Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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I switched my Arimidex to evening because it made me sleepy. I usually have unusual side effects with meds.
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Claire - you are so right about the mind/body connection and the synergistic affect that occurs when both are attended to as best we can. I am seeing small gains and trying not to compare my previous abilities to where I am now. My goals and self perception are changing and shaking things up. Change is unsettling, but can be beneficial or not, and most certainly part of our life path. Zen approach makes the most sense at this time.
Its so cool that many folks in these collective conversations are tapped into simple, lasting joys and ways we reconnect with what matters and nourishes ourselves. I love reading about them all - its like a peek into the journals of many brave women. Thank you.0 -
Hi Ladies,
I'm new to this thread and have read a few of your posts already. I got my Arimidex script 3 weeks ago. It took a week before I got it filled. Then another week before I finally picked it up. Now it has been sitting on my counter for a week. I am planning on taking it Monday in the morning in case I have a reaction. I got the gin and raisins soaking, so that should be ready in 10 days. Soak then for 2 weeks, right? I also went out and got a bike to start riding. I have been walking, but I figured that I need to be more active. You all are inspiring me to get out my butt and get moving.
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Welcome, Florbo! I am just down I-35 from you here in San Antonio and just enjoyed a wonderful visit with my daughter and three granddaughters who came down from Dallas.
I'm doing fine so far after starting my arimidex almost two weeks ago. I didn't bother with the gin and rasins since I think that's for joint pain and I don't know if I'm going to have any. I figure if I do start having significant joint pain, I'll consider the gin and raisins then. I am taking D3 and krill oil though.
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Annie-"Doing fine so far" is music to my ears. Thanks! Wishing everybody the best!
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I am not doing well with the Arimidex. Of all the SEs, my throat has not been sore. I have all the others. I have raisins soaking. Ache and feel rotten....like the week after chemo. I'd been on tamoxifen and while it made me achy, I got accustomed to it. Then, due to my age, the onco switched me to the Arimidex about a month ago. I am hoping the pain becomes more tolerable. I actually got a prescription for some pain meds & it helps....but I cant live on them.
I started an exercise program last year which helped in gaining strength after chemo. I have continued that. I skipped for a while after DIEP surgery (doctor's orders) and had been back for about 2 months prior to the med change. I've skipped a few times when I felt rotten (which is about everyday now). I did not want to go today, but made myself. ANd, I will say, I do feel much better afterwards. I have truncal LE, too, so it helps with that as well.
I was looking forward to everything returning to normal after the reoncstruction, but it's not loooking like that is going to happen now. I'm just hoping that the SEs subside over time. And, I'm hoping my gin-raisins work, too.
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Ketch, are you doing anything else to help with the joint pain? Some of the other suggestions I've seen on this thread have included: fish oil (I use krill oil), vitamin D3, Glucosamine (Glucosamine Sulfate has been proven more effective than the more common Glucosamine HCL which is usually paired with Chondroitin), Claritin, low dose aspirin, reducing or eliminating gluten and / or sugar...
Of course, some of these things would take awhile to take effect. I'm taking Glucosamine Sulfate, Krill oil, Vitamin D3 and low dose aspirin.
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I was taking Mega Red/fish oil, baby aspirin and D3 prior to starting the devil medicine! I hate taking meds, but guess it's now a part of my life.
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Sounds like you're doing all you can. I hope the SE's decrease or go away with time.
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After taking Arimidex for 2 1/2 yrs. I have had tendonitis in both wrists now for 3 months. I have stayed active, even bowling on two leagues but now I can't do anything without wrist pain. My doctor gave me splints to sleep in and said to ice the wrists several times a day if needed. I read on one of the threads to take vitamin B6. Have been doing that for a couple weeks now and see no difference. Have scheduled a physical therapy appointment soon to see what hand/wrist exercises might help. Anyone else dealing with the tendonitis SE and if so, what are you doing for it?
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I am giving an update on my July 2 post concerning a suggestion from a healthcare nurse that suggested "a biodentical progesterone creme" to help the PMS systoms I seem to be having from the Arimidex. I was questioned if I was both ER & PR postive and I wasn't sure. Saw oncologist yesterday (everything looked okay) and she said "no" you are ER+/PR+ and you can't use that. Love feeling so cranky. I did get the PharmaGabba from VitaminShoppe and she said that was okay to take.
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Do you think I could take PharmaGabba because I'm ER+ PR- HER2-???????
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Hey ladies,
I don't think Gaba has any effect on our hormones, but I'm no dr. It calms the neorons in the brain.
I have a gf who is taking Gaba due to a racey mind, anxiety, depression that does not respond to anti depressants. I noticed a complete response and change, for the better in her personality, immediatly. She seems happier, more talkative, STFU, and more tolerant of her life.
I started to take it but I didn't see any changes. I do have a clear head.
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I just started taking PharmaGabba and the nurse who suggested said to only take the PharmaGabba. I did run it by my oncologist and she said it was okay for me to take. You should check with your doctor before you take anything. Right now I would try anything.
My husband may go down for "sainthood" for putting up with me!
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Haven't been on here in quite a while, but so happy to see that others are experiencing moodiness and irritability on the arimidex (generic)!! I thought I was just insane!
Not quite getting what I am supposed to do with the raisins soaked in gin?!! Eat them?! That sounds really disgusting....will it help?!
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jsmiley, I'm new here and raisins soaked in gin sound yukky to me, but they're supposed to help joint pain as per Ruth. Yes, people eat 7 of them a day I believe. Other people, not me. I'd rather have my weekly margarita.
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Friends I know swear that gin soaked raisins helps their joint pains and arthritis. i asked and the recipe was 1 box of golden raisins covered by cheap gin. After a few days, take 9 raisins a day. They mentioned just a spoonful along with the juice. lols I will try if I get to that point of need, but maybe the raisin flavored straight gin would work too lols.
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I've been doing the gin and raisins now off and on for about three weeks. Had to take a break in between as about the same time I started this I had eaten blueberries all week and ended up itching all over and my face drying out. Quit the blueberries and raisins. It went away. Started the raisins again and nothing, so started the blueberries again this week. So far, okay. But, it was a few more days before the symptoms started.
Anyway, because of all this, it's hard to say if the raisins have been helping or not. They really aren't that bad. If you let them sit the two weeks, they are just like eating sticky raisins.
It's also going to be hard to tell because I started PT this week. It's pool therapy for my knee pain. The vitamin D (50,000 units/weekly) helped all but my arthiritic knee. If the pool therapy helps, maybe I can start walking and going to the gym again.
Patty
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Will try and keep this brief..First I will whine ,,then cheer,,.Had op to remove plates as I last mentioned..THe wrist bones were collaping behind plates thus the pain ..Waiting for call for op for wrist fusion. 6th op on that wrist since last June course some were two at a time..I don't let the pain stop me..I fish with left hand now even tried left handed jet skiing with friend course went in circles. GOOD NEWS 3 months off amimidex.. Mental clarity returned.. hotflashes gone even during full moon week which always was worse..fatigue gone ~naps rare now..and when they happen it is because of wrist pain..oh and sexual response ~~~well what a difference..!!!! My side effects were not bad mainly fatigue and flashes but I sure feel better off the drug!! TY God and friends here for me. Prayers for all of you.
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Lakewoman, I'm still pretty new here and don't know everyone yet. Did you complete 5 years on arimidex? I've just completed my first month and so far, so good. I also just turned 58, so I have 59 months to go and will finish just before I turn 63.
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Will try and keep this brief..First I will whine ,,then cheer,,.Had op to remove plates as I last mentioned..THe wrist bones were collaping behind plates thus the pain ..Waiting for call for op for wrist fusion. 6th op on that wrist since last June course some were two at a time..I don't let the pain stop me..I fish with left hand now even tried left handed jet skiing with friend course went in circles. GOOD NEWS 3 months off amimidex.. Mental clarity returned.. hotflashes gone even during full moon week which always was worse..fatigue gone ~naps rare now..and when they happen it is because of wrist pain..oh and sexual response ~~~well what a difference..!!!! My side effects were not bad mainly fatigue and flashes but I sure feel better off the drug!! TY God and friends here for me. Prayers for all of you.
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Yes AnnieLane I did finish my arimidex on April 17th. after being on it for 5 yrs...I was 68 THEN!..Also another thing I did not post was that I have less facial hair..THe drug has some testosterone in it bodybuliders use it..I rmember when I first started taking it my mom always thought I was my husband and remarked how low my voice was..Well I thought maybe it was her age,,SHE is 96 now! ha...But my brother called the other day and said I did not think it was you ..I asked how my voice sounded ..he said higher!!! WOW mom was right!! Good luck to you ..feel free to ask me or others any questions.
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Lake ~upstate, NYJoined: May 2008Posts: 145
Post a reply3 hours ago lakewoman wrote:
Yes AnnieLane I did finish my arimidex on April 17th. after being on it for 5 yrs...I was 68 THEN!..Also another thing I did not post was that I have less facial hair..THe drug has some testosterone in it bodybuliders use it..I rmember when I first started taking it my mom always thought I was my husband and remarked how low my voice was..Well I thought maybe it was her age,,SHE is 96 now! ha...But my brother called the other day and said I did not think it was you ..I asked how my voice sounded ..he said higher!!! WOW mom was right!! Good luck to you ..feel free to ask me or others any questions.
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Thanks for sharing your experience, Sharlene! This should be interesting, but it gives me some prizes to keep my eyes on at the finish line 5 years down the road!
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Lake ~upstate, NYJoined: May 2008Posts: 145
Post a reply THIS IS ALL GOOFED UP CANT SEEM TO GET IT IN ANSWER TO ANNIELANE BUT I TRYING HERE!!!3 hours ago lakewoman wrote:
Yes AnnieLane I did finish my arimidex on April 17th. after being on it for 5 yrs...I was 68 THEN!..Also another thing I did not post was that I have less facial hair..THe drug has some testosterone in it bodybuliders use it..I rmember when I first started taking it my mom always thought I was my husband and remarked how low my voice was..Well I thought maybe it was her age,,SHE is 96 now! ha...But my brother called the other day and said I did not think it was you ..I asked how my voice sounded ..he said higher!!! WOW mom was right!! Good luck to you ..feel free to ask me or others any questions.
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I started taking Anastrozole on July 22nd (this will be my 3rd day). Other than being a little hungrier than usual, no SE's so far. Could some of you share about how long it took for your SE's (the difficult ones) to appear? I would really appreciate any info you would be willing to provide. Thanks.
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sandylyn: I didn't really notice anything for a good month or so. Then it was trigger thumb and more fatigue than usual.
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Sandylyn, I was on it for a year before I had any side effects. I did have to switch it to pm instead of am because it made me sleepy. When the second year started I had a short period of nausea, pretty mild hot flashes and some joint pain. Since I'm 72, I don't know if the joint pain is from age or meds.
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Sandylin, I'm just one month farther down this road than you are and I'm doing fine so far.
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Thanks to all of you who replied to my request. On day 4 and woke up at 1 pm with very bad headache. Not sure whether it's my usual sinus headache or not. But usually my sinus headaches go away after having coffee and a saline rinse. Not this time. This site has helped me so much to deal with all of this. Thanks again!
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