Life on aromasin
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I take 5 Mg
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I have been on exemestane for 3 months, have been noticing increased joint pain but am stage 4 anyway. Am hoping my quarterly bone scans will clarify the cause for me. In the meantime I continue to medicate.
Anita
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Wow, so I'm not the only one with ear ringing? I've had that since my third round of chemo. I'm sure it must be from the chemo but my MO said that my chemo wasn't supposed to be one of the ones that causes it. I guess I'm a statistical anomaly. He suggested going to an ENT but said there probably wasn't much they could do about it. Just started Aromasin. I'm not sure it's much better than the anastrazole....
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I really feel like quiting exemestane. I am wishing for 2 years to hurry up and be over. My fingers are stiff legs ache and the ringing in my ear is driving me crazy. I noticed others quit after 3 years but I feel like I must endure so I know I completed my treatment. Life seems too short to be feeling crappie from meds.
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Meow, am taking a month off beginning today as I cannot stand the pain and stiffness. It is sooo bad today so I decided to take another holiday like I did in April for one month. I don't care what the doctor says (if I even tell her) bt I am not going through the Xmas holiday feeling like shit. Period!
Hugs and hope you all feel better!
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AKJ lots of people got tinnitus from Taxotere. I really hate when the MOs don't acknowledge these SE. You might want to check out these links:
study on hearing issues from taxanes
Meow have you talked to your MO? S/he might suggest a break. Is Tamoxifen an option for you? It's better than not taking anything. April this might be an option for you if things continue after the break… or maybe one of the other AIs.
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Lago, I may just try Femara after this break. Tamoxifen is not an option for me due to a history of blood clots, aneurysms and strokes in my family so not taking a chance on that one since Tamox has that issue (rarely but it still does carry that risk more than the AI's) so I am thinking of trying Femara.
Right now, I am just done with any drug. I am so exhausted from living with constant joint pain that I just don't have any gas in the tank to take anything right now. I am taking an unplanned month off and will re-evaluate in January. I will call my MO later today to tell her what I am doing, but I know she wanted me to wait a full year before my second break. I felt so damn good when I took the last break (after about 10 days in) that I am looking so forward to a short holiday from this stuff!
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April Have they suggested anything to relieve the pain? I know some folks have luck with Claritin but I mean have you taken pain killers?
I know that Exemstane physically is much much better for me but now with out issues. I am trying the meds route to alleviate those. I have 1 year and 3.5 months to go till my 5 years. (I know my MO will be discussing 5 years more depending on the study but my DH and I or not so sure I will move forward with that).
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I am already taking pain killers (oxycodone) for a bone on bone knee since I need TKR and I see a PM specialist for that. I do NOT want to up my dose and I can't take claritin (had an issue when I took it before for an allergy) and my doc does not want me to take too many motrin so I take the big guns. Have been on same dose for years and it works for me (for my knee issues) but not for this intense pain.
I can't take any more of the drug cause I work and drive and I take a small amount which helps me function but if I up the dose, I would not be as sharp and/or be able (or comfortable) driving either so I am taking the break cause I just plain need one at this point. I am going to try the gin soaked raisins though. Hubby bought my gin and raisins today. Hope that works!
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April, have you been on arimidex? I've just switched back to it from exemestane. I think I prefer its side effects. I also like that the pills can be cut in half. My onc has admitted that some of his patients take a half dose and I'm considering trying that when things get tough again. I suppose exemestane can be cut as well, but mine had a hard coating so I thought it might not be a good idea. At the moment, I'm recovering from a particularly nasty gallstone event, with lousy fevers and, I guess a bit of an abcess,so I've given myself another week's holiday. And I started out with such good intentions!
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My exemestane is so tiny there is no way I could cut it. Anastrozole was bad for me. Lots of back/shoulder/neck pain. I got to the point I couldn't stand up straight. Now I have no issues. Granted every one is different.
April I really hope they can find a solution. Ruth swears by those gin soaked raisins. I forget don't they have to be the yellow kind.
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The gin soaked golden raisins helped me with muscle pain I had in my legs. I stopped eating the raisins after a few months and the pain has not returned.
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lago, thanks for the info on tinnitus and taxotere. I knew it was the taxotere that caused it! It just sounds like it's not that common. One week into Aromasin. I'm not sure it's any better but I'll stick to it until my next MO visit in March. If it's not better I'll switch back to Anastrazole since it's cheaper. Unless, of course, some new research comes out that says Aromasin is significantly more effective.
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My MO told me to take B12 for the ringing. It doesn't help. Today I swam 3/4 of a mile and my other ear got water in it but it fixed itself. The back of my knees prevented me from doing a mile. I think I need a break. I feel lousy today one of my work friends suddenly died. A few weeks ago she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and a week later found it was stage 4 Mets to lungs and liver. Her memorial service is tomorrow. Talk about life is too short she was 58. I am just glad she was feeling fine 2 months ago. I am in shock I hate cancer.
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Meow,
So sorry to hear about your friend.
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I am also one that had ringing in the ears from chemo. Arimidex made it worse. I wet to an ENT who did hearing and other tests and found nothing abnormal. He admitted that it was most likely from chemo, he also suggested Melatonin as there was a small study that said it might help. I tried it, but it did not help at all. When I switched to Aromasin, it got slightly better. Now that I am off all AI's (for now), the ringing is still there but tolerable.
On hair loss, I had way more on Aromasin than Arimidex. Like lago, I use generic Minoxidil and it has helped a lot.
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Yes, they must be golden raisins and I started yesterday...we shall see. My MO wants me to try Femara next so if I decide to go back on an AI, that is most likely the one I will try....or back on Exemestane if I am feeling up to it and/or the gin soaked raisins work! I have only been off the drug for two days and I swear, my hands already feel better! This morning when I woke up. they were not in a claw form. The were relaxed. In my head? Perhaps, but I will take it!
Ladies, if you ever doubt the benefits of an AI for early stage (or late for that matter) breast cancer, please read this short article regarding how many women were spared a recurrence/new BC diagnosis from a trial. I KNOW I need to take something, I just need a break for now. If you are on the fence, please try. I will go back to something for sure. http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/breast-cancer/news/print/hemonc-today/%7Bea621aec-b542-4114-b2f7-cc1f4fe12786%7D/map3-exemestane-reduced-risk-for-breast-cancer-by-65
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meow so sorry to hear. Hang in there.
april when I stopped Anastrozole for a break I found within days my pain and mood was almost back to normal. I don't think the drug stays in your system that long.
tinnitus I was told by an audiologist (graduated high school with my sister) that there really isn't anything you can do about it. I do have a little bit from time to time but not bad. It's very common in people who wear hearing aids. This is why I try not to wear my ear buds more than an hour or so a day to listen to music. Just when I work out.
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Anyone get lower back pain? What about dizziness?
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yeah but not from the med~~got back ache now and been off the AL since Jan
sorry
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mcgis,
I have have recent lower back pain issues. May be related to aromasin, but I think it is more to lack of core conditioning. I'm active, but don't do a wide range of strengthening exercises and stretches that my older body now seems to need. I'm having issues with a hip bursa and doing stretches to correct that problem. Most times I can identify why I have new back or hip pain.
What I do have that I think is related, or partly, to aromasin is trigger finger/thumb and swollen toe joints. On the surface this appears to be arthritis. Might be, but no one in my family - and they live into their 90s- seems to have arthritis/trigger symptoms like I am getting.
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Had a CT scan for one issue but, in the process, they found that the endometrial lining of my uterus was 4 times thicker than it should be. I had a uterine biopsy, waiting for results, but gyn wants to go ahead with a hysterectomy. I have read that thickening of the uterine lining can be a side effect of Tamoxifen, but, being post-menopausal, I was on Anastrozole and now on Aromasin. Doc wonders whether the drug has contributed to this. Anybody heard of that?
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I had the opposite. A thickened endometrial lining along with the BC diagnosis. After another round of bleeding, an ultrasound showed that after almost 2 years on AIs the thickened wall had disappeared. Bleeding was just my old fibroid. Can't say if it was related, but I think so. Women are switched to AIs because of this SE from Tamoxifen.
Yours could be a pesky fibroid, hopefully nothing else.
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I've a question. Relative to your relatives, have you more arthritis?
I'm showing signs of osteoarthritis in my toes, fingers and hip. Diagnosed in my hip, but not digits. Wondering if this was the TC and/or AI. Not genetics, unless adopted which I'm sure I'm not, or it's a family secret which seems abserd.
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doxie, prior to beginning the AI, I had some arthritis relative to aging. My right knee (which I had two surgeries on and is in need of TKR in particular) but since beginning exemestane, it has gotten MUCH worse. I am on a self planned holiday from the drug and I already notice a huge difference. I am going off the drug until January 2nd as I don't want to be in a lot of pain for the holiday with my first grandchild! I can already see a difference and it has been less than a week of being off. My left foot which was absolutely killing me before has now calmed to a small amount of pain and my fingers feel great!
Not sure if it will be the same for you, but the only way to know is to take a bit of time off. It shows me volumes. Hope you figure it out!
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not sure if I have more arthritis than family, I know my grandmother had some but not sure on the others. Mom had cancer at 61 and passed in a year. I remember her complaining about pain in her arm that she assumed was arthritis (actually the dumb docs said it was tennis elbow~~) but that turned out to be the bone cancer
dang but I sure have it in my feet, hands and legs for sure and it ain't fun as you all know
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I am been using Claritin for one week to help with knee pain and it seems to be working! I had to stop Meloxicam because creatinine was increasing due to med. Needed help with joint pain and someone on this board suggested Claritin.
I gotta say - I think Claritin works just as good, if not better, than Meloxicam. I still have pain from arthritis but I'm getting starting on some strengthening exercises and I'm thinking I will have the knee pain in a very tolerable state!!!!
Woohoo! nice to face the holiday and the new year will some hopeful improvement!
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Has anyone been given Lyrica and it worked on the joint pain? I was given it for anxiety (used for anxiety in England) and a few days later I started feeling much better physically.
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It can be rather complex to tease out what the meds are doing. Depression and anxiety can case pain anywhere in the body. (I once had depression pain settle in my teeth. That was the worst.) Is the drug helping directly with the pain, is it helping relieve the anxiety/depression or both? Can meds work that quickly or is there somewhat a placebo effect? I'm questioning this stuff all the time.
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Dumb question, how do you all get to show more than one treatment on your profile without it deleting the others?
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