For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
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So my MO called and said to me that she was involved in the study with Women who are on Arimidex and newly osteoporosis/osteopenia and that reclast 1x/yr has the best effect in stopping it and works with the Arimidex. She recommends that if I want to switch meds that I go on Evista, has anyone tried that? Is it the same as Tamox?? She insists the Reclast is nothing to worry about.. The Serious SE that I read beg to differ! This is too much...0 -
Blessedteacher, we are in the same boat. Tamoxifen failed me so I am on anastrazole, but I am also pre-menopausal so I'm also on Zoledex for ovary suppression. Fun, fun. I have bad hot flashes. I ache some at the end of the night but its improved since I increased my exercise. The most annoying SE is I have developed trigger thumb. But I always say, I'm HIGHLY motivated to take the drugs since I'm a recurrence.
Everyone talking about osteopenia and osteoporosis, how often do we get a DEXA scan? My great grandma and grandmother and mother all have/had osteoporosis, so I'm kind of expecting to head in that direction regardless of meds and especially with meds.
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DEXAs are generally every two years. You could possibly get your doctor to write you up for every year (maybe). Not everyone on Arimidex has bone loss (I stayed in the normal range), and not everyone with osteopenia gets worse on it either (a good friend of mine with it remained stable throughout her 5 years). I would say that if you are on the borderline to definitely commit to a good weight bearing exercise routine, and adding calcium (and vitamin D) to the diet through food and probably also supplements...and see what happens before you go to medications. And even if it turns out that you need them, be sure to keep up with the diet & exercise to help minimize the loss as much as possible.
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TwoHobbies my onc ordered the dexta scans every year but now that I have osteoperosis my Rhematologist will probably order them. She does it ever other year. My bone loss after chemo was small but I finally hit osteoperosis after 2.5 years on the drug. I was osteopenic before chemo. Chemo + Chemopause there was a big drop but almost stable after that except for my spine.
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My bottle says 1mg per day. How does that fit with others? I see Aviva is up to 150, but doesn't say mg. is my dose that extremely low compared to others? If so, no wonder no SE yet.
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sweetandspecial - Thanks for the correction about the Prolia not being IV, but subcutaneous. I edited my post.
Miminiemi - Standard dose for Arimidex or the generic anastrazole is 1 mg / day. The topic occasionally arises about why dosage isn't based on weight, but that still seems to be what the majority of us are prescribed.
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I am told that arimidex should only be taken up to 5 years? My mo said how about switching to evista? Strengthens bones and still a SERM, does anyone know about this? Thanks
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B123 the final research for AIs, 10 years is not complete. It should be out soon (by the time I'm done in March 2016) My MO pretty much indicated that the studies so far point to 10 years for high risk but will not say that's my course till the final results are out. She is just strongly indicating that I she will most likely be recommending 10 years when the results are out.
Evista I believe works like Tamoxifen but a new drug.
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Evista is a SERM like Tamoxifen.
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thank you for the info about evista! I hear it is not as reliable as tamoxifen or arimidex??
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Kathy thank you for correcting me.
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<laughing> We will get this right yet Lago. Sorry for being so cryptic before, I wrote that last as I was heading out the door to go to the seniors' centre. I am so much older than many of you posting on this thread. I was still in peri menopause in the mid 1990's when raloxifene ( brand name Evista) was approved by the FDA as an osteoporosis drug for those women unable or unwilling to use estrogen replacement after menopause for their bones. Raloxifene as a SERM acted as an estrogen on the bones but spared the endometrium so could be used by women who still had a uterus. Unfortunately raloxifene has hot flashes as a S/E so wasn't very attractive for women looking for a menopause drug.
To make a long story shorter raloxifene as a SERM acted on the heart as an estrogen (but not on the breast). It was believed by some back then that estrogen could prevent heart disease and raloxifene had similar blood lipid effects as ERT. A clinical trial was set up to see if raloxifene also lowered heart attack risk. $$$.
Well you all know what happened next, the results of the WHI study was published showing no heart benefit for estrogen but it just so happened that the long term data in the raloxifene clinical trial showed that the women taking raloxifene had a lower risk of getting breast cancer.
BCO lists information about Evista on the main section of the webpage under Treatments / Hormone therapy (I'd add the link but I am posting this from my IPad). This is where the confusion comes in about Evista being a new drug. In 2007 using the results of the above mentioned trial the FDA approved raloxifene to lower risk of breast cancer for women who have osteoporosis. I believe it was quite recently I read on BCO that the FDA approved raloxifene as a drug to help prevent breast cancer for women at high risk of getting breast cancer.
Raloxifene is not yet approved by the FDA as a hormone therapy for women already dx'd with breast cancer, not to say such a proposal is not in the works someplace, but as there are other new generation SERMs in development, one widely talked about on the stage IV forum, (will try to post links later) that is not likely to happen.
Kathy
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wow Kathy that was great information! So Evista is equally strong in preventing BC and in addition improves bone density? Then why doesn't everyone go on it instead of arimidex, which causes so much bone loss for so many?
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thanks for the history, Kathy. I always find this kind of information to be really helpful!
Virginia
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B123 Tamoxifen might improve bone density too. Although it blocks estrogen from cancer cells it can have the reverse effect on the bones. Actually my insurance first turned down Prolia and suggested I try Tamoxifen first. But as we know Tamoxifen can also have that same effect causing endometrial cancer although very low. Wikipedia does a pretty good job of explaining that. Linky I also believe I read it somewhere on this site too. I'm not sure if Evista works the same way and has some of the same issues (risk of endometrial cancer)
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No Im on Anasztrazole 1mg. the 150 is the effexor generic. Which I figured out is too much for me, makes me wired and hard to sleep. I was on 75 a day before that, so am going back to that dosage. The arimidex/anastrazole is 1mg across the board for everyone. Havent seen anyone on the boards here ever say they do a different dose. Some have asked about a half dose, to avoid some se, but haven't seen anyone whose dr prescribed it that way.
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Hi All- YES, NAUSEA is a side effect of Arimidex. If you go to their website, it is listed. If you read the study comparing Arimidex and Tamoxifin it is listed. In fact, in those whose cancer was higher than Stage 1 Grade 1, it was reported as a more common side effect.
I had some mild nausea (no vomiting) the first 2 weeks. My Onc said he would give me a script for Compazine, or we could go off for a couple of weeks and see if I did better. I sucked it up and the nausea has subsided, but does re-surface on occasion. Nothing I can't tolerate.
DOGSNEVERLIE- I have a had some very mild hot flashes, but it is hot and humid here in IL except for this week, so I am not scrapping my med or trading out yet. I have had trouble with a big toe, and thought it was the drug---then I went to get a pedicure, the guy grabbed my toe and rotated it really hard ( I jerked) and it hasn't hurt since, so now I wonder if I had it slightly out of joint..... I've also experienced an increase in my insomnia. One day I fell for not particular reason. Don't think I was dizzy, I just was upright and the next minute down. That worried me more than anything, but I am clueless as to what caused it. Have appointment with the ENT later this month.
I think the secret is to be as active as you possibly can---walking is the only weight bearing exercise I can do, and it is leisurely, but get a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps a day.
I don't know how to forget about the cancer--its not been a year yet, but I am just pretending my Arimidex is a vitamin to do me good, and try to get on with the process of resuming my pre-cancer life. .
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Red, thinking of the AL as a vitamin sounds like a positive approach to things. Best of luck. Gee, I had a dizzy thing a couple of years ago, did not fall down but did feel like the room was spinning. I saw my PCD and she sent me to a neurologist who never did figure out what caused it. I went to a second nuerologist who said as I had no reoccurance, it was likely a virus and we would never really know the cause. Hoping your fall turns out to be something like that. Best of wishes
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Well, now I'm thinking that my MO told me that nausea was not an Arimidex SE just so I wouldn't get it in my head!? I guess it's that, or he didn't know how to read the list of SEs! Anyway, I have been on it just 5 weeks. About two weeks in, I had a mild hot flash. Yesterday I had two medium hot flashes. They were not terrible, and if that's my only SE I can certainly tolerate it. After reading what other people are going through, if I'm lucky enough to just have hot flashes I will be fine with that.
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Proud and Red, last winter I had dizziness and balance problems that lasted 2 months. My PCP sent me to an ENT, where I had complete hearing test, whichnwas normal, and then an unsettling VNG test, where they move you up and down quickly and force-spray hot and cold water into your ears. I saw 2 eye specialists. I saw a neurologist. By this time I ws also having tremors. I had a brain MRI, which was clear. No one ever found the cause. I was a basket case, and my PCP put me on an anti-depressant. Related or not, the symptoms went away. I was on Aromasin at the time. Weird...
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Wave, I think I did that test as well, I had the MRI & MRA. Had a retired-nurse-pal with me on the doc meet. I did not know what they were looking for but she told me the were looking for brain cancer! lordie but they found nothing and it went away. never did the ENT docs at the time, dang if all the docs are unnerving and I can see getting tremors. Hope all is fine now
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Aromasin also has dizziness as a SE (actually written right on my prescription bottle of the generic version). I know I waited a day to start it because I was driving that day.
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Well, I went for my first mammogram on July 3. I am 10 months out from my surgery. Mammo was clear. Good news because I was sure that something would show up. I still have some lingering breast pain and my nipple is still bright red, swollen and hypersensitive (even after 10 months out from surgery???). I have been going to physical therapy. That seems to be helping.
On the same day, I saw my onc and decided because of my severe depression, that it was time to get off of anastrozole for a month. Then we will talk about stopping it all together. She is worried about my depression and recommended that I see an onc/psychiatrist. I am so sad & depressed all of the time. Nothing makes me happy and I feel like I am stuck in time...... I really hate it. I also have terrible, short term memory loss. I know it's most likely illogical but I always am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for them to find cancer somewhere else. My gut is telling me that it's still in me, somewhere.
I want to be able to place this life experience where it belongs but can't seem to yet. It's always in the forefront.
I praise God for this site. It's a place where I feel safe and where I can vent. I love you ladies........
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denilynne that's how I got on Anastrozole. I was off it for 5 weeks and back to my normal self pretty quickly. I'm now on generic Aromasin. Just over a month and it appears not only is the depression gone but all my stiffness too (and a few other SE). My MO felt it wasn't Anastrozole but when I turned to my husband and said "am I better now that I'm off it" he replied yes.
While some of your depression might be due to diagnosis I wouldn't be surprised if Anastrozole is making it worse and harder to deal with. I would see if you can switch.
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Well, I gave up. For about a year, arimidex (generic) was fine, then hip pain and stiffness began to really build up. After a four week drug holiday (joy, bliss, wonder), I started exemestane (generic of aromasin) on July 4. Happy un-Independence Day to me!The good news is that most of my symptoms (pain, stiffness, brain fog) went away when I stopped the med. My onc says pain is less of a problem on exemestane, so I'm hoping for a comfortable couple of years.
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Brookside it's been over a month on Generic Aromisin and my back, neck and shoulder pain are gone. My neck got so bad it hurt to stand up straight. I was shocked too but it is much much better.
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So I went to my MO and asked him for a script for brand Arimidex and sent it in to AstraZeneca direct. Today I got an email that it has shipped, so it should be here in a few days. My MO says that if the brand name doesn't help the joint pain then he will switch me to another AI. So we will see! The pain is awful but I am getting used to it I suppose. Interestingly, it gets really bad in my hands when it is going to thunderstorm. And we have certainly had our share of those this spring/summer. And more on the way tonight and tomorrow. I guess it's time for some ibuprofen!
Martha
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Hi All
II have been back on arimidex for 2 1/2 months. I took it for five years 2006-2011 for my first breast cancer. I had a new cancer in January. (subsequent mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction.)
It started out ok, increased joint pain in neck and back, I can live with that. I'm very active and I've been keeping going.
The last 10 days I am very tired and my outlook is low. I feel flat. I also noted my hair is thinning and my eyelashes are reduced in number. I am on lexapro since my first breast cancer and take Trazodone to sleep and have done so now for 9 years. It takes me an hour to fall asleep now.
Just saying--i needed to vent. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome DK
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Daylek I also take arimidex and take Cymbalta (anti depressant and helps with pain) and Risperidone (sleep and mood stabilizer). You might want to contact your provider and see if you can switch to a different anti depressant and sleep aid or maybe increase the dose on the lexapro and the trazodone as sometimes the medicine can reach a plateau.
Aurora
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