For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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I am going to jump in and agree with Redheaded 1. If she doesn't have to take arimidex, if there is a chance her ovaries will "revive" I would not take another pill until I was confident it was OK. I am on arimidex and have a few side effects, one most unpleasant so I am on board with Redheaded1!
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Amstar, I was 41 when diagnosed. Chemo threw me into menopause but it didn't last long. I got my period four months after chemo ended. The AI doesn't work right if your wife isn't truly post menopausal.
I'm taking Anastrozole by Accord. My only SE so far has been stiffness in my feet in the morning. I blame the hot flashes onbeing thrown into menopause.
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Can someone describe for me the pain in your legs from Arimidex? I have started feeling like my legs and ankles are swollen and tight. My knees hurt and then if you run your fingers down my legs, it's like they are sore in certain lines going down to my ankles..... I went to the Chinese massage place to have reflexology done, and I had a guy who didn't speak much English. He looked at my feet, immediately fan his hands up to my knees and down leg, then started jabbering to the woman who was working next to him. She replied, also in Chinese, but I heard two English words---some benefit......So he must have realized something was gong on.
I was on a 40 MG daily dose of steroids the past 5 days, so I am not sure it it is the steroid, the Arimidex, or a combo of the two.....When they strt hurting, I have to gt off of them.. I took a 10 MG Hydrocodone left over from my wrist surgery one evenng after I went to bed, and I woke up at 3a.m., exactly when the pain pill wore off.....
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Are they actually swollen, or "feels like"? I get both. My feet really are. I figure the rest is CIPN from the Taxotere reaction.
Run that by your PCP.
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Mine hurt like I over did exercise, like a dull pain. I am also stiff in the AM when I get up. Usually when I get moving I feel fine. I also feel better when I am walking regularly. I don't have any swelling, just some left over neuropathy from chemo. I need an Aleve a couple times a week. I seem to hurt more when I am over tired
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I have been off.Arimidex.for.exactly one week today. I am lying in bed with such bone pain, that I feel like I have the flu-which I don't. My femurs ache like I ran a.marathon. My knees, ankles, hips, feet, hands, neck all hurt. Now I realize why over 30% of women don't stay on AI's for the full 5 years. I am a pretty.tough chick, but this is crazy. Follow up with oncology Friday.
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Maxdog do you take vitamin and exercise regularly. I had a day like that this week but made my self get up and move as well as arm exercise and a mile walk. The more I did the better I felt. I take at least 2000 u of vitamin D as well.
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Maxdog, I live in RI too. I've been on Arimidex since Nov 1st and I'm having trouble with insomnia. I woke up tonight at 2 am and have a headache. I also feel like I'm coming down with the flu from these pills. I was told on Friday to give them another call in a week to see how I'm doing.
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Meezers, try taking it at a different time of the day & see if that helps with the sleeping part. Not getting sleep can make you have all those other symptoms. I took a low dose of a prescription sleeping pill the whole time I was on Arimidex. If you can't sleep, you can not function right.
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Brutersmom-i do take calcium, vitamin D, and multivitamins. I had been running regularly until the pain stopped me in mid September. I had a very active day yesterday, then sat and the whole body pain set in. Yoga has helped in the past, but I have bronchitis now and will cough through the whole class! Meezers-i had issues at the beginning of treatment with insomnia. I take my pill in the am and have Xanax if I need it at bed. I don't sleep well at all due to body pain and te's being uncomfortable. I think that has a lot to do with it.
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Maxdog that really does sound unpleasant. I am sure the bronchitis is not helping. I have had that and it is not fun. I hope they figure out something soon.
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Linda keep us posted if the body feels better while on your A1 break, I don't even want to think it is way much better, but then let's hope all will be good. Just a few side effects on anastrozole but none that are debilitating for me.
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maxdog, I have bronchitis too, and the pain started while I was taking the steroid for it. It just keeps coming and gong...maybe it could be part of the virus we got.????
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Will do Jersey - I stopped it yesterday and plan to stay off for 30 days, if I feel a lot better I will stay off until after my daughter's wedding on Jan 2, then start back up, if not much better I'll just go back on it in 30 days. I'm afraid I'll be a lot better and that will make it so much harder to start it back up.
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ruthbru, they told me to start taking it at bedtime and see if that works. So far it hasn't. I had insomnia again last night, was late for work and felt horrible until I went for my walk at lunchtime. The walk and some chicken soup helped a bit, but I will get sick if I keep this up. If I have trouble again tonight I am going to call them again and ask for a sleep aid. I called in sick on Friday because I felt so awful and did not trust myself driving 30 miles to work.
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meezers3,
I live in RI to. I'm not on Arimidex anymore due to bad bone pain. Never had insomnia I took it at bedtime without any issues. I'm now on Exemestane and take it at night as well. No problems as of yet except a hey knees which tolerable.
Sherry
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Sherry-how long have you been on the new med? Glad to hear it's going well.
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Hi Sherry! That's great that the new meds are tolerable.
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meezers3, did you try switching to take it in the am or even mid-day? It does not have to be taken at night (and many who had problems did switch)
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As the survey stands it doesn't address some other common side effects that significantly affect QOL. I'd like to see others, such as those below, added to the list:
- increased blood pressure
- increased blood lipids
- hair loss
- dry eye &/or dry mouth
- bone pain should be differentiated from joint pain/stiffness
- cognitive issues
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kmpod, did you post to the wrong thread - meant for the Mods survey thread?
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Indeed, I did.
Thanks, patio.
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Hi everyone,
I have been taking Teva brand of generic Arimidex for 11 months after switching from Tamoxifen taken for a year and half. Today I visited my ob/gyn and he did the ultrasound of the ovaries and noticed there is a cyst (25 mm) on the right ovary. The uterus lining was thickened also (13 mm). He said I need to monitor the cyst every month to see if it goes away and was concerned about the lining of the uterus. He did not think that arimidex can cause the uterus to thicken. Has anyone experienced cysts and the thickening of the uterus while being on Arimidex?
He suggested hysterectomy since my breast cancer was ER+. I am 53 years old and was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer 3 years ago. I am thinking about doing the surgery because I am tired of being monitored every month for cysts and other tests. I also experience that some months I have severe hot flashes and some months there is none. It looks like some months I am in menopause and feel dry and have hot flashes. Then this past month I haven't had any hot flashes and I am not dry. The doctor thinks I am going in and out being in menopause. Any ideas what I should do?
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I don't think you should be on Arimidex if you are not fully in menopause. I think that you will probably experience hell hot flashes after a hysterectomy---I did for a year afterwards (had to use a hormone patch) when I had one at 47. Otherwise, my hysterectomy was the best thing I did for myself in my humble opinion. Aalways wondered if the estrogen patch caused the cancer, but I used the smallest one I could get and still control stuff, so who knows---NEVER LOOK BACK.
Doesn't Tamoxifen increase your risk of uternine cancer./ I'd tend to blame that first.
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Uterine cancer is a side effect of tamoxifen. That was the main reason I did not want to take it. The concept of trading 1 cancer for another bothered me.
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new2bc The tamoxifen can cause the cysts and thickening of the lining. I was on it 4 yrs and had dysfunctional uterine bleeding for 3 months with simple hyperplasia , had d&c and problems for another month. On 3-19 followup with gyn scheduled hysterectomy /oopherectomy, on 3/20 routine mammogram was not so routine. So ended up having all done along with port placement on 4-22 once the surgeons could coordinate their schedules. All clear down below, peace of mind restored. Knew I was menopausal (per hormone level) 9 months since lmp before the bleeding started. and chemopause was right around the corner. I was 53 at the time.
I have power surges a few times a day and night drench at 430 am. And have for past few years. I take the Accord brand of Arimidex since 9-23
I agree the monthly monitoring is a pain, talk with your gyn and onc.
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The first week I took my pill in the morning with my breakfast. This week I am taking it at night as the nurse suggested to see if the insomnia stops. So far it hasn't stopped. I took a xanax last night because I have to work. Slept like a baby, but can't be taking that every night just to sleep.
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When I searched, I came across an entry by linda505 in this forum back in 2014 where she posted a link stating:
"For women who are pre-menopausal, tamoxifen is preferred because Arimidex may cause painful and potential dangerous cysts in the ovaries"
Her link is
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/hormonetherapydru...
My doctor said that I switch from menopausal to premenopausal back and forth. So I think in the months where I become premenopausal where I have no hot flashes and I am not dry, taking Arimidex is not good for me because it can cause cysts. I will contact my oncologist and see what he knows about this side effect. If anyone else has any more experience with hysterectomy, please share with me.
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Meezers, are you anxious about anything? Like even taking Arimidex? Or isn't that a problem for you (mentally)? Have you done anything different? Changed eating patterns? Any outside stresses that are new? I take mine in the morning and I have no problems sleeping anytime. I'm really sorry that you can't sleep that is awful. I was DH's sole caregiver for 4 years at home and never had a full night's sleep - he would get me up 4, 5 and even 6 times a night. He had Parkinson's and couldn't get in or out of bed without help and often needed help going to the bathroom. So I really do get it. Good luck!
HUGS!
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meezers, insomnia is a SE of arimidex. I've had to start taking 1/2 a zopiclone every night just to get a decent nights sleep. Before I started taking it, it was taking me an hour or more to get to sleep, then I would sleep for an hour, then another hour to fall back asleep. My Dr's are not worried about me taking it long term even though it's prescribed for "occasional sleeplessness"
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