Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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ruthbru, I'd like to hire you as my personal trainer. Maybe we could alternate - you on M-W-F-SU, Claire_in_Seattle on T-TH. I'll give you two Saturdays off, because I have enough yard work stored up to keep me busy for 15 - 20 years.
otter
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judith harvey
how was it decided to switch from arimidex to tamoxifen?
ok gang- i am so freakin tired of the crappy mood that i find myself in...and it is getting worse not better-i am blaming it on the arimidex cuz that is the only logical place to put the blame!anybody else????
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Hi,
I'm starting Arimidex today or tomorrow,(went to MO yesterday for the presc. and will pick-up from Pharmacy today) I had total hysterectomy and bc around the same time,(Hyst.surg.June, lumpectomy,in Aug.) and I'm not sleeping good ever since.
Question for all of you...
When do you take your Arimidex? morning? afternoon? or evening?
what is the best time that works for you?
Thanks,
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Clariz, I think you just have to experiment to see what works for you. People with insomnia take it in the morning or early afternoon. It knocks me out, so I take it at night.
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Oh, oh, you may be sorry, but since you asked, I will give you my exercise advice....
I always wondered how much exercise was 'enough', then I heard Richard Simmons say that everyone should get 7 hours a week; 4 of aerobics and 3 of toning. That seemed like a lot until I thought about it. There are 168 hours in a week. If a person devotes 7 of them to exercise, that still leaves 161 of everything else!
Aerobics is anything where you move: walk, run, dance, swim, bike, zumba (for us that should include some weight bearing as swimming and biking, although wonderful in themselves, won't build bones...you have to smash down on them to do that). It doesn't have to be intense, after surgeries and during chemo, I would just put on my tennis shoes and walk around and around the living room, but it has to be consistent.
Toning is weights, pushups, sit ups, stretches, pilates, yoga etc. etc. Again, it doesn't have to be intense to 'count'.
You just have to find what types of exercise you enjoy (or will stick to doing anyway). Some people love taking a class or going to a gym. I love to walk when it is nice out, have a treadmill for when its not, and a whole bunch of exercise videos and DVDs. (You can go to a Goodwill or Salvation Army store and get really cheap, hardly ever used exercise tapes and DVDs for a quarter!). I like doing tapes because I like to be on my own schedule and they are well planned out by experts and have a balance of exercises. Of course start with no or light weights and work up (I don't do anything crazt 3-5-8 pound weights are what I use).
Here is what I do that makes me get the exercise done every week. When I started, I bought a notebook, put WEEK 1 at the top of a page, and divided the page in half. On one half I wrote the word Aerobic and then wrote down 15 minutes, 15 minutes, 15 minutes down the page to get to 4 hours in 15 minute increments, on the other side of the page I wrote Toning and wrote the 15 minutes down the page to three hours. Then, as I exercise during the week I check them off. I am so goofy that this works for me. I have to get them all crossed off (I go Monday through Sunday....which gives me more weekend time to exercise if I don't get it done during the week). Then the next week I started another page WEEK 2.
So if I walk 45 minutes tomorrow and do 30 minutes of toning, this is what my chart will look like:
Week 1
Aerobics Toning
15 X 15 X
15 X 15 X
15 X 15
15 15
15 15
15 15
(etc. to four hours) (etc. to three hours)
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And if you want exercise buddies; come over and check out the 'Lets Post Our Daily Exercise' thread on the Fitness Forum.
End of soapbox for the night
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ruthbru,
How long after your treatment you started excercising? after hysterectomy I just walk around my driveway for in 1/2 hour after 5-6 weeks post-op, or do my stationary bike if it's raining (I live in the Pacific NW) I used to do weights too, (3-5-8 lbs. weights)I follow and watch Kelly coffey meyer's weights dvd's,but haven't done it since Aug. after my lumpectomy.I still feel weak too, so I pace myself.I just finished my radiation last Oct. 26th.
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I was already doing my notebook prior to BC. I am pretty crazy, so exercised like mad before my mid-week surgery and then counted just creeping about the house (for 15 minutes at a time) for the aerobics, and the putting my arms above my head, stretching etc. for the toning at first. I concentrated on the lower body for quite awhile when I was scared to do to much with the upper, but there was no reason I couldn't be doing leg work. I would say that it is time for you to get back at it (no weights at first, do the motions without them and work back into them slowly). You will regain your energy and strength faster once you are moving. (Yikes, I sound like Jillian!)
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ruthbru,
Thanks! I'm on my feet 3-3.5 hours M-Th,I work as a cake decorator, I went back to work 5-6 weeks ago, to get me out of the house, keep me busy and get my mind-off thinking about my BC.I have to agree, moving helped me feel much better.
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Come over to the exercise thread
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Ruth: I may come over to the exercise thread after 12/8...My crazy, busy season at work will be over and I can concentrate on what I should be doing. I love all your advice. It's sound and straight-shooting.
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Hi, ladies. I haven't posted in a while, and it's good to catch up.
I had my second follow-up appt. yesterday, and everything looks good! But when I told my MO about my struggles with letrozole, she said enough! I'm putting you on Tamoxifen. After two months on anastrozole and four months on letrozole, she is concerned about my quality of life for the next 5 years. I was having lots of joint pain and severe emotional melt-downs.
So I'm going to pick up my Rx for tamoxifen. I sure hope it treats me better than the AI's. I am planning to stay on this thread because I feel so much support here, and many of you are "mature" like me (60 this month!) I will let you know how it goes.
Take care! Barb
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Barb-Good luck with the Tamox and Happy Birthday!!!
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Ruth, thanks for the suggestion about using a checklist for exercise. I've just enough OCD to be able to exploit that strategy. I don't think I could end the week with un-checked boxes.
otter
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Ruth, I think I'll try the checklist also. I'm so intimidated by people on the exercise thread. They do amounts of exercise that make me dizzy reading them. Maybe we need a 'light exercise' thread for people like me.
I think I may possibly getting some se's from the anastrasole. I've had hip pain for several days this week. It's not a spot that has hurt in the past. I've been on since Mar 15.
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Wren, and I would be right there with you doing the LIGHT EXERCISES! LOL
Mena
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You can come over, all my exercises are light! My belief is what 'counts' is consistancy, not intensity.
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Hi ladies..started on Arimidex, a baby aspirin and calcium on Weds. Started getting a strong metallic taste in mouth on Thursday and Friday. Skipped the calicum today to see if it made a difference. Has anyone every heard of this as a S/E of Arimidex? Asked this on another thread too as I have not heard of this before. I never had chemo so know many complain of that metallic mouth...but that can't be the reason for me. Thanks for any input...5 years daily =1,825 days..and I am on day 4...oy
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Aruba, I occasionally get a metallic taste....I'm on Letrozole. PS....just did some research on taking baby aspirin......a small percentage of people end up with macular degeneration....I'm 65 and have the beginnings of a cataract so I'm not sure that I will be taking it. Check out the research before starting it.....cheers.
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I was told NOT to take baby aspirin. No metallic taste here.
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Kjiberty......why were you told not to take baby aspirin?????
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My MO said not to take anything, except tylenol. It has to do with clotting issues.
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Weird my onc told me to start baby aspirin along with arimidex. This at major cancer center
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Mine didn't want me to take aspirin or NSAID's during active treatment - but once I was done, he said it's ok to take them sometimes. Some of the new studies show that baby aspirin can lower your risk of recurrence and also is good against strokes and heart disease - but always get permission from your doctor before starting any medication!
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Hmmm...Actually, it wasn't the MO, it was her nurse who told me this just last week when I went for my Prolia shot. I may have to revisit that questions. Thanks!
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I have to take baby aspirin. I have heart issues, diabetes, and got high blood pressure AFTER my BMX. Like, never had it before, BP was always 110 or 120 over 70, and BP was 212 over 110 during my hospital stay. So aspirin is gonna be in my tx for the forseeable future. Much love.
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Unless you have bleeding, clotting issues, baby asprin is something most people should be taking daily. Of course, clear it with your doctor first.
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Ruthbru.....I want to take it but I'm afraid of developing macular degeneration.....I've already got the beginnings of a cataract.
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Maybe check with your eye doctor about it, they probably would know more about what would be best to do in your case than your GP or oncologist.
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Ruthbru.....the research says that 4% of those taking a daily baby aspirin will develop it.
Since BC, I'm not feeling so lucky about my odds anymore.0
