For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Puffin, the problem is I have an extra child here right now (24/7 for another week or so) who requires a lot of care. If I started today and the drug the side effects are really bad I have big problems. Next week my kids are on spring break so my older kids will be here to help me out, plus my husband will be on shortened hours for the week. Normally I am on my own all day. I hat the thought of fighting the bone pain while trying to deal with two post operative kids the following week (they're both having surgery on the same day on their knees and ankles so will need a lot of help moving around.) I will just have to bite the bullet and do it, but it won't be until Monday.
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Hi Gals,It really is amazing how the different medications can affect all of us in different ways. I've read a lot about muscle and joint pain on Arimidex. That is the side effect I didn't have. I tolerated the hotflashes just fine. They were mostly just a mild irritation! It was the nausea and vertigo that did me in, as well as a huge increase in depression. But since I had a pre-existing problem with depression, perhaps the Arimidex just exacerbated it rather than causing it.
Kudos and high fives to all of you who stick with the medications through tough side effects and lots of hard things going on at home. It ain't easy. I just wish my doctor had gone over the possible side effects with me before hand ... he never said a word. All he said was "take a pill for five years" and that "cancer is now thought to be a chronic condition." Makes it sound like no big deal doesn't it!
Wanted to wish you all well today.
hugs
Bren
PS ... Not to get too far off topic, but if you Michigan ladies have the chance to get together ... go for it! I have met and spent time with so many of the ladies from this forum and they have become such close friends over the years.
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Hi Peggy! I have not been on in a few days and just read your reply about an easy way to remember to take your pill, THANK YOU
I so hate taking meds.............
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DogsNeverLie, the Dixie cup solution has worked well for me. I really gave DH a hard time when he first started doing his pills that way. Of course, I wasn't taking anything at the time either. Lesson learned when I had to take over management of his pills and discovered how much easier it made things. Those little pill box thingies never seemed to be appropriate to our situation. At least I know when I've missed a batch. Hope it works for you! HUGS!
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Peggy, envious of your ins coverage.
Noonrider, my hubby is a trucker and works 60-70 hrs per week and I am mostly blind so I appreciate what you're saying about se's and being alone. After my experience I'll never try anything while I'm alone.
Someone used the jumping in a cold pool analogy yikes! There's a pool here and if I use it I go in one toe at a time. I look at meds with the same caution.
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Glad you're back home, Cee, but what an annoyance that they just do not seem to be able to do anything for you, even in the ER! Is asthma by any chance a new thing for you? I ask because several years ago I went to the ER with a pretty bad asthma attack, after several months of wheezing. No inhaler they gave me had helped. Turned out that my gastric reflux had gotten so bad it was affecting my lungs, and, as it was also busily eroding my esophagus, my appetite was pretty minimal too. Strangely enough, this is a pretty typical result. Should this happen to be your issue as well, that might also explain your swallowing issue.
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Cee, I'm so grateful for our excellent insurance too. The salesman said we would not pay a thing out of pocket when he sold us the policy. It went into effect and 10 days later DH had a massive heart attack. And we found he was right. Worth every penny we pay for it. That's tough with your DH on the road so much. Makes it really difficult. HUGS!
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It is important for the newcomers to this thread, and to AIs to really remember that many/most people dont have se, or at least, not debilitating ones. Ive been on for 18 months almost, few se. Hot flashes returned to me as soon as I was dx and went off hrt. Started effexor to help with that and things in general, didnt find they helped the flashes, I still take 37.5 lowest dose in the morning to keep me 'even'. Even that low dose Ill wean off when its time so dont get se from stopping it. I take melatonin and gabapentin at night to help with the flashes and for sleeping.
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Thanks for all the well wishes and advice, I took my first pill last night and couldn't believe I slept until 8:30 this morning.That never happens!!
After reading many on here, my heart goes out to all, I guess Cancer never comes at a "good" time. So sorry for everyone with insurance issues, I cannot imagine (but mine is pretty recent and I do have a couple of issues now) and sure more to come.
It would be great to have a meet somewhere, my next date to U of M is June 11th........weather should be awesome and the meet would be too.......as with you Peggy I can meet anywhere or anytime as I too am not working. Let me know and we can all 3 meet up or anyone else here in Michigan!!
Mary
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PontiacPeggy, just reading your latest posts and I wanted to send you a hug ... My fingers are crossed for your medicaid application being approved in the very, very near future!!!
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Mary, that date won't work for me. Have a trip planned. But I'm sure we'll be able to find a date when we can get together! That would be so awesome! Let's wait until the weather is a bit more stable. And we could have NancyHB join us. Kzoo, Jackson and Pontiac make a nice straight line! Glad you slept in. In fact, envious. My kitty thinks that 6 is as late as I'm allowed to sleep. She also needs her insulin then too. But 8:30 WOULD be heavenly
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Thank you, SoLinda! I'm praying for that too. If it's not, I can't begin to think how bad it will be.
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The two most significant things I've learned since joining this forum two months ago: Whippetmom is the go-to for reconstruction issues and PontiacPeggy is the cheerleader for all things cancer (Ra ra sis boom bah!).
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Why, thank you very much, Jilly59! That's the nicest compliment I've had. I hope I can bring positive energy to such a challenging disease. Maybe I'm a pollyanna, but I think that being positive helps everything and makes it a bit easier to get through the shitty times. Hope you're feeling good after your surgery. HUGS to you!
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PontiacPeggy... You always have a way to brighten someone's day.
Do you ever have a bad day?????
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PontiacPeggy... so I'm sitting here telling my husband about you and that you're from Pontiac, MI. He grew-up in Mt. Pleasant and he's telling me these stories about going to concerts in Pine Knob. Sorry, off topic.
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Thank you again, Jilly59. Of course, I have bad days. This fall was awful. I was depressed. Then having to re-invent my life. I had thought of losing my DH but I never thought about him being in a nursing home. It produces a weird situation where you're married without any of the companionship benefits. I finally got out of my funk in February. I'll feel more like me come warm weather. I hibernate in winter. I really do appreciate your kind words. If I can help just one person cope and feel better then I've accomplished my goal. HUGS!!!
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I'm so sorry about your husband, Peggy. Is he close? I can't imagine how difficult that must be. You're a strong woman - kudo's to you.
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Jilly59. There've been lots of great concerts at Pine Knob (now DTE Energy Theater). I'm not much of a concert goer but my brother is! Yup, hubby is about 20 minutes away and I get to see him everyday. Parkinson's is such a crappy disease - all downhill. But I treasure the good days I have with him. Thank you again! (And Mt Pleasant isn't THAT far away
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I second that on the cheerleader!! Thanks so much Peggy, it's catchy I hope for being positive you have been thru and continue as always with anything that comes up. A BIG THANKS!!!!!
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PeggyPontiac - My heart goes out to you and your husband. My mother has end stage Parkinsons, and yes, it is a crappy disease. She's 94 and I am her health care representative/POA. She has round the clock care in her home, but we are approaching the point where that will soon may not be an option. We almost lost her twice, but she fought her way back both times when doctors advised palliative care. She is my model for fighting breast cancer. Ironically, she thinks Parkinsons isn't bad compared to her sister's Alzheimers. Funny how we all adapt to cope with what is given us. And thanks for your positivity. It really helps me to know I am not the only one battling 2 diseases.
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Mary, glad I can help! You're too kind!
GypsyJo, that's wonderful that your mother has been able to stay in her home so long and that you can get care for her. Neither Parkinson's nor Alzheimer's is good. DH has Parkinson's related memory issues compounded by his heart attack 4 years ago - he lost short term memories and still has issues. All I can say is that I felt a huge relief once I had hubby in the nursing home. I didn't have to worry so much. And now I can actually relax. I wasn't able to leave him and, as you well know, getting a PD patient out and about is extremely challenging. I'm glad you have all the legal stuff in order. That helps so much. She sounds like a wonderful woman. You're definitely not alone. Bitch and whine or cry with us. We totally get how overwhelming it can be. (BTW, you'll do just fine with your lumpy next week!!) HUGS!!!
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Ok here is what happened when I saw my MO last Friday. I told him about my cholesterol being so high after I had lsot 30 lbs and was walking 3 miles a day and eating oatmeal and I had been off the Arimidex for 32 days, but wasn't fasting. We did a non-fasting cholesterol test and when results scome back, he says if its still high, I will stay on Arimidex and if its dropped, then we will try a new AII know some of the folks reading this are on other ones and I know LAGO loves her Aromasin. I've priced the two drugs with my insurance and the Femara/Letrozole is 9.00 a month and the Exemestane/Aromasin is 20.00 a month.
But I am thinking people have said the Femara was worse than the Arimidex.. do any of you on the other drugs want to give me advice? Many thanks.
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Good luck, Red. Bummer. HUGS!!!
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Mary59, my experience has been the same. Only on Arimidex for a little over two weeks but I'm sleeping through the night for the first time since pre-menopause. Kind of strange since so many experience insomnia. I take mine at bedtime.
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Meljo614, that's wonderful! HUGS!
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I have to echo the sentiments of others PontiacPeggy. Your positivity is infectious and much needed. It is scary for us newbies. So appreciative of the support. Thank you!!0 -
Okay, I know it's scary for everyone...
But I really do appreciate the kind words and encouragement.
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Meljo, thank you. But I'm just as much as newbie as anyone else. My journey just started in June. I have been very lucky to gotten good advice and feedback from this site, my MO and friends who, in this case, have been on AIs for a long time. I do try to be positive since I feel it helps slog through this disease we want out of our lives. HUGS!!!
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First I would like to join the Peggy Fan Club! What a blessing to read her cheerful, upbeat, honest and loving posts.
I was also fearful of starting Arimidex but the first few weeks have been totally uneventful. I have a bad knee and am worried about ongoing issues with it but was told by my docs it most likely would be months before I noticed any increased discomfort from the Arimidex.
So sorry to hear about Cee's issues with Medi-Cal. I previously was a Director of Provider Services for a large commercial health insurer's Medicaid health plan and and the quality of care was equal to our commercial insurance health plans. I am still in health care and deal with our state's Medicaid plans but this time I am on the provider side not health plan side. The only complaint is low reimbursement but it is about equal to Medicare and more thanTriCare (military health ins).
I am very fortunate to have Medicare and BCBS PPO secondary from my first retirement (keep starting businesses, going back to work.... ready for retirement #3) and haven't had to pay one cent for medical bills for the past two years.
Back on topic.... when my oncologist gave me the Arimidex prescription he said contact me right away if you have any issues and we will try half doses or every other day. I was glad that he was being proactive just in case.
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