Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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well 2 1/2 weeks in and I think I might be getting some joint pain. Every once in a while especially in my fingers I am feeling a pain and cramp. Possibly in my leg as well. Discouraging. If it is only these mild twinges, Im ok with that, but if it is the start of a downhill slide into worse stuff I am pretty concerned. If it gets constant Ill try the Claritin thing and see if it helps.0 -
I went to the arimadex website and read the list of possible SEs. All that I have read here are listed there. I have had many of them, some of them off and on. I too am trying to reduce inflammatory foods and am walking to lose weight and ease SEs. I am participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer at the end of this month. That has been my goal all year. After that, I hope to try some warm water therapy. I also get a massage evey 6 weeks or so and it is wonderful. I sometimes am pain free untill the next day. I know the massage gives great relaxation and relieves stress. I don't know what effect the AIs have on stress levels, but I suspect it does something that tightens muscles and inflames joints, much like stress hormones do. I also attend a gentle yoga class that is for cancer survivors and caretakers. I love the relaxation techniques.0 -
teriw - your comments about AIs and tight muscles strikes a cord with me. I've been on Anastrazole for 10 months. I've always had a certain level of neck/shoulder tension because of a reverse C curve in my neck. Lately I've realized that I have an inordinately increased level of whole-body tension, from my face to my toes, that I have to consciously and deliberately try to relax. Lying in bed snuggled up to my husband last night I realized my entire spine from neck to butt was tensed up and it took a full body cat-like stretch to release it. I notice the same thing with my face quite often, where all of sudden I'll realize my face/jaw are tensed up like I'm trying to hold a fake smile for a photo-op or something. I hadn't ever related this to anastrazole before but you may be on to something.0 -
Oh the hip pain.... I've just completed one year of arimidex and the hip pain is intolerable. Have undergone Xrays, PET scan and soon an MRI as PET showed a hot spot on left hip. Drs feel it is arthritis, but MRI will give a better look. My mother had degenerative hip disease and had both hips replaced. I believe the arimidex has exacerbated what I feel is hereditary degenerative disease. If MRI shows what I expect, wondering if stopping arimidex will alleviate this terrible pain. I get no comfort, no pain relief from taking alleve, motrin - 800 mg - even hydrocodone offers no relief. At best they make me sleepy and I can sleep for a couple of hours. I am tired, tired of the pain, tired of not sleeping, tired of worrying if it is bone mets. Has anyone experienced this SE and how did you address it? Will a bisphosphonate help build bones and relief the pain? My last density scan a year ago before I started taking arimidex indicated I was osteopenic. I really don't want to stop the hormonal therapy, but 4 more years like this is not at all doable.0 -
sherrieh16 - can you switch to another type of pill? my doctor told me if anastrozole has too many side effects for me, I can switch to tamoxifen which has less side effects..0 -
sherry - Sorry for the pain and the worry you are going through. I went from osteopenia to osteoporosis and started Fosamax a few months ago. According to both my internist and oncologist osteoporosis doesn't cause pain unless there ultimately is a fracture. So, the drugs help rebuild bone before breaks occur, but they don't address the separate issue of pain. In other words, Arimidex can cause bone and joint pain and it can cause osteoporosis, but the two aren't necessarily related.
Hope your MRI results are boring
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sherry...I have the same hip pain and I'm on Tamoxifen. I beleive that the pill makes our Osteopenia in the hip just hurt more, and your right nothing takes away the pain. I wear a thigh/groin wrap and it seems to help.0 -
Nancy-Sorry I'm late getting back to the forum. I guess it's a common intestinal parasite. We had our spring water tested,and there are alot of coliforms in the water. I haven't talked to the doc yet. I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy next week.0 -
I have to read through this post more, but I thought you ladies might have some opinions on this:
Tamoxifen - I have been been trying to sort out foot pain and leg cramps. I was told that I had planter fasciitis and a herniated disc is my lower back. But I feel like I have a lot of swelling in my joints, especially hands and feet. I was out of the med for a couple of weeks and now getting back on it in the last couple of days, I am waking up with all my joints hurting again. It reminds me of Taxol. I would wake up with a lot of joint pain and once I started moving around, it would get somewhat better. I have been seeing a chiropractor for adjustments to my back, hip and feet. It is helping some, but I keep wondering if there is something else going on with joint inflammation and whether it might be related to Tamoxifen or some joint disorder. I am only 42 now, but Taxol was horrific for me, having to walk with a cane by the end of treatment.
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I'm sorry to hear of all the joint aches all the newbies are having. Welcome to the crowd.
My IT band issues have gotten worse. I started just having one day of not being able to walk. I'd wake up the next morning and be fine. Then, started going into the next day, too. Then, last week, it started on Thursday and it wasn't until Monday I could walk (more like hobble) without the cane. I spoke to the pt the next day about it. when I saw her on Thursday I was using the cane again. She was going to send me back to my pcp. But, we decided to see if I could go off the cancer meds first. My MO is giving me two weeks of being off and then I have to call her. She's not convinced this is what's causing it.
I've been off them since Tuesday morning. So far, so good. No totally cramping of the leg. Although, the mild tightness hasn't gone away totally. I am keeping everything else the same. Same pt schedule, same home exercises, same shoes, etc. I can straighten my leg probably 97% of the way. That last stretch it hurts again. Today we went out to take photos. I was making little trips in and out of the car. Then, we went to Ace Hardware and Lowe's and that did me in. Have been using the cane since. Although, more for support than because I can't walk.
Anyway, how long have been able to stay off the meds? I'm not sure two weeks is going to be enough to totally heal this. Then, if it does seem it's the meds, I guess I decide if I stay on and see what happens, or switch to Femara.
The strange thing is I've been on three years Thanksgiving. Strange it became so bad after so long. I was managing before.
Patty0 -
Patty.....are you eating enough salt??? I find I get cramping if I don't get enough salt. That is, if I am eating food outside the house, I don't have these problems. I tend not to salt things heavily when I cook for myself.....hence cramping.
I am a cyclist so really aware of the need for electrolytes. When I am doing major cycling events, I make sure I have electrolyte drinks with me. I carry other potions for shorter rides.
Just a thought. You can experiment with a bag of potato chips. You will know right away. Or Gatorade.
Hope this one does the trick......
BTW - I had cramping issues prior to BC, including a memorable gyn appointment where my doctor and I traded cramping stories. He is also a cyclist, but he did say that this was a first for him. Not my regular guy, but suspect he hasn't forgotten that one. - Claire0 -
also for cramping...quinine (think tonic water) and/or bananas0 -
This isn't really cramping per se. It's not the muscles cramping, it's the tendons getting tight. Like trigger finger where I can't straighten my leg instead of can't straighten my finger. Although, I don't salt much of anything I eat. And, don't eat out much. Get too bloated when I use too much salt.
Patty0 -
my newest SE (I am assuming its a SE) is restless legs and crampy toes and feet.. but the worst was waking up last night with a total cramping in my left leg -all the way up to the front of my thigh..it was such an intense pain - I got up and walked but it just kept cramping.. I finally got an ice pack and put it on my upper leg and it seemed to help.. If it happens again tonight, I am calling the doctor and switching to another type pill.. this was so awful. Anyone else?0 -
Nancy, low potassium can cause leg cramps also. Eat a banana. I also have restless legs and cramping toes when my iron gets too low.0 -
Tonic water also for leg cramps.0 -
I get leg cramps if I've not been taking enough calcium. Even a few days of low calcium brings it on.0 -
ruthbru - do you think a little gin would exponentially increase the benefits of the tonic water?
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Absolutely, especially if you add a lime (vitamin C) and a bunch of ice cubes (we all need more water for hydration)! (Smiley Face)0 -
I have the tendon pain problem as well and have been on Anastrazole for 3 1/2 years. I had surgery for one trigger thumb in the first year along with a ruptured tendon due likely to the cortisone shot. I didn't have surgery on my BC side due to LE. Now I've developed trigger finger in both middle fingers. UGH! I have not had much relief since being on an AI, but I am determined to complete the course. I'll take these side effects over cancer any day! I do find that exercise helps. I don't feel like exercising, but if I push past the pain in my joints, it helps later.0 -
Hi,
I am new to this discussion and have not read all the past posts but I gather that trigger finger is a side effect from anastrazole.??? I have been on it for 1 year and sometimes I wake up and all my fingers are so stiff I can barely move them. I have had one shot for trigger finger about 5 months ago. Now I have trigger finger in another finger, the thumb that comes and goes. Also tingling in finger tips . Are these all signs of side effects from anastrazole? What can be done about it?
Also I have gained 35 pounds weight from the steroids when I was on chemo and can't seem to lose anything. Have a very large belly which I never had before. Are these also issues from anastrazole/arrimidex. ?? If so what can be done? None of my clothes fit and I am reducing caloric intake ie weighing and measuring all my food and gave up sugar and flour but still almost no weight loss. . My cholesterol is also up but I figured it was from the weight gain.
Ideas welcommed. Help What type of exercise should I be doing or any supplements, to take? What helps?
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serenity - welcome.....I'm sorry you have to be here
My trigger thumbs resolved themselves after several months and I've had no further issues there. I found they were better after showering or washing dishes so I think moist heat helps. Sounds like you're doing the right things by paying attention to what you eat. As far as what exercise you should do......do anything and everything you're able to do (within reason). Walk, run, bike, swim, resistance (weights), climb stairs, vacuum, wash windows, squats, lunges. Many ladies here have too much pain to do much of anything physical but many find that keeping as active as possible helps resolve some joint/muscle/bone pain and also helps them sleep better. Keep us posted on your journey.0 -
If you want some exercise and/or diet buddies, check out the Fitness and Getting Back in Shape Forum. There a several good exercise threads & several diet threads too. If you keep moving you will feel less stiff (plus lose the weight easier too). I do 'Lets Post Your Daily Exercise' and 'Wednesday Weigh In'....they are always on the Active Topics list.0 -
By the way, what is a trigger finger? Sometimes (especially when it's cold and I'm clutching something narrow and heavy) one or more of my fingers, staying straight, bend from the top knuckle. It's painless but annoying. Is that it?0 -
Re the RLS, I don't believe it's an SE of the AIs, just another wonderful healthy problem we women (more typically) have to endure. I had it slightly before taking the AI, it worsened to the point of almost shooting me out of bed a few nights this summer. I dread the SEs and the eventual INCREASE in RLS from taking the meds available, so decided to try supplements first. I also read the AIs can deplete your iron. So I began supplementing with iron...a pain because it's only to be taken an hour before eating or two hours after. The RLS resolved for a while. I began taking iron every other day or less, and the RLS started again (not severely) the last few nights. So I will be more diligent about taking it. Just not sure if the 27 mg I take can interact or otherwise be a problem. It's also recommended to take it with vitamin C or the iron is not well absorbed. I found a ridiculously expensive (approx. $2/pill) OTC version at CVS, so will alternate that.
And finally, I take a nightly melatonin, which I believe helps sleep through RSL if it isn't too severe. When it was worse, I couldn't sleep with the spasms plus the usual joint/tendon pains. I found a "night" ibuprofen that had a sleeping component. Ibuprofen, as opposed to the other NSAIDS, supposedly don't make RLS worse.
Sorry for the long post, but RLS is on my mind. (and my legs and torso.) Really? Thanks, brain.0 -
I have to exercise or else give up eating. So I am out there.....on my bicycle, hiking, walking, running, and soon on my skis again. I lift free weights to stay sculpted on top. I am so successful with the free weights than the x-ray tech had problems with my pectorals earlier this week when doing my mammogram!
My belly tries to take over, and is extremely sneaky about this. HOWEVER, I just did about 300 crunches on an exercise ball, and also on the floor.
I sleep just fine. I will say that I need to make sure I eat enough salt/get enough electrolytes or I get leg cramps. But this was true prior to anastrazole. I do think a bit worse with though. I will find out in about 18 months when I am done. Good luck - Claire0 -
Well, ever since the day I stopped taking the Anastrozole I haven't had any excrutiating expisodes of the IT band issue. It's been 12 days now. I still cannot straighten my leg 100%. Maybe to about 95%. So walking is an issue still. Can't walk far without having to sit down. I call the oncologist back on Monday. My plan is to just go back on the anastrozole and see what happens. Or, maybe ask if I can switch to the name brand. I will ask how she feels about Femara as an option. But, if she put me on A I assume that's the one she feels is best.
I also have an appointment with the orthopedic guy on 10/29 to see what's going on. Why after nearly 4 months of pt am I in worse shape than before. The intent was to get better and be able to start walking distances again and go to the gym. My knees don't hurt as much now. So, something has improved.
Will keep you all posted as to what onc says and what happens at ortho appt. I'm sure this isn't low calcium. I take calcium tablets every day and drink milk and yogurt every day. Plus, the 50,000 iu vit d weekly.
I'm definitely not ready to give up on the meds. Prefer them over possibly getting cancer again. Hang in there everyone.
Patty0 -
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO RESPONDED TO MY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT EXERCISES TO DO AND WEIGHT GAIN AND TRIGGER FINGER. I will try the moist heat. I sometimes push the finger down and exercise it even though it snaps and hurts cause I think it is better than it getting more frozen. I think I will join a gym and start working on the buddha belly . I find I just need to take the time to care for my self. I will also go on the discussion group Fitness and Getting back in shape forum.
What is RSL?
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I don't know what RSL is either. ??
Come over to 'Lets Post Our Daily Exercise' thread, that's where Claire and I hang out
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I don't know what RSL is either, and it's not on the abbreviation thread0
