For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Have a PO box so cooking in the heat is not a problem. They did ship my refrig. eyedrops with a nice reusable ice pack when I had mailorder b4. Problems with screwcaps as in coming loose in transit? I think the high BP drug I had back then came prepack from manufacturer so didn't get that experience. Good question to ask if I do go that route. Thanks.
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I have my choice, really love the pharmacist at Walmart. He can't get the Teva brand, so I have to choke down my dislike and go to Walgreens for that.
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I'm not a real fan of Walgreen's either. DH gets all his from Meijer (supermarket) and I love the staff there. However, my copay is higher there. At least Walgreen's is really close.
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My insurance switched to CVS at the preferred pharmacy. I know this spring they were selling Teva brand of Anastrozole
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My peeve with this Walgreens goes back several years when the TECH decided I had bee rx'd too much insulin and wouldn't fill what dr wrote.. She's still there. I don't like her. There are 4 Walgreens in my town, 2Cvs, 1 walmart.
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spookiesmom, I don't blame you for being very unhappy with that tech. I would be to. My issue with the Walgreens near me is that the pharmacist doesn't speak English well, making communication difficult.
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Spookiesmom don't let one tech represent Walgreens. We all know that at times a company makes a bad hire. I wish my local Walgreens was the same cost as CVS. One of the pharmacists there is amazing. When my NP made a mistake and told them I wasn't going to be prescribe Protonix and I should use Prilosuck she tried to get the insurance to cover it instead of me buying OTC. (Granted I needed to be on Protonix). There are other stories like that where she fought for me. Before I was diagnosed she knew my name even though I rarely bought meds (occasionally for my DH). She even knew my husband's last name which is different from mine. Remember usually the tech sells you the drug.
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Express Scripts is our rx provider. My anastrazole is $18 for 90 pills......made in India. MO said to watch for a difference in se's. (He also uses generic and said he can tell if the manufacturer changes...then just shrugged his shoulders.) A friend's daughter works for Roxane. Her office is in Cleveland, but she spends most of her time on the west coast and Poland. I fear that prices are going to get much higher for name brand drugs for all illnesses.0 -
I am a fan of Walgreens, I have lots of allergic reactions to meds and the pharmacist is up on my dump stuff
I could do mail order but not comfortable with that
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3rdtime - What you're experiencing sounds strangely like what I experienced earlier this past summer. I never related it to Anastrozole because it seemed so random but who knows. I had not experienced diarrhea since my 2nd pregnancy nearly 25 years ago. Memorial Day weekend I was hit with something weird. It continued for several days and was very worrying because I was due to head out for the 'California Dreaming' trip with several other BC ladies. My PCP gave me Flagyl and Bactrim just in case it was a bacterial bug. I felt fairly normal the day before my flight and decided to go for it. I'll never say it was a mistake to go on that trip because I got to know some awesome women and see some awesome things, but I really was not well the entire week. PCP put me on Lexapro when I returned because I was having anxiety/depression type issues by that time. The more serious diarrhea subsided about 10 days from onset (and the loss of 10 pounds) but I still did NOT feel right for another few weeks (tummy not right, fatigued, emotional, and let's just say the bathroom stuff was 'strange'). Not what I remember as a normal diarrheal episode. When I went back for a 1-month Lexapro checkup I was just finishing up another 10-day bout of weird diarrhea again. Doc gave me a Z-pack just for the hell of it and wouldn't you know I've felt great since then. I don't know if it was the Z-pack or if my 6-week bug had simply run its course or it was a temporary SE of Anastrozole but I don't care. I really learned to appreciate the fact that I seldom get the illnesses that most people do. It feels soooo good just to feel good right now compared to early summer!
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Pontiac Peggy - I get my meds from Target.
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IamNancy, While Target is a Preferred Pharmacy, they aren't convenient for me. But it's nice to know in case I have difficulty with Walgreens getting the Teva Arimidex. Thank you.
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hello all.
Mine is TEVA. Because it is considered a maintenance drug, I have to get thru express scripts. If not my provider is cvs.
I have felt achy and all kinds of strange. Some stomache issues also . Trying to give it time. I see my onc on 10/23, I want to ask her about the overweight and arimedex study.
Has anyone had their estrogen levels tested? Maybe that's a test that would tell us if it is working ? Just a thought.
V
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sweetandspecial, Hi, I was reading your post about intestinal issues which I'm experiencing now. I've been taking Arimidex
since March and until now I've only experienced joint pain and hot flashes. Over the last 3 weeks out of the blue I get stomach
pains and feel like I have the flu. Then I go to he bathroom and end up having a bit of hard stools. (this will be a bit graphic)
Anyway,I'll go back and lay down and end up right back in the bathroom with diarrhea which then turns into watery stools. I know that one
of the side effects can be diarrhea. I've read some stats that said intestinal issues for women are probably around 13%. I am pretty
new to these boards and haven't really seen too much on this particular side effect. FYI: I've had a Colonoscopy 3 yrs ago. I can
deal with it I guess if I have to but sure wish I could hear if other women are affected in this way. I am assuming it could very well
be the drug. Thanks....
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naiviv I had my estradiol levels tested for 5 months after chemo because I went into chemopause and my MO wanted to be sure I stayed there. Standard care would have been for me to start with Tamoxifen but given my family history (mom & sister), I was peri-menopause before chemo my MO felt I wouldn't come out of it. But she of course wanted to be sure. I had started on Anastrozole. I did stay in menopause but I'm not sure if that test can really test to see if Anastrozole is working.
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lexie, what you describe (constipation/diahrrea/loose stools) is definitely what I went thru when I first started Arimidex/Anastrozole, fortunately over time it dissappeared (I also started taking "metamucil" type pills, which helped with the stomach issues.) Hopefully it will be a short termed se for you too.
Auroaya
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auroaya, thanks for responding... (I'm not sure if by hitting post a reply if the message goes to the person who responded?) I am still
so new to this site....
Anyway, I was wondering if you had this SE immediately or did it take a few months? Like I said, it just startedfor me and I've been taking it since March. That's 7 months..... I see my doctor Oct 17th and I plan on mentioning it to her but I've found
that hearing from actual women who are going thru things sure helps me a lot more than a doctor saying yes or no... I like my doctor
but i don't think she's a very positive doc when it comes to beating this. She basically says live each day until something happens!!? I'm the
type that definitely needs more encouragement. I know there are no guarantees but WE ALL NEED HOPE, YA KNOW... Thanks again for
any info. i hope your doing well. It looks like you've been thru so much already.
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lexie, the way the thread works is that your reply goes to the end of the thread not to the person you addressed, this is done I think so that everyone has a chance to read your post and chime in if wanted. We definitely need support and encouragement in fighting this beast and I've found that these threads here help a lot. I see your staging is III and I would encourage you to look at the threads that are about that subject as well as this one. Just go to the "active threads" link and scroll down at all the threads and join anyone that calls your attention. In regards to the se's from Arimidex they started around the 4th month after I started taking it and subsided around the 9th month but everyone is different. Many doctors don't "believe" in the se's but you're right anyone else going thru it can tell you they're real for sure. Still, I think the se's are worth it as long as they kick the C to the curb. Feel free to send me a private message if you want to talk about this or anything else.
Aurora
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lexie2002 I think it's time to post my famous 2 speeches for you. I post these when people worry about it coming back:
seat belt speech:You don't assume you will get into a car accident every time you get in your car. You do put on your seat belt and drive carefully. Same with breast cancer. Eat right, maintain a healthy weight, exercise, and take your hormone therapy (if prescribed). No reason to think you are going to get mets until you actually have a symptom.
shit happens speech:
Some people win the lottery and become millionaires too but do you really think that's going to happen to you? Shit happens. Sometimes good shit, sometimes bad shit, but most of the time shit doesn't happen. Don't assume shit is going to happen to you.
Remember the word "if" is in the middle of the word "life" for a reason. As long as you have life you will always have "what ifs". It's your MO's job to worry about those cancer "What Ifs"
BTW I still haven't won the lottery
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Sorry to say, I quit the Arimidex after 4 whole days. I was very foggy headed yesterday, and was worried I had done some permanent damage to my brain. Only bone pain I experienced was my shoulder blade. I could live with bone pain to some degree, but I need my brain to do my job. There's no way I could go through every day in a fog like that.
Contemplating taking it every other day or cutting the dosage in half.
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PRB1956 Don't take 1/2 or every other day. Try a different AI. Exemestane is 200% better for me. I will never switch back.
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LOVE those speeches Lago!
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naviv - I get mine through Express Scripts too. $25 for 90 day supply.
Lexie - I'm hesitant to blame my intestinal issues on Anastrozole simply because it was soooo random. I had been on the drug for 18 months at the time and am assuming it was just my bad luck to be susceptible to some goofy bug at that point. I had a squeaky clean colonoscopy in April 2013 so I'm not worried in that area.
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Just placed my first order for Arimidex at Walgreen's today. They carry the one made by Teva (which I gather is the preferred generic maker). I'll start it in 10 days (the day after I finish my rads). Anxious to loose another gun in the arsenal at BC!
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Love the speech, lago!!0 -
PRB1956, I have to agree, try a different AI. Tell your onco what's going on. I tried almost all of them til I discovered I can take anastrozole. I had terrible SE's.
Lago, Love the speeches, esp shit speech. It's become my mantra, "shit happens" and like you, I still haven't won the lottery!!
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Great speech, lago.
PRB, agree with everyone else. Call your onc & try something else.
I would remind everyone to not to assume that any sort of medical problem is Arimidex related (it may be, but get it checked out, it could very likely be something else).
Lexie, I was a little achy & creaky at first, but just kept moving & at 6th months in I was fine. Everyone is different, but go in with a positive attitude (anti-hormonals are the biggest guns in our arsenal against recurrence), plan that you will do fine, and make adjustments if needed.
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Well, the toughest SE for me is the hot flashes. Some days they are not bad and some days they are definitely bad. On those days I just tell myself it means they're working!
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Thanks all regarding the speeches. People do seem to like them
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Iago, thanks for always being a voice of reason, logic and experience!!
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