Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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Aviva and Carole - thank you for sharing! I'm going to see about increasing the Effexor dose and trying Gabapentin, again. Took it for neuropathy pain in the past - forgot about hot flashes. I feel hopeful tonight even if I'm soaking wet✌️❤️ Linda
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I take Gabapentin for both neuropathy in my feet & hot flashes. It works well for both. I only take 600mg before bed as neither bothers me during the day. On the rare time that I forget to take it, it's a hellish night for me.
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I'm back on Gabapentin today! Thank you. Linda
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I take 300mg before bed. Wonder if I should up it a little? I take .37 of Effexor also (in the morning), started that few years ago for the hot flashes, not sure it made that much difference. It did make me feel better in general tho. Now I would almost stop taking it,but worry I'd be 'grumpy' like I was before.
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Aviva - I am back on Gabapentin today, and I noticed the hot flashes are less severe, along with the pain in my wrist from carpal tunnel/neuropathy. Thanks for the reminder that these medicines are here to make our lives better. And less grumpy. I enjoyed checking out the runtowardsnotfrom.com site - thank you! ✌️❤️ Linda
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booklady1....everyone is different and reacts differently, but I can tell you what works for me. Gabapentin and the anti-depressants that have been used by many come with a variety of side effects. Unfortunately almost everything comes with additional SE, and that's what we have to sort out. risks and benefits. I have been using Clonidine. Its a BP med. essentially, as a hot flash comes on, our BP rises. the clonidine can help stop that process greatly. the loss of sexual desire that can be associated with the anti-depressants was just not something I am willing to deal with. Clonidine comes in a patch as well as taken by mouth. I take a 2mg pill at night. It's most effective in the first 12 hrs. and it's the night sweats that are the worst. I can handle the daytime stuff. One thing you need to watch out for is a sudden loss of BP, such as when you first get out of bed. so for the first couple of nights, I had someone call and make sure that I didn't try to get up, loose pressure and pass out. Didn't have one single problem. a SE that I have experiences is dry mouth. I can handle that for sure. once again, everyone is different, but I would certainly ask your MO if this might be an avenur for you.
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bjb01 and other sisters - thank you for all your help with HOT FLASHES. I'm seeing my MO next week and will let you know what I learn. Staying home with AC running this weekend. At least it is in the 80's so I look normal with swear pouring off me😘
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thanks for checking out my page Linda! Check it out on FB as well if youre on it.
I also take melatonin sleep, a pill with melatonin and some natural sleep aid type stuff, that helps me sleep. I go from 10-3 or so, back to sleep til 5, then ok again til about 7 or 8. Better than it used to be.
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I'm wondering if the AIs dry out our connective tissue. So many people have trigger fingers and writer problems. Mine was lessened by the PT tracing the nerves to my hands back up into my chest Shr the nerves to the hands (brachial plexus) goes through the arm pit (axilla). There were tight spots where the nerve was hung up putting tension on it. It seems the meds stiffen up our soft tissues and maybe that's whey we getnerve pain
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Can't answer chloesmom but sure sounds like a definite possibility.
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My son was in cancer research for 12yrs (Fox Chase Cancer Research Center, Phil. PA). He said as fast as they find one "cure" two more cancers show up. He has helped me thru my diagnosis, he fought cancer 3x. I am taking anastrazole, and started having dry mouth problems, and not sleeping well, getting maybe 3 hrs sleep at night. Just heard from the nurse practicione, and she suggested Benadryl. We shall see.
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I took a prescription sleeping pill, the lowest dose. It really helped.....you NEED to sleep!
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Diane, I had to change brands of anastrozole because of extreme dry mouth, you may want to try that. It's quite often not the drug but the fillers that cause a lot of these problems. As for sleep, I agree with Ruth, you need to sleep & insomnia is one of the side effects. I take 1/2 sleeping pill every night, even with that, some nights are worse than others.
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When I moved this year my script was filled with a different manufacturer, Roxane (was Breckinridge). I started having problems falling to sleep so switched from taking it in the morning to taking it in the evening. A little better and if I don't sleep well one night the next night I take 5mg Melatonin which helps. Not sure if that was the problem since I had also introduced Magnesium, Red Rice Yeast and back on Calcium, all recently, so stopped them all. Difficult to narrow it down. Pharmacist says on next refill ask them to fill with my brand of choice (will try Teva). I think the Magnesium was too strong as started getting bad cramps at night so will leave that out for now. Will only reintroduce Calcium (which has Vit D also) as anastrozole is weakening my bones a little. Also started the daily prunes again.
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I would be careful with the Red Rice Yeast, my sister tried it and had a HORRIBLE reaction. I'd stick with the calcium (plus D) and the prunes and not mess with the rest.
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Yes, I actually stopped the Red Rice Yeast after a few days (my MO suggested it when I declined a statin) as I had problems with it (can't remember exactly what right now). I do know that he didn't tell me to take it with CoQ10 but learned that Red Rice Yeast depletes it from your natural system. Not sure if the depletion of CoQ10 had anything to do with my intolerance of Red Rice Yeast but not going to start it again. Pretty soon will have a shelf with only supplements that I've stopped! Do need to find a way to get my cholesterol down.
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Just found out that fructose makes your cholesterol go up. The FDA recommends limiting added sugar to 50 grams a day. I was eating about 5 x that much. Excess fructose doesn't give you extra energy, just raises cholesterol and uric acid. Started reading labels and freaked out seeing why processed food messes with your levels so much. Table sugar is 1/2 fructose too so it's not just about corn syrup. Who knew?
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I've not added sugar to anything in years (take coffee and tea without it). I also check and don't buy anything that has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it, a major undertaking since this artificial sugar is in almost everything! I also check labels for sugar content and probably don't have more than 4 soft drinks a year! (now wine, that's a different matter!
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Oh Patoo, I'm hoping it will make mine go down, but sorry that's a strategy you already tried. These meds must mess with our livers in how they process stuffI'm hoping with a big dietary change mine will go down. Just got Dr Lustigs cookbook which has been an eye opener
All this time I thought CLIF bars were a good on the go snack (21g) and my Progresso hearty tomato soup (26 g a can!) was a good lunch. It's not like I was eating jelly beans for lunch. But that was an FDA daily allowance. . That doesn't include the sugar in salad dressing or mayo with my salad for dinner. yikes. That equals elevated fat, metabolic syndrome etc.
I have always reduced sugar in home cooking and never add it to anything NEVERTHELESS had love handles till staring this AI My mom had a massive heart attack at 62 I don't want cancer back, but don't want a heart attack either.
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Yes Chloesmom, the meds do mess with our systems, liver, kidney, heart etc. Frustrating but we can only do our best. I don't stress over it at all. Those bars, CLIF, Larabar, etc. and most processed foods (soups, salad dressings, condiments, etc.) have so much stuff in them. I used to love the Larabar's but have stopped. Same for the Nature Valley fruit & nut bars - loved them! They have fruit and nuts for crying out loud - good for you, right!!!!! Microwave air-popped popcorn - off my list but now I make my own (mix tbsp olive oil with popcorn kernels and a little salt in a cup, empty into brown paper bag, drop in butter on top if you want, microwave on high 4 mins or until popping slows/stops). Just as good without the coating found in bags of store bought).
Exercise has tremendously reduced the love handles and stomach.
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My Onc told me I could stop my Anastrozole after 5 years, because of my stage 1 and 2 different cancers and me doing a double mx I didn't need to be on it any longer, so Thursday is my last day. I am happy but a little scared I feel like that little pill has been my safety net for the last 5 years. Is this a normal feeling and also how long do you think SE will go away . Some of mines have come and gone but some of them I have had the last 5 years..
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Congratulations, nwest! My SE just kind of gradually faded away once I was done. It is scary at first, but also very liberating not to have to remember to take that pill every day.
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Nwest--when I stopped taking arimidex I noticed a change in how I felt in a few weeks, and it kept getting better for a couple of months or so.It just seemed like one day I realized I didn't feel 90 years old anymore!
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sknitter, I am also experiencing joint pain and it is getting worse. I have been on it one year. my only thought about switching is having to start over with new SE. any one else? I am 61 and I feel 90. When I get up, I moan and groan.
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skbrown, sorry you are having problems. I'm guessing that you have been using exercise to try and halt some of the stiffness and pain but it's not improving? Many of us have found that weight bearing exercise helps, even a 30-minute daily walk may help. We do however continue to grunt when getting up after sitting in place too long.
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Great link. Guess the main thing is to not eat much of anything.
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I havent been on the board for a long long time. Please someone help. I am suffering from severe bone pain, knees, wrists and hands. Ive have been on Arimidex two and a half years and have tried to just push through it. I have never had any issues with my bones, have good bone density and no arithritis. I am almost incapacitated. Can hardly get up and down from the couch, cant kneel at all, had to give up making my beloved jewelry. Im scared to death this is going to make me fall and then Ill really have a problem ! My oncologist says well thats a side effect. SOB ! Take advil. I can only take so much dang advil !!! What about claritin? I hear it helps? I only had to take that horrible immune system booster once so dont know if it really helped with the bone pain. I take B12 and D everyday. This has affected my quality of life so severly that I am seriously thinking about stopping the drug completely. What can I do? Id dance naked in the street if I thought it would help....and if my knees would hold up ! Oh and I also take care of my husband that has had several strokes. I have to be able to function !
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Starynights, your MO, like many, probably won't do anything unless you make him sit on hot coals until he comes up with an alternative. His response is ridiculous. There are other AI's. Tell him to switch you to something else or, maybe better yet, find a new MO. Unfortunately Jacksonville is probably 3 hours from me here in The Villages where I have an excellent one but I'm certain you can find someone in your area to address your SE's. My pressure just went up thinking about you having these issues for no reason. So sorry.
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Starynights-- I agree with Patoo. Call your MO's office, tell them you can't take theside effects anymore and since there is nothing the MO can do to help you are stopping. The harsh reality is that up to a third of women starting hormonal treatment don't stay on because of severe side effects.Loratadine (claritin) did help me with the pain andstiffness, but I did not have severe pain.
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