For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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virgina, since you don't have osteoporosis and are not even osteopenic yet, and since adding another drug can have SEs of it's own; before you would start getting shots, I would seriously try to work on keeping my bones in the normal range through weight bearing exercise (anything that pounds the bones: walking, dancing, running, exercise classes, whatever......and also by lifting light weights. Also, eating a serving of prunes a day has been shown to actually build bone density. And be sure to get plenty of calcium and vitamin D as well....in food and suppliments both.
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Soteria- just read your post. So funny about the comment about growing a penis! I can only imagine the expression!
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Thank you for your information. Isn't Claritin for allergies? I will give it a try though to see if it works and will post an update in a week or so. How much vitamin D and C does everyone take while on the "A" meds?
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I was taking 1000 IU and that didn't work, so I upped it to 2000 IU and that didn't work, so I've been on 4000 IU for the last 8 weeks. I just had my bloodwork done and the dr called to say the Vit D is normal. But I'll have to see it for myself. My dr. is very easygoing. Not so sure that's a good thing...
I've read that a little time in the sun will produce 20,000-30,000 IU and you can't overdose. But you can get skin cancer! lol Anyway, ever since chemo my skin reacts to the sun in a weird way. Has anyone else found that to be true?
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I heard that after chemo you must be very careful in the sun. Lots of protection.
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Yes, ever since chemo my skin has become very sensitive in the sun - it doesn't burn or tan but breaks out in splotches - I am very allergic to most sunscreens so I rely on a hat, sunglasses and as much covering as I can stand and pretty much I stay out of the sun. Be very careful about taking Vit. C and D - check with your onc and PCP - I take 2,000 IU of D every day (as per both my drs) and no Vit C - they don't recommend it - they'd prefer it came from a food source (and mine does).
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Saw onc this week regarding the ongoing hip pain. Anti-inflamatories and prednisone seemed to make no difference in pain/discomfort. We discussed the possibility of bone mets, but he didn't feel it was that. I did the blood lab workup and he will have results next Thursday. If that shows any elevation at all, he will have me proceed with PET scan. However, as we all know the PET scan will highlight every arthritic point in the body, and I know I have numerous. My gut tells me it is not cancer reoccurrence. I am just completing first year on Anastrozole and as I understand hip pain is a common, frequent SE. If lab results do not indicate anything, I am going to discuss perhaps changing to Aromasin. I also need to have a bone density screening done as its been a year and I was ostopencia when last tested. My mother suffered from hip degeneration and had both hips replaced. That may be in my future. So many questions/concerns. Staying optimistic and will let you all know how I'm proceeding when I see onc again on Thursday.
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My drs keep telling me to up my Vitamin D intake. I hadn't heard the warnings about Vit C.
My surgeon says food is the way to go. You know how it is, everyone differs.
I
don't like pills but what can you do?
Sherry, I trust your gut too. Anastrazole is a pain pill...it CAUSES pain.
However, I have to tell you, this is my third trial on it and I walked for hours yesterday with no pain.
I think my body is adjusting. But it's only been a month. I'm cautiously optimistic.
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Timbuktu - love your 'cautiously optimistic' comment. That's what I ALWAYS tell people when there's a situation that could go either way. I prefer to be the 'glass is half full' (aka cautiously optimistic) point of view rather than the 'glass is half empty' (cautiously pessimistic) person.
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Its been a whopping 5 days for me and Im also cautiously optimistic. But realize itll probably be a few months before I can tell if I might start having se.
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virginiab I was osteopenic before chemo (onc tested me). I went into chemo-pause then started ESD (anastrozole). Lost a lot that first year but still osteopenic. Last year was stable. Need to set up this years test.
But I am not on any bone building drug. Osteopenia is not osteoporosis. I have a family history (mom), I'm small framed, Caucasian and former smoker (quit 8 years ago). Used to drink lots of diet soda too. I'm the F'n poster gal to get osteoporosis. But IMO you don't start treating for a headache that you might get 2 weeks from now so why start this very serious drug? I will admit like doxie I too exercise, take extra calcium and vitamin D as prescribed by my MD and onc.
sherryh16 go with your gut but check it out. We've been in our bodies for decades. We many times know when the doctor doesn't. Yeah we know when it's not right.
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Happy Birthday Timbuktu!
Soteria -hysterical!
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Hi ladies- I found out I am osteopenic when they did my bone scan this year. I was surprised as I am a larger boned woman, but my mother also had it towards her later years (she was larger too). I have always been on the low side with Vitamin D and my PCP keeps suggesting I up the dosage. I am now taking 4000 IU, hoping to get into the normal zone.
And I agree with "listening to your body". I had several biopsies in the past before the one I had last year that diagnosed my bc. With the others I did not feel I cancer (and I did not have it), but when the radiologist said last August they saw something on the film and were concerned, about it I knew right then it was cancer. We live our bodies and know when things feel off.
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I was dx'd with osteopenia long before BC... and I refused to take the Fosamax my PCP prescribed at the time.
Instead, I focused on taking Calcium and Vitamin D supplements, and walking for exercise.
Years later, when I had my second DEXA prior to starting Anastrozole, it showed the osteopenia really hadn't progressed that much at all.
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Thanks for the the experiences and ideas about osteopenia. You have given me food for thought.
I know I have lost an inch or 2 in height. I've been taking calcium and vit D for decades, am overweight, and have been a pretty enthusiastic exerciser more times than not over the years. I even like and eat prunes.
It's clear to me that I could be doing more exercise now. I'm still working on making exercise habitual after I fell off the exercise wagon around the end of radiation treatments. I can eat the prunes more regularly. Of course I'll continue with the helpful supplements. And I'll see what research I can find on Zometa.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Didn't they just find out that calcium supplements don't work? Of course they will find out the opposite tomorrow.
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I've been taking vitamin D3, and twice daily I take Calcium 600mgs, but when I had my bone density in July, it showed 60% bone loss in the femur in little over 2 years. They are still calling it osteopenia, but with that much loss in such a short time, I'm now on Fosomax weekly.
Paula0 -
Tim. Yes, a study showed calcium supplements didn't work for women on AIs. (I posted the study about a week ago....) Sigh. Still taking the CA/D ...figure it can't hurt. I guess another study should show women on AIs who take no supplements vs those who do and see if there is a difference. Of course there is the additional exercise/sun/body build etc. to consider as well...so it's really a crap shoot.
PS. Belated birthday wishes.
PPS. Lago, we lived in Lincoln Park (1800 block Fremont) during the 70s-80s. Still have friends there. Really saw the changes during those years!
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I am on Arimidex. Not sure for how much longer... I started having bad low back and joint pain in one leg. Went to chiro but not much better. Have taken Aleve which seemed to help but I began to get very paranoid that it was bone mets.
Went to Onc and he did blood test. Said not to worry but gave me a scrip for xrays if I just had to do it. Two months passed and still lots of joint and low back pain. I couldn't get it out of my head that it might be mets since women on the boards said blood work didn't show that there were mets.
Had the xrays. Osteopenia which I had before bc. Mild degenerative changes. Thank you God!
I also recently have been having pain in my right foot, now mostly my heel. I wake up and it's like the bone is bruised and it's painful to walk on it. Gets better as the day wears on.
I can't imagine having all this joint and bone pain for five years. I have done a year and three months so far. Not sure how long I am willing to continue. Of course there is the skin looking like shit also.
Kathy
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chats, ditto to all of it. I have to take 'vacations" from it. I'm on my third go round and miraculously, the pain is almost gone! It makes no sense but so far, it's gone. Hang in there. Each time I've gone back on it the se's are different,
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chatsworthgirl~~Are you taking Claritin with your arimidex? It's makes a huge difference in the bone pain.
Paula0 -
Timbuk, I think I'm growing one too - at least I know I've got "balls" now!!!
RE: Vit D & calcium, I am taking a prescription for 20,000 D Units a day (1 month)- was 50,000 D a week but I'm still low, got blood test yesterday so they will adjust. - I go out in the sun a lot but it's still low. Take 1200 calcium a day. I've had osteopenia since 2008 and it's getting worse - my bones hurt!!! Couldn't get the Prolia shot yet because of root canal and tooth extraction is Zometa the same...I take walks but I just hurt tooooo much to do all that exercise - I end up at the chioropractors!!
Arimidex brand vs generic - I switched to the brand name Arimidex about 4 weeks ago and have notice that the hot flashes are gone!!!! Still have joint pain.
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Just got my bloodwork back and after 8 weeks on 4000 IU vitamin D a day it's finally normal.38.
But my calcium is a little higher and that worries me.
Liver enzymes a little higher too,
Glucose high.
Dr. doesn't seem concerned. I'll see my onco in a couple of weeks.
Bottom line, I'm feeling better than I have in a long long time.
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Oh Timmer that's so great!! We seldom hear those words ('I'm feeling better than I have in a long long time') on this thread!
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Good news Tim.. keep feeling better!
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chatsworthgirl - have you been checked for plantar fasciitis?
There is a ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. It supports your arch. If that ligament gets strained or irritated, then you will feel it right where it attaches to the middle of your heel bone, on the bottom.
I used to have it, and that's exactly how my pain felt - like the bone was bruised, and it hurt to walk on it.
You can Google it... there are lots of easy treatments, like stretching, orthotics for your shoes, and night splints. Mine has pretty much disappeared now.
Just a thought...
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Thanks, I'm feeling better but worried about the climbing calcium. Has anyone had that? It's only 10.5 but it was 10.3 last time and both are considered too high,
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Blessings~~I used to wear Crocs all the time..Summer & Winter. After a couple years of that, I started having pain like you describe. When I started wearing other shoes it went away. I hate that, as the Crocs were so comfortable until I took them off. Then the pain set in.
Blessings
Paula0 -
I had heel pain, my trainer suggestion rolling a tennis ball across my foot. for me it worked, just had to keep doing it for few days till tootsie stopped hurting
bought a can of balls and kept them up, down and at my office for when it hurt
try it, some folks use a frozen water bottle also!
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Timbuktu - your stats are very similar to mine - we were diagnosed at about the same time as well. How often do you vaca? and for how long?
I did take a one month vaca after a year becuase the se's were getting pretty bad - pain all over, depression, low energy. Felt normal pretty quickly after getting off this freaking drug. I started up normally and then the pain started to get to me so I am doing one pill every other day. I had read some posts where Oncs were OK with cutting the dose in half. I am 71, weigh about 135-140 so there is not much estrogen in this bod any more. Many have complained of the "one size fits all" dosage. I haven't taken a pill for three days right now. Also, Natsfan who has similar stats posted that her Onc let her take a one month vaca every year.
Timbuktu - I keep a running chart of my blood work so I can track just how my various chemistries go up or down. I was taking calcium and saw that my levels were rising a bit. So prior to the next blood test I stopped and saw my calcium levels go back down a bit. Then I was eating some ice cream and cheese and the next test they rose a bit. My last one was 10. The only time you have to be concerned is if the levels are VERY elevated or seesaw drastically.
I have had blood test reports from different labs. Some state the range as 8.4 to 10.2, another one as 8.5 to 10.5 and another as 8.5 to 10.6
My Onc was not concerned with these variations. I have also noticed variations in glucose - I made it a point to know whether my blood was taken Fasting or Non fasting as that makes a big difference. Stress also raises your glucose level. The fluctuations are normal.
Paula - I have taken Claritin recently occasionally for allergies (and during chemo for bone pain from neupogen shots - forgot about that). I will drop one as soon as I'm off the computer.
Blessings - Well I never considered that I would have plantar fascitis and I don't recall doing anything to cause a strain. Does Arimidex cause this as well??
Proudtospin - I have some tennis balls and will give that a try also.
Thank you everyone for your good suggestions.
Kathy
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