in a few months because I was asking why the previous mri didn't show anything and then all of a sudden I have a 2.2 cm grade 1 tumor .... can someone point me in the right direction to read the scientific evidence that it takes years and years to grow. Thanks to anyone who can help me.
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wow, I just read back some. Hip pain, leg pain, knee pain, restless leg syndrome, memory loss, forgetting words..I have all of this. Arimidez must be the cause. Well, if it keeps cancer away, I can deal with it.
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Try the Replens. You use it on a regular basis 2-3 times/week...it's not a lubricate like KY and the others. It's supposed to actually help increase the moisture of the vaginal tissues. However it works...it works. At least for me. Check it out at Replens.com.
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Hi, about hip pains, mine is on the right hip, and only when I lye on it at night. Actually I cannot sleep on my right side at all, it's bad because I have to sleep on my left side which means on the arm wich the lymph node were taken and that arms hurts a lot. Cannot sleep on my back unfortunatly. What is weird is the in the morning, I can sleep on my right hip, seems the rest from the night takes the pain away. Has anyone noticed that. I'm on Femara, also have a lot of neck and back pains but those don't keep me from sleeping, thanks to Tylenol.
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patoo, I lose words all of the time now too. It is very frustrating! Plus in general my memory seems impaired and I don't feel as mentally "sharp" as I used to. Aging (I'm 56) or arimidex? I'm not sure!
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I was told that chemo had something to do with the word loss and forgetfulness. And my blood work is still showing I have effects from chemo and I finished that the end of November 09. If the nasal strips don't work for the snoring here is another remedy. Rub a small amount of Vicks on the bottom of your feet and put socks on. Crazy I know but it does work. I love koalas but didn't know they make such noises. I'll take the arimidex if it helps me not get bc again. I can deal with the aches and pains. Now taking 3 ibuprofen twice a day. So far so good.
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I am doing research, so I am new to this thread. I was DX in Dec 08, had lumpectomy in Jan09 and ooph in Aug 09, after +BRCA2 results. I have been taking tamoxifen since March 09 along with Effexor XR. I am 41 very soon to be 42. Since my ooph, my surgeon recommended talking to med onc about changing meds from Tamoxifen to Arimidex. I already have joint pain and mild hotflashes from Tamoxifen, just wondering about some of the other se's. I also have forgetfulness and use the wrong word from time to time.
Any information will help. Thank you ladies.
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Thanks Michelle! My bottle of Arimidex is sitting on my kitchen counter because I'm afraid to start due to side effects. My hair is coming in nice & thick since I finished chemo & hair loss again really bothers me. I know it sounds vain but I was so excited to have hair again! Your post helps me to start using it. I did so well during chemo & radiation, no nausea or extreme fatigue so maybe I'll do ok. Thanks again! Gail
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Have been on Arimidex for 7 months, and really no bad side-effects. Vaginal dryness is bad, but it has been bad since I went through menopause a couple of years ago. I have tried Replens with okay results, but if I do not remember to use it regularly, the good effects of it go away. (I said no bad side-effects, but I often forget about the Replens.....). I have tried the LiquiBeads from K-Y, and have had some good results with it. If anyone has anything they can recommend, please post.
Linda7411 - Please post after the October ACS meeting. Thanks!
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I'm going to keep trying the Vitamin E capsules for a couple of weeks and will let all of you know how it works. I've been putting up with this vaginal dessert dryness for awhile. It is even painful to have a vaginal exam now. If that doesn't work, I'll try the replens. I read that replens helps stabalize the pH too. There's all sorts of things on the internet like slippery stuff, etc. Guess you have to go to a porn site to get them. Not sure if they are safe, however. Also, we have aconference coming up October 21 on sexuality issues. So I hope to have some answers for all of us.
I use alleve for joint pain. It does help better than Tylenol, etc. Also after I started Vitamin D and uppped the dose, my knee pain gradually went away. I was tested and did have a deficiency. Oncologists should always be checking ladies in the Midwest when putting them on AIs.
Have a great rest of the week! Linda
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Hi ladies - I take tons of supplements but will add Vit D tomorrow. I start the acupuncture study in a month - we'll see what does and doesn't work
Joint pain is off the map!! 0 -
losing words and train of thoughts ..... be careful with estrogen products. Vaginal dryness and sexual desire - all problematic for myself and partner. TMI - sorry..
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My goodness, I'm learning so much from all of you! I was on Arimidex but because of the intensity of the SE, my onc took me off, and put me on Femara. I have fibromyalgia, so the pain from that is bad enough! If I don't listen to my body, I land in bed for at least a couple of days to rebuild the energy. It's not me to just lay around... I'm a do-er and I love cooking/baking....etc.
Since my hubby left me, I guess I can say that I don't have to worry about the vaginal dryness, even though I do have it...yeah, Sarah dry indeed! I also battle with my memory, but I was told that I'd have "chemo brain" for about a year after my chemo was done, and it's been a bit over a year...so it must be the meds or my age, or a combo?
I do agree with Candie...it I maintain to be cancer free, then I guess I can manage these SE's. I do know that the Lord is with all of us, and if HE is for us, then who or what can be against us? I have to put my full trust "in Him" and I tell you, that makes a BIG difference in every part of my being!!
God bless you all, gals. Let's all hang in there to encourage one another and yes, pray for one another! Love ya's all!!0 -
I was taking glucosamine and still having a lot of pain, especially in the morning. Last month I switched to glucosamine with chondroitin and MSM. It has really made a huge difference!
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