For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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208sandy I have named my heel Tom Skilling. Predicts rain rather well.
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dtad, I only started Arimidex five weeks ago, so far, so good.
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Lago - so funny (yet, so true).
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Iago.............LOL!!! The use of humor never hurts !!! haha
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I have been on Arimidex 7 weeks. Some joint pain but 1 Advil takes care of it. It seems worse in the AM and if I have been sitting in a hard chair for an extended time. Not bad.
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that's great. I wish you continued success on it. It really is the best treatment there is for estrogen positive breast cancer. Good luck to you .....
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The answer to this is probably in the last 360 pages but... To those of you that have taken Arimidex for a few months or years: do the hot flashes go on forever or do they go away once the estrogen is reduced some.
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Have been on Arimidex for a year and have had terrible night sweats and hot flashes but put up with them but the
joint pain and hands and feet swelling in mornings have gotten to me, so I am doing what you did and switching
to Femara after 3 weeks off. The worst thing is the insomnia, so I am a little frightened about it ---- but your
post has helped me since you went thru the same thing. How r u doing now ? I guess everyone just suffers thru it.
I don't know what to do. I am just thankful to be cancer free right now. Thanks for your post. I guess i will try switching back and forth like you did. Hoping to get some relief. Just want to sleep. Did you have insomnia ?
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I have had horrible insomnia for a year. Just found out it is from the Arimidex so I am switching to the Femara or
the other one, but I don't know if that will help. I have had the hot flashes and arthritis --- joint pain as well.
Not sure how to cope with it. How are you doing ? Thanks for your posts. It is good to compare notes with
you. This insomnia sucks but since I got off the Arimidex a week ago it is better. Took various things to get me
thru the year ---- but hope to just do the herbal tea and hope to do better with the other med.
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RConny-
We just wanted to welcome you to our community here at BCO! We hope you find this to be a supportive place.
The Mods
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RConny I switched to Exemestane (Aromasin) and found it physically much better. No more sleep issues. I do wear a sleep mask. Started that on Anastrozole and it helped.
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Rcony, let us know if you feel better with the Femara---I decided Arimidex was better after four days of it.
Logic would say that the hormones reaching and maintaining a certail level wold cause the hot flashes to stop. I didn't have any side effects until 13 months in that I could really be upset about. I have now started sleeping like a baby, but my appetite is out of control. Doc says its the drug. I wake up at 5 AM starving. If I can go back to sleep when I wake up at 7, I am ok. I will be starving at noon, eat and be raving hunger again by 4pm. .....So, I am trying to pick out some "filling" low cal snacks....
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Red, good luck with the lo cal snacks! Interesting that Arimidex really did work better for you than Femara.
Marie711, I didn't have much in the way of hot flashes when I went through menopause and haven't had any (or at least noticed them) with Arimidex. So far everything is good.
HUGS!!!
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What about Prolia? We take Arimidex and our bones get weak. So, then, my MO says I will need Prolia, as it is better than Fosamax. But, now Prolia causes something to go wrong with your jaw. So she says I need a dental clearance. Ohhhhh, and eliminate sugar and dairy from your diet. Sugar is in almost everything. And, I have acid reflux, so no coffee, citrus fruit, spicy foods. I hate Cancer! What about Prolia and what do you eat?
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MySunshine, Prolia never came up for me. Perhaps it matters what state your bones are in now. I had a Dexascan and it showed slight osteopenia and the MO thinks Fosamax is appropriate for me. I also have acid reflux and now am taking both Prilosec and Pepcid and it is working nicely - so I can have one cup of coffee (or even 2 sometimes). Good luck!
HUGS!!!
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My MO has mentioned fosamax for me. I'm such a witch without my coffee in the morning, how do you manage to wait 30 min? I'd be barking at Spookie!!!
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Spookie, I find it hard, too. Mostly because I want to eat the minute I get up (well, after I've fed the pets, of course). I have coffee after breakfast since that seems to bother the acid reflux less. It does make for a nice leisurely breakfast. Remember, it's only one day a week. And if you keep drinking water during that half hour it isn't quite so bad.
HUGS!!
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mysunshine48 I am doing Prolia. The ESD put me into osteoporosis. The jaw thing is rare but you need to take certain precautions. Talk to both your oncologist and dentist about this.
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Peggy, I had a dexascan and have osteopenia. I hsve read some things about Fosamax and it is not good. Hsve you read how Fosamax works with your bones? I do not think I am in a hurry to start Prolia, but fo not think I would want Fosamax. This is what I was saying. None of this is good.
Do you cough with acid reflux? I was just diagnosed with silent acid reflux as I do not hsve the burning sensation.....just cough. The ENT is having me try Prisolec. I hope it works
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Sunshine, I guess I'm willing to spin the roulette wheel and take my chances with Fosamax. I don't know how old you are but I'm 70 and perhaps that entered into the reasons my MO chose Fosamax. But I was and still am comfortable with the decision.
I do cough some with my acid reflux and I also have the burning sensation. As mentioned, I take Prilosec in the morning and a Pepcid with dinner. I was taking 2 Pepcids a day but that wasn't helping, so went back to Prilosec and kept the extra Pepcid. Everyone has to find the magic combination that works for them. I buy Walmart's generic Prilosec with magnesium - cheaper than the copay for my prescription plan and they are capsules rather than tablets. Play around with all the various meds. I used Zantac 150s for quite awhile (again, 2 a day). Good luck!
HUGS!
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I am hoping you ladies can help me answer this question.
Did your oncologist suggest testing your estrogen (estradiol) levels before you started your AI (Anastrozole, etc.)
If you did get tested, what level was considered low enough to not need to use an AI?
Please help me answer this question if you can!! I can't get a straight answer from my oncologist.
Shirley
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no I was not tested but not aware that any level was lo enough to avoid the AL, your risk really and at your stage not so wise to me as it is a really important part of treatment, sorry
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I wasn't tested either. It's a good pill to take, extra insurance against reoccurance. Your body also makes estrogen in the adrenal glands.
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Slappy Squirrel: nothing was mentioned about testing my estrogen level. Your body continues to make estrogen even after menopause, and since my cancer was estrogen +, any estrogen I have can fuel it.
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Slappy Squirrel, I actually asked that question as I just started Arimidex a month ago. She said you could not test the amount of extrogen in your body. There is a % on your pathology report that was obtained when the did the pathology of your tumor. That information is available. I also find MO's to be evasive when asked questions.
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My oncologist did 2 tests to check estrogen levels before I started Arimidex. She said that info was needed to choose tamoxifen or Arimidexor another.
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Tjh, your MO needed to know if you were pre- or -post menopausal as tamoxifen is usually given to pre-menopausal women.
Slappy-Squirrel, there was no need to test my estrogen level. My cancer was ER+/PR+ - so Armidex was ordered. ANY estrogen in your body can fuel those cancer cells. Arimidex will suck out every last bit of it. That's why some women who are long past menopause will experience hot flashes - they are still producing some estrogen. I didn't have hot flashes with menopause and haven't had any with my Arimidex. I am so glad that I can take it!
HUGS!!!
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Slappy-Squirrel my MO tested me for 5 months to be sure I stayed in chemopause. I was perimeno prior to chemo. My last cycle was 2 weeks before my first chemo. I think my levels were something equivalent to a prepubescent boy
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I am taking Prolia, had my 2nd shot today. I haven't had any side effects, nor was I told to avoid any foods. I have been on Arimidex for over a year, and have experienced significant joint pain and some hair loss, swelling in feet and ankles, and weight gain. My Oncologist switched me today to Aromasin, so we'll see if that's any better. I expect if I had hair loss on the Arimidex I will have it on the Aromasin. I'm just really hoping for some relief from the joint pain.
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tjh, This is so crazy that MO's say different things. When I tell her Inread about some of your experiences and what other women have with their MO's, she tells me to stay off the computer
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