Life on aromasin
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Raider, I like the way you describe what so many of us feel -- a 'faded version' of your old self. Glad you're in the study, but it does sound a bit fatalistic, like recurrence is a sure thing. I am happy to hear that researchers are concerned about this phase of our lives
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WaveWhisper,
I may have worded the study badly. There are a great deal of studies about diagnosis and treatment. And studies on the same after recurrence. But it was explained to me that many, many patients do not recur but there is little known on what happens to them. How they feel physically, emotionally, the effects of treatment on their lives.
Ref: Faded version of me. Sometimes I describe a day that I am really not right as a day that someone turned down the dimmer switch. Its me, but not so bright and shinning.
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Raider, thank you for clarifying. It makes the study even more important. I know there are some who move on as if they never had cancer and others of us who feel like we're waiting for the other shoe to drop,
For me, there are days when I feel I'm 'not all there,' that my brain, eyes and body are operating on low batteries--much like your dimming the switch. I feel like I have a slight hangover or have taken too many drugs.. Strange feeling...
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Wave, I know what you mean, I have gotten up and felt like I was hung over when my drink of choice the night before was cranberry juice! course, I drink it in a wine glass so that must be it!
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I think it is the lack of estrogen that turns on that dimmer switch. Just my take on why many of us feel that way. When you take away a hormone as important as oestrogen, you are taking away what makes us feel human and particularly makes us feel like a woman imho. Even though I was post-menopausal, I NEVER felt like it was impacting me past a few hot flashes and a little bit of the other usual things, but once I started the AI...holy cow! It was like I was no longer ME!
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April, I think you may be right. I had an early but natural menopause and never felt this way until I went on AI's. Ofcourse, I was taking hormone replacement therapy up until the day I was diagnosed with BC, 95 percent estrogen-positive.
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I remember feeling 100% better during my break between taking arimidex and aromasin. I felt like I was glowing with health and almost felt the estrogen surge through my body. My dry eyes healed and pain decreased. Oddly though when I went onto aromasin, it gave me a soft buzz, perking up my mind, and I sleep better on it.
Really thinking of not continuing beyond 5 years, though, as the lack of estrogen has really aged me. I've not had that discussion with my MO because I'm 1.5 years away.
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Doxie I will be having that discussion with my MO in October since April 2016 my 5 years will be done. BTW I sleep better on Exemestane too
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April 485, WaveWhisper, Doxie
Estrogens is the female FEEL GOOD hormone. It keeps our skin young, our bones strong, joint healthy, sexuality good, mentaly alert, mood even. Estrogens (there are 3) are made in the ovaries before menopause, in the placenta during pregnancy . After menopause , estrogen is made in the adrenal glands, the liver and in body fat. Menopausal women still have estrogen. Its less but still there.
Ai's deplete the body of ALL estrogens. We have none, zip, zap, zero. How can any woman on AI's feel normal?
"Estrogen is considered to play a significant role in women's mental health. Sudden estrogen withdrawal, fluctuating estrogen, and periods of sustained estrogen low levels correlate with significant mood lowering. Clinical recovery from postpartum, perimenopause, and postmenopause depression has been shown to be effective after levels of estrogen were stabilized and/or restored.[40][41]"Wikepedia
I need a drink.
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Raider, thanks. It does explain a lot. I guess that's why we're asexual, mentally incompetent, depressed, arthritic octogenarians before our time. Should they just shoot us??😁
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When did side effects start to show up for all of you? I have been aromasin along with ovarian suppression for a month. So far I haven't noticed a difference. I hope this doesn't change but I'm worried about long term effects.
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No, WaveWhisper, just send us out to pasture to frolic.
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MeToo14,
I was still recovering from chemo and rads when I started arimidex. I think it took three months to notice something. After taking a two month break and switching to exemestane, it was about a week. Sometimes I'm mostly fine, like now.
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Ironic that somethng that can give you depression give you SEa that give you depression. Claritin hasn't helped. Going to buy gin tomorrow. Maybe I'll skip the raisins and take it straight. Just kidding
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Doxie, my joints are too stiff to frolic
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ok, so this thread is getting as silly as the CrazyTown group!
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Well proud, without estrogen, most of us think we are actually going crazy anyway!
Chloe'smom, I tried the gin/raisin deal and to tell you the truth, your idea about just drinking the gin is probably better than you think!
Wavewhisperer...amen about being too stiff to "frolic" and in my case too dry to do the kind of "frolicking" that I really want/like to do
Raidergirl, thanks for the refresher course on how much estrogen plays a role in our well-being as women. Without that little hormone, all I want to do is actually "moan" all day...tee hee...anyway, it is a powerful drug the AI but it is the best we got to stave off recurrence and/or a new cancer in those of us lucky enough (yes, I did say lucky enough) to have ER+ BC diagnosed. At least we have something that can help, as lousy as it makes us feel. I have to go back on the pill on August 24th after a lovely 3 month break. I am dreading it! But, it may be better this time around according to my MO and if not, on to the next AI which will be FEMARA. Ugh..not looking forward to feeling lousy again.
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Oh yeah, one more thing...estrogen is so important to mood in women that a lawyer in the UK successfully defended a woman who murdered her husband when she was going through menopause! She was found mentally incompetent to know what she was doing!! That is how powerful that hormone is for us in terms of our moods!
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wow, April!! That is so interesting!! I believe it, and then the aromasin deletes more estrogen!! I have read that many women take Lexapro just for the hot flashes. I have been on aromasin for 91/2 years!!
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Kindergarten, take Lexapro to Have or get rid of hot flashes??😋 I'm on Lexapro and still get them. Congratulations on surviving 9 years on Aromasin!! You give the rest of us hope. Will you stopmat 10 years
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Yep on a break here too. Not only was my joints hurting my skin looked like a 115 yr old. The sweating was horrendous. This was not hot flashes been there done that. No this was just a constant sweat pouring down my face and every pore of my body. It was not only embarrassing, it was just intolerable. I took myself off. Spoke to my MO last week and she wants me to try again. I said I would but I have to wait until it cools down. 113 today. Not a good combination. My dd wedding is in Dec and I can't image being there with sweat rolling down my face and walking like I'm 115. I don't want this back and I'm 98E 2P.
My issue now is all the wonderful med for this and other issues are starting to make me sick. I'm nauseated all day. Doesn't matter what I take with or with out them.
There has Got to be a better way!!!
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Thanks Doxie, I did well throughout treatment and hope that trend continues. Good luck to you.
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Ugh, I've been on aromasin for 7 months and it is not fun. I have joint pains in joints I never knew I had. Soaking night sweats. I'm 51 and feel like I'm 91. I actually felt great last year after recovering from my mastectomies, had a ton of energy. But after an oophorectomy and going on aromasin this year, every day is a struggle. 4.5 more years.
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Solacetea, welcome to the club of pain. You are experiencing what many of us are feeling. I'd give Aromasin at least a year and then talk to your MO about possibly changing to Arimidex or Femara. I startedon Arimidex and switched to Aromasin because ofthe joint pain. I got about a year's relief before the joint pain set in again. I think several of us on here have switched to Aromasin in hopes of getting relief. But every woman is different, Perhaps another drug might be easier on you. Worth a try,
Also read back to earlier posts to seehowothers have dealt with the pain.
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MeToo14 I took a break from Anastrozole before I started Exemestane. recovered from Anastrozole depression in a few days of stopping! I started to feel anxiety on Exemestane about 3 months later although I didn't realize it till it got really bad… and realized this is NOT my personality. I am not a depressed or anxious person. I didn't even feel this bad when I was diagnosed. It was scary for me because I didn't know anxiety was a SE of this drug until I looked it up. First med they gave me for this cleared it up. Watch closely to your mood.
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Agree with lago. While I had been on and off anti-anxiety meds for many years, I did fall into a deep depression about 1.5 years ago while on Aromasin. The depression caused whole host of physical problems, too. My primary care doc put me on Lexapro, and I was better in a month. I'm still taking it, just in case..
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I got depressed a month after starting Aromasin. MO prescribed Celexa, and I've been feeling better ever since.
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I'm taking 5-HTP--100 mg. of it a day--and feel a lot better on it than off. It helps moods, apparently, and I didn't want to take any anti-depressants because of the side effects.
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Hi, Wavewhispers!! Yes, I have read that since women are discouraged from taking Premarin and other similar drugs, because they can cause cancer, Lexapro is used for hot flashes and depression.
I will be on aromasin for 10 years in April!! Not sure what my onc will say!!! The side effects have lessened
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And I do take Lexapro for anxiety and depression, for 4 months now. I am not sure if being on the aromasin for so long caused the recent diagnosis of depression and anxiety! I have had some major issues since moving to CA! Hardest move I have ever made!! But I feel so much better now!
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