For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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I took it at bedtime and it affected my sleep. I took in the a.m. until I quit it altogether.
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This is very encouraging for me. I finish radiation on Wednesday and will see my onco on Thursday. I will be starting on Arimidex or something similar. I had a bone density today and it was fine.
I had been warned about SE of radiation and for me it was so easy. My skin did get little red but I did not got tired at all. I am praying that I do not have SE from this medication. I keep really busy. I had retired and after three years I got a job in retail (Chico's). It only three days a week but it keeps me moving. I got the job and was diagnosed one week later. They were wonderful managing my schedule around radiaiton. I'll keep so busy that if I have side effect I won't even notice. Haha.
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I bought one of those 7 day pill dispensers and put it right on top of my underwear drawer. That way if I am busy and forget if I took it or not, I can just look and see if 'Monday' is empty or there is still a pill in there. The few times I've forgotten, I've taken it as soon as I realized it and then at the normal time (morning for me) the next day.
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I started Arimidex about 6 weeks ago and am also getting Zoladex injections (only 1 so far the day I started Arimidex). I was doing just great and then all of a sudden a week ago I started getting very frequent hot flashes. Can't figure out why it is starting now. I also don't know which drug is causing this (probably both). I am fighting it with gabapentin and magnesium and starting to feel a little better. Colder weather should help too. Other than that my hair is falling but I have been under stress at work and that always makes my hair fall! If it gets worse I'll do something about it. Of course the one SE I read that had been correlated with lower recurrence is joint pain and I haven't had that! Don't know if I should be sad or happy...!
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My SE's were cumulative. It started out alright but the longer I took them the worse it got. I finally had to stop. Not trying to be discouraging, just giving my personal experience; I know some people take it with minimal SE's, but for me it was horrible.
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fmaury, I had the same thing about 4 weeks into taking anastrozole. Had hot flashes, mostly during the night, for several nights running, and then they pretty much stopped. Still have one occasionally, but it is pretty minor and only lasts a couple of minutes.
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Hot flashes I could deal with. I had them before the meds, just not as intensely. It was the other SE's that broke me. It's a moot point for me now, since I found out I have osteoporosis and am not a candidate for any oral or injectable treatments.
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What other side effects??? I have been on anastrozole for 6 whole days now! Today I did some lawn mowing and vacuuming, laundry, etc. Now I am sooooo tired and quite achy. Don't know if it is the pill or the work or the combination. Any input??
V
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Just FYI, I decided to start it today in the morning, so I am now a member of this club too, oh well! Will let you all know how it goes. Didn't get my drain out for my left te, but hopefully on Thursday. Much love.
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I hurt all over, muscles and joints, at first. I have osteoporosis and I could feel every vertabrae. Also a past ankle injury became inflammed even though I hadn't done anything accident or exercise-wise to aggravate it. Then the overwhelming fatigue started; way worse than post-surgery/rads. I had serious memory issues; so bad I sat in my car one day, a car I've driven for 5 years, and couldn't remember how to adjust my mirrors; a simple toggle left or right. It took me 5 minutes of sitting and staring at the buttons before I finally remembered. I had shortness of breath, heart palpations and pupura in one of my legs. Also very bad headaches and insomnia. I told the Dr. that I couldn't take it for 5 more days let alone 5 years.
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Mini1,
WOW!!! So sorry that you had sooooo many issues with it. Did the doctor put youon something else? What did he say? I can't image having to go through that. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
V
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Is anyone finding that their pharmacy is having trouble getting Anastrazole? I just got a letter from them telling me to contact my Dr. for an alternative medication.
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Madreliz,
I wasn't able to get it through a military pharmacy. Makes sense I guess since it is for postmenopausal women. Not many of them on active duty, so not something a military pharmacy would have much demand for. I get it at the phamacy at my local supermarket. I think one time they didn't have enough on hand to fill a 90 day script so they gave me like a week's worth while they ordered and got the rest a couple of days later.
I would check out a different phamacy before I switched medication. Anastrozole is the generic for Arimidex. Some pharmacies may be unscrupulous and try to stear people to brand drugs because they have a higher profit margin.
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Hi all, for the first time, I had a nice Longgggggg talk with my Onc and he explained to me why he thinks I should be on an AI but said it was up to me.. Then we discussed which ones and why - he would rather have me on an AI and not tamoxifen.. I told him being it has almost been a year and I am willing to try one more time - I will be starting on arimidex again and praying no severe headaches this time.. He told me if they come back to get off immediately.. and will give me a month to detox if we have to change..
I have about 5 left over from the last time and it only took 4 days for the headache to appear, so am thinking of not buying the new script until those are done...
Question:ONC is definately opposed to chopping them in half and start on them gradually - says that won't work - has anyone else tried this? did it help? .. Off to bed - 4am comes early...
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Someone on this thread said they started on them every other day at first. Back a page or two. Right before I posted the first time.
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I would take them as prescribed. Taking any medication that says 'take daily' isn't going to work right unless you actually take them daily. Besides, the sooner you take them, the sooner they'll be done!
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I think Moonflwr was referring to me- I was so apprehensive about taking the arimidex after reading all the posts and because I always react to new meds. But my Onc told me he slow starts his patients-he had me slow start by taking 1 whole tablet every third day for the 1st week then 1 whole tablet every other day for the 2nd week then start with every day the 3rd week. Said it was to introduce the pills slowly so that your body could get acclimated to them . DDL who has her doctorate in Pharmacy concurred that alot of docs slow start medicines especially if there is a concern about side effects or possible interactions. Don't know if it had to do with the slow start or if I am just tolerating the arimidex so far, but I have been on them atleast 3 months now everyday since that 3rd week and am so pleasantly surprised that I have had no SE's . Even if it's bunk and the body doesn't adjust to them like my onc and DDl suggested, mentally, the slow start got me going on the pills; otherwise I would probably still be staring at a full prescription bottle if I had to just jump in and start taking them everyday for the next five years and I can't imagine that it hurt anything or he wouldn't have suggested it. My onc didn't mention anything about a 1/2 tabso I don't know about that. But it's best to follow your own Dr's method of getting on the pills . Mine also said that should I develop SE's he would have me take a 3 week break then have me slow start either the arimidex again to see how I did the 2nd go round or if the SE's were real bad he'd slow start one of the other ALs. I'm hoping I won't need a break though and that I'll be able to take them the full 5 years like Ruthbru.
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Madreliz, I hope this is not true! Anastrozole is the one for me! tumor markers normal and tumors shrining. Please dont' let it be so! I would hate to change if it is working so well.
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Redroan - There are 3 AI's. Anastrozole is not your only option. If one doesn't work, try another. Aromasin may work better for you. It was easier for me, although I had to stop taking it because of osteoporosis. Like allergy meds, some work better than others for certain people.
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I have been on Arimidex since January. I was already having hot flashes and sweats due to the chemo induced memopause. Then complete hysterectomy in December. I have about 4 really hot flashes a day with sweats. Then I'll have a couple of just really hot flashes. Have to sleep with a fan at night.
I lost 20lbs right in the middle of chemo because I got so sick (3rd generation chemo) and was hospitalized due to severe nausea.
I have also suffered from joint pan and stiffness since chemo, last year. I am very stiff after setting for long periods of time (at my dest at work) and I can only walk 1 mile and my legs get very stiff and painful, hard to lift. The only thing I know to do is to keep working through it. Have to keep walking because food tastes good again, lol.
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Took my first pill... Looked at it all day trying to decide when to take it each day ... 5:30pm I guess. Why is this so hard... probably because of what happened a year ago...
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Gmafoley: Good luck!
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Kjiberty: Thanks I need alot of encouragement on this one...
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Gma, good luck, I just started on Monday. I take it in the morning.
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I think it is hard sometimes to remember or maybe to differentiate between the side effects of the medication and the side effects of the situation the medication is intended to achieve. AIs reduce the amount of estrogen in our bodies which in turn reduces the estogen available to encourage the growth of cancer cells. Hot flashes, joint aches, stiffness, osteoporosis, weight gain, etc. are all potential collateral damage from the lack of estrogen. Since AIs are prescribed primarily for post-menopausal women, this colleateral damage is also edged on by advancing age.
That's not to say that some people can't also have side effects or reactions to specific AIs as well. I would think the only benefit of the "slow start" or half dose of an AI is to determine if and miminize any allergic reaction to the medication or interaction between it and other medications. Since the effects of estrogen depletion (whether during menopause or when taking and AI) usually occur over time, I don't see how taking a lower or less frequent doses of an AI for 2 or 3 weeks would have any noticable impact on that.
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It is often the fillers used within the different generic formulations of the drugs that cause a number of the side effects. The slow start is a potential way to determine if that specific formulation may cause an individual problems, most likely not the main drug ingredient - the joint aching and hot flashes are SE of the drug itself. There are many makers of all of the class of AI drugs. One generic version of Anastrazole may cause headache and nausea, but another may not. Those who are having problems with their prescribed drug may want to try another maker to see if their SE are not as severe. If you find one that you tolerate better than another your MO can write the prescription as "do not substitute" with the name of that manufacturer on the prescription itself.
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I agree with Special K. I had another Rx that I had filled and noticed that the pharmacy had changed to another generic version of the drug. The Rx did not work at all. I had to tell them that if they were going to keep using that drug, I would have to change pharmacies. I must not have been the only one because the next month they changed back.
I also just read that Anastrozole is on the list of most frequently counterfeited drugs. Nice, eh? Like we don't have enough to worry about.
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Hi everyone~ i am a newbee on this thread. was on June & July 2011 sites. I have been taking Tamox since Feb. 2012 when i finished rads. this past 2 wks have been a rollercoaster for me. went for routine blood wrk and my AST & ALT liver #'s were elevated. primary didn't think too much of it. went for 3 mo. with Onc. and she freaked out. had blood work taken only 2wks since 1st blood wrk and numbers are up more. Then went thru a CT scan of liver, showed a spot, I FREAKED OUT!!! CT on Monday, MRI on Friday same wk. Got results Monday, says all normal. Going to Onc. at 11am to see what to do next. She had me stop taking Tamox the day i saw her. Been told that Tamox can mess with your liver??? Has anyone heard of this??? I'm only 42, so don't know what to do next. Try a different drug or have my ovaries removed??? Need your advice!!! THANK YOU!!!
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I have noticed that I am gaining some weight back even though I am still watching my intake. I kept the weight off for almost a year but after being on the Arimidex (which my script is actually Anestrozole) I seem to be developing belly fat. That is very frustrating, seems like it just really popped up a month ago after being on the An since January.
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