For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Proud, Neurontin isn't a fast acting pain relief like aspirin etc. needs to build in your system.
And yes, you can be snappy or witchey on this stuff For about a week I was afraid to open my mouth, didn't know what would come out.
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Spookie, thanks, I had taken it for some weeks before (the bottle had 60 in it and has only a handful left so I must have taken them at the time. With my dang history of allergic reactions to stuff (including aspirin~~) think I will wait till end of month for my doc apt and not do something stupid to myself!
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I experienced the witchiness and snapping at my family, too. My mind was telling me it was wrong but my mouth had other ideas! My onc put me on Effexor and now I'm feeling like myself again. At my appt. yesterday he upped the dose to twice a day (I was only on a 1/2 dose) to help with the hot flashes. I have at least 10 or more a day! I also switched taking Anastrozole from evening to morning. I don't have problems falling asleep anymore but I still wake up 3-4 times a night from the hot flashes. Really hoping the Effexor helps with the hot flashes!
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Hi, I posted this recently, but perhaps on another thread. Squeezing every drop of estrogen from our bodies may be good in the BC fight, but the rest of the body has to deal with it as well.
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Estrogen Effects on the Female Body
What is estrogen?
Estrogen is a group of hormones that play an important role in the normal sexual and reproductive development in women. They are also called sex hormones. The woman's ovaries produce most estrogen hormones, although the adrenal glands also produce small amounts of the hormones.
In addition to regulating the menstrual cycle, estrogen affects the reproductive tract, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and the brain. Secondary sexual characteristics, such as pubic and armpit hair also begin to grow when estrogen levels rise. Many organ systems, including the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, and the brain are affected by estrogen.
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Obviously, all these organs and systems can be affected with estrogen depletion. Sigh.....
Have a good weekend!
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Anne,I also noticed that people think treatment is finished. Some will ask how long I will have to take the pills and are blown away when they hear 5-10 years! I guess I was clueless before dx, too. Patience is a virtue that passed me by!
Ohio (Bonnie)
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I forgot to check this thread and missed so many pages. I wanted to comment to bandwoman on the oncotype. If I'm reading your post correctly (and I may not be) you may be misunderstanding what your MO is saying. The oncotype does not give you your chance of distant recurrence (mets) with no treatment. It gives you your chance of recurrence with hormone therapy only as treatment. It assumes everyone will take hormone therapy.
I forgot who asked about gabapentin and anastrazole. I am on both. I was also reluctant to take the gabapentin. Who needs more drugs. Well it turned out I did! I couldn't sleep through the night due to pain I guess. Ibuprofen helped but my dr didn't want me taking ibuprofen every single night. I take 100 mg before bed and I am sleeping through the night 90% of the time. Woo-hoo!
Question for the group: My hot flashes are getting significantly worse. Luckily I do have an MO appointment soon, but I wanted to get thoughts on this. I am on zoledex (forced menopause) because I recurred on tamoxifen so I had to go on an AI. I have increased my exercise tremendously and I wonder if that could be the effect as it seems to be the only thing I'm doing differently. My other thought is maybe I'm going into real menopause. Anyway, I will ask my MO but I wondered if anyone else had experienced worsening hot flashes and is there an effective treatment. I'm on gabapentin, 100 mg which helps me sleep marvelously. My doc had said I could take another one during the day because it helps with the hot flashes too, so I suppose that is an option. I see that anti-depressants are supposed to help but I'm not sure I'm depressed enough to take it. I do have some bad days but its not consistent and I certainly feel fine most days. I read today that accupuncture might help but you know we can't afford that if insurance doesn't pay!
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Checkers,
I have been on Effexor for awhile now . Still getting plenty of hot flashes so I'm trying to ween myself off. Good luck ...I figure one less pill I don't have to take plus not to big on anti depression meds..I feel like a 24 hr hot box.
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I take Effexor also to try to help with hot flashes. It has helped some but still get one maybe every 4 hours. Its worse at night- and the Effexor causes weird dreams, which interrupts my sleep also. When I see onc in Sept I plan to ask about the Gabapentin. And then see if they recommend getting off the Effexor also. I admit it does help smooth me out and generally make me feel better, so maybe if the Gabapentin helps the flashes, I can go to the lowest dose Effexor.
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Hmm, well I'm certainly enjoying the sleep so maybe I don't want to go the anti-depressant route. I took a gabapentin this morning. I'm going to see if it helps the hot flashes and if it effects my function during the day. I'm worried it'll make me tired if it helps me sleep, so I decided Saturday was the perfect day to try it.
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I am in my third week of Arimidex holiday. My hip pain is almost gone, I am sleeping better, the depression has lifted and I feel more like myself. The script just came yesterday for the Aromasin, so now I just need to see which pharmacy has the best price as I seem to remember reading that it is a bit more expensive, but maybe my memory is not correct. I do hope the SE's on Aromasin are not as bad.
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twohobbies, the gabapentin takes a few days for the full effect to take place, so I would not count on just one dose making a difference. I take 600mg (200 in the am., 200 in the afternoon and 200 at night) and it really helps with the neuropathy, the hotflashes and sleeping. But I started with lower doses and then built up and now it's smooth no se's
Aurora
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TwoHobbies,
I don't know if this might be an over-simplification, but it is summer (is it where you are? ) my hot flashes seem to be much worse with the heat & humidity. I've been doing Effexor since I had my ovaries out so I don't really know if it's helping. To be honest, I'm afraid to go off the Effexor or else it might get worse!
I have tried this thing from "Made for TV" that helps at night. It's not magic, but it does seem to help me stay cooler. I sleep with it under my back rather than under my head because I'm a pillow snob & this would never pass muster as a pillow! I looked to see if I could find the one I have but found this instead. It's a little different than the one I have, but you get the picture: they have it on Amazon
Gel'O Cool Pillow Mat 11 x 22"
I also have a friend who swears by Ban's Total Refresh Cooling Cloths. She keeps them in her drawer and uses them to cool off. I haven't tried them yet 'cause my goal is to not wake up!
Hope these ideas help!
Stay cool, my friend. ; )
Virginia
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Vadre
I'm in Fl, and all I have to do is THINK about going outside and I'm dripping. I was on the lowest Effexor but stopped it when I did the 30 vacation from devil pill. It did help, especially at night. I haven't started it again, having warm flashes now. It is hard living where we do. The cooler pillow looked good I still may get one.
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Auroaya, I will try the gabapentin during the day for a couple of weeks and see if it helps. Thanks and I'm glad to hear you think it does help the hot flashes. So far I feel fine today but I've exercised a lot so if it made me sleepy I don't think I could tell!
Virginia I think that pillow is a great idea. I would also use it under my body because I think it would help more that way. I might even take one to work and put in my chair. I have taken some cleansing wipes to work as I'll just break out in a sweat. UGH! Thanks for the ideas. We've had a pleasant summer here. Normally its much hotter but its been temperate for once so I think its more likely to be that I'm exercising a lot.
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I take the 300 mg Gabapentin in the morning and the same at night. My PS started me on it during the TE fills. I take a little nap during the day if I'm just lolly gagging at home & feel sleepy, but if I'm up doing things then I don't feel the need to take one. He prescribed it 3X a day but I find twice is fine. To me, it's a great help. Wouldn't want to be without it!
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Just poured 1/2 bottle of GIN over my raisins in a jar......
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oooo, keep me posted!
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thank you for the definition of trigger thumb...just to add to the rich possibilities of SE, I had a period of time when one of my pinky fingers would be out of alignment, I'd have to push it back into alignment..not painful, but awkward...a bit scary...it would always be in the morning when I woke up....that is not happening now. Now I have stiff hands in general, hard to make a fist sometimes, and partial numbness in one thumb for a few weeks, now both thumbs.
Really appreciate our ability to be candid with each other.
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I take my first Anastrozole pill today. Wish me luck!
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I'm right behind you Golden. I start on Friday. Good luck. We'll have to compare notes.
Bandwoman
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have just taken 100mg of the Gabapentin for 3 nites...does you notice any change right away in the Nueropathy? cuz i got nothing...not sure about the sleep-aid part...been having some weird dreams fro sure
definite increase in crabbiness & not liking that at all...i know it could be worse but hate to think i'll live my life as that woman...do we think that goes away as you get used to the Anastrozole?
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For me the witchey lasted about a week. The strange dreams, I don't know, wasn't a SE for me
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I've been a witch for a long time! Or that's what they tell me. Maybe that's why I'm on Cymbalta! But, I do notice I'm still having to bite my tongue. Maybe you should take more Gabapentin, I'm not giving you any medical advice please, but mine are 300 mg and I take one in morning and one at night. They help!
I did have my first crying outburst yesterday but I'm not for sure if it's the drugs or just the shock of buying a bra!
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I started Anastrozole on May 29, so it has been a little over 7 weeks. I am having 3-4 mild hot flashes a day. I can deal with that, if it doesn't get any worse. I'm supposed to see my MO in Sept. but he said to call before then if the SEs are bad.
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Hot flashes....blah!!!! You may already know all this, but here are some things that helped me: invest in a bunch of fans; big ones for by your bed, tower ones for by a desk, lap ones for watching TV. Also get rid of any turtlenecks and heavy pull over sweaters. Buy sweaters that zip or button in the front, so you can take them off quick and easily. If you can get your wrists cool, it will cool off the rest of your body. Have a cold water bottle or cold pop with you and you can sneakily roll your wrists over it to cool off. There are also 'chillo' pillows, head & neckbands that you can put in the freezer & they hold the cold in (I can't remember their names but you can google them).
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hot flashes are not a problem with me - prob cuz i'm post meno - just the edginess..
mema4 the gabapentine is helping with the nueropathy? or the flashes?
been feeling more tired today...with that "don't feel like doing anything productive" mentality - as you can see by the fact that i've been back to this sight 3 times
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I'm post-menopausal but still have hot flashes and I have friends in their 60s and 70s who tell me not to assume they'll stop just because I get older. I don't seem to have the crankypants SE, still very easy going and laid back. I did have trigger thumb (both) but not any more. I do have sore feet, cognitive issues (short-term memory, focus/concentration issues), occasional bouts of fatigue, and dryness of the lady parts (she says in a quiet whisper.....lol).
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I'm post-menopausal. Hadn't had a hot flash in over two years, then bam... three weeks after starting Anastrozole here came the familiar heat!
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Gabapentin has to build up in the body before it works, so you probably won't feel any results for a few days, and if you skip doses, you lose ground.
ruthbru---do the raisins go in the fridge from the minute I pour the gin on with a lid on them, or does it sit on the counter at room temp until its evaporated and then in the fridge???? Or are they so "pickled" it doesn't matter?
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ruthbru, I've been wanting to try one of those chillo pillows. I don't really get night sweats, but sometimes the pillow is just so warm!
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