Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
Comments
-
Hi sunflowers, that recipe for breakfast sounds delicious I will have to give it a try. I am not coeliac but borderline so tend to try and stay as close as possible to a gluten free diet. How much sesame and almond do you put in?
Love n hugs.
0 -
Thank Sunflowers I really can't wait to try it as I to love rice pudding so this should be great. I laughed at your descrition of 'mud lumps in water', I could just picture it...lol.
0 -
I'm new to this site. I'm trying to find women that chose "not" to take Arimidex. I had, DCIS ER+ Stage 1 and not in the one lymph node that was taken out in Jan 2010. My tumor was 2 mm and doc took out the size of a baseball. I went through four chemo treatments three weeks apart. They were hell. I was allergic to one of the chemo drugs, taxotere. They pumped me full of steriods to counter act it. Last chemo was four hours long! Had numerous infections. Had a month off, then went through 33 sessions of radiation (had severe burns). Had side effects of everything they did to me. I am not high risk since there is no history of bc in the family. I put on 27 pounds during all this. I have lost 13 but need to lose at least 45 more. We do have heart and diabetes in the family so weight gain is not good. I'm supposed to start arimidex in a couple weeks. Scared to death of it since I had so many side effects to everything the doctors have done. Any advice or any women that chose not to take it? My cure rate is around 85 % now. Thank you. P.S. Losing my long hair was almost as hard as chemo. No scarves anymore. I do exercise and eat properly. Thanks again.
0 -
Hi Guys....BIG news on the gluten free front...Bisquick has a gluten free baking/pancake mix - its in an orange box - but only a small one ;-( - just picked it up last night! I like yogurt, strawberries with granola in the morning (strawberries actually have more Vit C than oranges per volumn in addition to their other wonderful properties) but I wasn't able to find gluten free granola...well, this Big Red Bill's brand (available in the regular grocery stores) now has big flaked rolled oats produced gluten free - soooo, I am started making my own 'granola' this morning for my yogurt treat...almonds of course, the best nuts for us; crasions infused with blueberry juice, SunMaid dried fruit bits and from the baking isle...a pinch of crushed Heath bar for taste - pretty yummy and I know exactly what is in it!
I will let you know the outcome of the pancake taste test after the weekend...oh, and Log Cabin is back to its old fashioned all natural maple syrup - comes in a little jug. And that Big Red Bill's has a gluten free bread mix that I am going to try - I usually just get potato bread but that looked interesting.
Love and Hugs....LowRider
0 -
Hi KMQW2010, sorry you are here, but glad you found us. When I was dx'd in 2003, I had a very bad reaction to the chemo so the onc refused to give me more after the first and I also had a bad reaction to the Tamoxifen. After all this I was told to go and live my life what there was of it. I had no node involvement so the odds were good. Alas, five years later I was dx'd with mets to the bone. I was very scared of taking Arimidex because of the reaction I had had to Tamoxifen but I had to try. I have been on Arimidex for 18months now and yes there are some Se's but nothing that I haven't been able to handle. Please don't put yourself at risk because of fear but if you have decided not to take it I hope all goes well for you. I do know that you can lower estrogen levels by diet and there is a very good thread in this forum called Natural Girls perhaps if you read the posts there you will get some really good information.
Love n hugs. chrissyb
0 -
Chrissyb, Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I really appreciate it. They did run a blood test and I'm in menopause so exrogen should be low with this I'd think. I have a husband and a 19 year old and 15 year old. They blasted me with chemo because I'm 49, 50 next month. Keep thinking the chemo took care of all this. We will continue to gather information and check out the Natural Girls, we do organic, and all the cancer fighting foods. Been doing that for years. I was put on a hormone three months before my bc to stop my periods (had one for 58 days). That "might" of contributed to everything. Jury still out though. Thanks! Be well!
0 -
KMQW2010, I was 52 and in menopause when I was dx'd. What I didn't know was that we also produce phytoestrogens from the adrenal glands that the body then converts to estrogen so even though in menopause there is still estrogen available for the cancer to feed on. Thank you for the good wishes and the same to you.
Love n hugs. chrissyb
0 -
Julia,
Rudi's bread is quite good when toasted.
That rice pudding sounds terrific!
paamboli
0 -
With Arimidex, you can always try it and QUIT or try something else if you have bad SEs. I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled that it is an option for me, as it is an ongoing thing I can be doing to prevent a reoccurence, along with exercise and diet (which I am not so great about but working on). It is really your 'big gun' if you are estrogen positive....for me, chemo gave a 20% relative risk reduction, Arimidex gives me 40%....HUGE!!!!
0 -
KMQW; another thought, if you had a hard time with chemo (and I still get queasy even typing the word!), then you will want to consider doing everything you can so that you never, never, never have to deal with it again.
0 -
Lowrider - I recently read something about Log Cabin's "All Natural" Syrup - it got lots and lots of stuff other than maple, it's natural but very far from all maple. You might want to check out the ingredients.
Here's the atricle: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_on_bi_ge/us_maple_syrup_flap
0 -
My regular pharmacist was out when I picked up my generic A yesterday, so I stopped by today and we had a good visit. I didn't write down his exact words when I left (should have...post chemo brain), but he said that because Arimidex is a 'serious' Triple A drug, the generic has to have EXACTLY the same formula as the original, NO difference what-so-ever is allowed by the FDA. He said there should be no different SEs, no difference in effectiveness, no difference in anything except the wallet because it is exactly the same thing as we've been taking.
0 -
Ruth, that is interesting. Wonder what AZ would say about the generics? Seems to me if the others are exactly the same then AZ could have kept their market share by just reducing their price. True their profit margin would have dramatically decreased but no more than the profits that are now going to Mylan, TEVA and others. Interesting...
0 -
I got a couple coupons form AZ via e-mail for money off my next prescription, but it would still be way more than the generic. I suppose they will wait and see how big a hit they take before they'd think about lowering the price. Or maybe they don't care. Maybe their marketing strategy is to hold a patent for the 5 years, make a bunch of money, and then move on once a drug goes generic.
0 -
Good on Costco! What a racket Sunflowers. Btw your recipe is tres magnifique! So easy, dose dense nutrition and delish, what's better than that? ... I subs. for the sesame ... sunflower, always my preferred choice! Thanks a lot!
Thank you Ruth, it's good to know they're all required to be the same.
Thank you Paamboli, looking forward to Rudi's raisin toast w/mascarpone cheese, help me Rhonda!
Have a wonderful weekend all!
0 -
I had hip and thigh pain even before taking Arimidex. It is GONE...completely. Wonder if the fish oil is making the difference, or the D3. Whichever supplement it is, I am so happy that it's subsided.
I am paying 100% for the cost of meds until my 2K deductible is met and the full cost of the Mylan anastrozole was $113 for 90 pills. SUNFLOWERS, I would love to have gone to Costco BUT I am so close to meeting my ded and have to use the insurance company's mail away anyway so it was not prudent for me to use Costco. My ins co makes a profit on everything, but I don't consider the price of the generic to be too far out of whack. I am just so glad that the CEO of my insurance co has his 3 million dollar paycheck. (sarcasm)
And I also thought it was pretty sneaky to all of a sudden get those $50 coupons from AZ, which were also given to the Boston hospitals and if you read the fine print.......YOU CANNOT USE THEM IN MA! Good move, AZ.
Sue
0 -
Does anybody know how I can get the coupons for brand Arimidex ? My family has insisted that, for at least a while, I stick with AZ. I'm looking into Canadian pharmacies but with the coupons, maybe I'll just keep getting it here. Thanks.
0 -
MTG: My first post seems to have disappeared. I was posting that Astra Zeneca will give you Arimidex for practically free if you meet their financial eligibility criteria. You could also ask them where to get coupons if you are above their criteria.
0 -
I've been reading the posts here occasionally and just wanted to mention to Sue-61 and others that the AZ coupons for Arimidex can't be used in MA due to MA healthcare regulations/restrictions, not AZ. None of the coupons from drug companies can be used in MA (Femara has some, too, but not in MA). You may want to complain to your state legislature. This will probably also be affected by national healthcare but since it is not clear what is in the bills that passed last year, who knows.
0 -
MTG...thanks...still better than most of the rest - I was just sooo excited about the Bisquick!
0 -
Sunflowers
We've been discussing acupuncture at another thread. How did you find out about giving up gluten. Come to think of it, I was gluten sensitive about 15 years ago. Eating bread in the morning gave me indigestion. Should I consult a dietician when I am at Dana Farber next?
0 -
TokyoSing, I would say an emphatic "yes" to seeing a dietician or nutritionist, how could it hurt? Also, that you had a gluten sensitivity 15 years ago could mean that it is still an issue. Good luck!
0 -
I know one gal here is taking a lower dose of Arimidex (pill cut in half)...are any others doing this too? After one month on Arimidex, my oncologist took me off to see if the extreme thirst and errr..."dryness" issues... were Arimidex or something else. I had been on HRT but tossed them out as soon as I was diagnosed--it may be that too. Thirst is gone, happily. I was drinking big 12 oz mugs of water all day, and it didn't touch the thirst...then I'd be up 2 and 3 times a night going to the bathroom. Dryness, is a little better, but far far from great!
The month is up next week and I have another appt with her Tuesday. She had suggested maybe taking Tamoxifen instead, but I'm deathly afraid of that because of the possible side effects of blood clots (I have high blood pressure anyway and both my uncle and grandmother died of strokes), and the se of possible endometrial cancer. If I'm going to nix Tamox, I feel as if I need some other possibility to suggest when I see her. Just curious if there are others taking a reduced dose of Arimidex?
0 -
KMQ: My oncologist is putting me on Aromasin, instead of the seemingly-wide prescribed Arimidex (in fact, I was on tamoxifen for 3 1/2 years, and just started Aromasin last week). As others have said, even in post-menopause, our adrenal glands produce aromatase, which the Arimidex/Aromatase Inhibitors inhibit the estrogen which is in aromatase. If you have EST+ cancer, it's best to quash that estrogen any way you can. It's up to you of course, and we respect your decisions! GOOD LUCK~~~juli
0 -
FYI--I just saw an alert from the FDA that ArimaDex, a muscle building supplement sold by Genetic Edge Technologies is being recalled because it may contain the aromatase inhibitor. This is NOT the Arimidex that we are taking. The supplement name is different only in the second A (ArimADex) and the capital D. I had to look at the alert a couple of times before I figured out why ArimaDex would be recalled for containing an aromatase inhibitor.
0 -
I have a question---what do you think about an onc putting you on tamoxifen when you are in or through menopause? I have been on arimidex since january, was telling him i have been extremely tired, he switched me to femara, but not much difference. Wants me to try tamoxifen. I really don't have any other SE other than minor aches, now and then. Is it ok to be on tamoxifen after menopause? guess i should ask him this!
0 -
nmi,
Tamoxifen was the standard of care for even post menopausal women for years. Then the AIs came along and Tamoxifen became less popular for us older women. It is still a useful drug.
pam
0 -
i haven't started taking Arimidex yet- I am due for surgery to remove my one, sorrowful, remaining ovary, and thought that I would wait until I had completely healed up from that before starting a new medication that might interfere with the optimum functioning of my immune system.
I like the idea of a half-dose, and wonder how my onc would feel about that. I am also curious to know if anyone has tried dividing the pill and taking it twice a day. Logically, this should lower SE's by not whacking our bodies with a full dose, but again, I'd need to run this by my onc and the pharmacist of my dreams. Does this sound logical to anyone?
paamboli
0 -
paamboli- 1/2 pill/ 2x day- I don't know. BUt I was told when I started the A if I missed a dose NOT to take it later but just to skip b/c I shouldn't take it within 24 hours of itself. Now I'm on the 1/2 dose (I'm the one person who is, not another person, sorry to whoever was asking) and the one time I forgot I DID take it at the 12 hr mark, figuring pretty much the same thing as you were with your question. I don't think it should really make a difference though- my onc says it is more of a cumalative effect than that- that I wouldn't feel any effects quickly from missing/discontinuing for example. On the other hand, other folks on here report changing the time of taking it to help w/ SEs. I changed early on when I was having a really hard time, but it didn't help. So i just take it at night now. Which I should go do now! Good night...
0 -
jessamine- Hello from Half Moon Bay! Thank you for your comments. The primary reason that I am questioning dosages is that I am 71, and some medications react differently when taken by older folks. Also, I am still trying to cope with the s/e's from a benign brain tumor which was treated with CyberKnife 3 years ago. Mostly vertigo, headaches, and episodes of fatigue, but also some cognitive impairment. I really don't care to have any more of these little treasures.
paamboli.
Diagnosis: August 18, 2010. IDC 1.1 cm. 0/2 nodes, lumpectomy, no rads, ER+PR+,HER2-
0
