Life on aromasin
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This is good news! It means once the meds are stopped, the brain will no longer be foggy, right?
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Hi WaveWhisperer his exact words were "Lovely and plump". He's showing me the scans while saying this. I replied "Not a howling vacuum in there then?"
treelilac - yes, he certainly held out hope of improvement.
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I've been on aromasin for one year after being on arimidex for almost 3 years. Before any of this I had very thick hair, nice hair. Now it is thin, fine hair and I'm afraid it is getting thinner. Does getting thinner hair ever end while on these drugs?
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RE: thinning hair--I'm taking biotin and so far so good, even after yearly 3 years AIs.
On a completely unrelated to anti-hormonal note, after nearly 4 years I have sensation back in my right armpit, which had been numb since my lumpectomy. Go figure. Maybe some sensation will return to my brain, and the memory issues will abate even more.
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There is another product - Systane (various choices of lubrication) I use the long lasting item. Just a thought.0
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Hopeful56 I have a friend that switched back to Anastrozole because her hair started to thin on Exemestane. I have a lot of hair to start with and use Minoxodil and biotin. I did shed a bit more at first but it stopped. Been on it now for about 1.5 years
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I wish I had heard about biotin from my MO. Even though I stopped my tamox 2 yrs ago, the thinned hair only stopped getting worse but never returned to normal.
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Pheasantduster, I've used Systane too. My eye doc gives me samples.
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Re: Thinning hair: Sometimes thinning hair is caused by thyroid issues. Did you have your thyroid checked?
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If you had radiation I would definately get that thyroid checked.
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my hair got thicker on exemestane
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The first MO checked the thyroid level when she was investigating something else. So that was a couple of years ago. I'll bring the issue up next time I see the new MO. Thank you for suggesting!
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My MO wants to put me on Femara as soon as I finish radiation in late fall. I haven't read one tenth of the postings on this thread and I'm already dreading this. Does anyone NOT have all these horrible side effects? I honestly can't see how I can have any quality of life if these stories are the norm and not the exception. Seriously thinking of telling my MO I'm skipping the AI altogether. Who wants to just exist day to day? I'm still relatively young. Before my diagnosis I was very physically active and want to be able to go back to outdoor activities, hiking, backpacking, etc...these stories are making all that sound like I'll never be able to enjoy my hobbies again. I want to LIVE. That is what we have all fought for. Not to just exist, and be hobbled with joint pain, loss of libido, and everything else.
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Hi Wildflower!
I have hot flashes. I did have mood swings, but Celexa took care of that. Otherwise, I have no joint pain or other problems. Yes, this thread can make for depressing reading. However, not everyone is as unlucky as many of the ladies who post here. You can always try an AI and see how it affects you. You can always stop your AI if it is debilitating to you.
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Wildflower,
I've been on AIs for 3.5 years now. I'd guess I'm a bit older than you as I'm bumping against 60, but I'm very active. Latest adventures included hiking for 2 weeks in Glacier National Park and painting my large condo. I'd do much more, but I have a complex job take takes more of my free time than I'd prefer.
Yes, I've had troubling SEs, but each of them I've managed to bring under control. What is critical is to exercise, eat well, get good sleep, and enjoy life. Seek medical care for whatever comes up. I always do back up research, because sometimes we know more than our doctors about an SE. That happened with me and my severe dry eyes from AIs.
Right now my SEs are very mild - minor dry eye and small arthritic aches. Nothing someone my age could not expect. In fact I'm much healthier than most women my age. But I work at it and would whether or not on AIs.
I was freaked out to start Arimidex, but did and I'm still on an AI, though aromasin.
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Doxie what a lovely life-affirming post. So glad I stopped by to read
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Agree! Thanks for that posting, Doxie!
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Wildflower2015 I too was petrified to do AIs. More scared of it than chemo! But not everyone gets these SE. I've been on it now for 4.5 years. Started with Anastrozole (arimidex) then after 3 years switched to Exemestane (aromasin) due to some SE. My SE weren't as bad as I have read here. I do take a few meds for SE but I'm doing fine. I have a job that requires me to be on my feet and I have no issues. My hot flashes are gone or very minor. I just turned 50 when I started them. Chemo put me into chemo-pause.
You don't now unless you try. Remember you can always quite. I found after a year some of the SE improved.
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Thanks to everyone who replied to my earlier post. Your experiences give me more hope. Have any of you experienced hair loss or thinning while on the AI's?
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Hi, began on Tamoxifen till chemo-pause and had no real problems with tamox--maybe some fatigue, but I was also recovering from chemo and rads, so that might have been it; gyno checked my estrogen levels and when they were definitely menopausal after a year of checking I moved to arimidex and had pretty bad side effects. Took it for 1.5 years and...am now on aromasin and the side effects are miniscule compared to arimidex. No thinning hair that I can see--I always had fine straight hair but a lot of it and I can't really tell any difference now that I'm finally letting it grow out. I take biotin supplements as a preventive.
Because of my high risk status my doc tells me she wants me on SOMETHING. I just hope that I can be on the five year plan and stop after that.
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I would echo Doxie, in that I get tons of exercise every week, including bikram yoga and lots of hiking/walking/running/spinning and weight machines. That seems to help my mood and if I am a bit stiff in the a.m., it helps with that too.
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my SEs were minimal or nothing but the important thing is to take them if suggested by your doc
just finished up my 5 years and on to my after cancer life!
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dear Claire!! I am almost to ten years with taking Aromasin!! It has been very tolerable!! I may even stay on longer than 10 years!! It is keeping the cancer away!! I know it is a big decision, Good Luck to you!
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oops, meant this for Wildflower!! Sorry!!!!
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All the good news are very encouraging!
(I just started in July.)0 -
Thanks so much everyone for all the "positive" comments. I just started exesmestane (2 of 260 weeks, but who's counting?) and still feel great.
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feelingfeline, WaveWhisperer and others,
Thank you for you comments. It's something I needed to read today. Work and being on my condo board has been a bit intense lately.
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Wildflower, yes, I've had fairly severe hair-thinning on Aromasin. Did not have it with Arimidex, but prefer the hair-thinning to debilitating joint pain. Several other earlier posts have referred to hair-thinning, if you have time to scroll back through pages on this site. Don't know if a search would showthem or not.
At least one poster, Lago, uses rogaine, and several of us are on vitamin supplements and prescription meds, shampoos, etc.
Let me know if you want more details.
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That's okay Kindergarten, for the incorrect post directed to me; I may have to be on it 10 years (MO still on the fence about it) and that was okay for me to hear, too. It would take a lot to voluntarily stop a drug my MO told me would help keep me NED. I had 6/11 + nodes and I simply can't fool around with that.
Claire
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I use Minoxidil but I had a hair receding issue before diagnosis. It seems to keep it at bay but I have very thick hair to start with. I did notice a bit more shedding when I switched to Exemestane but then it stopped.
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