Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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Hi,
I take the raisins out of gin after 3 weeks and keep it in a separate pot. Drinking tonic I add only a tee spoon of gin. The rest remains for family or friends...
best Usha
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12 gin-soaked raisins a day is not going to make a difference in your alcohol intake. It produces a natural cortisone effect which may help with symptoms of arthritis.
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I am also on Month 7 of Arimidex - I am so stiff after just sitting for one hour driving. I wake up and my body feels like an old maid - I can hardly stand up straight for the first 30 minutes. I am now on high blood pressure medication - my blood pressure was always low to normal prior to Arimidex. I wonder sometimes if it is worth it. I stopped complaining to my oncologist - it is something I have to learn to live with but I am tired of hurting all of the time.
The sides of my hips are the worst - I haven't been able to convince DH to get a new bed.
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Dear jancie,
All AI patients we are on the same level of SE's and coping with....Seeing so many ladies to suffer this difficulties, it's a bit easier to go through...
Best wishes
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Anyone dealing w/sleeplessness?, maybe due to pain waking me.
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Move around a lot even in the car. Get out and stretch often. Exercise, exercise, excerise to get and keep the weight and blood pressure down and to keep limber. Use the 'cancer card' if you need to to get the new bed. Take sleeping pills if you need to, a person needs to sleep.
I have two good friends who have just found out that their cancers have come back and now they are stage four. They would have given anything in the world, had any SEs, if they would have been able to take something after their initial diagnosis to not be where they are now.
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Hello Arimidex Ladies - I have been on Arimidex generic for a year now. Just received the news that I have osteopenia so will be meeting with an endocrinologist next month to see what else is going on. My other concern is that My hairline is thinning out, specifically around the temples (male pattern baldness). Have any of your experienced this? Is it due to Arimidex? Any suggestions?
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Char I had the temples (male pattern baldness) starting about 4 years prior to diagnosis. I think it was due to being peri. I started to use women's Minoxidil. I did get some of it to grow back but I do think that using it helps it not fall out.
I was also diagnosed with slight osteropenia just before starting chemo. I had a 2nd bone density test done a few weeks ago. I'm waiting to see the results. Typically they don't treat osteopenia. In my case my onc put me on Calcium supplements and recommended at least 30 mintues of walking (like I was doing more than that already). Lets face it we are poster gals for osteoporosis. My mom had it too and reversed.
Off Topic:
Char What are you doing today? I'm headed to the Renagade Art Fair. If you want to go call me. I'm going by myself.0 -
HHi Janice,
I am also on month 7. I have had a lot of stiffness and arthritis, but keep trying to chug along and try new routines to see if they help with stiffness, pain, etc. Don't take the"no new bed" stuff. If it is really important to you - guilt him into i, ask for it for Christmas, whatever you think that you need. I also recommend more than one pillow - one between the legs is great. Heating pads are also helpful. I find some music (I have an ipod that I listen to in bed or mediation tapes that helps take your mind off your discomfort.
I have been tickering with my medications (I have the added complication of 3 herniated discs in my neck plus now carpel tunnel in both wrists brought on by Arimidex) as well as my diet (less meat and sugar). Whether it is time or "my tinkering", I am starting to feel better. Still have lots of issues, but definitely feeling better than I did. Don't let it get you down; just keep trying stuff to see if it can help. best, Beau
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Off topic… Char & I had a blast at the fair
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Good! Sometimes laughter IS the best medicine!
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Gosh - what a wonderful support system here on this thread!!
I really appreciate all of the suggestions. I do exercise a lot. I find if I move I feel better. I am 2 lbs shy of my goal weight so being overweight is no longer an issue.
I am sleeping downstairs on our european futon - I have told dh that I will continue to sleep down here until he gets a new mattress. I am not pushing it too hard because we have the expenditure of my trip to Las Vegas to meet 60 BCO women in just a couple of weeks.
I do fine emotionally and then I go through the pity party thing because I just get so tired of hurting and I really need to stay off the pain meds as much as possible.
To answer your question 345Grace - I take ambien nightly and have for 2 years now. I can't sleep without it and there are nights I can't even sleep with it so I take a lorazepam once a week so that I can get a 12 hour sleep in.
Beau - we have 6 pillows on our bed. There is absolutely no shortage of pillows in this house. There is one designated for the cat that sleeps with me nightly. I agree, pillow between the legs helps a lot especially if you have back issues and it also keeps me cooler at night when I am dealing with hot flashes.
Char and Lago - love to hear of women here getting together face to face and developing even stronger friendships!
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Ruthbru - I totally understand your response of not complaining of SE's if it prevents a Stage 4 dx. I feel guilty when I have a pity party because I am doing well considering what some other women have to go through. I don't mean that in an offensive way by any means - sometimes I have a difficult time expressing myself. I guess I don't feel that I have the right to feel sorry for myself but sometimes I just get down in the dumps which is why I am still in therapy.
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jancie we all have a down moments. No one is more right to complain. Everyone reacts differently.
The only reason why I don't get to put off by Anastrazole SE is I'm too pissed of about the LE.
Yes it's always something but I do exactly what Ruth says when I get annoyed with any of my SE. I just remind myself that it's better than mets or for those women with mets on hormone therapy, it's better than have mets advance.
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I am a little concerned that the bc treatments seem to be cookie cutter, I talked to the radiation therapy techs, they said the 36 treatments were for everyone, regardless of stage, size, etc. So the amount of arimidex and others, doesn't seem to vary. Also, it seems I am receiving almost the exact same drugs, treatment that a survivor received 10 years ago. Perhaps my doc is not up to date !?
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345Grace - it might appear that way but research shows that it is working the majority of the time. If it ain't broke - don't fix it!
My cousin who got BC 15 years ago was not put on tamoxifen - you wouldn't hear of that today but medicine has progressed, research has been done. Remember studies are usually 10 years old by the time we learn of them. Now it is coming out that if you stay on the hormonals past 5 years - then your chances are even better of not having a recurrence. It took them following women for over 10 years to come to that conclusion.
(that is the best of my recall on the situation)
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345Grace there actually haven't been that many new drugs out. Some of the older drugs are excellent in killing cancer. I believe Adriamycin has been used since the 60's and still a very excellent cancer killing cocktail.
As for radiation the same treatment makes sense. It wouldn't matter the size of the tumor because the tumor was removed. Radiation is only to sap any microscopic residual that might not have been removed.
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My primary doctor told me that the results of my latest bone density scan shows that I have the bones of a 20 year old. Too bad the rest of me doesn't match that
My oncologist suggested that I would be a good candidate for Boniva in addition to the gigantic doses I am taking of calcium and Vitamin D. Has anyone else out there had to make this decision?0 -
If you have bones of a 20 YO then why do you need boniva? I have slight osteopenia and other than Calcium, Vitamin D and walking at least 30 minutes a day I'm not taking anything.
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I took Reclasp for osteopedia for the first time in May, because my bone density was a little less this year than last, and was also marginally below the recommended threshold of my PCP. I have been taking Cal wi Vit D supplements and weight bearing and cardio exercise for many years, but with getting older the osteopedia progressed anyway. The Reclasp made me pass out and be disoriented for about 12 hours, but after that I was fine. It also has SE of joint pain, as does anastrazole. But I love anastrazole because it helps prevents mets! I will stay on it longer than 5 years if recommended.
Tedmom, Boniva is given for low bone density like Reclasp.
janice Ambien (and Xanax) is habituating and many docs will not prescribe them for daily use. They usually lose effectiveness after about 3 weeks, and a higher dose is needed to get the same effect. So I use ambien just a few times a month, 1/2 of the smallest doseage. That seems to work for me, except when I was really anxious-- which happened when between dx wi bc and the final path report-at which time I switched between xanac and ambien, depending on how scared and anxious I felt. IMO, best to not rely on that stuff and use support systems, psychotherapy, meditation and prayer, working out, etc. Getting off ambien does usually mean at least several nights of sleep deprivation, but not necessarily, until the body reacclimates.
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tedmom - I have the same question as Lago - if you have bones of a 20 year old, why would you need Boniva? The most recent data says that people with osteopenia should not be treated with biophostates. I was on Actonel for 5 years and only had slight osteopenia - not happy about that.
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Nioxin is a good shampoo and conditioner are also good for thinning hair.
I wouldn't take Boniva or anything else unless I actually had pretty significant osteopenia which was not managable with added calcium, Vitamin D and weight bearing exercises. Any of those drugs has a whole list of potential SEs of their own.......and if my bones were really bad, then I'd probably switch to tamoxifin before going on them.
I have to admit that I really like Ambien. I have a prescription for the lowest does available (6.25) and take it regularly. I also have hypnosis CDs, 'Music for Deep Sleep' CDs etc. etc. I always slept rotten even before BC and now need all the help I can get!!!!
Sorry if I sounded crabby the other night. I am just so sad for my friends. Two lovely ladies who are running out of options and out of time. Each of our journeys has been tough in their own ways and it is absolutely normal that we get discouraged and frustrated and even mad about the whole thing. But I am glad that we are on this thread, sorting things through, and going with the best that medicine has to offer us at this time to help ensure that we have long, healthy (although maybe creaky and 'hot') lives! Hang in there everyone! Ruth
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Newbe6 - Yes, I am aware that ambien is habit forming - however after being an insomniac for over 20 years I am going to take advantage of being able to finally get ambien.
I was on diazepam for about a year but switched over to Lorazepam as it is shorter acting - 3 to 4 hours versus diazepam is about 8 hours. I don't take it that often - no more than 3x per week as I still do get anxiety attacks and sometimes use it to be able to sleep for hours on end. Most of my anxiety attacks occur when I have to go shopping or too much stimulation - crap there goes my chemo brain and I can't find the word I am looking for.
I was at a wedding Friday night and between a baby crying and a guy playing the guitar - all within 5' of me was too much for me and I had to leave before I wanted to but I felt an anxiety attack coming on. I don't do well with large crowds and too many options when shopping.
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Ah, shopping. Totally Therapeutic for me. Just put me in a mall and it is like a soothing massage
unfortunately there is not one close enough for me to take advantage of its calming effect.0 -
Yes, too much stimulation interferes with my sleep too (even shopping could possibly do it for me, pj123!). So of course anxiety and stress are the worst and I also had problems before the BC. It is a frequent struggle for me in spite of using all the recommended tehniques of relaxation, caffeine elimination, etc.., and when it persists I rely on meds. Right now, though, is particularly stressful. I am waiting for a second opinion, which occurs next week, re a hysterectomy (suspicious endometrium) and also waiting for a new tissue expander to be put in (infection after my BMX), which is 10/14. I would really like some closure on those things.
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exercise really does help some with anxiety and stress........
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I agree with Ruth. I feel kind of yucky when I skip a day of exercise.
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Ruth - unfortunately the cardiologist put me on restriction for a month until they see if the meds will help my heart issues. I was told to not over-exert at all and definately no hiking hills up the mountains. I hate being grounded!
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Walk at a moderate pace (not letting you off the hook). 0
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Yes Mamm! Seriously I can walk the neighborhood and be fine but when I exercise I want to sweat, I want to get my heart rate up - I want to feel like I am actually doing something. I can easily walk up and down the stairs at my house for 30 minutes and that would be better exercise than walking on the flat.
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