For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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My CVS carries TEVA a nasty soul. I mean annastrozole. It's the Pharmacy I have to use for insurance so I'm glad.
Whoever mentioned vitamin D can affect the liver, yes, but it takes ALOT! When I was dx low (14) they had me taking 10,000 a DAY! I kept that up for 2 months. When I got to 28 they let me go to 5000 a day. I'm still taking that and I'm only up to 42 after 3 years. So if your DR says take it do it.
Much love
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Moon I am in the same position on the Vit D..... I am at 40 and I have been on 5000 units for at least 3 years.........its so frustrating.....0 -
my walgreens doesn't stock it but they can have it by Monday. So I guess I'll wait till them. It's amazing how much better I feel off it for just a few days. According to the maufacturer it is considered out of your system completely by 10 days.
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lbrewer - As I recall I had to wait for my first prescription too while they ordered it. I now do my refills a few days in advance to make sure they can get it. Hopefully, the difference in fillers will do the trick for you!
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lbrewer usually it takes 1-2 working days to get it in.
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My Rite Aid was able to get the TEVA brand for me.
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I'm really hoping it makes a difference. I'll get it Monday morning. Till then my toes can bend again!
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BTW, Walgreens was good and filled my refill with the Teva brand. lbrewer, I hope it works fantastically for you!!! HUGS!
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also keep in ;mind, the drug company will fill name brand for $30 if you want to try that and see if its the actual drug causing issues or just fact of it being generic.
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hi ladies, I realty wasn't having many SE issues with Anastrozole except for occasional joint aches in weird places. I've been taking it for almost 6 wks now & now the SE seem to have gone from occasionally to every eve . My legs & hips mostly.,It goes away after awhile, so it's not too bad. I've also always have problems sleeping , so RO prescribed me Ambien. She said every woman over 50should take Ambien 😉. I just hate taking so many meds! BP, anti depression/anxiety , & probably a statin soon for high cholestral. Thanks for the TEVA tips !
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Cath57, I certainly can understand why you hate taking so many meds. I've never heard that about Ambien. Damn that you're getting SEs from Anastrozole. Maybe a change to the Teva brand could help - fingers crossed. Definitely talk to your MO about your options! HUGS!
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Anyone on a BCBS high deductible PPO and getting drugs from Walgreens? Were thinking of switching and there is no drug co pay- you pay the 'amount' til our deductible is met...wondering on pricing.
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Cath57,
I've never heard that every woman over 59 should take Ambien either. Just be careful taking it...my pcp prescribed it for me when my mom died & I couldn't sleep. I had to make sure I took it right before going to bed otherwise I was totally out of it. Within 15 min, it was working full force.
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I have always been a restless sleeper & was getting zero sleep during all the BC turmoil. My doctor finally prescribed Ambein and I look it all through treatment & the 5 years of Arimdex too (although I cut back from the 10mg to 6.5 mg dose). Now that I'm done, I am sleeping somewhat better & just take it before appointments, when I'm traveling (and sleeping in people's crummy guest beds) etc. You have to be able to sleep to function the rest of the time....that is my story & I'm sticking to it!
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haha , all .... I reread my post about what my RO said "every woman over 59 should take Ambien" it should've read "50"... She was joking with me as it seems we women over 50 can have insomnia issues.
. ruthbru, it will be my story & I too am sticking to it! Like my Mom has always said " if you have the the right amount of sleep , you can do anything! " hugs back to youPontiacPeggy 0 -
Cath57, since I'm 69, there isn't much difference to me between 50 and 59
I know how much it has helped my DIL who has sleep problems. I know that lack of sleep was one of the reasons I had to put DH in a nursing home. Four years of total exhaustion then add BC, rads etc and I couldn't do it anymore. Gotta have sleep!Thanks for the hugs.
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aviva5675 I have Aetna PPO high deductible and it works the same way except they change the preferred pharmacy to CVS. I also find that I can get 3 months worth at CVS since it is the preferred.
Sleep issues. I had them on Anastrozole (Teve). Don't have them on Exemestane.
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havent had SE yet but my foot started to kill me where I have some osteoarthritis from an old injury Wondered if it's the weather or do people typically have the joint pain in area that act up in bad weather. Are those places more susceptible. Or are joint pains more random?
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Sleep is essential. I took Ambien until I sleepwalked into the wrong bedroom in the middle of the night and walked into the wall. repeatedly until I woke up enough to realize where I was.... Now I am strictly a Trazadone or Xanax gal.......0 -
I had a very stressful job and life before the BC diagnosis and used Ambien every night to sleep, low dose. I really wanted to get off, so used the week after BC surgery when I was recovering from the anesthesia and was on heavy pain med to do it. Not needed it since. My mindset completely changed after BC. I no longer live for my job and take time to relax, read, and exercise. Still put in long hours, but seldom does something at work keep me up. My home life has settled down now also. The first year I used tramadol sparingly (during arimidex), but nothing for a couple of years now. I do double bags of chamomile tea if I need to calm down.
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Red, I've heard that about Ambien. Very scary SE. My DIL apparently has not had that problem (or any problem) with it.
Doxie, sounds like you found a good way for you to go off Ambien. Glad it worked for you!
HUGS to you both!
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Yes Peg, I had heard of people driving places in their sleep and etc. and I thought are you kidding me? I was a Court Official and someone tried to use ambien as a cause for a criminal act that the person said they didn't remember and I thought what the heck?????
Then a few years later this happened, and that was the last one of those I took... It works beautifully if you don't have any of the side effects. Thankfully, I live in a one story home... Most of that stuff (lunesta too) is only intended for short term use.
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I have terrible insomnia, it began long before BC. I also take Ambien for sleep...well, the generic. Unless I have a very empty stomach it doesn't work at all. I have never had any strange SE's from it, but it rarely lets me sleep more than 2-3 hours at most. I only take it once or twice a week at most, but find if I take it at midnight and wake up wide awake at 2:00 I take another dose after awhile. I was prescribed the 10 mg. dose at first but when the FDA changed the dose to 5 mg. I actually have to take two. I have always envied people who can sleep with ease. I remember even as a little girl having trouble sleeping. I was frequently 'busted' for sneaking a flashlight and reading under the covers!
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When I was taking it, the doctor switched me to the extended release ones---they worked so much better at keeping me asleep. Janis your description is me to a t--fall asleep wake up, can't go back to sleep. Like my brain won't stop thinking......I have a CD of some nuns saying therosary and I put the player by my bed, and often times, I will fall asleep in the middle of that and stay asleep.
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Redheaded and Janis - Luckily I have had no problems sleeping up until I started arimidex. Then I would wake up after sleeping 1 hour - or 2 - and be so wide awake that I had no thoughts of going back to sleep. My Onc switched me to Tamoxifen and I haven't had the problem so far. We will see if it returns in the future. Sleeplessness makes everything else so difficult to deal with.
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I started on gabapentin (neurontin) about a month/5 weeks ago and it has helped my sleep for sure. So far the best thing Ive tried, combined with some zzquil and a small dose of melatonin.
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I have trigger finger in both my thumbs and can't really grasp anything with my left hand. My knees ache so bad I can barely walk up the stairs at night. My MO took me off Anastrozole for 2 weeks and started me on Exemestane. I find that on Exemestane, if I don't eat at least a bowl of cereal or 2 pieces of toast I get nauseous and dizzy. My knees are only slightly better and the right thumb is getting worse. If there is no significant improvement over the next 6 weeks I go back on Anastrozole. I am also on a half dose of Effexor to help with hot flashes and mood swings. Anyone else make the switch and have better results?
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Finally got some pricing from BCBS for the high deductible ppo (Blue Edge), and was thrilled that the anastrazole is only $9.
Cheaper than my current hmo copay!
So probably will switch plans during hubby's open enrollment.
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Aviva, that sounds like a good price. I'm on a Medicare Part D plan and it's great - $12 for 90 days. Yes, I know I'm really lucky. HUGS!
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That sounds awful checkers. It feels to me as if my knees are becoming more painful, but I'm not sure if it is the anastrazole. It could be the weather. I had gotten a trigger thumb some time ago, possibly before anastrazole. I went to a hand specialist. With a terrifying looking needle he injected something into it. It took a few days, maybe even a week, but it finally disappeared. I wasn't able to hold anything either.
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