For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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YaYa. I've been on this for a year. I too am pooped. I have zero energy, no ambition to do anything, except sleep. And more sleep. Stayed with the grands a few hours yesterday. Easy peasy, they slept the whole time. Nana slept all day today.
I thought once you're a year out from treatment this tiredness would resolve. It hasn't. I don't know what to do.
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Not being an alarmist, but the February 14th edition of the New York Times had an article about generics being made in India. The article "Medicine Made in India Set Off Safety Worries" was very interesting. It did not mention Anastrozole but did say many of the drugs were inferior and some were fake. Please read online since these drugs mean life to us. I am getting mine direct. They send a 90 day supply each time.
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Saw the same article on line this weekend - FDA is apparently reviewing India's handling of drugs and their safety measures when manufacturing, etc. For right now I'd been insisting that all my drugs weren't supplied from India - if your insurance companies or drugstores give you grief then tell them to call the FDA!!!
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How can you tell where the pills you have we're manufactured? Ask pharmacy?
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Yes, ask the pharmacist or look on the bottle. It will give you a company name and sometimes the country of origin. If not, you can find the company online.
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Thanks for the wisdom on sleeping while taking Arimidex. Lago, I have a pretty new sleep mask and it does help! SweetandSpecial I also finally switched from taking the Arimidex in the morning to evening and it seems to be helping. I think what's happening is the night sweats, and really I mean flop sweat, are waking me and I can't get back to sleep. Doc gave me an Rx for a new sleep aid, Intermezzo. It's made specifically for middle of the night awakening. It's a small dose of Ambien that you let dissolve under your tongue, but I can only use it if I have 4 hours or more left to sleep. I haven't yet tried it, but I'll keep you posted on results.
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Jlow51- thanks. I found the information in the paper attached. Of course, it is a company in India. Guess I'll keep looking at the article.
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The problem with drugs from India isn't something new. I think I saw something on 60 minutes a few years ago too. That's why I insist on Teva from Israel.
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I agree. However, when I asked my oncologist about getting baseline estrogen level before starting anastazole, she said it was not needed. I cannot recall why! Drat.
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Miminiemi, it tells you on the bottle, who the manufacture is. I told my MO I did not want the stuff from India, she said ok, wrote the script for Arimidex, I get to Costco, my insurance does not cover the original drug, I walk out with the drug from India.
Normally I would be, no worries, but not now. I am filling out the form from Arimidex, having my MO send it in and pay $40 a month.( this program bypasses your insurance ) They mail it to your house and bill your credit card. It will cost $480, compared to $80 a year. I know this is a tad crazy, but so be it. I will let you know how long this takes, and if it works like they said it should. In the meantime, I have my trusty India meds...lol...I am normally a laid back person, trust that its all good, but the last 7 months has made me nutso....you understand ?
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Holleinone - I undertand totally.. If you're crazy I am too, because yesterday my pharmacy called my MO's office at my request to write just for Arimidex not the generic, because of the scare with the India drugs. He did and fortunately insurance covered it-for now anyway. If it makes us feel better, no harm.
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My MO is Indian. Would feel weird asking her, and saying why.
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spookie, do you know which type you are taking ? Yes, I agree, I would be uncomfortable also, you would hate to offend her.
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Hi , I started on anastrozole 1 mg a week ago. The first time I took it I felt strange, dizzy about 1.5 hrs after initial dose. Only lasted about 15". Could be psychological. then for about a week, was feeling like I had morning sickness for most of the day. I had started taking it in the am but now take it before going to bed with a snack. Much better, so far. Hope that is all but it has only been a week. Has anyone experienced similar symptoms?
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Hole no I don't know which I'm taking. But se's seem to be in line with what's said here. I do know it's the generic.
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Spookiesmom Your pharmacist can call/fax your MO's office to make the request on your behalf, so you wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable.
Rilady I have had short bouts of morning-sickness-like nausea. I've only been taking it about a month.
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You can tell who manufactures your anastrozole by googling the number found on the pill. For example, my anastrozole has the # 54 077. I googled 54 077 pill and found that my prescription in manufactured and distributed by Roxane Laboratories,Inc. This medication is made here in the USA. I think I paid $15 for a 3 month supply at my hospital pharmacy.
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Be sure to read the fine print on the packages. The first address listed is usually the "manufactured for" location and sometimes the "manufactured by" info is below that.
I did a bit of investigation today with my own mail order and local pharmacies and here's what I found:
OptumRX (huge mail-order pharmacy that services many health care plans): Anastrozole (Arimidex) - Breckenridge (India) / Alendronate Sodium (Fosamax) - Northstar (India). I spoke with a pharmacist today and I was told that they are unable to special order a different generic brand at patient's request.
CVS (local retail): Anastrozole (Arimidex) - Accord (India) / Alendronate Sodium (Fosamax) - Sun (India)
Walgreens (local retail): Anastrozole (Arimidex) - Teva (Israel) / Alendronate Sodium (Fosamax) - Teva (Israel). I was also told at Walgreens that they would special order if a patient wants a particular generic manufacturer.
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My Anastrozole from CVS has Teva imprinted right on the pill. Also says it on the bottle. I won't buy it if it isn't Teva.
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lago - I just looked a few minutes ago so I could post about my pulls and your picture is exactly what my pulls are like. My bottle aslo says Teva USA which makes me happy. I will insist on these and check them each time I get a refill. Thanks for posting the picture!
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Lago - Does CVS special order the Teva for you? They were incredibly busy and it was like pulling teeth to get the info I did today, didn't ask if they would special order since I had already found out the the Walgreens across the street uses Teva for most of their generics.
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TinaT - I got mine at CVS and it was Teva USA. This was my first prescription on of, but you can bet I will make sure it doesn't change for future perscriptions.
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I get mine at Target - $8. co-pay.. unfortunately they are manufactured by Breckenridge... but with all the different SE I feel sure I am getting the right stuff..
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Hi all, I'm hoping I can possibly get some questions I have regarding Arimidex answered.. especially being a fairly new user of it, since early December. I guess first up that I should say I'm male and my specialist prescribed me these near the beginning of December. I'm right now using the generic Anastrozol... off hand, I have no idea who makes it, given the packet is at home.
Basically I'm getting a number of side effects and I don't know if they are normal or not and I was kindly pointed in the direction of this thread. I guess my questions are, are these normal side effects? I've been having basically daily headaches, in fact my head just feels strange in general... somewhere between fuzzy and light headed. I've also noticed a tingling sensations around my ankles especially when I'm walking. Other things include some pretty intense lethergy/tiredness and an emotional flatness of sorts, some muscular (seems to be muscular) pain especially shoulders, some bouts of abdominal pain upper or lower (it varies between the two) lastly feeling quite hot at times... to the point of having a cold shower to cool down.
My second question, if these are normal side effects... am I likey going to get used to the medication after a while and have them go away or even partially go away?
Thank you in advance
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I also just began using and have the same SE, so sorry any of us are having to go thru this but I'm told its the best thing we can do. I don't know how long I will last on it but I'm gonna give it all I got
The hospital I go to delivers my medication to my home each month. Theres a $10 co-pay. The pharmacy calls each month to see how I'm doing on it and what SE I'm having and what day and time I want it delivered. My MO set it up so she will know I'm getting it each month. Pretty good setup but the bottle doesn't say who the manufacturer is. In the section where it usually says it the word Sarah is. Don't know if that's a name or what
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Abaling81,
Welcome to this forum.
Arimidex has a number of side effects that you mention, particularly the muscle/joint pain, the tiredness, feeling hot. I am not sure about the others but google the official Arimidex site and see their list of common side effects-- I think one or two of your other symptoms may be listed there.
My onc told me that any side effects plateau at about six months and may or may not decrease after that. If they do continue to bother you, there are two other drugs I the same class.
I am new to taking Arimidex too. After the third day I started to experience joint pain all over my body. My onc and others told me that exercise will help. I do almost an hour of aerobic exercise in the AM And 30 min. yoga in the PM. That decreases the pain to almost nothing. I've heard that warm Epsom salts baths also help.
Please feel free to stay on this board. Although you may have side effects, this drug may save your life.
Peggy
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Kathie and Peggy, thank you very much for your replies and allow me to say best of luck
.I must say, if they didn't work.. there's no way you'd go anywhere near these drugs, here's hoping that this proves successful in the long term, fortunately I lean towards natural optimism. It's wonderful to know that the side effects have the possibility of leveling off that's an instant bit of a day brightener. Now I'm back home, I can say that my Anastrozole are made in Germany by a company called Sandoz according to the packet..
I may need to look into yoga, it's a very good idea. I do stretches as part of exercise, but thinking about it yoga would probably be quite beneficial.. actually makes me wish I'd kept up with my ballet training beyond my early 20's (I'm nowhere near as flexible as I used to be). Nor had I come across the idea of an Epsom salts bath.
I noticed some of the effects took awhile to creep up on me. The tingling sensations are new, been going on for about a week and a half. The headaches which for me seem to radiate from the back of the head and the fuzziness happened within days. Everything else just started happening in the middle and I'm hoping that no new side effects will pop up.
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The pharmacist at CVS says right now they are using Teva. If that changes I will go to Walgreens. Seems Walgreens has been carrying Teva for at least 3 years now.
Abalinga81 I don't know if the same SE apply to you as they would to women. I recommend asking your pharmacist and looking at the sheet of information that was given to you when you bought the drug. Some of the SE you have I have not heard of so this might be another problem. Some of them are common for women and many times the SE do get less by years end. I do find that exercising actually helps with the muscle stiffness.
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Jane,
The generic stuff from India has no printing on it. I have not followed thru yet with getting it direct from whoever makes the original.
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Stuff from India should have some printing on it, like the numbers otherwise I would bring it back.
"Imprint codes are a legal requirement of the United States Food and Drug Administration."
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