Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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A dumb question maybe? Are you taking Vitamin D with the Armidex? It helps along with Glucosimine and exercise.
I had alot of stiffness for the first year or so on Armidex. Not so much anymore. Use to have problems getting up off the floor not anymore.
I have been on Armidex for 4 1/2 years and running has helped me stay limber.
Michele
Michele
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I believe you would have to give it a number of MONTHS (maybe even a year) to tell if they will abate or not (sadness.....not what you want to hear.....).
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I have been taking Arimidex for 3 years. Up until the last few months I really haven't had much in the way of side effects. Since August, I have developed osteoarthritis and just recently a trigger thumb! Has anyone else had this trigger thumb/finger thing going on? I'm wondering if this is just one more side effect of no hormones! Katiejane
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Hi Katiejane,
I believe there is a Trigger Finger thread and it seems as if it is a side effect of arimidex.0 -
I've had painful but bearable arthuritis since my 30's--now 68. I started A in October and even after a week the pain was intensifying a lot. I've had kidney stones, acute pancrititis and shingles so I know what real pain is. By week four the pain was as bad as anything I've ever had. My Onc had me stop taking it and gave me a week off to clear my system. Today I got a new Rx for Tamoxifen. We will see how this goes. I do hope I can tolerate this one.
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Well I've been on A for 7 mths. I have trigger finger in both thumbs as well as a lot of joint pain. It's mainly in my hips, back, jaw, feet and hands. It does seem to be worse when the barometric pressure changes.
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I hate to sound dumb, but what is trigger finger? I'm supposed to begin Arimidex next week and more than a little nervous about it because my latest Dexa went from osteopenia to osteoporosis territory. Onc put me on mega dose of Vit D because mine was very low - so hoping that's going to help.
Rocket - I have some arthritis in one pinky finger and never bothers me until it rains.
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Janet, Trigger finger, or trigger thumb in my case is where the flexor tendon in that digit becomes caught in the sheath that it is suppose to slide through.It's kind of a pulley type system. This causes my thumb to become locked in the flexed position during the night. When I wake in the morning I have to use my other hand to straighten my thumb otherwise it would stay in the flexed position. Once I get it straightened out it works ok but is aching and sore. I bought a cheap finger splint at Walgreens and wore it during the night. When I got up this morning my thumb was fine and I didn't even notice it today at work.
Of course I must wear it every night but as long as it works I won't complain. If you want to read more just Google trigger finger. Katiejane0 -
I had mammograms every two years they picked up nothing I found the lump myself in the shower. Even after the hook wire was put in and I had another mammogram before surgery it still did not show up even though it was pin pointed to the exact spot. I will never rely of Mammograms again. They also give off radiation and can cause cells to change safer with MRI and ultrasound. The untrasound picked up somthing and then core biopsy confirmed it.
The Health Dept will not pay for MRI for over 50's even in cases like mine where Mammogram was useless and I have had breast cancer they will not cover them. I do not know how they are allowed to discriminate as if you are under 50 you can have MRI's.
I decided against Arimidex because of all the side effects and unknown long term effects. I decided to take Calcium D Gluterate which is made from plants and also Indole 3 Carbinol (Diindolylmethane). It beat Tamoxifen in trials and there is no side effects and neither are drugs they are natural products. Information on Indole 3 Carbinol is available from the web site of
'The Life Extension Foundation'. Information on Calcium D Gluterade can be found on the web. Both products are available from Thorne New Zealand only through a Medical Practitioner.
I had salvia tests done and Urine Spot test done and my hormones were way out of balance the above two products will help put them back and prevent Estogen dominance which is the cause of most breast cancers. I was also found to be low on progesterone which helps control estrogen so will have supplements with a natural progesterone cream not one made by drug companies which end up giving you side effects and cause other problems.
I was also low on Melatonin which also is implicated in breast cancer I will have natural supplements to correct this also available from Thorne. Also you need to have a Thyroid check as this is also implicated in breast cancer due to underactive Thyroid prevents a essentail enzyme from being released from the liver which ensure excess estrogens are removed from the body and not absorbed into breast and uterine tissue.
To prevent breast cancer coming back you need to make sure you stay in balance with hormones.You cannot afford to have estrogen dominance and overactive estrogen receptors.
There is three different kinds of estrogen and also Estrogen Metabolites which play a big part in breast cancer. The above tests will identify what your hormone levels are.
If you do not change what caused the breast cancer in the first place it will come back again as you have changed nothing.
I had surgery. Four weeks after surgery opted for an MRI (not covered by Medicare) to see if there was any remaining cancer. MRI Breast Scans are only available at The Mount Hospital. I was given the all clear so decided against radiation. Why radiate when no one could prove their was anything to radiate. Radiation causes cancer and can damage the lungs. I was told 75% of breast cancer patients radiated did not need it.
The culture is radiate no matter what. Each person is diffferent and you have to look at your own circumstance of the kind of breast cancer you have had and decide if the margins and lymph nodes are clear do you need to have radiation or are you bettr off having a MRI and then make a decision based on the MRI Results.
I also opted for Intravenous Vit C and Glutathione which is a powerful antioxident and helps strengthen the most important parts of your immune system. Look it up on the web 'Glutathione and breast cancer.
Last but not least cut down on suger and eat plenty of dark fruit and veg and get rid of junk and high GI food. Drink plenty of filtered water and excercise. Take responsibiity for your own life dont put it in the hands of someone else. Research on the Net make yourself a heath plan and find a great doctor who is open to traditional and alternative medicine.
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[I have deleted my post. There is one statement in BarbGlo's post that is correct: each of us has to take responsibility for our own life. That also means we have to take responsibility for the choices we do make, and live with the consequences of those choices.]
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Otter: I think BarbGlo's post is very relavant for this thread because she gives us a lot of good info about hormones and how to avoid having a recurrance. We wouldn't be on Arimidex if we did not have hormone positive bc so I think the info can be very helpful. I would like to see her repost it on other threads too in case someone is not reading this particular thread. People pick and choose certain threads since we have so many in this forum. Thanks Barb for the info.
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Fine to cruise the internet for information, fine to post; but I will stick to what medical reseachers and oncologists have found to be standard of care for the best medically proven results over ANYTHING that I read on the internet. Also, I would rather be overtreated for breast cancer than undertreated!
On a side note about interesting internet information: a lady on another thread said that eating 8 prunes every day is good for bone health & she had actually improved her scores on her DEXA by doing so (for a period of 9 months). I asked my doctor about this and he said prunes not only improve bone health, but also reduce the risk of colon cancer. So, you might want to stock up!
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I just started Femera 2 days ago, but my Dr. is fine with me using the generic Ameridec if my insurance will not cover the Femera at a reasonable cost. What I want to know is there some reason he would prefer I use the Femera over the other Al's, and how the SE's are different.
Ruth, I read that other thread too, I will eat the prunes because I do like them, but have to say my father has had his prune juice daily for years, and he has very bad osteoperosis.
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I agree - and I've done a ton of research trying to find any clinical trails proving success of alternative treatments to aromatase inhibitors. As far as I can tell, there are none. The only one I could find was a phase 1 trial(which basically tests safety) for DIM as a potential deterrent for high-risk women who have NOT had bc. I hope there will be more trials, but until there is something definitive, it's taking a risk not to accept conventional treatments. Having said that, there is plenty you can do to incorporate alternatives along with conventional treatments- multi-vitamin/mineral, Vitamin D, lots of cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, etc), prunes, fruits, whole grains, almonds, reduce red meat, processed foods, refined flour & sugar, buy organic, etc. etc. Basically the anticancer diet in David Servan-Schreiber's book is a healthy diet for anyone. Two oncs have told me exercise (at least 30 min a day) can cut recurrence rates dramatically. So if you weren't doing all these things before, now is the time to introduce them into your routine. (I just ordered six of the Servan-Schreiber books to give to family members for Christmas!)
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Absolutely! There are tons of things we can do ourselves to not only cut recurrence rates, deal with SE's of Als etc. but to also increase the overall quality of our general health and well being too. Get to and/or maintain your correct weight, adjust the diet as Janet says, and I am a total believer in the importance of exercise...both for the physical and mental health aspects. Richard Simmons says that a person should get 4 hours of aerobic & 3 hours of toning a week. That is what I (very religiously) do. It doesn't have to be intense, but it does need to be on a consistant basis. Sounds like a lot, but when you consider that there are 168 hours in a week; it still leaves you 161 hours to do other things....that's the rational that works for me anyway
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I wonder if prunes themselves versus the juice makes any difference?
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ruthbru- yes it does make a difference if it's the whole fruit versus just the prune juice. You want the additional fiber.
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Barb,
Your research would receive more appreciation on the alternative thread where others have made the decision to go with the "alternative versus the medical route of treatment".
I wish you all the best in remaing cancer free for many years to come.
Michele
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But would it matter for the bone health end of things?
(just curious; I like prunes but not prune juice so I'm good to go
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Do we know the "active principle" (the chemical) in dried plums* that prevents bone loss? (If I scroll back a page, I'll lose track.)
otter
(*I read somewhere that they're no longer called "prunes". "Dried plums" is much more P.C.)
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Nope they don't know the chemical yet and will have to find it before they can try the experiment on humans. Those 'elderly' mice had to be fed a lot of dried plum powder in order to show a bone density gain.
http://news.ucsf.edu/releases/dried-plum-restores-bone-in-aging-mice-scientists-report/
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Tomorrow I go for my 6 month follow up. I was supposed to have seen an oncologis before now. I knew, however, that I would be sdvised to go on Arimidex. I did not need chemo or radiation due to the size of the tumor. This is my second go round. Had breast cancer over 21 years ago and had chemo then. Have been good all these years about having mammograms and MRIs. I'm a real healthy and active 65. I fear what that drug could do to my life. I still work, teach. I have never experienced the effects of menopause. I go tomorrow and I'm certain I'll be questioned regarding why I'm not already on a drug that sounds so horrid.
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But I just don't want to take it. I know I'll have all the side effects. If I start now, I'll be 70 years old when it's over. In the meantime, I'll suffer the SEs during a time I want to continue to be active and feel energetic. I'm already recovering from the return of the cancer and now feel pretty good. And now I have to take a med that will make me feel worse all over again?
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Hi niteowl I'm a healthy and active (or at least I'm trying to be now ) 66 year old and I seem to be doing fine on Armidex. I've been taking it for neary six months now -- need to pick up my next batch at the hospital pharmacy sometime this week. The most troublesome SE that I have is getting to sleep each night, sleep was something that bothered me during perimenopause too. I noticed your user name -- you too?
The idea of taking hormone therapy pills for five years at my age scared me too, I don't like taking pills (can't swallow them) and so I decided to draw the line at having to take pill on top of pill to handle SE's..
Anyway I didn't have to sign a contract with myself to take Armidex for five years, but I thought I should at least try it and do what I can do. I feel it was estrogen that caused my BC.
[I missed reading your second message when writing this, glad you are feeling so good now, but the Armidex might not change that at all, just give you more of an incentive to keep SE's at bay by keeping active.]0 -
Niteowl - I have been on Arimidex for 6 weeks. So far, I haven't had any side effects. I can guarantee you that for every gal that posts side effects she has from the medication, there are 10 times that many that don't have any. You don't often see people post things on this type of thread that don't have any side effects, so it's hard to see that there are many of us! Also, beware of reading too much into all of these. If you have heard of the placebo effect, it works the other way as well. For example, if you have read about all these different types of side effects, you will be more likely to perceive having them and you have already talked yourself into the fact that you will have them. I don't, by any stretch, mean to sound preachy. I've been through two BC diagnoses as well. Just suggesting that you think positive and convince yourself that you WON'T have side effects, then see how you do.
Don't give up on it yet. I also know that some women do have some nasty side effects from this and most other medication. I am not at all downplaying those. Just saying that you may not have them. So, give it a try. Hugs to all! Keep fighting girls!
Laura
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niteowl, I think that you are experiencing what a lot of us have gone through. I have gone through the same thoughts as you, but I am 10 years younger. It's a process, and I've been saying since I got my DX, that I have been initiated into a club that I don't want to be in, and now I'm on a trip that I don't want to be on.
I have been on Arimidex for 10 months. I was certain that I would have all of the worst SE's one could have, and was anticipating them, which I knew was not a good way of approaching it. I was (and still am) extremely concerned about my bone health. I had a baseline bone density test before starting the A, only to find out that I have some osteopenia. The shock of that was almost as bad a finding out that I had BC since I had been taking very good care of myself for most of my adult life. I am a healthy eater and have been a runner for almost 33 years. My body has betrayed me in more than one way, and it's been hard to reconcile.
The point of what I am getting at is that to my great surprise, I am not having all of the worst SE's one could have from taking A. Increased hot flashes, some depression, and occasional aches and pains are what I've had to deal with. Try and be positive, continue to do what you are doing physically and hope for the best. As Kathy044 states, you don't have to sign a contract when you start taking the A,but right now, A is what the medical field is offering us to potentially save our lives and it should be worth a try at least. Good-luck.
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I have been on arimidex for 3 1/2 years; I teach, workout, feel GREAT! The reason you hear so much negative stuff is that the person's who don't have SE are just out living their lives & not thinking or talking about it (except us computer nerdy types). Give it a chance with an open mind. It is your best chance of not having to play this game again.....which as you know really DOES interfer with the quailtiy of your life.Best of Luck! Ruth 0
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Sunflowers I picked up that you noted "some SEs come at 3 months". I was on tamoxifen for 2 1/2 years and now on arimidex for @ 4 months. The last month has been awful: really depressed and almost suicidal , insomnia, migraines & hot flashes -- yet nothing else bad going on in my life. Also suddenly feeling really angry about this whole damn cancer thing (maybe it's all those pink ribbons I see in the month of October). Has anyone else had this experience?
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I've been on Arimidex for almost 3 years now. My arthritic pain (traumatic arthritis, both knees) and the hip pain & stiffness I got on Tamoxifen actually got better on Arimidex. I do have hot flashes, but I can't say for sure it's the Arimidex since I am on lupron to shut down my ovaries (I did not tolerate being on Tamoxifen). Arimidex actually helps me be more active than I could think of being on Tamoxifen. Remember, you can always stop taking it if the SE are too bad. Starting is not a committment.
LindaJL--I wonder if some of us have emotional reactions to the whole thing at different times. During chemo/rads/surgery phases we can be too busy trying to cope and keep up with everything to get depressed, so that pops up later when things are not so crazy busy, which, coincidentally, is a short time after we go on anti-estrogen therapy.
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Native, I totally agree with you. The post-active-treatment psychological issues are HUGE and rarely talked about. I believe, it is a post-traumatic stress syndrome thing. As Native says; it is such a whirlwind and you are under so much pressure to make and carry out decisions and just survive treatment, that once they send you off with a pill and 'we'll see you later'....and your whole support system is ready to move on (glad that you are 'OK" and 'done with treatment')...... then you take a breath and have to try to process all you've been through.....plus be hormonally deprived on top off it all off......how could it NOT be difficult?!
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