Life on aromasin
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Kindergarten, 10 years on Aeomasin!!! WOW! Dis you find rhat side effects changed, for better or worse, over the course of 10 years?? How do younfeel about stopping it??
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wow, congrats for the 10 years on AL, I confess to ending after 5 years but I was only DCIS so think that was a factor in my docs decsicion
have to say, not feeling much dif since ending but the first week after stopping was like a drug withdrawal, felt really weird but it passed
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I have been on Letrozole for almost 3 months. Yes, I have joint pain and feel 100 years old sometimes, but I just work through it. The hot flashes are HORRIBLE! They are more like hot sweats and embarassing. My MO said he could give me Effexor, but I don't want to take another medicine. A friend suggested Magnesium and maybe I could take that as it is more natural than Effexor.
Another thing I have noticed lately is that I am not happy or sad, I'm just kind of here. I am hoping that this too will pass as it just started. I notice a bit more anxiety especially first thing in the morning. I just get up and go about my day.
Any thoughts?
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Has anyone heard anything about the "resistance" to AI's and the possible "upping of doses?"
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Lago, thanks for the advice. I'll make sure to keep that in mind. I feel like my hair is starting to think in the front. Has this happened to anyone else?
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Hi April485, I heard that last year and also read somewhere on this forum that taking a short break--more than two weeks, less than 6 months, I think I remember, from anti-hormonals can help resist the resistance (got that, wink). Interesting link. Ill try to find it.
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Sorry, aromatase inhibitors, I meant.
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April the resistance to hormone therapy they are talking about is in metastatic disease. Metastatic tends to mutate and that's why the treatment used can stop working.
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Hi Iago, agreed about the first article...the one I posted seems to be about the same problem. Good to clarify that.
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ah, thanks for the clarification Lago...got nervous when I read that! I could not handle a higher dose of an AI!
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April I don't know if a higher does would do anything. I mean if most of the estrogen is sucked out of you how is a larger dose going to help or make things worse right?… not that I'm signing up for a higher does or anything.
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Watery eyes: does anyone have watery eyes with any of these AIs? Mine simply drip from time to time, esp. in the mornings. A real pain, something I noted as soon as I finished chemo, went on tamox, and then graduated to arimidex and now aromasin.
Just wondering if this could be a side effect.
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Claiareinaz it's dry eye. Many medications can cause this. I've had this since chemo. Not as bad as on taxotere but I use artificial tears. My ophthalmologist is concerned though. She may be prescribing something in October if it's worse.
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I have been on aromasin since Mar. 2015. Was on arimidex previously. The side effects aren't as bad, but he joint pain in getting worse. I was going to be in a study for cymbalta to fight the side effects. First I had to come of of my celexa that I had been on for over 20 yrs. I came off of that 2 weeks ago. Now I'm an emotional mess. Everything and nothing makes me cry. Not just tears, sobbing. I called my m.o. today and said that I can't be in the study. I can't live like this, if I get the placebo instead of the real med. She agreed with me. I'm going on thurs to see her and we will probably start another anti-depressant. Probably the cymbalta since it helps with pain also. I'm coming up on my 1 yr. anniversary since diagnosis on aug. 28th. I can't believe it's only been a year. It seems like I can't remember life before cancer. But hey.....we're surviving!!
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Lago is correct that it might be dry eye. Seems counterintuitive, but your eyes are over compensating. So it is possible that your eye are not producing enough tears.
Other possibilities are that your oil glands in your eyes are plugged and/or mildly infected. This stops production and distribution of the oil that coats your eye, thus causing your tears to evaporate more quickly. This is my problem and I've had it since at least chemo. Until it was properly diagnosed as blepharitis, nothing I did helped with dry eye. I was asked to "scrub" my swollen eye lids with hot compresses and baby shampoo with the possibility of using a antibiotic eye drop if this didn't work. This was barely working until antibiotics for another medical issue cleared up the swelling as a good SE. Still a problem, but much less troublesome. My ophthalmologist was thrilled at the improvement.
I'd suggest going to an ophthalmologist and insist they check your tear production and your oil coverage. And every eye exam should include a check for mets to the eye, though this is very rare. This is not a normal exam, but should always be done for those of us with BC. Takes the doctor another 2 minutes.
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Doxie, I, too, developed blepharitis, but never connected it to the chemo. Wow! My ophthalmologist also gave me antiobiotic drops and told me to use hot compresses twice a day, then massage the lids with Q-tips.
I'm not good about keeping up with the daily routine, but your post is a good reminder.
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I had blepharitis once about a year after chemo. I just washed it and kept warm compressors on it. Went away
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Sorry, WaveWhisperer, I have been away for a few days!! Definitely, side effects have gotten better, especially with the joint pain, and the inability to lose weight
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Hi, WaveWhisperers again!! I actually have mixed feelings about going off of aromasin for good!! It has been my safety net!! Any one have any thoughts on this
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I have Sjogren's, an autoimmune disease that causes dry eyes, dry mouth, etc, and I had it before my cancer dx. It drives me nuts. My current best remedy, and they change from time to time, is mini-compresses with cotton balls. I could never keep a washcloth hot enough long enough to do any good. A better compress is 1-lb. of rice (uncooked!) tied up in an old sock. Heat for 1 minute in the microwave. Cool until comfortable but still toasty warm. I did the scrubs, too, and all of it worked for a time. However, currently, I skip the eyelid scrub because it became too irritating. I switched from the rice bag to the cotton balls, which fit my eyes as though custom made for them. I run the water until it's hot enough, wet the cotton balls, squeeze the water out, and apply to my eyes, one side at a time. For some reason, the cotton balls seem to retain the heat longer. I sit or stand in front of my vanity so that I can keep refreshing the hot water. So far, it's working like a charm. Feels wonderfully soothing. I follow at night with Systane gel. I use lots of Systane Balance throughout the day and notice it if I don't.
It goes without saying that you have to be scrupulous in removing eye makeup or you're just spinning your wheels.
I've tried all the drugs and have come back to arimidex because of of the comparison of it, Femara and Aromasin. According to the chart, arimidex produces fewer side effects of the type that I worry about. Also, Aromasin was $130 compared to the $10 I pay for arimidex.
I'm having a lot of bone/joint pain, especially in my hands. I can't make a fist in the morning, and I often have to take Tylenol for the pain. Bummer.
My very best to all you cancer warriors; we shall overcome! :-)
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WaveWhisperer,
I'm bad about staying on top of eye care,too. When I'm at work I just don't think of it until my eyes complain.
TuffMama, I'm going to try the cotton balls. Sound comfortable.
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Tuffmama. What chart are you looking at? I'm thinking of trying Femara as the other 2 have really messed with my joints.
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Hi Treelilac, thanks for posting that chart, it makes Aromasin look good!
Hello to everyone here.
I'm new to AI's. I'm 48 and had been on Tamoxifen for the last 3 years but recently consulted MO about sudden onset of mental fog (short term memory problems) which began 2.5 years into tamoxifen and he has decided to switch me to Aromasin. I've been on it only 2.5 weeks, so far so good. I'm used to sweats, muscle cramping etc from the tamox. If anything I'm feeling better on Aromasin.
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gee feelingfeline, not to burst your bubble but some of the side effects experienced by women on this thread are not checked off for aromasin but still present. I for one have weight gain as have many others and also cramping big time in my feet and legs. So, just go with what you personally feel and don't go by the chart and think it is not the drug if one of the non checked items pop up. I hope you have NONE or very few of the side effects checked or unchecked this time as has been the case with some of the women here. These drugs are very powerful and we all know that although they can be or are life saving they are also life altering! I hope you are blessed with GREAT health and minimal side effects with this one!
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oh definitely about going off the med. One of my pals actually got creeped out and asked her MO if she could continue it.
I just felt weird at first, it was like I had been on drugs (which of course I had been) and was coming off the whatever. trust me, being around me that week would not have been pleasant for anyone else. I sort of hibernated that week. But now it is 1 1/2 years later and glad it is past me
cept my brain is having problems remember the amount of time off so maybe it is only a year?
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I have been on Tamoxifen for 2 1/2 years and am now 6 months out from a TLH/BSO. I'm really surprised that they don't check bone/joint pain for Tamoxifen as I have had it pretty good since about a month after starting Tamoxifen. At my first meeting with my BS, he gave me a list of SEs to Tamoxifen and AIs since at the time, I didn't know which I would be taking. He basically said Tamoxifen would do a number on my muscles and joints but AIs would as well, just more so. I do keep it under control with turmeric, ginger and magnesium. After my hysterectomy, I asked my docs if I would now need to swap to an AI and was told if I was ok with it, to wait as long as I could because the joint pain would get much worse with an AI for a small increase in efficacy. At some point, I will have to swap, I'm sure. All of these drugs mess with your estrogen and basically throw you into a type of menopause. I'd have to say that any menopause symptoms would also apply to any AIs and Tamoxifen so hello hot flashes, joint pain, hair thinning, weight gain, etc. I think most items in the chart could apply to all the meds at any time depending on your body makeup and how you metabolize it. The best thing is to try different things and see which works best....("best" being the key word since I don't think anyone gets out of these meds unscathed!) and to look into supplements that can help with the SEs.
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Hi april - I got the weight gain on tamoxifen - proudly sporting a nice spare tyre despite unchanged lifestyle. I did notice there was no "weight-gain" SE on that chart for either tamox or Aromasin. Guess we know different
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There are a lot of side effects not checked off that I experienced on both Exemestane and Anastrozole. I recommend going to the drugs specific site to see.
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