Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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shells43 our posts crossed. Thanks for the headsup on Effexor. That is one I'll keep in my arsenel. LOL you still have 6 years to catch up to me as I feel 90
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Ha ha, well now I only feel like 60 instead of 45. So much for early menopause, thanks to chemo!
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Tskaiser75: I usually take Claritin or another allergy med during hay fever season; I've been taking Claritin since this January for joint/bone pain. It doesn't have any added SEs for most people, even if taken on a daily basis. During the heavier parts of allergy season, I take it and it works well. During the worst of the season I take something stronger -- but I always have; the other antihistaminesit also alleviate bone aches, fwiw.
About a week ago, with houseguests visiting and no allergies to remind me, I forgot to take Claritin...and within a day or so I had roaring aches and pains. Popping the claritin made it go away and it's worth it.
I too am extremely reluctant to take meds, and always look for nutritional, exercise, or other natural remedies.
However, very early in my breast cancer journey, I made a promise to honor myself and to not let myself suffer for a single moment, whenever I had the power to vanquish a SE and feel my best. So I don't have any qualms about taking Claritin for this, any more than I would for taking it due to hay fever. Just a thought!
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seb...ditto...and according to my pharmacist, it is not harmful!
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seb & schatz - thanks for the info. I am almost to the point I will try anything. seb - I like your way of thinking. You know now that I am finished with the chemo and radiation and surgery alot of people think you should be your old self in time - doesn't really work that well with the A its still an ongoing treatment, I just need to do what it takes to "vanquish a SE and feel my best".
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I have been on arimedix for 1 year. I will be starting my second year at about 5:30 tonight when I take my little white pill, but who's counting right!!!! I remember that first night I was actually scared to take it but also scared not to take it, if that makes sense.. I have had hot flashes, joint pains, especially in my knees in the morning when I try to stretch my legs out after sleeping or sometimes if they are already stretched out then it hurts to bend them.. Does not happen every morning but quite frequently.. Once I get up and moving around some I don't notice it to much unless I sit for awhile and then get up. I also sometimes notice pain and stiffnes in my fingers... But all in all it has not been that bad of a year..
Cindy0 -
I have been on anastrozole for 2 months now. I mentioned to my husband that I thought I was having more knee stiffness than 2 months ago and he said with a sigh, " yeah, so do I. It sure is a bitch getting old." So at least we have a little pill to blame. Maybe that's easier than admitting to the age factor. Also when I start to wonder about aches, pains and other a sundry physical complaints, I remember Ruthbru's comment," Not every crazy medical thing that happens to us is a SE". Maybe it is, but not always.
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Dobie: Point well taken.
Crog: I was in your position just this past Saturday. I had the rx for 8 days and kept putting it off, scared to take it. I made the decision just to finally do it and get it over with. The sooner I took it, the sooner I will be done with it.
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Dobie I have to agree that some of it could be due to old age...
I was on arimedix for about 4 or 5 months before I started noticing the knee joint pain and finger stiffness... I truly believe this is from the arimedix though.. Again it is not every morning and once I get moving around it goes away... Now the hot flashes I have been having for a few years now, just have more of them now.... I was not trying to complain. Really just wanted to say that I have survived a year on the little white pill.. I have read many stories of women who have tried one pill and then had to go off and try another one. I feel fortunate that my SE have been so minimal..
Karen glad you decided to just go for it.
Cindy0 -
I went off Anastrozole for 10 days while on vacation. Didn't notice any big change-perhaps fewer hot flashes, but still was stiff and achy. Yes, everyday I take that little white pill I'm also another day older...
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Here is a kind of funny story about my DH: last winter he strained his back in an accident & needed an x-ray. He was SHOCKED to learn that he had arthritis in his back. When he came home and told me, my very unsympathic reponse was, "Well, of course, you have arthritis in your back, everybody our age has arthritis." Which is what his doctor told him, although more nicely, when he met with him later. Poor DH!
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aw poor guy....at least he knows it's not because of some damned little white pill that you can choose to take or not take! I think some of our problems stem from the fact that we take it by choice (well sorta). I can vividly remember the week before starting Arimidex, having terrible pains in my shin. I said at the time to DH...remind me of this when I start the pill in case I have the same thing again. He did remind me and of other aches and pains I had been having as well. I know it can't all be due to Arimidex!
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Guess I was looking for something I should not have been.... A hey 1 year down is great.. All I see is people trying to tell me that what I feel is not from the pill but from my age.. What part of I didn't have it before I started the pill does not make sense? Oh well I guess I shouldn't have been looking for anything!!!!,
Hope you all have a great day..0 -
crog...I feel your frustration! For sure all the SEs aren't from old age and many weren't there before we started Arimidex. It's just hard to decide what's "normal" and what's not, especially those of us that are seniors!
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Crog - my point exactly!!! Nothing like having our feelings negated by the constant cheerleading on this thread - all I know is I stopped the pills and the se's went away - that's MY case history (but certainly not everyone else's) - all we're saying here is that SOME of us are in a mess on the AIs and it's not a crime to say so!!!!!
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Crog,
for many people the aches and pains are age related. I went off arimidex for a month as started taking aromasin. For that one month, I was absolutely euphoric. I had no pain. I thought aromasin was terrific. Now the aches and pain and all the rest is back.
For some people the pain is part of age. But, for many others it is the drugs.
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I've noticed with both Arimidex and Aromasin the s.e.'s started to get bad around the 3rd month unfortunately!
Ginger
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5th for me
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I only had to wait a few weeks for the SE's but then I could only handle two doses of Taxol too. I know I am getting old but right now I feel like I am getting too old too fast.
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I apologize if my perspective came off as unsympathetic or dismissive of SEs. That was not my intention. Everyone's reaction to this treatment is going to be different and I do understand that unfortunately some will have intolerable SEs. But 208sandy, I believe the "cheerleading" on this thread that appears to irk you is only meant as support and not to negate your frustration or your pain. I truly am sorry you are miserable, don't think its a crime for you to say so and hope you will find some tolerable way through this treatment.
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Dobie not sure if you are apologizing to me or who.. I just was so happy to have reached a year. Guess i thought others would think having a year done was a good thing too....
Probably should not have put in about the SE's I have as they are not that bad. My point was only that I did not have them before taking Arimedix so assume they are related to taking it.. Maybe some is age related. Guess I won't know for another 4 years or so.......
Cindy0 -
New research in the paper today says that taking 2 AI's at the same time prolonged life in stage 4. Confounding factor was that many of these women were discovered at stage 4 and had not taken any AI before. They compared it to taking them in sequence. I wonder if you would have double se's.
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I think if we didn't have some SE or another, we wouldn't be on this thread. What would be the point?
crog....hey congrats on the first year....hopefully the next 4 will be uneventful.
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crog - 1 year! That's soooo awesome! I will hit my 1 year in October (started Tamoxifen for 3 months, then switched). I am soooo afraid though that my MO is going to say that b/c I am so young, I'll be on the 10 year path instead of 5. Then, one year just doesn't seem like very far into it. I hope you are down to 4!
Vicky
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wren....I must say, that is one scary thought!!
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Dobie:
Just so you know (I have said this many times on many threads) I was on Arimidex and Femera and after 11 months had to give them both up as se's were so severe (suicidal thoughts anyone???) - now I have been off them for two years and have been VERY healthy and happy and my onc and PCP are fine with my decision - of course, it is MY decision and not for everyone.
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Thanks Vicky and schatzi.. Not sure Vicky what the age cut off would be for taking it 5 or 10 years... have appointment next month and if I think of it I will ask....
Cindy0 -
Sandy...I am not sure that any hormonal is good for some people. Who knows if they work anyways? As we often said, BC and the treatment are nothing if not a crap shoot. QOL counts for a lot. Glad you are feeling healthy and happy because that is what it's all about right? I wish you continued success.
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Cindy, congrats on a year--4 more to go!
I don't know if I am on the 5-year plan or 10 year. It has yet to be determined. She said 5-10 years.
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Thanks Karen.. I was told 5 years when I started on arimedix but I suppose that could change....
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