Life on aromasin
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Is anyone losing hair on exemestane? I thought it was due to the anesthesia I had but that was three weeks ago.
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My hair isn't as thick as it used to be. It was thinning on top before chemo as I'd been through menopause 7 yrs before. After three years on first arimidex, then aromasin, I've noticed a gradual thinning all over. I'd guess it is from the severe decrease in estrogen more than specifically the AI. My eyebrows are thinning to the degree I may have to pencil them in sometime in the future.
This has been very gradual as I've never noticed hair in my sink. I think over time less and less grows back.
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I used to experience severe hair thinning whenever I was on antidepressants.
Here's kind of an interesting study on the aches and pains topic:
http://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/general-oncolo...
I take prescription strength Omega 3 for my high triglycerides and I'm feeling much less achy than I ever have these past several months, but I'm a LOT more active than I used to be. I think that's really key. I also think Omega 3 really helps with vaginal dryness.
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My last chemo was December 3, and I started aromasin a few months ago. My "head hair" continues to grow back, but I have virtually no leg hair or armpit hair, even in the pit that wasn't radiated (had last rad session about three weeks ago). I wonder how much my spotty hair growth has to do with the aromasin.
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I have been on Aromasin since March of 2013. My Dexascan keeps getting worse. I use to do the treadmill until my parents moved to an assisted living and nursing home room near me. Then after work I was there every night till 9 or 10 so no treadmill. I am almost osteopenic. My oncologist wants to take me off the Aromasin. She said you have been on 2 years of Tamoxifen and 3 years of Aromasin so time to go off. I am not comfortable with that. As I thought I have heard it is better to stay on for something for 10 years. She said my chances of reoccurrence based on stats is 4 out of 100. But I wanted to say yes and they told me I could have a nipple sparing mastectomy and it would be 2 surgeries and 6 months and I would be done. What happened 10 surgeries and no nipples they screwed that up and had horrible infection so lost both.Multiple hospitalizations. PICC line and 6.5 weeks of two antibiotics around the clock that affected my balance. And 4.5 years of recontruction before I was done. Then started having some uterine thickening and abnormal bleeding so lets get rid of the ovaries and uterus. Piece of cake laproscopically. Wrong. She must have knicked my bowel because I ended up with an ileus, pelvic abcess, septicemia with a bacteria found in the bowel and a urinary tract infection. 9 days in the hospital and another PICC line and 35 weeks of antibiotics around the clock.
So for me the odds don't mean a whole lot. I lost my Dad last September and my Mom a couple months later on Thanksgiving Day, so I am going to try to do better with the treadmill, calcium etc. I lost a ton of weight when I was caring for them, not eating right etc. So she said it is ok think about it and I will see her in October. She said any shots for the bones have side effects too.
I don't know if they will do another dexa that soon to see if my efforts have paid off but I am going to try to reverse the damage if I can or keep it from getting worse. I don't want to go off of the Aromasin yet.
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Hopeful...I'm so sorry you had to go thru all that. You've had a long road. I can understand your feeling uncomfortable about going off AI's. It never hurts to get another opinion.
My bone density improved over the past 2 years from osteoporosis to osteopenia. We don't know if it's due to the Zometa, Calcuim supplements, eating better, or what... Your doc is right about possible SE's, but there are side effects to anything you take. Is the risk worth the benefit - that's always the question you should ask yourself. There's never an easy answer. Best of luck to you!
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hi long time, etc. I have been wondering the same thing lately. Are there many who have no recurrence? I too Know a few who had it 35 yrs so etc and no recurrence but it seems like that's not as common I'm 2.75 years out on Aromasinnow about 10 mos again after being I all the others including tamoxifen. Had a decent coue of months and now waking up hurting again.. And still practically no eyebrows or eyelashes to speak of! Had them all through chemo, the fell out a few months later I guess by now they probably are not coming back Good head of hair but the eyebrow things bothers me
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about to start Rad followed by Aromasin. I asked my ONC about side effects (after I looked at all the options and, side effects) and he told me my head hair might thin out and, I would need six monthly bone boosting injections.
Oh goody lol!!!
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Leslie, I have had moderate to severe hair-thinning on Aromasin. Biotin and Viviscal tablets seem to do no good. I am sick about it. But I'd rather have thin hair than cancer, so I'm living with it. I bought Rogaine for Women but have not started it.
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Are you taking B vitamins, and magnesium? If not they may help. I had thinning hair on Femara but my hair is great on Aromasin........
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The oncology nurse recommended taking biotin. I was already taking B-6 and B-12. I'm thinking of trying the Rogaine...
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I'll try magnesium, already on B vitamins. With biotin, I have nails that grow like crazy, but, alas, not so for hair.
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First, I am not sure why my MO was adamant that I get a bone density scan. It really does seem like she is punishing me for switching from Tamoxifen to lupron+aromasin. Whatever. The scan took hardly any time at all and was not a big deal. Hopefully my bones are hanging in there. Of everything I've read about SEs I have to admit that the SEs that potentially come from the injections to counter bone loss scare me. like, A. Lot. So, we'll see about that.
Second, I think the small print on the rogaine for women says that it is not effective for menopause-related hair loss. Which I think this counts as, right? I tried it when I was having hair loss due to menopause last year (pre-BC). It had no effect and eventually I just quit and eventually my hair seemed to bounce back. Right now my hair is pretty much the thin, straight, fine mess it has always been. I've never had nice hair.
Third, I have to say that magnesium is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I wish someone had steered me to it years ago. Like YEARS ago.
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What is it about the magnesium that you like? I've recently started taking CALM magnesium, but not on a regular basis. I haven't gotten into a routine with it yet. It has to be mixed and just that extra little step keeps me from doing it.
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I feel so much better having incorporated magnesium into my life. I mix it after dinner and take a long walk while sipping it. So I associate it not only with being able to poop regularly (TMI, I know but wow it is a blessing!) but also with a lovely added evening walk I never used to do.
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It's supposed to have many benefits - one is to balance out your intake of calcium, which I am always concerned about. I get mixed messages about how much calcium to take, so it varies depending on how much milk I drink during the day. I like what I hear about the Natural CALM magnesium (especially about it reducing stress). I'll have to incorporate it into my evening routine.
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I've had joint pain with both Arimidex and Aromasin, but for the past 3 months I've also had pains in some of my long bones, specifically my thigh bones. Both of them. Sometimes the pain wakes me up from a nap or nighttime sleep. When it first started, in my arm, I asked my MO for a bone scan, which I had in February. It showed no bone cancer. But I find this pain quite different and disturbing. I'm out of the country but will try to see my MO in June. Anyone else had real bone pain, not just joint pain, on either drug?
(I may have posted something similar earlier, and one respondent said bone scans aren't reliable...)
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I've had pain in my thigh bone. My NP wanted to xray it, but I declined because I had just had two xrays and didn't think it was that bad. It comes and goes, doesn't wake me up, or isn't bad enough to take anything for it. If it persists, I will mention it again at my next followup. I thought it was weird that she wanted to do an xray and not a bone scan because at one time she said that was the best way to detect cancer in the bones. So who knows....
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I am so envious that some of you have found magnesium helpful. Unfortunately it did nothing for my hot flashes.
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BC101, Thanks. At least I know there's at least one other woman with thigh pain. Maybe the fact that my bone scan was clear is good news for both of us.
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Wavewhisperer - I'm so glad your bone scan was clear!
It's so hard to know and that's why I always mention every little symptom to my team. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
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Thigh pain can result from hip or lower back problems, a physical therapist could probably help, I have to go every week or I would lock up
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That makes sense. I've got both of those, plus more. I'm used to pain. It's more unusual if I don't have any pain, lol!
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Adding magnesium mostly resolved my night time leg cramp problems. Wasn't expecting that.
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Lily and BC101, I have both, too, so maybe one of those is the cause...
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I have osteoarthritis, but who doesn't at age ummm....
Yoga really helps me. I try to keep moving and walk every day.
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WaveWhisperer, I too seem to have bone pain in my thighs the last couple of days. My joint pain is getting worse, too. Today it occurred to me that when my prescription got refilled last week it came from a different manufacturer. Do you know the manufacturer of your examestane? Has anyone else noticed that side effects are worse with one manufacturer than another? The last two days I woke up feeling like I was in the middle of chemo again!
Martha
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RhidyMMM--
Less than a month ago I went from using the generic from Greenstone (or some name like that) to one from Alvogen. My symptoms were greatly reduced after this switch. I don't know if that is due to the fillers in the drug, different levels of bioavailability of the main ingredients, or just a nice placebo effect. When the pharmacist told me she was giving me the drug from a different manufacturer, I took it as a kind of sign that I should assume that I would have fewer or less severe symptoms on this new version. So far it's working out for me.
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Martha, interesting. I am getting the drug from a different manufacturer. I used to get it from the medical university pharmacy, but they no longer can give 90-day supplies. So my last batch was from my medicare supplmental insurance's mail-order service. Maybe that's an issue. I did not have this thigh pain until recently. I will talk to my MO about options. Unfortunately, I'm out of the country for months at a time and can't get by with 30-day supplies.
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My MO had me do an DEXA every year (I was osteopenic before chemo and perimenopause). Now she tests me every 2 years because I am getting treated for osteoporosis.
Hair Loss mine did recede a bit more but I use Minoxidil. I found it slowed down after 6 months of starting exemestaine.
Hopefulhealing my MO is hinting at 10 year for me because I am "high risk" for recurrence due to the size of my tumor. In your case your MO might not feel the risk/reward is there. I have osteoporosis now due to the drug and it's being treated. Exercise, extra D, calcium didn't help me. I have a family history and many of the risk factors for it.
Professor50 the studies are showing that luprin/AI is a bit more effective than Tamoxifen. Maybe that's why.
As far as Minoxidil not helping it also says it doesn't help with hair receding yet I find it's helping me. I now buy mine through costco online.
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