For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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You and my sister. I'm funny - don't like the shade of green so stay away from them. Yeah, weird, I know. I will eat it if part of a fajita or already well mixed into a salad (though I may pick it out).
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Avocados are not part of my diet and not likely to be either !
HUGS!
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Peggy, being a native California girl I grew up eating avocados. They make nearly everything taste better. It actually said they are okay in moderation. I will stick to that, lol.
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For the last week or so I have been very tired. I have a hacky cough stuffy nose and itchy I eyes. I have had the cough since surgery and it is just there. It comes and goes but it is there. I have a history of allergies and cough variant asthma. Both the MO and RO have been told about the cough but don't think it is related. Today my eyes are extremely irritated and when I go outside where the temps are now at the freezing mark as compared to the 70 degrees at Christmas. I have self medicated per my usual which is Claritan but I am not getting relief. Today I decided that I really needed to see the regular Dr. and address this issue. The nurse gave me a hard time. She said I probably should see on of the cancer Dr's. Duh don't people with Cancer still have issues which need addressed by a regular MD or am I missing some side effects of this drug. I did get an appointment but not until next week. I guess if it gets worse between now and then I will go to an urgent care or something and just wait until my regular appointment at the end of the month. I just feel right now a steroid inhaler and some steroid eye drops would go a long way to feeling better
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That sounds more environmental. Anything new in the house? Carpet, furniture? Any possible chance mold? Hidden leaky faucet? Furnace filter ok? My eyes itch constantly. Have for years, before bc. New opthalmologist said environment. Recommended an Otc eye drop. I got the Walgreen brand. Stings when I put in, eyes don't itch ALL day!!
Name brand is Zaditor, comes in orange box.
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Spookiedmom have lots of allergies. Our winter has been unusually warm until yesterday. Every 4 or 5 years I will get a cold and go into a down hill allergy spiral. Steroids become my friend. This year instead of a cold it was Cancer treatment. My allergies always get out of control over the Christmas holidays if I get sick in December. So now that I have Cancer who is supposed to treat me. My regular Doc or my MO. Oh an I have Zaditor and it's not helping. I wish I were still seeing my allergist. I doubt he would pass the buck. But he felt my regular doc could handle l things because my flare ups were so infrequent. He also just retired at the end of 2015.
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Brutersmom, that sure sounds like a PCP problem to me. It seems to fit your cycle of things. Tell your PCP to man up and see you NOW! Don't you feel like you're dealing with idiots at times?
HUGS!
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Saw an interesting article about cut fresh Christmas trees. Said they bring mold into the house. Which would recirculate with forced air heat. I'd say your PCP would be the one for this.
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Peggy. You summed that up well. I think it was his nurse but really. I can't be to angry with the doc. He was the doc that noticed that I missed my mammogram and set it up for me. My former gyn office was very lax. Seeing a new one tomorrow. Missed my mammogram the year before because that office would just give me paperwork and tell me to schedule it where ever I wanted. But I would have to wait 6 months because the appointments and mammograms weren't in scync. Then a freak hail storm hit and I was in ground zero (car destroyed) and my apartment building damaged, dealt with that while dealing with a detached retina and dog who I was very attached to decided at age 17 blind and a bit senile that it was time to cross the rainbow bridge. Somehow a mammogram became unimportant. I did get some allegra to try since Claritin was n ot helping.
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Spookiesmom, I thought maybe it could be Christmas tree related when Brutersmom said it usually reappeared in December. Even if she doesn't have a live one herself, maybe just being around them anywhere, someone else's home, department store, etc., is an allergy trigger? Brutersmom, can you see another allergist doc to get tested for that? Does seem PCP can see you for everyday issues but still need to follow through to make sure any med interaction with Anastrozole is okay.
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I'm starting Arimidex tomorrow! Do you find it makes a difference what time of day you take it? I'm planning to make it part of my morning meds.
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I am allergic to Pine trees and to dust that often appears on artificial trees. I can generally manage the allergies. Have done it for years. Unfortunately if I get a cold and in this case I think it is the cancer treatment I go over the edge of self management. What ticks me off is the way the Dr.'s nurse push it back on the Cancer. As for seeing another allergy doc it would probably take several months to get an appointment as a new patient without a referral from a Dr.
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Carolyn62, I take it in the morning, too. When I first started reading this thread 18 months ago, somebody said it kept them awake. Well, I'd rather be awake at 9AM than 9PM. But honestly I don't think it makes a difference. I'm more regular in my schedule in the morning since the cat absolutely positively cannot, repeat, cannot manage to survive if I don't feed her at 6AM. Take it when you will remember it!
BrutersMom, You sure had a huge emotional load going on when you were diagnosed. That's awful. Glad you had a doctor who cared. That matters a whole lot. Pine trees are the devil and eucalyptus for me, too. Artificial everything in my house (and we were florists until my 40s!). I take Benadryl. Claritin and the newer meds just don't work very well for me. Though Claritin makes my joints feel a bit less creaky but I do need to breathe. Tell your PCP's nurse, that it is for the doctor to decide when he sees you if it is a PCP problem or a cancer problem; remind her that she is NOT a licensed doctor if you get really pissed off.
HUGS!
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rocityroc...I was on arimidex for 3 months with terrible SE such as bilateral trochanter bursitis and constipation. currently on a 6 week hiatus to let things cool down and possibly switching meds next week. For the vaginal dryness, I can only tell you what worked for me. Using Crisco shortening at least 3 times a day as a vaginal moisturizer made a HUGE difference. doesn't take much and use it externally as well as just inside. to that be sure to use olive oil as a lubricant during intercourse. It took about 3 months of being diligent, but it has made sex enjoyable again. I also use vagifem 10 mg as a suppository every 4-5 days. ask your MO about it. it's highly recommended
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Brutersmom, If you already know you have the allergy to pine needles then no need for further testing - was just a thought. I do think this disease does make us more sensitive to illnesses but the nurse should not have pushed it off. You know your body. Shame on her. Hope you feel better soon.
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I don't call Drs unless I feel I really need to be seen. The nurses there should know that. Last year (actually we are in 2016 it is almost 2 years) when my retina detached it was Saturday night before Easter. I called the eye doctor and the on call dr. called me back. He politely told me that he needed to check with my regular dr. before he scheduled and emergency visit he would call back in 15 minutes. He called me back in about 5 minutes and arranged for me to see the my regular doc later that evening. He chuckled and said they always check with each other because there are people out there that call for every little thing. My doc told him that if I am calling on a Saturday night it was probably serious. I get that and if the nurse had looked at my chart more closely she would have seen that as well which obviously she had because she knew about all the cancer docs.
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what's your thoughts on 1 glass of wine daily or every couple days. Red or white, the lists of avoidance food is sketchy.
I also am dealing with virus or flu like symptoms, MO did not want to see me, said go to family dr, but of course New Year's Eve, so urgent care took me, throat, fever, chills, stuffy head, sinus congestion, tickle cough, so of course urgent care gores with antibiotic, augment on for 10 days. But guess what, it throws me back into my diarrhea days, I am not 5 days into antibiotic, and it's cleared the throat issue,
I have humidifier going 24/7 and head , cough, still an issue, see MO Thursday for herceptin, will they give it to me being sic? No fever.
I take my anastrozole at night with clariton, which is not helming this upper respority issue, so have thrown in a benedryl, the Alia seltzer sent my BP over 155/108 ... So can't do that to help congestion. Vicks and humudufier are not cutting it. And about 5 cups of hot tea a day
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JerseyGirl, that's rotten. Never fun getting sick. GET WELL!!
I drink a glass of wine most nights with dinner. I figure just being sensible is fine. I haven't changed my diet because of bc.
HUGS!!!
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thanks peg, stuffy head is worse, usually give me the headache,, my daughter had this for 3 weeks, but not sure when she started antibiotic, they threw in a steroid for her. We shall keep the hot fluids going and other liquids too.
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JerseyGirl, I really like Benadryl and it works well for me. The newer ones don't. The more hot liquids the better. Three weeks sounds really awful. Hopefully it will leave sooner than that! You might try hot baths or showers - lots of steam. Use BreatheRights - you might be able to breathe. Good luck!
HUGS!
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I take my Anastrozole mid day. I find it affects my sleep when taken at night.
Good luck
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I take anastrozole once a day and have for ten weeks now. it is fine except for arthralgia experienced as joint stiffness and pain that I only feel when I've been still for a while. After I get moving the pain goes. I have pre-diagnosis hip pain that can stay around and combined with tiredness, I'm often tempted (and do) avoid exercise. However, most of the time I push through because I really do feel better if I stay active and I also enjoy feeling stronger.
I sometimes get a little sad and feel like I've aged a fair bit over the course of treatment. My hair has grown back quite grey and I feel my skin has aged so when I get joint creaks I really feel like a granny. But I remind myself that I'd probably be having these symptoms in a year or two in any case as menopause kicked in.
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I take it at 9:00 pm. Doesn't affect my sleep at all.
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Hi all, and happy new year!
I've been on arimidex for about a year now, and my hair is getting really thin. Will it come back when I stop taking it in 4 years?
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Hi chipmunk57, have you tried supplementing with biotin? Some have gotten results though it can take months to show.
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Carolyn you can take it either time. I take synthroid in the a.m. so I do my Arimidex at night. Some people think if you have insomnia, to take it in the am. I had insomnia before, and it did get worse, but hey, what else can you do. I hav e a shitty memory so If I don't take it in pm, I would forget it at lunch or whatever.....
And yes, Peggy, I think severe stress and nutritional neglect caused my cancer toooo.
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Went for my annual check up today. Dr. asked me how I was doing. I said great except for itchy eyes, stuffy nose and a cough. She asked if I made and appointment with my family doc. I told her I tried but it seems that everything that is wrong is now related to cancer. I couldn't get an appointment until after I see my MO on the 11th. Told her if it gets worse I am going to go to Patients First. I feel a steroid inhaler and eye drops would go a long way right now toward feeling fantastic. She laughed. She said the Dr.s around her do that to pregnant women as well. She did listen to my lungs. She heard something in my left lung but not anything serious at this point. I know that as long as I don't get a cold or other virus I will be fine but I can easily go off the deep end. I guess that is why the walk in clinics are popping up all over the place around here.
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Peg the stuffiness is way up in sinuses I used to use the berth right strips, but this is deeper, headache makes it tough too, but that comes and goes. I think I am going to try the anastrozole in the am or mid day, seems I am getting insomnia more so the longer I am on these pills, see MO Thursday so see what he thinks ..
Does anyone think they are retaining fluid on this also?
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for some reason I have been suffering a GERD type issue - especially at night and my regular PCM prescribed 20mg Prilosec on Monday. Took the second pill yesterday and actually looked forward to eating. I take my Arimidex at night and wondered if SE's can change as I am not sleeping, staying upright gets me a nap of around an hour before I start "churning". I wondered if perhaps I had some anxiety going on? Can anyone offer an insight? Thank you
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NCDi... I have been on anastrazole about 5 months. Around Thanksgiving I also started having GERD issues and also take Prilosec 20mg. I take anastrazole at night and my reflux usually happens in the morning getting better around lunchtime. At first I thought the reflux was caused by the stresses of the holidays. But the holidays are over now and it's still here... I am just finished with active treatment and have depression and anxiety, so it could be that. But could it be a SE from the anastrazole?
PB
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