Arimidex
Comments
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caroleh:
my fingers are not fatter but my toes definitely are! They look like little sausages and my toes were always skinny. Also my toes seem more curled than they used to be.
The cramping or stiffness, kind of trigger finger effect, in my hands is much improved. My feet though still cramp, more around bedtime. I am getting to be quite expert in uncramping them quickly before it escalates. My main complaint continues to be a general weakness, frailness, asthenia I guess. Not enough to consider stopping Arimidex though :-)pam
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oops, sorry for the italics... don't know how that happened.
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Ruth, thank you for the info on the BCO conference, if I can stay up that late, I will try to catch it. In the past didn't they have it set up that if you can't do the online conference that you can submit questions ahead of time?
Carole, I haven't noticed that my fingers have swollen all that much, I'm more like Pam---at times my toes look like little porkie sausages, but it doesn't happen every day.
Pam, I have started taking ( a little more regularly...when I remember
) a multi-mineral tab and also have a bottle of anti-cramp pills by the bedside. The multi-mineral has reaaly seemed to cut baack on my foot cramping......whoa I hate those cramps.....ever get one while driving???? Jessamine...you seem to have the right attitude, keep us posted on how you are doing.
Leah, yes the fact that you will be starting Arimidex shortly does count.
Any doc that tells anyone who is on Arimidex that their symptoms are due to 'old age' should be bi$%h slapped...IMHO!
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Suzie,
I have found massaging my leg with a vibrator interrupts the oncoming cramp. So... I just spent a week in southern California staying with my GS while his parents went to Hawaii. Part of my duty was picking them up from at LAX from Orange County, about 40 miles. Heavy, fast traffic - strange car - chatty 4 year old passenger - dark! - using a GPS - and I worried that I might get a leg cramp and not be able to do anything about it so I took a battery powered vibrator... just in case. I left it in the car and I bet my DD wonders what in the world I was doing with it! Too hard to explain. :-)
pam
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Funny Pj about what your DD may think about the vibrator. I keep one in the headboard of my bed, mainly for shoulder pain, although I'm sure family and friends would probably wonder if that is the "real" reason (I'm single!) . Never thought about it for cramps but will remember should I need it. I have found almost total relief from cramps since taking my dark cherry juice mixed with tonic.
Carolh, I find my fingers occasionally swell, especially when I'm out walking. I have learned to elevate my arms/hands and it does go away. Like they were fat this afternoon while I walked but now are not. Go figure.
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I am not sure I really believe these "vibrator" tales
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Shame on you!!
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In our family we always say "there is the good reason and then there is the real reason."
pam
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There used to be a website called "Vibe for a Cure" that sold pink vibrators in order to raise breast cancer awareness. For real.
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Mine was purple.
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On a serious note, Carole.... could your fingers swelling be a sign of mild lymphedema? Just wondering?
pam
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Hi everyone, I have a question that may have been asked before, even by me.
I have been on Arimidex since Dec. -09. Left hand is absolutely unbearable. I was told to take 2 advil 2 times a day, (4 total) , (fhe first time I thought dr. said 2 advil every4 hours, boy was I wrong). I had to take prevacid to get rid of the nausous feeling.
Anyway, my wrist is out of control. Fingers are in severe pain. I have been wearing a wrist brace at night to keep it straight. Fingers are puffy. Should I now go to Orthopedic Surgeon's Office for him to look at it. I know it is because of the wonderful Arimidex.
Right hand does not have such severe systems, and I had right breast mast.
I don't get a minute's peace. It is ridiculous, no matter how hard I try to forget about bc.
I have an appointment with PC on the 27th, and onc. June 16.
Any suggestions anyone. Sorry for complaining, but I don't know what to do.
Thank you and have a great Sunday.
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Hi everyone, I have a question that may have been asked before, even by me.
I have been on Arimidex since Dec. -09. Left hand is absolutely unbearable. I was told to take 2 advil 2 times a day, (4 total) , (fhe first time I thought dr. said 2 advil every4 hours, boy was I wrong). I had to take prevacid to get rid of the nausous feeling.
Anyway, my wrist is out of control. Fingers are in severe pain. I have been wearing a wrist brace at night to keep it straight. Fingers are puffy. Should I now go to Orthopedic Surgeon's Office for him to look at it. I know it is because of the wonderful Arimidex.
Right hand does not have such severe systems, and I had right breast mast.
I don't get a minute's peace. It is ridiculous, no matter how hard I try to forget about bc.
I have an appointment with PS on the 27th, and onc. June 16.
Any suggestions anyone. Sorry for complaining, but I don't know what to do.
Thank you and have a great Sunday.
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Ronna,
I don't have an answer but just wanted to say how sorry I am that you are suffering so much. I have similar, but less, pain in the ring and little fingers of my left hand. Sure it was / is due to Arimidex. It was acutely painful for 3-4 months but has eased off a good bit. Also I take one or two Aleve and that seems to help more than advil. You might ask about it. Also a heating pad helped when it hurt the most.
{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}} and sympathy.
pam
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Pam,
Thank you so much for your response.
Love, xoxoxo
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Pam, thank you for your response.
Have a great day.
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I am new to this computer talk, but just signed on to this breast cancer site. I am not new to canceer. I was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago right side - ductal stage 2, left side lobular stage 3c. Mamogran clear. Now about Arimidex. I was on Femara first for about 4 months. Lots of aches. Switched to Arimidex about 1 year ago. Same issues. I guess there is a third drug to try, but I was told they all have the same side effects. I see a pain specialist since I had pain due to Neuropathy from Taxol. I was put on Lyrica (sometimes used for treating fibro mialgia (sp?)and it made a huge difference. I had to go off Lyrica since insurance decided not to cover it. I am currently taking Nortriptyline - it works almost as well. It does cause some tiredness, but I no longer walk like an old lady. I discussed going off Arimidex, but my doctor felt that the riskes were too great.I take Nortriptyline at night along with the Arimidex. I guess I hoped that the worst pain would take place during the night and I could hopefully sleep through most of it. I hope this might be of some help. It does seem like I am juggling benefits and side effects daily.
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H playlife,
Thanks for the input. Does nortiptyline cause weight gain?
pam
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I am not sure I am a fair one to ask. I have had more troble with keeping weight on. When I was going through chemo I went below 100 lbs. I know that can sound great if you worry about weight gain, but there is nothing uglier than bald, no boobs and NO BUTT! I know Nortriptyline is used for depression too. Since those drugs often have weight gain as a side effect, it would not surprise me if Nortriptyline does too. Honestly, I found it was so painful to move (i.e. exercise) without the med. Since I am trying to exercise more, I know it would be much harder to motivate myself if I was still in so much pain. My doctor perscibed a much higher dose than I have decided to take. I found that I had full benefit at a much lower dose. That may help with weight gain too.
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I missed yesterday so am getting a chuckle out of the vibrators.....I wonder if insurance would pay for them since they are being used for 'medicinal purposes'
. I will watch for 'ask your questions early' on the home page. I think having your fingers puff up when you walk (especially on a warm day) is perfectly normal. Mine always have my whole life; so I don't think is an arimidex SE or LE either (unless it is severe or doesn't 'unpuff' once you're done). I think patoo's tonic water is very good for leg cramps; I like it so much I tend to drink the whole bottle in about 2 days though! 0 -
Even the "original purpose" would be "medicinal" as would alleviate all sorts of other symptoms 0
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G'day ladies! I wasn't going to post my personal remedy re LE because I don't get it nearly as badly as some of you, but the mention of vibrators pulled my fingers to the keyboard.
My surgeon left a bag/lump of tissue under my arm (right) after my mastectomy which he said was to reduce my chances of getting LE. I actually believed him until last year when I read here about 'dog's ears?'
I did notice over the years that this golf ball sized lump got quite hard at times, making it impossible to hold my arm close to my body--made me feel a bit like a gorilla! At these times, my arm would swell up and there would be a noticeable thickness at the wrist added to an aching heaviness in the arm too.
One day, while suffering the above, I decided that all the old copper doorknobs and their facia plates in my house needed a polish. So I got out the old rags and polish and being 5ft 2in with the knobs at my shoulder height, I raised my arm and started this tedious task. Being small objects, as opposed to large pots or trays, they are fiddly to clean and polish with lots of small circular movements needed to do the job to my satisfaction. This job was concluded with much buffing of each knob and plate, once again with very fast, yet small, actions.
By the end of that days work, my LE had retreated to zero level = couldn't be seen or felt.
I put this result down to the vibration of my arm as I worked on such small areas. Now . . . . . . . . . . . . I don't know whether to buy a vibrator or not.
If I do, will my doorknobs ever sparkle again?
Sheila.
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Patoo, can you get a referral to a certified lymphedema therapist to check out your hand? You probably should see an expert to make sure and take care of yourself. Come over to the lymphedema section here at bc.org; there are some women there with great expertise.
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Gosh, ladies, between the vibrators and the "squeeze balls".......you have given me one BIG laugh that I sooooo needed today. Thank you.
I have fingers now that remind me of my grandfather's who was a machinist. For example, my right index finger points to my right pinkie and is swollen. I think it's the arthritis which Arimidex can really exacerbate.
And I know you will all be just as thrilled as I am to know that I now have $1123.00 pended to my Visa acct as I have NOT met my 2K deductible and have just re ordered 90 days worth of that bad puppy.
And I now have some "orthopedic underwear" as I attended a wedding and HATED the arimidex midriff hanging over my pants waist. This control panty was pretty comfortable and I was able to slip off my dress pants without unzipping them. Pretty cool, huh? Of course while trying them on, I was struggling so hard that I broke out in a cold sweat in the dressing room. No kidding. They are panties that come all the way up to my bra. They are Flexees, made by Maidenform, or so the label says. I tried the spanx and still felt like a freaking cow. Not enough support. The flexees were about $30 and I got them at Lady Grace. Highly recommend them to camouflage the arimidex pregnancy, as I call it.
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Oh my goodness, we could be on a nighttime soap opera called "Desperate Arimidexians"; with all the sparkling doorknobs, squeezing into the spandex and control panties, vibrators etc. we'd just need to add a few affairs with the pool boy, some jealous husbands and possibly a murder or two and we could have a new hit series!
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And all of the things that we do are due to Arimidex side effects!
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Sounds like a plan to me. Get into all kinds of trouble and blame it on Arimidex. Class Action suit I think. Maybe we'll all be able to afford that month-long spa vacation in Acapulco after all!
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Officer, I swear, the Arimidex made me do it!!
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Good morning ladies, my last infusion is scheduled for tomorrow and my onc. said in the past that he would want me to go on Arimidex. I was wondering is there a set time after chemo that it's started? Do we have a choice when to start? Is it better to start right away or wait? I realize these are questions for mon onc but I thought I'd come to the experts. Thank you very much. Julia
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Good morning ladies, my last infusion is scheduled for tomorrow and my onc. said in the past that he would want me to go on Arimidex. I was wondering is there a set time after chemo that it's started? Do we have a choice when to start? Is it better to start right away or wait? I realize these are questions for mon onc but I thought I'd come to the experts. Thank you very much. Julia
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