Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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RLS - restless leg syndrome.0 -
New study:
A self-directed walking program shows promise in easing joint stiffness in older women who experienced these symptoms while taking aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.0 -
Oh RLS-restless leg syndrome - that is starting to drive me nuts.. and foot cramps and leg cramps - I did up my potassium but haven't tried the tonic water yet..0 -
I started Arimidex in July and the massage therapist has already noted a new "rubbery" feeling in my joints. 3 months! that's all! I think my plan is to alternate acupuncture and her massage to try and soften the "hardening" of the joints. I now have a creaky knee! Darn! Take care women!0 -
Hi Rocket ... I posted under a different thread about my trigger thumb (caused by Arimidex) of several months. I'm so sorry to hear your cortisone shot ruptured a tendon. As if the trigger thumb wasn't enough!
My doc may next refer me to a specialist for a cortisone shot, but I'm holding out. I never thought the cortisone shot itself could cause problems?! What are you doing now ... and how are you doing?0 -
Dawnsm, with respect to the trigger thumb, it has healed, but now I have trigger finger in my ring finger on my BC side where I had lymph nodes removed. I will tough it out and hope it goes away because I am so done with invasive procedures. I also developed nerve damage in my BC-side arm and it caused Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Any further surgery could cause it to worsen and I won't take anymore chances with it. I do the best I can. I am right arm dominant and can no longer do my former job as a finance officer. It is what it is. Thanks for asking. Hope you get relief. It may go away on its own. Sometimes it disappears as mysteriously as it appears. I certainly hope this is the case for you.0 -
Dawnsm and Rocket - Trigger finger/thumb CAN resolve on it's own without cortisone shots or surgery. Not always, of course, but mine did. Trigger thumb in right dominant hand started about a month after beginning Anastrazole. Mild at first, then worse, then milder again. Then left thumb started. While left thumb was getting worse, right thumb got better. Left thumb was a problem for several months and then gradually got better until it was no longer an issue at all. Hang in there.....0 -
Had trigger finger of left thumb and right ring finger soon avter switching fromArimidex to Aromasin but, 4 months later, both went away on their own. Go figure....0 -
Thanks so much to all of you for replying with your personal experiences with trigger thumb and trigger finger.
I've had the (dominant hand) trigger thumb, on and off in intensity, for 4 months. I sure hope it goes away on its own, since I'm more than tiring of the side effects of so many procedures and meds-to-fight-meds. Never say never, but I can't imagine surgery for my trigger thumb as I've had other Femara and Arimidex issues (shoulder tendinitis, etc.) resolve over time. I'd also hate to undergo thumb surgery just to have a second, third or more trigger digits pop up.
For now, I'm trying my best to rest it and massage it gently. Initially, 4 months ago, I I ed it and took anti-inflammatories for about a week.
For those whose trigger digits resolved after a period of time, did you do anything special?0 -
Dawnsm - I didn't do anything special to resolve my trigger thumbs except maybe quit thinking about it all the time. Once I kind of learned to live with it and got in the habit of protecting it without consciously thinking about it is about the time it started resolving.0 -
I got the cortisone injection for both thumbs - relief wasn't immediate but was within days...so right now my hands are pain free..0 -
I didn't do a thing. One morning I woke up -- when they usually were the worst -- and realized they were gone.0 -
Happy for both of you. Who cares why, just glad you are free of pain..0 -
I am happy the worst seems to be over and I feel better than I have for a year but I am annoyed at how fat I have become - and its seems like so much of it has settled in my stomach... just wanted to vent about this..
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Hi- I've been taking Arimidex since January and feel soooo achy - knees mostly but also my right shoulder where I got RADS. And hot flashes off and on through out the day and night. So I'm taking Celexa which is supposed to help with the flashes - they are less but I can't cry. So my Onc said do you want to cry or do you not want hot flashes. UG. Any ideas?0 -
Gabapentin (neurontin) did wonders for my hot flashes. It's not an antidepressant, works differently, many women tolerate it very well.0 -
I don't recall my hot flashes being any less with Gabapentin and I was on it for close to 6 months. Isn't it strange how the same drug affects every single person differently? Definitely worth a try though, if hot flashes are more than just an annoying inconvenience.0 -
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131107122744.htm
A team of researchers at UT Southwestern has found that as cholesterol is metabolized, a potent stimulant of breast cancer is created -- one that fuels estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, and that may also defeat a common treatment strategy for those cancers.0 -
Update: My dominant hand trigger thumb has started to heal, starting a day or so after my Arimidex holiday. I'm on a break from Arimidex for about 10 days until my oncology appointment, where we plan to discuss my hormonal therapy side effects the past 3 years and hormonal therapy in general.
Unfortunately, I feel it's probably best to stay on an AI the full 5 years, so the overall benefits I've felt this week -- depression and fatigue lifting, aches and pains subsided, better mood, " injuries" healing, etc. (basically the way I was before AI therapy) -- may well be short-lived since I'll likely go back on. I called in advance asking if we could discuss the latest AI research and my hormonal therapy.
My oncologist has told me some women "just can't tolerate" the therapy and has also told me in the past some patients endure the side effects better by taking their AI every other day or one week on and one week off. I'll have to ask about that, because that seems like it might be ineffective and confuse the body, and I'm unaware of any scientific tests or research confirming AI effectiveness if not taken daily.
Does anyone here take their AI on anything other than a daily schedule at full dose? Did your oncologist agree?0 -
Havent posted here in a while. Want to just give an update on how Im doing on Arimidex. Almost 2 years since started. I had some real aching joints issues which almost made me quit taking this drug. It almost crippled me and felt like 90yrs old getting up out of a chair. However I persevered and still do about 2 miles walking most days. I have found exercise definitely helps and now Im getting much less aching and the intensity is less. I can even go long periods with virtually no aching. I believe this isn't an uncommon thing so it will give others hope to hang in there with aching joint issues.
All the best to those on the A team.0 -
Update: After my latest 6-month routine visit with my MO, I've decided to stay on hormonal therapy. My MO was supportive with whatever decision I made, but my mind was basically made up right before my visit, after posting here and reading all your kind replies. Since I had a really rough start with Femara in 2010 and have been on Arimidex for 3 years since, I'm sticking with Arimidex.
I'm going to exercise daily to hopefully help with body aches and general health, as I rarely exercised in the past due to a chronic illness. I've made an exercise commitment now to match my existing healthy diet/nutrition commitment the last 3 years. My MO also told me to call the next time I'm having issues with Arimidex and I could take another brief holiday if needed.
I've also decided I have no right to complain about the personal side effects I have, because so many other women here have much more serious issues to legitimately complain about and they're stronger than me!0 -
ByFaith- never minimize how you feel regarding your treatment or meds. No one else but you can feel them . HUGS to you for being so brave.
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ByFaith - I agree with GrammyR. I sometimes feel guilty that I've had a smoother ride on this journey than so many others and I've also been encouraged to stop thinking that way! Having a mastectomy and breast reconstruction is no picnic, period, for any of us. Fortunately we have this wonderful site to share our journey with women going through their version of the same journey. Friends and family who haven't experienced this can only be so sympathetic, but the ladies here know EXACTLY what we're talking about because they've lived it too.0 -
Hi Ladies,
I read the recent posts and they gave me hope. Also informative. My onc just switched me from Arrimidex to Aromasin. My fingers have been getting progressively more stiff and trigger fingers keep coming and going. Also signficant leg cramps I have been on Arrimidex for 1.5 years. Since my family has a history of arthritis and I have 2 total hip replacements (done a year before I got diagnosed with breast ca) she thought maybe the arrimidex is aggravating the arthritis. I wonder if any of you have had experience with less side effects when switched to Arromasin. Also I have had some relief lately from stiff fingers and trigger fingers by using a glucosamine cream on my hands called natures Plus Ultra RX joint creme. Triple strenght. I try and use it 3 times/day. A lot less invasive then getting cortisone shots in your fingers. You can buy it in health food store.
Hugs to everyone,
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serenitywisdom,
You might want to come over to the Aromasin thread for more comments.
Several things could happen with the switch. Nothing much will change or you'll get a different set of SEs or you'll be fortunate and all SEs will be minimal or go away. The common denominator is that all AIs stop the production of estrogen and the loss of that is hard on soft tissues, ligaments, and cartilage in our bodies.
For me it's been a bit of all three. I went off of arimidex because of a serious eye SE. It came back on aromasin, but we've learned how to manage it. Overtime I've seen my body adjust and aches get better, then something else appears. I think I can stay on this another 3.5 years. Not sure I want to go beyond.0 -
Serenity, I hope this gives you some encouragement. I was on Arimidex for more than a year, with severe joint pain and stiffness. My MO switched me to Aromasin 4 months ago. The joint stiffness went away immmediately. I developed 2 trigger fingers but they went away after 2 months or so. Aromasin has been MUCH kinder to my body. I know everyone reacts differently to these AI's, but I hope you get the kind of relief I did.
Good luck!0 -
SO many great tips on this thread. Also, I'm reminded to check other discussion categories for help with exercise, diet, and other support.
I re-started my Arimidex last night after a 2-week holiday. The break was good, but it's time to go back on.0 -
ByFaith, my oncologist let me take a month off of Arimidex once so I could concentrate on a detailed state test. I couldn't believe how great I felt around the 3 rd week off of Arimidex. Lots of energy, no joint pain, and I could think clear. Studied and passed test. Was bummed to go back on Arimidex the following day. Been on it for over 3 years, but now I know when Hormonal treatment is over, we get our energy back and can think clear again. Hope you enjoyed your 2-week holiday.0 -
I was having such horrible leg and foot muscle cramps - and they would come out of no where ..I started drinking more water, taking potassium supplements but nothing helped.. I stopped taking the meds just to see if it really was the meds or something else - cramps stopped! After 5 days I went back on the pills and the cramps are starting again... I go back to the doctor next month -if I can hold out that long I'll see what he suggests..0 -
IamNancy, I had the same thing and noticed time time on night I was having them, my dr. asked when I took my pill, and counted the hours from that time since it was always around the same time. He said try taking my pill at another time so the cramp time would be during the day when I was up and around not sleeping. Just a thought...
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