Hormonal Treatment for Stage IV
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OMG Heidi that's not a good way to loose weight! but I'm sure glad you're getting over the flu.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Along with all my aches, I noticed that my wrists hurt. It got so I had no strength to open anything. Well, after a week off the arimidex, my wrists have stopped hurting, along with everything else and I can now open my own jars again. This really feels so good I hate to ruin it with another med that brings it's own set of se's
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If it helps, I know lots of women who have done much better on the Femara than Armidex when it comes to joint pain. Sadly, that is anecdotal, not scientific so may not help you much.
Good luck deciding what to do.
*susan*
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Frapp, I changed from Arimidex to Femara and It is soooo much better for me! I take it at night so I don't get sleep interuption but other than that I honestly can't say I know of any other SE. You have nothing to loose by giving it a try and a whole heap to gain if it works better for you.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Thanks everyone for the support.
Heidihill, I think I will try the wrist support tonight. I have one left from my days in the office when I thought I had carpal tunnel. It's strange, but sometimes when I wake up my hands are almost clenched, like they haven't even relaxed in the night. Even when I've had a good night's sleep. Hope you are getting over the flu.
Frapp, your comment makes me think maybe my wrist problems are, indeed, from the Femara. I can't decide whether I want that to be the case or not. But, keep in mind that you might not have any problems with Femara. One never knows. I had no SE's whatsoever until I'd taken it for 8 months.
AmyJo, I might consider "swinging over" to MO for a day or two. How many are you expecting to "swing by? Maybe if Chrissy can't "swing by" CO, I could "swing by" MO to meet everyone. Or "swing over" to MO with Chrissy if she does "swing by" CO. It would be great. I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it!!! Remember that old song, "How would you like to go up in a swing? Up in the air so blue. Oh, I do think it's the pleasantest thing ever a child can do!"
Chrissy, I'm really not nuts. It's the extra dose of celexa, maybe, or the "chocolate lush" combined with an espresso that I just had. Have you ever eaten chocolate lush?
My dog is groaning at me to go out. Guess I'll "swing out" the door.
Lane
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Lane,
That is a lot of swinging with a bad wrist! :-)
*susan*
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Lane what is 'chocolate lush'? Even though I don't know what it is, it sounds like it could be very good but combined with an espresso? maybe a bit too much caffiene.....lol. All this 'swinging' is making me a bit light headed....lol.......but I sure am going to work on 'swinging' by CO!
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Lane - Chocolate lush with expresso sound like a drink that would get you going at hyper speed with just a small one. Bet it is delicious. Not sure what the latest count is on who will be at Uncle Bill's, but I think it may be 6 or 7 of us so there is room for you to swing by too, if you can make it. Just don't hurt that wrist anymore with all the swinging in and out. Kinda sounds like a square dance. Hehehehehehehe.
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Sooo, I've been given this vacation from arimidex to see if it's the cause of all my aches and pains. After 3 days I started to notice a difference. Friday will be the end of my two week vacation. All my aches and pains have gone but I have been having a terribly emotional past 4 days. I can't seem to stop crying. I'm guessing it's due to my hormones coming back without the arimidex to stop them. I didn't think I would have that much since I've had a hysterectomy, but WOW, if I was PMSing it would usually only last a couple days. I can't wait to go to the docs on Friday. I'm an emotional mess.
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Frapp - Take care of yourself and get lots of rest. I know how the crying can deplete your reserves of energy and make you tired and when you get tired the tear flow more easily. {{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}
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Oh, Frapp,
I hear you! Take care and I believe all will work out. It's an emotional whirlwind, that's for sure! yes, you would think there can't be much estrogen left, but apparently it is still produced by the adrenal glands, and from belly fat, from what I've been told. That's another reason we tend to retain fat around the middle after menopause. Our bodies are clinging to all the estrogen it can. Isn't that sickening?
Take care,
Lane
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Frapp, it might be worth your while to talk to your doc about going onto Femara or Aromasin. I was feeling terrible on Arimidex with aches and pains and general malaise but when I changes to Femara, WOW, what a difference! I take it at night to get rid of the tiredness but that's the only SE I am aware of. For me it has been soooo much better. ((((((hugs)))))) girl, our emotions are unfortunately tied in with our estrogen supply.....the wonders of being a woman.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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LWD - that explains it then....I must have enough estrogen stored up in that 20lbs I gained around the middle to feed a country. Just can't seem to get rid of it.
Amyjo - odly enough, I seem to have a ton more enrgy without the arimidex. I'm acutally staying awake afterwork and going for walks. It was all I could do to get myself home at night, never mind make dinner and clean up. That crept up on me so slowly that I didn't notice it until it was gone.
Chrissyb - next step is femara. I hope it works for me like it does for you....no SE's. I took my arimidex at night also. Seemed if I took it in moring, I felt sickly, more achey and couldn't sleep at night.
I took an addition halp of my antidepressent yesterday afternoon and I think it helped. I started today with the additional 1/2 this morning, so I'm hoping I can make it through the day without blowing a fuse. Everyone at work is tip toeing around me wondering whats wrong. (They don't know about my diagnosis and I have no intention of telling them) Well, just a short 24 more hours before doc apt. Then I'm sure it will take some time for the new AI to take effect. I'm not sure which is worse, the aches and tiredness or the HUGE emotional swings. I guess it could be worse. I really do consider myself one of the lucky ones right now. Thanks for letting me vent.
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((((((Frapp)))))) Hope the extra anti-depressent helps to even your mood a bit. One day to go....you'll make it! Sometimes it doesn't hurt for other people to tip toe around you.....keeps them on the alert....lol. I hope the Femara does good things for you as well.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Frapp,
This is actually pretty fascinating, if it weren't happening to YOU! To imagine that our bodies really are trying to pump out estrogen, even after we have had so many parts removed, is astonishing. Guess you are showing us that these AI's are really doing something.
I certainly hope that the Femara is a bit easier on your body. To be honest, I spent a lot of time figuring out when in the day to take my Aromasin. I did three months in the morning, three months at dinner, and then three months at lunch. [I wasn't Stage IV back then, and was getting the drugs for free so figuring out when I could tolerate it was a priority.]
For me, lunch time turned out to be the best. Breakfast time [and I don't eat then] made me feel sick to my stomach, dinner gave me hot flashes at 4am and made it hard to sleep, while lunch time means my hot flashes happen around 9, and then I can sleep at 11 or 12. My point is that you might find that the Femara "taking" time isn't the same as the Armidex.
Best,
*susan*
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Another vent coming... I was looking at an old video of me today and saw another person. You could see me radiating estrogen then! Sad.
Frapp, good luck with Femara!
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Frapp - Here's hoping the Femara does as well for you as it has been for me. Like Chrissy, I take mine at night to ease the tiredness. I also take and antidepressant/anit-anxiety medication to keep the tears at bay and the emotions on an even keel. {{{{{HUGS}}}}}
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Susan,
I have now had 5 double doses of Faslodex and last week while getting shots, the nurse stated that you can indeed have both shots on the same side if that is your preference. Hope this maybe answers your question for you.
Deborah
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deborah,
Thank you for your information. Will be interesting to see what everyone thinks next week when I go in for my first double dose.
*susan*
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Feeling much better today. Also got a months supply of Femara to start with Will try my first one tonight. I'm guessing there'll be another emotional rollercoaster next week. Keep your fingers crossed I don't go beserk on someone. :-)
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Frapp,
Hope you do better on the Femara! Glad you're feeling better today. Hopefully, the rollercoaster has come to a screeching halt.
Susan, Let us know about the double dose. Sounds like "spreading the wealth" may not be a good thing. Maybe doing only one side will be much easier. Hope so.
Lane
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Frapp - Glad you are feeling better, Wishing you great success on the Femara. And hopefully your rollercoaster is over, but be prepared for some hot flashes every now and then. I have foune that anything that stresses my body like over exertion or emotional upset tend to make the hot flashes more intense. Don't forget to take your antidepressant if you need it. Take care and let us know how you are doing.
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Frapp, hope the first of many went okay for you!
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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It went pretty well the first couple of days, but now I'm noticing the walking is getting uncomfortable and my back is aching. I can't seem to sleep at night and I feel a bit sick to my stomach in the mornings. I'm going to hang in there to see if this subsides after I get use to it. I am sooo tired today. My body is just dragging. It was all I could do to get myself to work.
susan: I'm going to try to switch from taking them at night to the afternoon. I think I'm waking up because I'm having hot flashes.
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Frapp,
The things we do to get through the day! My experience with the aromasin was it took a long time to get past the initial nasty side effects. But back then, I thought I had all the time in the world. Does change one's perspective.
Just remembered that I took Advil pretty regularly during the first couple months to offset the bone pain. Maybe your medical team has a suggestion for OTC pain relief? Anyhow, hope that you can work out a schedule that works for you.
*susan*
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The nausea did go away for me. Take your meds before sleeping. I've noticed that I sleep better when I do this than when I forget to take it or take it in the morning. As for the hot flashes, I got used to them and actually like them. I suffer from hayfever and the flashes clear my sinuses like nothing can. It helps to have a good mattress for the back pain as well as some meds. I also find that if I don't workout my upper body the back pain can get pretty bad. Otherwise I no longer have back pains (after a year and a half?).
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Heidi,
That is so great that hot flashes clear your sinuses. I had to laugh! Way to look at the bright side!
Frapp, hang in there. Hope the Femara starts working in a hurry.
Lane
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Could I have turned the corner? I'm affraid to thinks so, but I feel pretty good this morning. I was going to change and take my pill this afternoon, but since I seem to be feeling pretty good today, I think I'll put that off a couple days and see how this works out.
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Oh, I hope so, Frapp! Just hang in there!!
Lane
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Keep doing whatever works! So glad to hear that you are feeling better.
*susan-who-is-preparing-for-two-doses-tomorrow*
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