For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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I've been on Anastrozole almost five months and so far I don't really have any side effect. My feet are a little stiff when I first get up in the morning. I had some hot flashes and warm flushes but even those have gone away. I do exercise though...walk 4-5 miles a day, 5-7 days a week. I was running too but I've had problems with my right hip for a while so I decided to stop to see if it gets better. Definitely keeping my fingers crossed that I remain side effect free or at least with minimal difficulties because I plan to be on this for ten years
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I have been on it a few months now and the only side effect I have are some hot flashes. Annoying but it's better than cancer and the hot flashes tell me it's doing something!
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I think my hair is coming in a normal thickness, one of the girls in my yoga class finished her chemo the end of May, I finished May 9th but her hair is much longer . I asked her secret and she was using biotin for hair, nails, and skin. When I read ingredients it's a soy product......I didn't think soy was good for us because of hormones and pesticides in it. Anyone have any feedback on this? My nails suck, but I won't eat soy product. ....??????
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duckyb1 absolutely agree with everything you said. I think taking any medication is a personal decision. One that is yours not your doctors. I'm not saying you shouldn't take your docs advice I just think we should be well educated about it. I have a chronic pain condition pre breast cancer. Believe me when I say I was a pharmaceutical gineau pig! I actually became suicidal while taking one of the drugs. I had no history of depression before or since! The docs who claim there are no SE are doing their patients a disservice. While the pharmaceutical companies are making a fortune. That being said many of these drugs are life saving. Just do your homework please!
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Nance 1953--do not fear this drug. I am a fearful person, I worried about my Lumpy, worried about my rads and worried about my drug. I wasted a lot of energy on all of it that I didn't need to do. I have a ton of drug allergies and the only side effect I noticed in the first 2 months was I had some mild feeling of nausea (Never hurled, never even gagged) and it went away after about two weeks. I had some sleep issues, but I have had those for years.
IF you have immediate severe side effects, your MO will let you try one of the other drugs. (Femara/Letrozole or Exemestane/ Aromasin. If all else fails, they can try Tamoxifen. My experience over the last two years of reading the boards is that if you can tolerate one, you won't tolerate the other, but usually they will find one that will work.
YOU CAN DO THIS------trust us.
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I have been taking Arimidex/Anastrazole since October 2014. I have relatively few side effects. Sometimes when I stand after sitting for a while, I will limp. It doesn't hurt, I just don't walk correctly. It looks like I am walking like a 90 year old person. The limp goes away very quickly, after walking a short bit. The left side of my left foot also hurts but it doesn't cause a problem in general, because it only hurts if I walk on uneven ground or if I touch it. This rarely happens so I am not usually in pain from this area.
I basically do not have any other side effects at all. I did have to be medically induced into menopause in order to take the AI. I attribute my hot flashes to menopause, but again, the hot flashes are not bad at all. I have absolutely no other side effects so I feel really lucky.
Don't be afraid of SE's because you may not have any. My side effects are not even worth mentioning because they are not bad. The tx is worth it for me because I do not want to take a chance on having a recurrence.
Good luck everyone.
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614, have you thought that maybe you are walking on the outside of your foot (forget what it's called - pronation?) and that an orthotic or different shoe might help?
Like you, I started Anastrozole last October with no issues at all. No hot flashes, warm flushes. Nothing. I was creaky getting out of bed in the morning before I started Anastrozole and you'll be shocked to learn that I still am! However, I will say this, I took Claritin for awhile for my allergies and I was less creaky getting up. Alas, Claritin doesn't do a thing for my allergies so back to Benadryl
Dtad and Nance, No one should EXPECT SEs from AIs. Of course, be aware that they MAY (or May NOT) occur. You don't expect SEs from most medications you take, why this one? Most of the ladies posting here do have real problems and are looking for ways to cope with the problems and WANT to continue with the AIs. Those of us with no issues, don't usually post. So you are getting a rather unbalanced view of AIs. I'm so thankful that there ARE AIs to keep my cancer from coming back. So don't hesitate to give them a try. If they are a problem, try another, read this thread and see if something might help (Claritin, Ruth's Drunken Raisins or other things). But TRY THEM!!!
HUGS!!!
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Dear Pontiac Peggy:
Thanks. No, the left foot thing is definitely from the Arimidex/Anastrazole because I never had the issue before. It only flares if I touch it so mostly, I am not aware of it. It happens if my foot gets off balance on uneven ground. That happened before the Arimidex/Anastrazole with no pain. However, it is not bad so I don't even notice it unless by chance, I feel it.
Again, basically, I have absolutely no side effects that actually bother me. I am really glad that I am taking the Arimidex/Anastrazole because the benefits far outweigh the side effects. I do take calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D2 though to offset any potential bone density loss.
I must try the drunken raisins though! Where is the recipe and what are they for?
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Drunken raisins recipe is on this thread in several places, but you can. Google it and get it. I personally hsve not tried it, happily because I have not had any SE from Arimidex yet. I started taking it 5 weeks ago. I was scared of putting that first pill in my mouth too! But, it's benefits outweighed any possible SE, so I just did it. The only thing that has happened in the past week is my back hurting. For no reason. ??
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Pontiac Peggy I never said you should expect side effects. I'm very happy you are doing well on Arimidex but that is just not the case for all women.
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Dtad, I know you didn't say that. Nor did I expect them. I knew what they were by reading this thread but I went positive and my MO asked my why I thought I would have SEs? I said "dunno". So he gave me the Look
HUGS!
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I guess those of us who have not had significant SE's should post such more often. As Pontiac Peggy wrote, most posters are here for support and ideas as they are having issues with Anastrozole/Arimidex. So I just want to encourage you to try it and see as you can always stop or change to something else. I've been on it 6-1/2 years, since 2009. Any SE's I had were minor and went away within months so please don't fear the unknown, do work with the known. As one of our sisters, JO-5, always wrote, the SE's of this drug are easier to treat/control than the root cause, BC. (her words were a little different). Whatever your decision we will not judge but give support and encouragement.
Phyllis
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I got severe deformity in one knuckle a month after starting this. Now my finger is permanently crooked. The MO switched me to another AI and then everything started to hurt but no deformity. Wondering if in time the generalized pain would lessen or the chance of getting another arthritic joint? Which to choose. It's a hard call. Anyone find they have one or the other get better
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One thing that came back is my ability to remember words, synonyms and antonyms, when I'm talking or writing. I know the word I want but it just won't come out. Had this before and it went away, now back again. Annoying but compared to other SE's not overwhelming (maybe I just need to keep quiet!).
Edited to say not my 'ability' to remember words but this is an example where I didn't have the right word/phrase. My ability did not come back but my, what's the word, let's say, inability to choose the right word/phrased. Or something like that. Just can't get it right now.
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I've been on the AI since August 2012. Joint pain and trigger fingers are the really bad stuff for me. But since I have arthritis anyway, and other meds I take cause joint pain I can't blame just AIs! LOL. However the trigger fingers I do place the blame. My middle finger would absolutely lock up and since it was my right hand I'd have to use my left hand to or it open every time i.picked up a pen or knife or tied my shoes. A cortisone shot worked. So far for almost a year. My left hand has 2 fingers that lock but not all the time and they do not hurt so no shot yet.
Much love
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I have been on arimidex for 2 1/2 yrs but now my lower spine and Left hip are border line osteoporosis. My onc wants me to try tamoxifen again for third time to see if my system can tolerate it. Each time item t. Get queasy, stomach pains, nauseas. I hate the feeling. When I'm on arimidex, I have bone pain but otherwise just fine. I'm 44 years old and doesn't want me to have bone problems so keeps pushing the tamoxifen. I'm trying it again now for 3rd time and already feeling it again along with pelvic pressure and very moody. Does anyone else here stay on arimidex and maybe just double the D3
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Maybe an ortho could help more with the bone issues? Or an endo?
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spoke to my gyn today and he informed me from my bone scan and blood work, that in a month or so he wants me to go one prolia because of the fractures I already have had; but they are given by a rheumatologist, not him! Has anyone gotten them from their MO ?
In 2013 I fractured my elbow, 3 ribs, neck, broke right big toe, and an orbital fracture from a fall off the curb, think face plant... Then in 2014, I tripped again and fractured my left shoulder, which needed to be replaced, along with a concussion, which then led to Breast cancer Dx in November, just 2 months after replacements, so I am hoping the prolia will increase bone mass, or density once and for all. So being on arimadex for 5 years? Or possibly longer, will the prolia work for that long? Nothing indicates how long this lasts? Forever? Or will the drug deteriorate the bones? No one seems to know!
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Was given rx for Arimidex today, start in 2 weeks. Had bone density last year which was normal so will have another in 2016. Will keep you posted.
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Jerseygirl927 I get my Prolia from my MO. Many metastatic patients are on Prolia so they do it right in one of the infusion rooms. Granted my MO wanted me to see the Rheumatologist first to see if there was anything else that may be causing this. Check again with your MO to see if after you see your Rheumatologist if you can get the shots through him.
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Many, many hugs and prayers to you Peggy. I know you are going thru tough times, but I am so glad your boys are here with you.
Mary
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Peggy- you and your family are in my thoughts.. Saw your post on the Lumpectomy. Hugs.
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Peggy I am thinking of you too. My husband chose to go into hospice, it gave him some sense of control over his last days and that made his death somewhat easier for my sons to accept, I think, and for me too.0
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Thank you for those words, Kathy044. Today I told DH that he could let go when he was ready and he said he wasn't "quite ready." Most complete sentence in 3 days. Once he decided on hospice he felt so at peace. My sons are in their 40s and are accepting. It's hard since they do live on the West Coast so they haven't seen him as often as they would have liked but they were here last summer for my lumpy and saw the deterioration so they were mostly accepting. But it is never easy for anyone, is it? A good hospice nurse is worth her weight in gold (trite but true).
HUGS!!
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My thoughts are with you and your family Peggy...hugs!
PB
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Hugs Peggy!
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Hugs to you Peggy.
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Pegg,
I'm so sorry but glad you are in the embrace of your family and your "other family" here at bc.org. You've always been so kind to everyone here and I know I'm grateful for all the advice and help you've given me. Thinking of you tonight
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Thinking of you, Peggy. We went through this with my mom this past January. Not essy. God will get you through it.
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