For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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I take the calcium and 1/2 as much magnesium which seems to counteract the problems calcium can give your digestion
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I take 600 and 300 in my multi vitamin.
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anyone notice vivid dreams with arimadex? I usually don't dream, but have noticed an increase in my dream activity. If I do dream it is seldom, but now it seems to be nightly. I also used to have night terrors, but so far so good. I noticed that some on here were talking about depression as. Possible SE. I can't say that I am depressed, but I seem to not be so light hearted, or happy as I once was..... Maybe the whole cancer thing has me worried, and rightly so, and I don't dwell on it, but sure can't get it out of the back of my head that it was there out of the blue and could come back out of the blue? How does one handle that? I am not a negative nelly, BUT...how much distractions keeping you from thinking, or dwelling on the issue? I already take lexapro n for years as I am a worry wart normally. Do I tell my family dr that I am thinking about this more than I should? I really m trying to forget about it by doing crafts, games, reading. Any other suggestions?
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Mary, I take 1200 mg. calcium, as I always have, but takes 600 in the morning and 600 with dinner. I also take 3000 mg. vitamin D. My MO said to take a B complex too since I am starting Arimidex
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jerseygirl. Except for vivid dreams and HER+, I could have written your post, just had surgery a month earlier . Also take Lexapro.
Am interested in any replies. I think about it all the time. Have shoulder pain on node side and neuropathy in feet so every time I move I am reminded of my mortality. Is this the new reality. It's an ever present cloud over the sunshine days. On a plus side I get less upset over the small stuff. I can truly say small stuff is no big deal. Dropped a raw egg the other day. Made a mess and DH was upset. It didn't phase me like in the past. Just matter of fact you have to clean it up either way. Why get upset
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Jerseygirl and Chloesmom, you both are relatively newly diagnosed, but that aspect gets better with time. You will start to relax, then next thing you know, weeks go by without thinking of it, then maybe months. I never thought that would happen, that it wouldn't be the first thing I thought about when I woke up, but it truly does. The last couple years I rarely thought about it, and only am again because I'm coming to the end of my AI treatment
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Thanks Bocababe! It's like a shadow on everything at this point. Glad to know it lessens in time
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Both of you need to share with your doctor/pharmacist about the dreams. Sometimes that is a side effect of a drug that is serious, and sometimes it can be caused by a combination of what you are taking. It usually is advised that you report it and then if doctor thinks it is not anything to be concerned about, so be it. I occasionally will have vivid dreams, but it isn't a constant thing since I started the drug. Usually if I don't take a pill I normally take...(Xanax)
My Mo told me that it takes at LEAST a year for you to stop feeling like a victim and start feeling like a survivor. It has taken me a bit longer than that, but I still have the thoughts with each little quirk I experience, what if it is back......not sure that ever goes away. Its just not my first thought every morning!
I thought if I kept my breast, I wou ld never feel like it was gone, but he convinced me, along with my surgeon, my primary care, and my rad onc, to keep the breast for now. I am glad I did. But it is a personal choice and I could have easily given it up.
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Once your treatment is DONE, you don't have to think about what is going on today, as you start to recover emotionally and physically, plug back into your life activities, it gradually gets better. It's not constantly in your face. For me, now, it's like a really bad dream. If it weren't for the h/f and AI, I rarely think if it. But when there is a new ache or pain, my mind can go dark places.
Took me about a year to recover. Everybody is different. Remember to breathe, it will happen!!
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Spokie, that is so true, remember to breath! and deep yoga breathing is even better to reduce my stress!
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I was taking 1200 mg of calcium recommended by my oncologist. When I saw the rhuematologist for osteoporosis she said to only take 600 mg and get the rest from food.
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so many opinions, I think I get about 900 from pills and I do eat plain greek yogurt every morning, love my cheese but since cholesterol is a issue I do have to watch that stuff,
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It's hard not to be reminded you are a survivor when every time you get u from a chair you have to use your arms as the rest of you creaks and protests. I didn't cry when I got the diagnosis, I didnt cry when I i had the Bmx. i didn't cry when I i had chemo 9 months post diagnosis I cried for the first time when I couldnt pick up my little dog
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Oh Chloe----I hear you. when I broke my wrist, I didn't cry until the cat jumped up in my lap after the cast came off and I couldn't stroke her properly. We females are a sensitive, sensible lot aren't we......
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I hear you too, it's getting harder to pick up 8# of Spookie one handed.
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Hi, I must tell you all about what happened at my visit with the surgeon last week just for a check up.........I'm fine. But of course he asked me about reconstruction and I said no thanks, but to make me feel even it would have been nice to have them both gone. I'm only a B cup and always felt like I'm small so it wouldn't matter, haha, well my 1 B cup looks pretty big next to nothing, and I have tried the fake boob and they are heavy, warm and uncomfortable.......the doctor just laughed (he is so funy anyway) as he walked out and the nurse told me to get dressed but to wait for her she has something for me. So as I wait for her, she finally come back with the "knitted knocker", I laughed my whole way home until I tried it in my sports bra and I love it!!! If anyone is interested you can look up knitted knocker and it should come up, if you are a knitter or know someone who is there is a pattern on the site also. Now here is the skinny on them..........FREE...... you can send in a donation which I did and they only need your cup size and if you want one or two. I am just so happy with mine (who would ever think I would be happy with this).
Just wanted to pass it along as I have never heard of them until then.
Mary
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Mary, I'd never heard of them. Here's their website: Knitted Knockers What a great idea! I breast enhancers (since I'm really lacking in the bust dept.). And some of them are really heavy. I'd guess that's what you've run into. I did get some that are lightweight but I doubt they'd work for anyone with a Mx. I'm so glad you found it! Happy Happy!!!
HUGS!!!
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Mary59G also if you sew or know someone who sews:
and
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oh girls thanks for sharing, these things have been on my mind and worried I was just a baby, we'll, I guess as time goes by, it won't be my first thought, but I do think it's a lifer thought. As for stopping ARimidex or whatever, depending on age, they might be extending that time limit with the number of reoccurance,s that are taking place. If we are at 80 might not be a big deal, but just heard from a friend at age 86 she got triple + and she is doing the chemo, rads, and tch. So for what that's worth, who would have thought? Don't know what my heart or bones will look like at 80+. If I'm here I'll let you all know.
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wow, at 86? honestly not sure I could or would do it at that age~~
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Hi Everyone. I haven't posted anything in quite a while but I do come back to this thread and read it with great interest. I have been taking Anastrozole since Oct. 2014 and I am finding the joint pain quite unbearable. I saw my MO today and I am going to take a two week drug vacation and then try Exemestane. He is pretty sure that I will have the same SE but I need to see for myself. If the SE comes back, then I will probably switch to Tamox. Just thought I would share my experience. Keep strong, keep posting. This is a great place to learn and feel understood.
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Sorry to hear you have such awful SEs Tucker3. Hopefully your MO is wrong about Exemestane and you'll do just fine on it.
HUGS!!!
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Pontiac Peggy, has your hair thinned from Arimidex? I've been on it a year and a half and now my
hair is thinning pretty bad. I am so upset....
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Lexie2002, I don't think so. But I'm at the age when thinning occurs naturally (I'm 70). I think maybe a bit around my forehead but I can't say that Arimidex caused it or if it was thinning before BC. I had so much stress going on for the 4 years prior to my BC dx that I didn't pay attention to things like that. And perhaps I notice it more now that I have bangs again rather than without them - I suspect that is the most accurate assessment. My hair seems to be doing what my paternal grandmother's did, that's why I don't think it's the Arimidex.
You think your hair is thinner than after chemo when it grew back in? I can understand that you're upset. How old are you?
Wish I could give you a hug in person!
HUGS!!!
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Peggy I don't know about my paternal grandmother but I inherited her genes from her son and so I already had thin receding hair at bc dx. The hair loss I started to have on Arimidex and later anastrozole is something else again. It's the drug.
Lexie I finished with AIs a year ago and since then though my hair is still very thin the bare areas on the top and along a side part line have almost filled in. My hairdresser is as delighted as I am.0 -
Kathy, that's wonderful that your hair is filling in. Right now I feel that I'll continue anastrozole as long as possible. If it means thinning hair, I guess it's a good trade off to keep BC away. I would guess you might have felt that way too.
HUGS!!!
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Lexie, I didn,t have thinning hair during my year on Arimidex, but it started thinning pretty badly when I switched to Aromasin. I'm using sppecial shampoos, some scripts from my dermatologist and some supplements to try to keep what I have
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Thanks for sharing
Do you see any difference with the special shampoo your using? How long have you beenusing what the doctor recommended?
Lexie2002
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I just turned 63 June 3rd, Yikes I can't believe it. My mom died of lung cancer at 63 and she seemed so much
older than me... I think years ago 63 was older, ya think? LOL
My hair grew in thick and very curly after chemo and I was so excited to have hair. It was slow to come back but it
was wonderful to have hair on my head. I know I want to starve off getting a recurrence but hair is one of the only
things that makes me feel a bit like my old self. Thanks for sharing, I haven't had too much luck on these boards with
people responding much. I don't visit these boards much because of it.
Have a great day!
PS: I'll take that HUG
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Lexie, I know what you mean. I'm 70 and my mother (who had lung cancer also) seemed so much older than me. I believe that we ARE younger than our parents were at the same age. I totally understand why you are upset with your hair loss. How lovely to have had nice thick hair after chemo. And hair is a part of who we are and how we see ourselves. I think you'll find that we respond here!
More HUGS!!!!
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