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Arimidex - Coping with the SE's

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Comments

  • claire_in_seattle
    claire_in_seattle Member Posts: 2,793

    Marianelizabeth......ferratin is because you are ingesting more iron than your body can process.  I tried to eat iron-rich foods during chemo to prevent anemia.  Guess what happened???

    All will be fine when your bone marrow recovers.

    The big one with cholesterol is HDL.  Mine was 85 the last time it was checked.  They have online risk crunchers.  My internist said he would NOT treat a 2% risk, even with high LDL.  I was thrilled and did not mend my evil ways. - Claire

  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235

    kjiberty - Hmmmmm, my MO told me that standard of care is a DEXA scan every two years if results are normal or borderline, but definitely yearly if results show osteoporosis. Two years seems like a long time for a recheck if things have dropped into the abnormal range.

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    My baseline DEXA was way high, 18 months later it submarined way low...and I started fosamax

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 47,698

    I 'made' them do a yearly DEXA. I figured if something was starting to happen, I wanted to know about it right away.

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    me too and I am glad I did

  • loral
    loral Member Posts: 818

    I have a yearly bone density test as well.

  • spunkyboobster
    spunkyboobster Member Posts: 563

    My HDL was over 100, so no drugs but I'm still going to check out some "natural" remedies.

    I'm going to request a DEXA at my next appt-my initial one was bout 18 mos ago. Although everything was good, I want to stay on top of it!

    Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,932

    They're waiting 2 years for another DEXA, despite having osteopenia. I'm probably fine however. Recently fell catching all my weight on my outstreched hand. Figured if my wrist didn't break it must be OK.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938

    I got a dexa right before tx, then one about a year later. Osteopenic in the first one, doubled loss in the second, just s point or two from osteoporosis. Sigh. Chemo sucked a lot of calcium! Oh well.



    Wrench, hope your hand is ok, broken bones aren't the only thing to worry about! LOL



    Spunky, what are some of the natural remedies? Have you tried any? Let me know if any work.



    Much love to all.

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    Vitamin D3 too

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    my doctor wanted my vitamin D level in my blood to be at least 50

  • iamnancy
    iamnancy Member Posts: 641

    I have my raisins soaking.. will try to wait the full 2 weeks but if my knees keep hurting, I might be in there sooner..

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 47,698

    Don't forget the serving of prunes a day....prunes can actually BUILD bones Smile.

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    here is the good news for me anyhow...after I finished arimidex , I still took the fosadex for awhile and then my DEXA was better...

  • iamnancy
    iamnancy Member Posts: 641

    ruthbru -gonna get the prunes this week..

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423

    Claire, you are quite the inspiration.  I just signed up at a gym and hope improve soon.  Can I ask your age?

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423

    Spunky, do you know why your hdl is so high?  Do you excercize a lot or do other things to elevate it??  I just had mine measured...65, which is pretty good considering I do nothing!

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423

    socal, did you get your vit D up to 50?   and if so, how?

    I take 4000 units a day and it's still only 27.5.

  • claire_in_seattle
    claire_in_seattle Member Posts: 2,793

    Timbuktu....I am in my early 60s.  Right now, I feel sore as opposed to inspirational.  Think that fast group I cycled with yesterday had something to do with this.  Plus I cycled over to the start of the ride, and cross-trained by losing my way and walking hills/stairs with my bicycle.

    I do eat prunes sometimes, but stew in brandy as tastier.  Got the idea from a French recipe.....tarte aux pruneaux.  Delish with cream.

    Why I do all the cycling....so I can continue to indulge shamelessly. - Claire

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    Timbuktu, my doctor gave me mega dose pills for about a month I think...then it was just adjusting the maintenance dose..believe it or not I take 6,000 a day to keep it at 50...my son who is also a family practice MD also agrees with this..

  • spunkyboobster
    spunkyboobster Member Posts: 563

    Timbuktu-i do exercise, but it's always been high-I'm guessing genetics plays a role. 65 is great!

  • Rocket
    Rocket Member Posts: 910

    It took me three years of taking 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 daily to get my level to 70. Hoping to keep it there. I have it checked every three months.



    I also eat a serving of prunes daily and my last DEXA scan, a year ago, showed osteopenia. I have another scan coming up in October to see if it has gotten worse. I'm really hoping the prunes helped.

  • smo23915
    smo23915 Member Posts: 71

    Rocket how many prunes do you eat daily?  I eat 5 I thought I heard that was a serving.

    Sharon

  • Rocket
    Rocket Member Posts: 910

    I eat either four or five. I used to hate the taste, and now I like them. Sometimes I cut them up and cook them in my oatmeal for breakfast.

  • marianelizabeth
    marianelizabeth Member Posts: 1,156

    I choke them down most days. I am now taking my Anastrozole in the morning and fewer night sweats; they now seem to happen late afternoon which is fine as with our hot weather I just pretend it is the heat!

  • smo23915
    smo23915 Member Posts: 71

    Hi Rocket,

    Thanks for the answer.  Must tell you I saw a bone & mineral specialist at John Hopkins & she said, "yes" prunes can help.  So, keep eating them prunes!

    Sharon

  • cycle_babe
    cycle_babe Member Posts: 18

    I soak my prunes in vodka, you all need to try that! cheers!

  • patty9999
    patty9999 Member Posts: 43

    I was wondering the other day why I hadn't received any posts in a while.  Looks like it's been quiet around here.

    All I'm just wondering if anyone has had any issues with what I guess I'd call muscle weakness in the legs.  I'd been having problems with joint pain.  PCP put me on 50,000 IU/week a few months ago.  The pain went away after about six weeks except for my knees.  So, I started physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around my arthritic knees.  I started with pool therapy, but after a month not much improvement.  So, they switched me to land therapy. 

    Been going for about a month now and the muscles above my knees still seem to be as tight and weak as when I started.  Also, I've been having problems with my IT band in my right leg since just after starting land PT.  She tells me my left leg wasn't tight before, but she checked it last week and it's tight now, too.  About once a week I'll get up wrong or something and cannot straighten my leg to stand up.  So, I've been taking to using a cane on those days.  It was so bad the other day I pulled my pain meds out and it didn't even touch the pain.  But, I'll wake up the next morning and all is fine.

    Anyway, I'm just wondering if this all has to do with s/e from Arimidex (generic).  I do see my PCP next Monday and will be asking her opinion.  I had just started PT when I saw my MO.  Don't see her again until January and hate to call about this if it's not the possible cause.  Maybe just me getting old.  I feel like I was in better shape physically after I recovered from my radiation than I am now.

    Thanks, Patty

  • iamnancy
    iamnancy Member Posts: 641

    Patty - my knees are so painful now - never were before -definitely think its a SE...sometimes they feel better once I am up and around.

  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 1,801

    Ruth- can you tell me why they need to be GOLDEN raisins? I've always avoided those like the plague because the golden color is not natural. 

    The raisins are made from Sultana grapes, which are dark in color to start with. During the lengthy drying process, they are treated with sulfur dioxide, which bleaches out all the color.

    A large amount of sulfites remain in the fruit, which is why some people may find them to cause allergic-like reactions. They are especially dangerous for people with asthma (like me).

    The sulfites can cause breathing problems, hives, and even anaphylactic shock.

    The answer, of course, would be organic raisins... but those would not be golden.

    What do you think? Would organic (dark) raisins work just the same as golden raisins soaked in gin?