Arimidex
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The A Team. I like that! I'd say to take it at the same time for awile (maybe a week or two?), and if things don't seem better, then try it at night for the same amount of time. Get fans and put them all over, ditch heavy sweaters etc. wear layers you can get rid of. For most people things do taper off and also we learn to adjust (like with the clothes, or with what we eat or drink if certain things make us hot). I think it takes awhile to find the balance. Do keep moving and keep that positive attitude, I think both help! Best of Luck! Ruth
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Can arimidex cause toe numbing sensations?..toenail loss??....I've been taking arimidex for 4 1/2 months now and noticed minimal se's, but the last couple of weeks my toe on one side next to my little toe has felt numb and my toenail on that toe just lifted up and fell off!!!...Has this happened to anyone else?..Thanks for any info.....
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somanywomen,
I have a similar toe thing going on but I attributed it to my walking a lot to ward off SEs. I'll be watching to see what everyone says. I switch off shoes, tried bandaids and pads.... no help.
pam
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did you do chemo? that's what messed up my toenails big time (started after I was done with chemo, and I did rads before arimidex, so I know it's the chemo that did it)
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pj, ruth......thanks for reply, no chemo here....lump-rads-arimidex for me...just feel numbing on both toes next to little toes, lost nail on one ...no pain, it just lifted right up...going to take off polish and just use olive oil or something like that for a while and see what happens...(some numbing down legs also).....
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somanywomen,
See a doctor right a way. This does not seem normal. It could be unrelated to Arimidex.
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Hi gals ~ Has anyone had success getting generic Arimidex? My onc is not getting samples anymore and I can't afford the $288/month cost (this is WITH insurance). Supposedly the Astra Zeneca patent ran out June 1st, but CVS doesn't have any.
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unique,
There is no generic Arimidex approved in the US. I have heard such a drug is available in a few European countries. Some Canadian pharmacies sell Anastrazole (the active ingredient) but it is not an approved by FDA generic and I would be afraid of it. Rumor has it AZ has paid generic makers to not sell in the US... I don't know if that is true or not. You can order real Arimidex from Canada for about half full price which is about $400/30 pills.
Hoping a generic is available before long!
pam
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Have done some research about my toe numbness, seems it is a fairly common se of arimidex, as for my toenail that came off, I do have another growing on this toe...I have just taken off all polish and will use a mixture of one part lemon juice with two parts olive oil (found on line to improve nails)...thanks to all....
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I've been on Arimidex for a year now ( I take it in the morning). My Dr. prescribed Effexor XR 37.5 mg for the hot flashes and it works just fine.
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Guess I will need to move to a different thread soon because I was taken off Arimidex a month ago and today my onc gave me a prescription for Femara. He said they are basically the same drug, but they are compounded differently and some people have an easier time with one than the other.
I have numbness in a couple of toes too, and it's from low back/disc problems. I've seen several different specialists for back problems over the past few years and have had one fusion, so the onc is referring me to a Rheumatologist to see if he can help manage my joint problems without any more surgery.
I'm also taking Effexor XR -- 75 mg. for hot flashes and it really helps a lot. The hot flashes never went away completely, even when I was off the Arimidex, but they are much better than pre-Effexor. --Bonnie
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BonnieK,
Once a member of the A Team, always a member. Stay and complain about Femara... it will make us feel better :-)
pam
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Re toenails - I only had lumpectomy, 33 rads and have been member of the A team for 15 mos; no back or disc problems. About 4 months ago the nail on my left big toe started lifting and took 3 months to fall off entirely. A new nail has started growing in and is about halfway up the nailbed. Didn't know whether to blame it on A because I couldn't understand why only 1 toe and not all 10?
Have annual physical with PCP in 2 weeks and will see what she thinks; could it be a fungus? I was getting pedicures last summer. I had fungus a few years back on fingernail and stopped getting manicures. Now people have to look at bare fingers and toes!
And, yes BonnieK, you are forever a member.
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Not saying this is a fungus but that can cause nails to lift and fall off. Let us know what your doctor says about this. Good luck.
Pat
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Better the A-Team than the F-Team -- LOL! --bonnie
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Bonnie, You've got me thinking.....Is taking your first Femara pill, dropping the F bomb ? ~smile~
As for toe nails - I too, wierdly enough, am having problems -one of mine recently came off (luckily with a new nail beneath it) and the corresponding one on the other foot has turned blackish. My cause: neither arimidex nor fungus but damage to the toe from jogging in old sneakers that kept hitting against my toe. You guys might want to check your sneakers to see if the padding by your bad toe has been worn down.
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You definitely want really good shoes if you are on the A Team, or the F team; and also good purses, jewelry etc.
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Ruthbru-
You crack me up, but I like your advice on needing good purses, jewely, ect. Yes , we all need those!
The first patent for Arimidex currently expires in June 2010. Although this patent originally was set to expire in December 2009, the manufacturer was given an extension for performing much needed pediatric studies. June 2010 is the earliest predictable date that a generic version of Arimidex could become available. However, circumstances could extend this exclusivity period beyond 2010. This could include such things as other patents for specific Arimidex uses or lawsuits. Once the patent expires, several companies will likely begin manufacturing generic Arimidex.
I'm sure hoping it will go generic soon! In my pharmacy, full price for it is $430. I pay $131 after insurance, and my cancer insurance is supposed to pay all of that. We'll see, I have been fighting with my cancer insurance every since I had my first biopsy.
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Insurance companies (expletive deleted)......and seriously, we NEED to buy fun things for ourselves, get great haircuts, facials, whatever we want; because we SO deserve them! And they are good for our psychological healing (that is my excuse, I'm sticking to it!
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Weird side effect alert.
Has anyone had this? I've been on Arimidex for a week (Femara for 3 months before that) and I've noticed that my hands were aching. Today, my hands are very stiff and the heels of both hands feel like I've been slamming them repeatedly on rocks. And both hands are puffy. Is this Arimidex, or was I beating things up in my sleep again?
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I'm going to think of it as an "F bomb", which will give me a smile, every day when that Femara pill goes down. Today will be the first! Speaking of Femara, it cost more than the Arimidex (cash price), but the insurance charged me the same amount. These drugs sure are expensive -- what do people do when they don't have insurance?
enjoyful - my hands were achy at times with the Arimidex, but never puffy. Maybe you were hitting the wall in your sleep -- check for bruises and contusions!
Today I'm going to visit my 89 year old step-dad -- we'll have lunch and he'll talk and talk until my head is spinning. He's in amazingly good health for his age, except for hearing loss and problems with his vision. He still lives independently and writes a column for his local newspaper. Lucky guy!
Have a great day.
Bonnie
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Enjoy Funny you should ask about your hands. I spent most of of last night trying to get my hands cool enough to sleep. My hands swell and ache not a lot but about once or twice a week. I find an ice pack helps. I've been on Arimidex for about a year. Just a note about the Canadian availabity of a generic, no so. We can only get Arimdex, the brand name.
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Ouch! Achy hands; yes. Puffy I don't know about, anyone else? Probably ice and elevate no matter what it's from.
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My hands don't swell but fingers on left hand are exquisitely tender. Heat helps me.
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OK, i have another question too. I have started having pain in either my knee, calf or ankle.I can't really pinpoint where for sure. Could this be because of Arimidex. I am hoping it will go away. Not comfortable going up and down our stairs. I am a hair dresser and stand a lot. I am going to the big International hair show in Orlando this weekend and there will be a lot of walking involved at the convention center. Any suggestions? Ugh. Maybe just getting old!
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Keep moving and shoes with great support. My hairdresser wears those toners that are being advertized all over the place now and she swears by them for standing on her feet all day. Couldn't hurt to try them out.
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The only time my hands swell is when I'm walking and my hands are down at my sides. Raising them up for a little while and they go back to normal. Now I have a bone at the base of my left thumb that is very sore, hurts as I massage it. The thumb also pops at the joint when I bend it (is that what has been referred to as 'trigger finger'?). That hand also was very uncomfortable today. It's not the same hand that the splint helped a few months ago so maybe I will have to splint it at night as well. Actually, today my whole body feels kind of achy - not sure what that's all about.
Think I may also go off the glucosamine and see if the hip pain gets any worse as I don't know if it's helping or not. I'm popping advil every night to alleviate the pain so I can sleep. < sigh > Well, only 3 years and 9 months left!
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928131208.htm
Here's an excerpt:
In a study published recently in the journal Cancer, researchers at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center found that estrogen withdrawal may play a role in the onset of joint pain, also known as arthralgia, during treatment [with aromatase inhibitors]: Women who stopped getting their menstrual periods less than five years before starting breast cancer treatment were three times more likely to experience these pains than those who reached menopause more than a decade earlier.
It's nice to know I'm not completely crazy, or worse - a hypochondriac with a negative attitude!
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Hi Enjoyful
I had the puffy hands on Arimidex. Especially noticeable after my walk in the morning. But now that I am off the Arimidex, the puffiness has gone away. Oh, and in answer to one of your questions. Yes, Se's can happen right away. Something to do with our immune system trying to block the drug. My Arimidex SE's took 4 months to kick in, but when I got switched to Aromasin my SE began the next day. Weird huh!
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Thank you, painterly! Very weird side effects, for sure. My hands aren't as puffy today but they HURT. And I'm so tired. Ugh.
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