For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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My hot flashes tapered down after the first month, but I still get them sometimes just before I'm due a dose of my Arimidex. Haven't lost any hair from it. I too was osteopenic so I am on 12oo Calcium and 5000 D3. I have had the odd bone pain here and there but nothing lasting or debilitating. I worry the most about my bones.
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Hot flashes can be triggered by things like wine, spicy food, even exercise. I know mine are triggered by spicy foods although that doesn't stop me from eating them. My flashes are minor.
PN can take up to 2 years PFC. Granted I'm 4+ years PFC and I actually think my PN that I have in my left heel just recently got better… like in the last couple of monts! I can actually feel my heel again!
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I've been on Anastrozole for about a month now. I just finished rads on December 23. I am having terrible upper back especially on my radiated side. It's from my spine to my shoulder blade area etc. anyone else have back pain? It is worse when I lay down and almost has me in tears. Also what about nausea? Has that been bad for y'all?
Thanks for any help.
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Hi Hope, I finished 6 weeks of rads on dec 22, was burnt to a crisp and skin care nurse warned that my skin may break down, start weeping etc but it never did and I just had my follow up check today with the RO and she could not believe how quickly my skin has healed and I had rads to both breasts as well as boosts. As I am in sunny Australia I told her that I had gone swimming in the sea every other day and also used calendula cream. No other SE's whatsoever, to avoid or help with nausea when on chemo, I sliced up fresh ginger root, steeped it in boiling water then topped up with cooled boiled water also ate ginger cookies and I had no nausea whatsoever. Ginger is a well known natural anti emetic. I have lower back pain from an old injury and use a TENS machine which has worked wonders for me. Have been on Arimidex for two weeks and so far no SE's but I know they can take some time to kick in.
luv 'n' stuff
Elaine
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I have not been active on this site for quite a while because of downsizing into a home we have been rebuilding--totally consumed both my husband and I. However, I was wondering if any of you have stopped taking your Anastrozole and starting taking Tamoxifen (sp?) instead because of extreme bone pain in the knees and legs. My quality of life has changed so much and my relationship with my husband is suffering from my being so incapacitated by this drug. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
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might want to check in with an ortho for some X-rays
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Sandylyn, yes, I stopped Anastrosole due to pain. I took it for almost three years, but started getting scared of what it was doing to me. I now take Tamoxofin and feeling much better. While I am on here, I would like to comment on vitamin D3. I was takin 2000IUs for a couple years without Dr. Okay. Well, recent blood test show drop in one test, scared me. Dr. said just take the 400 to 500 IU. Too much can affect the liver
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Hope, please call your RO office and tell them what you posted. There could be some respiratory thing going on with your lung on the radiated side that is radiation related. This is the season when people can get pneumonia, and sometimes PCP's are quick to diagnose incorrectly this condition when they see you've had rads. Your RO is your best lst contact.
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Hope I had nausea too the first 6 weeks or so. My Mo offered me Compazine, but I don't do well with meds, so I said let me see if it goes away and it did. I had a little bit of every side effect, but they all dissipated. I did make sure I was getting the TEVA brand (generic) instead of the others, which are made in India. TEVA is manufactured in Israel. Think it's a "cleaner" drug in terms of the fillers used. You can also bypass insurance and buy the brand name for like 30 dollars a month off their website. Some have said their side effects were even worse on the brand name. I've not tried it yet.0 -
sandy, I am thinking about tamo as well. I was one it for my first bout of BC but scared because I ended up with BC in the alternate breast. But AI have really caused pain. I stopped taking them this week. I wish I could find out about taking tamo and AI alternate every month. It has to be better than not taking anything.
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I think with all supplements/meds they react differently with different people. Certainly on the glucosamine you need to take it regularly and it does take about a month to kick in if you are going to see any benefits. Truly, my ankles hurt so much in the morning - they were so stiff that I dreaded getting up.
I am standing by it and TRULY HOPE it will have the same benefits for anyone who tries it!
Schiff’s Glucosamine 2000mg contains twice the amount of glucosamine per pill as some other leading brands.
Schiff uses Glucosamine Hydrochloride (HCl), which has the highest potency of active Glucosamine among Glucosamine forms. Glucosamine Hydrochloride is about 83% Glucosamine, while most brands use Glucosamine Sulfate that is only about 65% Glucosamine.
Contains soy and shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster and crayfish).0 -
redhead,
What website do you mean? I'm hoping maybe the brand name AI thong cause as many problems
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lbrewer, have you tried taking a different brand of either AI or tamox? I had tried all the AI's & had terrible SE's, but I hadn't known about the different fillers & that they quite often were the problem. I went back on my original brand of tamox with no SE's, but when I got bone mets I was put on anastrozole & the brand I'm on now is great, no SE's at all. GG
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how do you specify which brand? My otero zoos is made by Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Ltd. I have developed a huge "knuckle" on my big toe and don't know if it's related or not. But my ankles and feet hurt so I now walk funny
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gotta love spell checker! I meant letrozole!
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I told my Walgreen's pharmacist that I wanted anastrozole by Teva only and made sure he entered it on my record. We'll find out tomorrow if it worked beyond the initial fill
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Lbrewer, I wasn't sure at all what you meant. BUT I did get the underlying question
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I just wonder that is AI are bad for your bones and tamo helps and AI raises LDLcholesterol and tamo helps, why taking them alternatively every other month wouldn't even things out?
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lbrewer, I don't know where you are (US, Canada or somewhere else) but I discussed my issues with my onco & she had the hospital pharmacist research the fillers & they came up with what they thought I could tolerate. When we figured that out, they ordered the specific brand for me. If you're in the US, I think you have to speak to your pharmacist & see what brands are available.
Maybe someone from the US can explain how it works down there? Good luck, Dee
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Ask your pharmacy if they can get the TEVA brand. If they can't, check with other stores.
My feet and ankles hurt so bad I thought I'd need a cane. With my docs permission, I had a 30 vacation, then went to TEVA. Things are much better now
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my hips and joints are so achey I feel super old when I first get up from sitting or laying down. Does anyone else have pains in abdomen from arimadex. Right above belly button
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No tummy pain from Arimidex, Mrygolds13. Who manufactures your anastrozole? If it's not Teva, you might try switching to it. Many of us here find the Teva brand causes fewer side effects. (I have had no SEs and am using the Teva brand)
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Thanks all , I will ask walgreens for the teva brand. May have to switch to cvs or publix but that's ok with me!
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lbrewer, Walgreens is where I get my Teva brand anastrozole
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sandylyn13 I switched to Exemestane from Anastrozole after 3 years. My aches, sleeplessness and other issues are gone.
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Walgreens for me too. Publix didn't have
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sandylyn - my MO switched me to tamoxifen on Dec 18 because of the wakefulness I was having at night. I started sleeping all night immediately once again. When I first started my arimidex in 2013, I had horrible joint pain but it gradually let up within 3 months. From what I've read, it looks like arimidex is much more effective than tamoxifen and I feel it is a risk for me to switch.
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AstraZeneca makes the Arimidex drug. It was on their website.You just call all the pharmacies in your insurance plan and ask them if they can obtain the Teva Brand of generic anastrazole for you. Many will say they have no control, and I just said, thank you, but that is the only manufacturer I am willing to accept. finally I did find that the CVS pharmacy where I live carried it. So I moved my script to them.
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Just got my blood test results from my annual physical. In may, my total Cholesterol was 171. I started walking 3 miles a day, lost 25 lbs and I went on anastrazole on June 9th. On Thursday, my total Cholesterol was 225......0 -
Google Arimidex Direct and you will go right to the place for the 30.00 a month program...0
