Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
Comments
-
Have you been exercising more, or not exercising as much as you used to? Are you all shook up by the whole experience & still kind of shock?
0 -
Possibly the way anxiety is manifesting for you? It has many, many different faces.
0 -
I am exercising. When I feel like I can't breath it does make my anxiety through the roof.
0 -
Diz913--have
you had your blood counts checked recently?I found out the hard way that anemia is a side effect of Arimidex.Anemia causes shortness of breath which makes
anxiety worse, which makes shortness of breath worse, you get the picture!
Knowing I was anemic took some of the fear and anxiety out of the mix so I
could exercise a bit, and showed me I had to back off a little and work up more
gradually.I was walking at the
time.0 -
I have never thought of Anemia. No I have not had my blood counts taken lately. I also didn't know it was a side effect of Arimidex. That would explain shortness of breath. Thanks soooooo much. I will pursue this avenue to either rule it out or in. Why don't doctors ever tell you these things. This site is fantastic, we learn so much from each other.
0 -
I actually found out about the anemia side effects from my PCP, not my Onc. Funny how that works out.
0 -
Keep your family practice doctor/PA in the loop. They are the one's that know the whole body. It was my GP who insisted that I get both the pneumonia shot & shingles shot early because I had had chemo.
0 -
Yes, your MO's job is to treat the cancer, not necessarily the SEs They're not always that knowledgeable and/or willing to talk about SEs. Seems to be a recurring theme ever since I've been following the Arimidex SE threads.
0 -
Hello all. I searched everywhere over here but couldn't find a forum for skin related issues. So thought to share my doubt here
I had gone on a 38 days vacation and am back now. The weather back there was dry and cold. Now, i'm having this wrinkles across the skin of my hand. Only on both of the hands. Other skin areas are fine. The colour has also darkened of the hand. Easily visible! 
Why is it like that? Does Arimidex really make skin so sensitive or what? I don't think it's cause of aging. Any care tips from my sweet sisters? 
thank you0 -
Sweetrose, maybe you should consult a dermatologist about your hands? I haven't had any similar experience so can't offer any confirmation or advice.
I plan to go off arimidex soon. A few months shy of my 5 yrs. As I was saying to my dh, it will be interesting to see if there are changes for the better in my bp and cholesterol. I may have been blaming arimidex for SEs that won't go away! Aging plays a big part, too.
Since Feb., I have managed to lose about 12 lbs on WW. It hasn't been easy but I have succeeded. That weight loss caused an amazing difference in my lab results when I had bloodwork done. I'm hoping to take off another 5 or 6 lbs and get down close to my pre-bc weight. It would be nice to go off some other meds I take for bp and high cholesterol.
Good luck to all of us!
0 -
Carolehalston, hmm yes, that seems right. I will.
0 -
Sweetrose8--sensitivity
to sunlight isn't a listed side effect of arimidex, but that doesn't mean that
you can't have that side effect.Changes
in estrogen balance do change skin texture and decrease the elasticity of the
collagen supporting the skin, leaving us with wrinkles and lines.Perhaps the arimidex is making normal aging
more noticeable on your hands?Our hands
are very exposed to the elements and often not as well cared for as our faces
and other skin areas.On the other hand,
your signature indicates you had cytoxan which is known for making skin
permanently more sensitive to light and other irritants.I'm guessing that is the culprit here.You might want to ask your Med Onc if this is
possible for you.0 -
I have noticed the past few days, my face gets so flushed when I am outside in the heat/sun.. I have sun blocker on and its warm outside but not unbearable.. I have never had this reaction to summer before... is it the Arimidex?
0 -
NativeMainer, you are such a saviour! I really wasn't even aware. You surely caught the right culprit.. as past month (on a vacation) I was exposed to sunlight the whole time.. I don't even apply sunscreen at all and one thought; I guess dish-washing liquid can also be harmful for hands? (I don't wear rubber gloves when washing dishes) so maybe that becomes even more obvious why only hands are the most affected. Similarly, when washing some clothes with hands.. hmm. To make it sure, definitely need to ask from my oncologist. Luckily, today.. after 4 hours i'm having an appointment with him. Hopefully he positively responds. As he never focuses much on my questions..
NativeMainer, a hearty thanks.
If you remember.. I had a high heart rate problem and you helped me in figuring out the reasons. That was really a big help, I recently got to know that it was anxiety causing high pulse rate. On my vacation I was stress-free as no trips to doctors!! and my heart rate used to be normal. Now again, it has risen whenever I get depressed/stressed, hehe. I'm trying to calm myself. May God Bless All Sisters Here~~~ You all are helpful souls.
0 -
IamNancy--exposure
to heat/sun can trigger hot flashes, which is a side effect of arimidex, so
probably it's the culprit!Sweetrose8--your
welcome, glad I could help!Glad the
heart rate issue isn't a heart condition.Anxiety is bad enough but still better than a heart condition!0 -
Hey Ladies, wanted to share what I've been doing to cope with stiff joint knee pain caused by Als. I had been trying to keep up with my walking, but the pain and stiffness made it difficult to stand let alone walk. I ordered an electronic pulse massager off of Amazon.com. I was soooo stiff and sore that my knees ached 24-7. Nothing I did seemed to offer any relief. So I did some googling and rather than take yet another pill which could lead to more SE I found the massager machine. I received it on Tuesday, used it for two 15 minute periods while I watched TV that evening. I then rubbed Blue Emu lotion on both thighs, knees and legs. I repeated the Blue Emu lotion after my shower before work the next morning and again at lunch. Then on Wednesday night I again did two 15 minute periods with the electronic massager followed by the Blue Emu lotion. The following day I had much much less pain and stiffness. It was like day and night. I am very pleased. I have used the massager one more time and have been applying the Blue Emu lotion at bedtime. I feel so much better. My knees don't hurt and I don't feel so stiff. This is great and I would recommend it to anyone. Give it a try. Sure beats taking more meds with possibly more SEs.
0 -
Hello! yes, I got de Quervains syndrome Sept 2012 and it lasted a year. I had one cortesone injection at beginning which didn't seem to do much. Happy to say it went as quickly as it appeared so I now am using my hands with no probs. Also sometimes my finger joints go out and I have to physically put them back in place. Very achy joints also come and go: feet and ankles especially. I have been on AI for just over 2 years. weight gain and concentration probs also. My solution? Just keep going, also eat lots of veg and good food (hence weight gain!) and exercise when I can.
0 -
I've been on Anastrozole for 2 months now. So far so good with just a few SE's, hot flashes (had those before all this, just a lot more now!), achy upper back when seated at my computer at work (yes, I have a good ergo-dynamic chair) and achy knees (had arthritis in those before but now it's much worse). I consider myself very lucky. These are all things I can deal with.
Thanks Native Maine for the info on cytoxan. I have been trying to get some extra sun because my vitamin D level is so low and I noticed my freckles have popped out but now they are much larger than in my youth!
I went to see my GP and had a cholesterol check. The good cholesterol is very good but the bad is slightly elevated. Is high cholesterol a SE of Anastrozole?
I've put on about 15lbs since chemo and radiation and though I haven't gained since being on Anastrozole, I have discovered it has all settled around my middle. I went from being a pear to an apple and I think that's been the worst SE. When I sit down everything rolls over my waistband.
I hate exercising but now that spring has finally arrived I can get outside to walk and maybe shed some of those extra pounds.0 -
Checkers,
Yes, my MO has told me that my cholesterol will probably go up. She has asked me to get it checked through my PCP.
0 -
I hate my apple flab too
0 -
Apple flab - that sounds way worse than muffin-top but that's what I've got.....sigh
0 -
My cholesterol went up on arimidex and I'm now taking a statin. BP also went up. Taking a stronger bp med. Glad to hear that a dr. actually admitted that a SE is elevated cholesterol.
0 -
I am 3 years into anastrazole therapy. My cholesterol continues to be "amazingly good" according to my doc. I have not had weight issues. I did have to go on BP meds for a while, but that was attributed to the massive amounts of ibuprofen I was taking to deal with the aches and pains of anastrazole (hypertension is a possible side effect of ibuprofen). Shortly after I stopped the ibuprofen my BP normalized and I was pulled off the BP drug.
It's so weird how drugs act so differently for different patients. My MO must have a lot of hot flash discussions with her hormone therapy patients because that's always the first question she asks me. Fortunately, I don't have that SE either, but I never had them before therapy.
I am plugging along as best I can and grateful that I don't have to check all the boxes above
It's not fun, but obviously it could be worse. My main problem has been the bone issues and now the osteoporosis and all it entails. Blech!0 -
Good for you, Tina, that you are tolerating arimidex so well!
0 -
I'm so truly happy to have found this site a week ago and all you across the pond! First of all De quervains mystery solved and now the big belly which I share and also was a pear before, now named "Queen of the Belly" by a visiting 5 year old. It's so nice to share information about these weird side effects. A nutrician for cancer group I attended at my hospital talked about worries about dairy produce but at the same time my onc said don't stop dairy because of calcium. You probably might know this but figs, whitebait and sardines are incredibly rich in calcium and they taste ok too. Eggs and tofu come in second highest. All much higher than milk. Love from England
0 -
Sister, ya gotta love a 5 year old, the tell it like they see it.
I just got done with a 7 week ( 1 1/2 hours a week ) survivorship class. Basically talked about nutrition, stress, healthy lifestyle. All the advice on calcium, Vit D, it's overwhelming. We are left with broccoli & apples....lol...
What is whitebait. ?
0 -
Holeinone, I'm intrigued by your name.
0 -
Hello Holeinone! Whitebait is a little silvery fish like anchovy size. In England we eat it for starters deep fried in batter with lemon. (feel hungry already) I wonder if all those little fishy things are just as good because you eat the bones as well and there is the calcium in the bones. I know what you mean about broccoli! They were big also here on turmeric (the latest super anti cancer food) and beetroot, gogi berries. You can see that I find it easier to eat than exercise!
0 -
I wish I liked fish but I just can't stand it. The smell, the taste, the texture.....doesn't matter what I've tried it just doesn't appeal to me. I could, however, probably get into chocolate covered gogi berries
0 -
Carole, thanks for the shout out on my name. I was fantasizing about my bucket list, and a hole in one popped into my pea brain.
One of the gals asked if it was dark humor, referring to my lumpectomy. No, never thought of it that way, but I do now.
Are you a golfer?
Sister, I could eat that, as long as someone else prepares it. The hot craze right now for cancer is asparagus. Which I love. Doubt if its going to cure anyone....
0
