For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Mary, Keep in mind that some women do well on Femara or Aromasin but not on Arimidex. The AIs seem to be drugs where one can work great for me and horrid for you and vice versa. So don't give up on AIs, just switch if that's appropriate. HUGS!!!
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Peggy, I will take them and hopefully they can help. Yes I am taking tylenol and I will take 2 tonight before going to bed<I've only been taking them in the mornings at this poing but I will take a couple tonight before retiring. Thanks!!
Mary
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Good, Mary! If Tylenol works, it is possible that the SEs may even go away - they have for some of the ladies. Fingers crossed that you are one!
HUGS!
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Mary, I agree, try not to assume the worst but rather that you will be fine. I ended my 5 years and well, focus on the end of the time or just doing as much as you can.
I have some arthritis and recently have started suppliments that are really helping.
Then again, I am hooked on swimming and my lovely laps so hang on dear
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Mary after 3 years on Anastrozole certain side effects were no acceptable for me. I went on a 4 week vacation (MO approved) and sure enough it was the drug. I was ready to quit too. But my MO had me try Exemestane. I'm doing much much better. If you don't try you never know.
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lago, great tip on GoodRX. I would think people with lacking health insurance plans will find that very helpful. Thanks for sharing!
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mary, let your MO g uide you. mine let me take a two week break between xmas and new years and I had been on it since June, I then took a month and 10 days off before I tried the Femara. Felt really good after being off kt hnat long. Went back on afte a 2 week break for the femara to clear out and without counting the breaks, my one year anniversary would be tomorrow. I am starting to ache like you described..... I am a little heavy (170 lbs on 5.6) so maybe it just took this long for the drug to soak thru my fat cells to deplete stored estrogen, eh??? Just kidding., but body fat does make a difference.
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Thanks for all the great advice! I'll talk to her on Thursday and see what she says. And yes, I will do whatever she says possibly a different kind or something.. if this was the only one I would just suffer and take it but its getting to be very difficult to do.
Mary
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Good luck Thursday, Mary!!
HUGS!!!
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Mary, I agree you should wait until you talk to her on Thursday. That way the side effects will be real fresh in your mind. Extra weight does not help because of the extra stress on your joints. I am also overweight but have lost about 30 pounds over the last couple of years. Moving around really helps, too. Today I took a walk at lunch and although I was pretty stiff and sore when I started I was feeling a lot better by the time I was done. Incoming spring thunderstorms certainly don't help either!
Good luck~
Martha
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I think a good point would be if you were overweight before you began the AI's and you have not gotten any heavier.........then why would anyone attribute their pain to their weight..............
I based my opinons on how I felt before the AI's, and how I felt 3 months after I began them.....I actually lost about 12lbs............so 'NO", I am not going to blame the pain on my weight...........nothing in my life changed.............other then going on the AI's.............
I still say you have to give it a chance........
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Ducky, I don't mean that I blame the pain on the weight, I just mean that weight loss can help a little. I definitely know that my pain is much worse and in new places since starting the AIs, but less stress on the joints helps a little too.
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I am like Ducky, overweight before and still overweight but I am about 25 pounds less than when I
started the AL shit, so how to get relief, no idea0 -
Just a reminder to members new to this board: not everyone has problems with Arimidex. Most of us don't. I have a friend who has been on it 4 years with no problems. I've been on it for 9 months with no problems. This is not to say people don't have SEs because they certainly do. And the ladies with bad SEs are the ones who post most often, looking for help, for ways to stay on AIs since they are so beneficial.
So if you are just starting Arimidex, do NOT assume that you will have problems. It is likely you will not. Just expect it to work and take it and forget it.
HUGS!!!!
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while I complain, I did finish up my 5 years, fear of stopping kept me going!
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Just have to chime in, everyone is different indeed. I had to quit tamoxifen after almost 2 years due to joint pain, but if you would've asked me in the 1st 6 months I would've said no SEs other than weight gain. Doc changed me to anastrazole and my first reaction was, "isn't that even more notorious for causing joint pain?" but the doc said everyone is different, you never know, it's worth a try. I've been on it for 4 months now, and really can't say I feel any different. So far so good. Also, even though most here seem to prefer the Teva brand, that's what brand my tamoxifen always was, but the anastrazole has always been Accord brand. No problems - yet anyway.
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Jennie93, hopefully you'll be SE-free on anastrozole! HUGS!!
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Pegg,
Over a week on arimidex and so far everything is ok. fingers crossed
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Suladog, that's great! Hoping that's how it continues.
HUGS!!
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I will be starting Arimidex this fall.....10 years, I am told. So, why are some women told 5 years and others 10? And, is this a magic number? Why not forever? What says, "OK, you have done this for 5,years, you are all better now. Does not make sense to me. Anyone know of any research to uphold the thinking
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MySunshine48, From what I read, the thinking is changing on taking AIs for only 5 years. Many MOs are now recommending 10. Mine says probably 10 but we'll see after 5. You might check out the articles here on BCO. I rather lean towards 10 or forever, if possible, since I would feel like I'm doing "something" to prevent the BC from coming back. That being said, many women have taken them for 5, stopped and been just fine for decades (if they took Tamoxifen anyway). Discuss it with your MO and see why he says 10. I am curious as to why you won't be starting until this fall. I know I started the day after I finished my rads.
HUGS!!!
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I think forever is now in trials
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Thanks for that info Lago. Just what I wanted to hear. NOT!!!!!0
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F*** Forever........I am thinking that your doc is taking into consideration a lot of factors, age when diagnosed, stage and grade, genetic status, hormone status. etc. It has never made sense to me that we would take a non-permanent drug like Arimidex/Femara for 5 years and stop. Our hormone levels just slowly return. Exemestane, I am told is a permanent estrogen suppressor, so that might be different. We have to do what we think is best for us. even if the recommendations change. Its a matter of what you will be happy with, if you get a reoccurrence.....Sounds morbid, but how much life do you want and at what quality and price? what are you willing to do for it.... how much physical sacrifice are you willing to make to prevent something worse from happening. .Not financial price, but for some that is a factor as well.
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Well put, Red. In breast cancer there is absolutely no "one size fits all" anything. As we can see from the postings here, some of us are doing wonderfully on Arimidex, some have some issues and some have major issues. Our surgeries vary. Our radiation tx vary. Our MOs, BS, ROs all approach BC differently. So, each of us will get our own personalized treatment plan as we progress through our AIs. And we'll each muddle through as we have through everything else.
And I agree that it makes sense to keep taking an AI since we don't want the estrogen to come back into our lives.
HUGS!!!
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mysunshine, can I ask how old you are? I'm wondering if they are starting to recommend longer regimens for younger patients. I'm 47 and was told five years on the AI is the current plan but would be re-evaluated as we got close to the five-year mark. My MO said they are starting to go to 10 years for Tamoxifen but that the research hadn't yet proven that longer than five years was needed for the AI. Studies are ongoing apparently. I'm only four months in, but if I have any issues with bone loss I will not do five, much less ten years.
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I can't get the profile thing to work right and post that I am doing chemo. I guess I don't start until after this. I also have another surgery in September. Ugg
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Oh, I am 66. 98% estrogen - how? Went through menopause many years ago with no problem. One day, my periods just stopped
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mysunshine, 98% estrogen just means that the cancer you had is highly receptive to estrogen; it doesn't mean you have 98% estrogen. In other words, estrogen is your enemy because it can cause your cancer to recur. Think of the cancer cells as little locks and estrogen is the key that unlocks them and lets them run amok! I am 100% estrogen positive and 98% progesterone positive
. Maybe the higher percentage is part of the reason for the recommendation of 10 years. I bet this is my future as well. 0
