Arimidex
Comments
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Marilynn: CONGRATS!! Great news feels so good. I know we all get a bit terrified of the follow up appointments because we remember too well what it felt like getting the horrible news. I can't wait to be 2 years out...another milestone on this journey!
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Man, you all are relentless!!!!! No, yesterday I procrastinated all day and left work thinking I needed to not let you gals know I hadn't done it. See the fear you all have instilled in me.
Okay, so I just made it. Next week, 11/17 - 9:30 am. There, happy now.
Will check in later; I think my boss wants some work out of me (how dare he!)
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Good to hear, Patoo!
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Patoo,
I also had a mammo 3 months after rads and again 6 months later and I think anticipation can be worse than the event if we let it. And to tell you the truth I get myself into nervousness worrying about the what ifs more than the actual mammo. As one of my friends says....."don't care what they do to me as long as they don't find anything wroong"............ I think I will second that.
Will be thinking of you and wishing you an uneventful appointment.
Pat
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Patoo,
Way to go!!! I will be sending prayers your way. Catch my hug...Blessings.
mersmom
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Yeah Patoo! Proud of ya. Will be sending vibes too. I'll be back from my mini trip and will be thinking of you.
Went kayaking for 4 hours today. It was tiring but felt great. My fingers got numb hanging on to the paddle but I loved it. Had someone to go with and we just paddled and even drifted with the current. Saw so many birds. Now waiting for the rain from Ida to hit.
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We are having rain right now and they say it is from Ida............... glad to have the rain but sorry to be missing my walk.....ugh!
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thank you, thank you, thank you (picture taking a bow).
Funny, I'm not afraid of the mammo results, just the mammo itself. I am the biggest baby when it comes to pain. I have to get novocaine to have my teeth cleaned and won't go to a dentist who doesn't use nitrous oxide if he has to do anything requiring the use of a drill. Zero pain tolerance.
But, I do what I must because I don't think central NJ can handle all of you converging and dragging my butt there.
Was a really long day (took a lot out of me to make that call), so I bid you all a good night.
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Yea, Patoo, don't ya feel much better. Gotta love us. I feel the same way about the dentist.
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Hi all-- well i have been on Arimidex for 10 days now and seem to be ok--trying to keep active every day with either walking , pilates of going to the gym for working with machines-- ( i need it for my psychy too) I do get very fatigued in the afternoon but I did have 4 months of chemo , and 6 and 1/2 weeks of rads--finshed 3 weeks ago -- I take my arimidex in the morning so maybe I will start taking it in the evening and see if that makes a difference?!
I think it is important to have a baseline Vit. D level --my gynecologist suggested it 2 years ago and I never thought mine would be low since I eat well and live in Calif. so I do get outside a lot--but it was really low and had to start on 50.000units per week--
I have heard other people have nausea from the Arimidex and they just changed to taking it with their dinner and it subsided-hope that helps--
Keep moving --stay strong--Laura
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Hi, Laura. Welcome to our forum. Glad you're doing well so far taking the little white pill. I haven't had any nausea. I am having weight gain, but I think my eating is the cause, not Arimidex. I need to find a willpower pill.
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Hello Everyone. Just wanted to thank all of you for being on here! I just started Arimidex today and it's comforting to know that I can come here to chat or vent. I'm nervous about side effects but I think taking this med is so worth it if it'll keep the cancer at bay. Thanks again!
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JO-5 : I asked my med onc about the "20 years" of prevention after Arimidex. I think I must have mis-heard my BS, as my med onc is unaware of any research and said it is not likely any exists as AIs are relatively new. What he did say is that AIs remain "durable" after you stop them. Not sure exactly what that means, but it sounds good. LOL!
I reported my joint aches, trigger finger and fatigue....nothing intolerable, just noticeable and somewhat increased over time ( been on Arimidex for 6 months) He said some women have this experience - no noticeable symptoms at first, but increase with time -- he said they may subside over time. I use tylenol and advil with good effect.... and now cherry juice!! Thanks ladies for that tip. I think it might work -- I was eating alot of cherries this summer and didn't have the aches I have now since I can't get fresh cherries anymore.......so juice it is.
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Thanks hmm - it has been raining all day and probably tomorrow too. Flooding in the area and the winds have started picking up now. And I work nights starting on Thursday. Hopefully this will be out of the area before I need to go to work. About 6 inches of rain so far. Send me some sunshine next!
I seem to sleep an awful lot. Anywhere from 8 - 10 hours. I use to sleep only when I felt sick. I don't feel bad now. Guess the white pill is to blame.
Finally over the cold/sinus stuff. Took long enough to get rid of. Hope everyone has a great, dry day.
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I'm sleeping a lot, too. After my BMX/recon, I would sleep 9 or 10 hrs. Now I'm trying to keep it to 8 hrs. Seems I enjoy sleeping more than ever before. Love going to bed and reading for a half hour to an hour and then falling asleep. I'm having very vivid dreams since I began taking melatonin. Sometimes I'll rouse up to go to the bathroom and think, I really have to tell dh about this bizarre dream! Often don't remember the dream the next day.
Good night all!
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Checking in to see how everyone in the path of Ida is doing...all of you ok? You are in my thoughts and prayers gals.
Off to bed...chance of snow the next 2 days,hope it stays in the mountains.
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My Dr. had me take Gluc-Chon. MSM while I was on Arimidex. I also take Calcium 600D-2 a day. I didn't really have problems while on it with hurting.
Take care.
Linda
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Had blood work done this morning. Find out results next Friday (20th).
Noticing that I am not needing the ibuprofen twice a day like I was taking before the cold.
Very windy and rain is a drizzle. So no more quack, quack and on to flying in the wind. About 8 inches of rain. We seem to be receiving the back portion of the storm now. Suppose to be in the 70's Saturday.
Have a great 13th, Friday.
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sobx, hang on. Ida came through here (east-central Alabama) and dropped some rain, but not much else. We had nearly 6 inches in less than 24 hours; but she was moving N/NE pretty quickly by then. I went to a meeting in your neighborhood (Atlantic Beach) a few years ago, and of course we got to see much of the region (Beaufort, Morehead City, Outer Banks). Recognize this?:
Hugs to all my "Arimidex sisters"...
otter
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Otter - of ccourse I recognize it. I will be up at the Hatteras lighthouse on Monday. Glad you got over to the lighthouse. I've been to the top! If you are this way again let me know. You probably went past where I work in Beaufort. Plan to kayak to the Cape next year.
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I have been taking this drug for 3 months and the joint pain has increased to a point that I would consider it a disability. Hands, feet, knees. Also extremely tired and seem to be developing depression. I was diagnosed in Feb. of 2008. Lumpectomy, full 6 rounds of chemo, herceptin, ovaries out in Feb of 2009. Started arimidex in August. This is to the point that I'm really questioning if I should continue. Any suggestions on managing the SE's short of narcotics?
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Menopause in overdrive is a great explanation! Why not? I had pms issues way back when also. I am taking the gluc/chond, Vit. E and calcium and yes, Ibuprofen. Probably too much. I will switch out the Vit. E for fish oil and see if that helps. I am getting desperate. Another thing on my mind is a friend that's just had a recurrance after almost 5 years. It's a poor prognosis. Sometimes I tell myself just to suck it up but honestly, this is getting to be too much.
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Valerie,
I am also having a lot of joint problems with Arimidex. Doc is taking me off for 2-3 weeks and then trying Femara. If that is the same, then off 2 more weeks and back to Arimidex or the other AI. He says that you don't always get the same SE's from the different AI. Also, that just restarting on the same drug helps. It is tough, but if I stopped all together and then a a recurrence I am sure I would look back and say it really wasn't as bad as I thought. I hate to have to suck it up, but the alternative really sucks!
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I take fish oil as well as cherry juice and glucosamine/chondroitin/msm .... I have a little stiffness but very, very minor. I've been on Arimidex for just over 3 months now. I do think it affects my moods though. I really like the cherry juice .. either the Knudsen or Lakewood...cost is about the same $4.99 for a big bottle which lasts me about a week because I take it twice a day.
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Dear Valerie,
You don't say your age but you must be younger since you had ovaries removed to allow use of an AI. Seems as if the younger women suffer more with se's of the depletion of estrogen. So your reality is different from mine (age 63). But I find exercise makes a huge difference in my tolerance of the se's of the drug. Walking is enough but I have to do it every day. If I skip a day I really stiffen up and am much more uncomfortable at night. I also take Aleve and find it more effective than other OTC drugs. I have also lost a good bit of weight and I think that has helped my joints.
I don't think it is fair to label us depressed when we are upset about our future. We have just cause to be preoccupied with what the future holds! There is just too much unknown about this disease. I am a calm person normally but I have a level of anxiety now that nothing else in my life has ever brought on. I had to sheepishly ask my PCP for an RX for xanax which I take occasionally. I felt like I was asking for heroin!!! I was so ashamed I could not overcome my emotional distress on my own. That was so ridiculous. Whatever works! Time helps but then along comes a good friend with a recurrence... it's a hard journey.
You are certainly not alone. Sometimes it helps to just talk about it and that's hard to do with family and friends. We are here with lots of sympathy ... we know what you are going through.
The potential benefit of the drug is a big incentive to try to hang in there. Good luck.
Pam
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If anyone is interested ..Arimidex will be going generic on January 1. Great news for some of us especially older women on Medicare.Not me yet
Hugs,
Francine
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Excellent posts from everybody in response to Valerie's post. I second the advice and sympathetic understanding. Valerie, I recommend asking your dr. about taking Effexor, which has been tested for helping women with menopausal symptoms. Your gyn or bc dr. probably has a starter pack to give you. You take a half dosage for 7 days and then 75 mg for 7 days before filling your prescription for the 75 mg, which isn't a strong dosage.
I had never taken an antidepressant until my dx in 6/09. Immediately I stopped HRT and knew menopause discomfort would kick in. A few months later Arimidex bringing what JO rightly calls heavy duty menopause. The only "inconvenience" with Effexor is you should take it with food. Actually I take the generic but pay the same as for a brand name, $35 for mo's supply. I don't know the reason for the price except the generic is new.
Hope things get better for you. Feel free to express your feelings here.
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crusader........... where did you hear that great news about Arimidex going generic then?
Pam.............. totally understand having "that stressed" feeling from time to time. Don't know why but mine was when I was doing rads but just when I was in there getting the actual treatments.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Pat
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Valerie - I have tried all 3 Al's and came back to Arimidex. The lesser of the 3 evils. I have been on it since January and the SE's are actually easing up. I am not taking as much Ibuprofen as I was taking (3 in the am and 3 at pm). Taking glocu and vit D. Trying to exercise daily. I am hoping my body is getting use to it. I beleive that BC is always on our minds. (sounds like a song doesn't it?) mainly because we have the scars to look at each day. My mom had BC and it came back on her. So that weighs me down. She was Dx in '83 and died in '86. It has come a long way though.
Jo - that is the Cape Lookout lighthouse. I can see it from where I work.(Beaufort) Unfortunately my trip was cancelled to Hatteras. Ferrys have been cancelled and my son has 3 feet of water around his home and can't get in to it. I'll try again later for the trip.
Sun is out and it isn't raining!! What a difference than the rest of the week we have had. Have a great Sunday. I'm still taking my 3 days off to relax.
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I am a resident of Cyprus, little country in the eastern med, and I am on generic Arimidex that is now produced by a company here and the testing was done in Canada. It will be available in EU countries in 2010 and it looks like the U.S.A. as well. I have posted this before. It is called Aremed. The government provides cancer drugs to all its citizens and they need better deals.....:)
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