Arimidex
Comments
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Actually, it looks like Arimidex will be going generic sometime around June 2010 in the US. It was originally going off patent on Jan 1, but they got a 6 month extension.
I just got my prescription today, and after reading through the posts, I decided to start taking it tomorrow morning instead of tonight...I am pretty sensitive to side effects, and I sure hope it doesn't affect my sleep!
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Hi Sandy,
I have always been a good, a great sleeper. But during diagnosis, surgery and radiation I had a lot of problems. Couldn't go to sleep, woke up in the night, work up too early. By the time I started Arimidex my brain had settled down and I had begun to sleep normally. It has had no effect on my sleep, I am happy to report. I am back to normal. Hope it works that way for you! Good luck.
Pam
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So interesting how we have differing reasons for the time we take that little pill. I prefer to take my meds at night because I would rather have the se's hit during the night when I'm asleep and not during the day when I'm up and about and have things to do. If I have joint aches and pains when I'm sleep, it's okay and I just stretch out those bones when I get up. But my se's have been mild so easy for me to say. If they woke me up constantly during the night I probably would have a different attitude (murderous!).
Sandy, wish you all the best and mild (or no) significant se's.
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I was in another arimidex discussion group but it seemed to fizzle. By way of introduction this is what I wrote to them .But you all seem to be here and have been here for long time...I hope to tag along.More in next post > TY
Feb 4, 2009 09:28 pm lakewoman wrote:
I am so happy to discover this discussion of Armidex. I have been on it for nine months. I was on effexor for the hotflashes but went off that. Told my surgeon and oncologist I wanted to jump start my libido. Each got a laugh out of that asking" did it work?" I said yes ,but I did not lose weight as I thought I might.To that the onc replied "well one of out two isn't bad". Even though I am grateful for the recovery in this area the hotflashes are still my nemisis.and .yes worse ! But I will not go back to effexor. I am just trying ways to relieve them. I found using my laptop stimulated them ; so I bought a cooling fan tray .. I wanted share this with you!
One of these blogs mentioned having 3 HF a day I have counted 12! One I had during the nite, last nite, I thought was never going to let up!!! I will talk to my onc about it when I see her this month . I don't want to complain too much ,,,she was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer.!Well I am going to put my 69 yr old body to bed in a few hours and pray for her and all of you when I flash! I know I would be better off walking more but this a.m it was 22 below! NOW I am hot but not that hot to go out in that!!!
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Hi Lakewoman,
Glad to add another voice to our group. It's always nice to know we are not alone
My AI induced hot flashes always come on in the evening and night. I take my pill in the AM, don't know if that has any influence or not. Mine are not bad enough for me to have tried Effexor so must be milder than many suffer. I do keep a glass of ice water handy, either for drinking or holding against my chest, both of which help a lot. Cotton sleeveless night gowns. I cut my hair pretty short recently to keep it off the back of my neck. Ceiling fan helps but bothers DH. A cool shower really helps but can't work that in for every one!
All that is just for comfort, does not really fix anything. Someone suggested eating dinner triggered theirs but I have tried skipping meals to no avail. Exercise really helps me with stiffness and joint pain but I think it makes no difference to hot flashes. I am 63 yrs old BTW. had not taken premarin for years. I think things are worse if you have stopped ET shortly before or at DX.
Let us know if you find a solution.
Good luck!
Pam
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Pam: In response to your post, My hot flashes occur early evening and night the same as yours except I take my arimidex before bedtime. I have been wondering if the time we take the pill has anything to do with the onset of flashes. Guess not. I am 73 years old and have taken Premarin for over 30 years. Like all prescriptions there is the up side of no hot flashes for 30+ years and the downside of breast cancer with ER+.
I am also dealing with the complications of diabetes which has me baffled with uncontrollable blood sugars since my breast surgery. I feel it is time that a diabetic specialist is in order but cant get in until January.
I just read of a woman on our site who suffered terribly with hot flashes and says that taking Cynbalta helped her. I will look into that. Good Luck to us all. Cathey
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HI Cathey,
We did a little poll recently, this thread I think, and asked when one took their pill and when experienced hot flashes. There did not seem to be any correlation. I am more consistent as to time I get up in AM so that's why I do AMs. When I took premarin I took it at night and that worked better... or split the pill and took half in the AM, half PM. Dr did not recommend that but it worked better for me. Would not do that with Arimidex though... too much riding on doing it right
My mom took premarin for at least 35-40 years... no breast cancer. I took it on and off for 10 years, more off than on. Go figure.
Pam
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HI,
I take my Arimidex in the morning after breakfast. I get a few hot flashes in the evening. They aren't too bad I guess. I take an antidepressant 25mg about 9:00 PM. It seems to help me sleep along with melatonin & a Tylenol. I was on estrogen for over 20 years. I've been taking Arimidex since Feb 09. I'm 72 and had a hysterectomy in 1990. I do miss the estrogen but there isn't much I can do about that. I attend an exercise class and walk on the days that I don't attend class. It seems to help with the aches & pains. My mammo on the left side was OK, that was 2 weeks ago. I sure hope they come out with a generic for Arimidex soon.
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Denthomas,
Congrats on a good mammogram report! Such an anxious time, nice to get it behind you before holidays.
Did you have radiation? I did and 3 months after (in October 09) had a mammogram. It has seemed to stir things up. Kind of like radiation did.. swollen, nipple color change. I had a good report so not really worried but...
Pam
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My hot flashes are more like warm flushes, and I attribute the mildness to taking Effexor. When I went into menopause years back, the hot flashes were like roaring furnaces. I can't regret those comfortable years on HRT especially since no cancer specialist can say for certain that my taking HRT caused my bc. Like several of you have said, most of my body temperature fluctuations are at night. When I get back into bed after a trip to the bathroom, it's almost inevitable that I'll feel warm for a few minutes, then return to normal. What do you think? DEPENDS?
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I have hot flashes throughout the day that are not too bad. The ones at night we enough to keep me up so I've taken Trazadone for about 3 years. Don't know if it eliminates the flashes at night or just helps me to sleep through them.
I've been off Arimidex for 5 days now. Can't say I see a difference yet. Have to give it a few weeks and then try Femara or restart Arimidex. I don't want to take another drug to counteract the SE's of this one if I can help it. Hopefully a different AI will give me fewer SE's!
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Local support group meeting this evening and hot flashes were mentioned. Some ladies who get night sweats recommended bamboo. Apparently there is a bamboo cloth that draws the dampness away from the body. It comes in a pj that is soft stretchy and comfortable. Also comes in socks. Someone said you can find, at least the socks, at WalMart. I guess you can google bamboo pj's to find a source if you really have a hard time at night.
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Hi Everyone,
I am new to this thread also. I was diagnosed in May 2008, had mastectomy June 2008 followed by 6 chemo, herceptin, tamosifen for a short time, ovaries out then Femara. I just switched to Arimidex 2 weeks ago due to SEs from Femara - major joint pain but I guess Arimidex is not the answer for me as the pain so faris much worse. The hot flashes also come thick and fast all day and night but especially when I lay down? I will try arimidex for a while longer and see if maybe the SEs subside with time. I'm 45 and most days move & feel like I'm 80. I do take a sleeping pill every night which helps as at least I'm not sleep deprived as I was at the beginning. I did ask about stopping the AIs altogether but my onc said that raises the chance of a recurrence by 50% and so that's not an option. I had to have an ultrasound last week as we have discovered a small lump in my cancer side but hopefully it's just scare tissue or a fatty lump. I should find out later this week.
It's encouraging to be able to see how others manage their side effects on this site. I, like everyone else, take the calcium and Vit D so hopefully there will not be too much permanent damage to my bones all the treatments are done, only 3-1/2 years to go!!!! Not that I'm counting. My onc also said that the SEs are probably worse because I was THROWN into menopause completely by chemo & ovaries being removed when my body wasn't actually ready for it. My onc is amazing and very encouraging.
Got to go
Best Wishes to all
Gaynor
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Gaynor...welcome. Good luck with your test results; it is always an anxious time when we get tested again!
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Morning all - I take mine in the am. Have night sweats but now they don't wake me. I just wake up wet! Noticed that the pain isn't so bad now. Been on it since January '09. Never took anything during menopause. I was on activella, low dosage and never had any problem. I now sleep!! That means 8-10 hours a night. So that isn't a problem with me. Go Friday to see on the blood work is. Did notice that when I go to bed I can be cold and then warm up for a while then I cool down again. Get up during the night but go right back to sleep. I did try Femara and Aronmasin but went back to Arimidex. SE's were less with it. Go figure! Have a great day.
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HI All,
I take my Arimidex in the morning. Have hot flashes off and on all day. They wake me up 5 out of 7 nights per week. I am so darn grateful for two sound nights a sleep per week!!! Saw my OB-GYN yesterday - he talked about Vit E 400Units per day for hot flashes - also talked about clonidine or effexor. Been on effexor before -- helped for a while, then I switched to HRT and stopped effexor. Had horrible withdrawal while I was stopping that -- would rather have hot flashes then that again. We also talked about vaginal dryness and he recommended Replens and if that didn't work an estrogen tablet. He said studies have shown the estrogen doesn't enter the bloodstream and only works locally on the vaginal lining. What have you ladies heard on this?
Aches are much better with exercise - been riding the stationery bike and that really has helped my knees and hips. Am building my exercise routine back up slowly....fatigue has been an issue - not sure if that is the radiation or the arimidex or just post-treatment recovery.
HAng in there everyone.
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No... are they offering black market Arimidex for a dollar a pill?
Pam
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I got it also but the link wasn't clickable even if I wanted to. I looked on another browser window and it is trying to sell weight loss products. Didn't click to go any further than that first screen.
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Noticed I have flashes if i eat chocolate or drink hot chocolate. And I've got cold days heading this way. my 3 days off are coming to an end. Go back to work on Thursday.
Patoo - when is that appt?
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forgot - I've got the fatigue too. Can't say I'm tired. I sleep 9-11 hours a night. I blame it on chemo/rads. Life after b/c isn't all that fun and games.
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Chris, good luck with Femara. A woman I met on another thread takes Femara and has no problems with it. She's 63 yrs. old. Let us know how you get along.
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Carol....thanks, I'll keep you all posted!
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Joy,
Somewhere along the line on these boards, some of the ladies said there MDs use this as a rule of thumb: recovery takes at least as long as the time through treatment. Said another way, if you had surg/chemo/rads over the course of 7 months, it will take 7 months sfter to fully recover. It makes sense... our bodies have been through alot!
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Joy, diag mammo was yesterday. Med Onc was not in today so will give a call again t'm to find out what the tech thought she saw. Said she saw a clip in each breast consistent with core biopsy but did not see anything about core biopsies in the records. I only had core biopsy in one breast (right-cancer br) so don't know what she saw in left breast. Maybe she had two copies of mammo, both right side but one was backwards and she thought it was the left? So, not sure what she saw, if anything. I'm not a worrier so we'll see what med onc says. If I'm not happy with his explanation I will ask my BS to take a look as well.
Thanks for asking.
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I have now finished my 3 month post rad appts. Mammo is fine,but now the nerve pains are back a little. Surgeon thought I had healed well...both scars,the scar from nodes and one from lumpectomy and partial mastectomy are smooth and and the scar tissue around them is slowly going away.(he said it could take up to 2 years from surgery date for all to go away) The numbness in my breast however will remain...permanent.Rad onc was surprised I am still so "deeply tanned". That too seems like it will be permanent. Medical onc was very impressed with the vitamins and supplements I am taking......she asked where I came up with it all. i was pleased to tell her...The sisterhood of the little white pill.
I thank all of you for sharing your wisdom and courage to help all of us with this journey. I am starting to feel better,finally it all seems to be helping with the side effects.
Blessings to all....Catch my hugs
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I also got that annoying PM about selling products. I blocked the person from sending me anymore messages.
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Took Tomoxifen for 2 1/2 years and it caused major irritation to vagina....I was also an intermediate metabolizer so I was planning on switching after 2 1/2 years to Arimidex. Since being on Arimidex for the last 4 months I have muscular aches, tightness in the finger joints - but I have improved 100% in the irritation to vaginal lining.........YEAH!
I also take my Arimidex just before I go to sleep.Hugs to all of my SISTERS!
Terry
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Med Onc says (voice mail message) mammo findings okay; redo in 6 months.
I asked for copy which they faxed and is bad copy. Bad enough trying to understand medical jargon without having to guess words. Will call t'm and ask to pick up a 'readable' copy. I did fax a copy over to my BS and she may be able to get a better copy for herself from the lab of from med onc.
In short it says 'left breast has nodular density...which contains a new marker clip from an interim core biopsy. ...patient unable to provide info. ..Som Med Ctr path report indicates left breast core biopsy but no site indicated. No radiology report or images showing what was biopsied (HUH!). Minimum recommendation is another mammo in 6 months however may be worthwhile to perform an U/S of the region' Then report ask ? "Was an outside ultrasound done which is unavailable" - yeah, I just went to have one for fun!!!
I have a feeling BS will have me just come in for a check and then also say wait 6 months.
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Sounds like good news to me Patoo!
Going in for carpal tunnel surgery tomorrow. Trying to get everything done tonight that I won't be able to do for awhile...like laundry and dying my hair!
Take care...wish me luck!
Chris
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You're right, doesn't sound like there's an issue. Just wonder why I don't remember a biopsy on the left. I thought they only did U/S, saw nothing and that was it. Didn't have chemo and hadn't done rads yet so can't blame it on that. Figure I just went into auto-mode going through the tests and they all just melded together. Whatever!
Will be thinking about you tomorrow Chris. Sure all will go well. Let us know when you can.
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