For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Spookie, Glad to hear it. I'm doing well. Hope to have the house ready to put on the market on March 1st. DH collected steins and beer mugs and he had a lot of them. Today I started on sorting them out. After finding a dozen I was willing to donate, I quit. Then I realized it was depressing. First time I've run into that. It's not like he ever did anything with them. Never used them. I don't think he ever really looked at them once they were on the shelf. But he loved collecting them. So I was quite blind-sided when I realized it was depressing. Looks like I'll be taking a whole slew of them with me to Spokane. THAT was not in the plans
HUGS!
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Patoo, well put.
HUGS!
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Geez, I didn't know you were moving so far! Yes, I can see how that would be depressing. My DH is into Lionel trains. I've wondered what to do with them if he were to go first. Just hang on and let DD deal. LO
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Spookie, that's what I had planned. DH and I would kick the bucket and the boys would get to clear out everything. Well, life changed. So *I* get to sort through it all. Quite unfair! But I'm looking forward to being near #2 son.
HUGS!
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(((Peggy)))
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Thanks, Molly! What great friends I have here! I'm so lucky.
HUGS!
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peggy...take one box, 1 shelf at a time. Enjoy Spokane!
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JBMB: and who has given you the guarantee that your next breast cancer would be a slow growing recurrence and not a new tumor and maybe even stage iv somewhere else. I think a drop from 40% to 20% is significant. You don't even know the pill is going to cause you any issues. Doesn't seem worth the risk to me to not even try it.
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Peggy -- it's such a tough job sorting through a lifetime of memories. Hugs Peggy!
Jbmb-- theirs no guarantee that the same type of cancer might come back, it could be very different, possibility more aggressive. I was very afraid of side effects before starting Arimidex a month ago, but so far I haven't had any! My personal decision is to follow what my doctors prescribe. I have read so many trials on the different BC treatments and my docs have read even more. I trust that their knowledge base and experience is far greater than mine. Cancer is a very scary journey. I think we would all like to to go back to the way life was before cancer and treatments, but we can't.
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Suz-Q, This is the first time I've really had difficulty going through things. Going through all the photos and highlights he had saved was very comforting and some of the photos I had never seen!
HUGS!
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Hi Peggy, I wonder if either of your sons would be interested in the steins. Just a thought. Nonetheless, I had a similar reaction recently try to go through old letters...I just had to stop and box them.
Hugs!
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Reader, I've sent photos of the ones I'm donating and they let me know if they want any of them. For the most part they don't. And as I said, I am going to keep most it appears
Thanks.HUGS!
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Hi Jbmb -
I understand your frustration! It seems like one more thing!! The thing that strikes me is "if recurrence would be like I just got rid of." I'm not sure, but I think there is no guarantee that a recurrence will be the same in terms of grade or stage as the primary. I will let others who know a bit more weigh in. For me, any reduction in the risk of recurrence is a good thing - the medication will cut that by half.
Barb
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I have been on Arimidex for the last week. I was diagnosed last October with stage one estrogen positive cancer. I had a lumpectomy and interoperttive radiation. I have been experimenting complete physical exasuashtion, pain in my thumbs and tingling in my fingers and toes. I have radiation burns and a slight infection in my breast. I guess maybe this is normal? My last tests came back clear, so I can live with these side effects, just wondering if any one else is feeling this way
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MamaCass, Welcome! It would help immensely if you would fill out your profile and make it public. Doctors now recognize that breast cancer causes exhaustion and fatigue. Beyond treatment even. We expect those who have gone through chemo to be fatigued. But we who have lumpies and rads also have fatigue that often lasts up to a year. Make sure you are treating your radiation burns with whatever your RO recommends and get that infection taken care of right away. That's not good. Both of those can cause problems, some of which you've mentioned. Good luck.
HUGS!
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been having issues with insomnia, I do take melatonin occasionally about 5 mg. not sure if it's enough, the other issue is I am/was pre diabetic and since being on anastrozole I think that it is keeping me from falling asleep, or waking me up at 3am. I am also always starving, not sure what to do? The stiffness is mild, fingers, knees. I have been very sedentary because of weather, will try to get out more in a few more weeks. To up walking. I do yoga once a week, which keeps me limber so I think that helps along with the clariton for aches and pains. I did try taking my A1 in morning, but kept forgetting to take it, so have gone back to knight time pills.
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Been on Anastrozole since December, I have pretty much every SE listed but they are mild. When I consider the alternative, I can deal with it.
I find that if I take Anastrozole in the a.m. then a Claritin 1 to 2 hours later, pain/stiffness is tolerable. I read somewhere that Claritin helps so since I was on an allergy med anyways, I just switched brands. It does make a difference.
Hope this helps
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TikkasMom, I too found Claritin helped my stiffness (just from normal aging - I'm 70). However, it didn't help a bit with my allergies. So I decided I'll just be creaky for a few minutes in the morning (and that's all it is) and stick to Benadryl which does work.
JerseyGirl, You said you kept forgetting to take your pills in the morning. Why not put them with your toothbrush or makeup or whatever things you use to get ready in the morning? In your coffee mug? Set a reminder on your phone. To help me remember to take my once a week Fosamax, I have reminders on my phone and computer. Then at night I put the pill package in a plastic glass (since I have to drink tons of water), set it on my dresser. When I go to bed I put my glasses around the glass. That's worked for me. I also have several other things I take in the morning which helps. And I set out the next day's pills in Dixie cups the night before. A cup for morning, noon, dinner and bedtime. They sit on my kitchen counter. Works for me anyway. Good luck. Sorry you're having trouble.
HUGS!
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My MO tells me that if one AI causes side effects that I can try another. So far, so good, have not had to make a switch.
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I had insomnia on Anastrozole. I don't on Exemestane (Aromasin)
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Jerseygirl, I wake up every night about five hours after I go to sleep. I was doing this before starting Arimidex. I thought it was the SE of the cancer diagnosis. Sure wish my body would get out of this bad habit! I haven't tried melatonin yet. Can anyone chime in on how much melatonin to take?
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Regarding MELATONIN:I've been taking melatonin 1.5mg to help me fall asleep. I still wake up after 4 - 4 1/2 hours. Raising the dose to 3mg did not help me sleep longer. However, I am myself that 4 1/2 hrs is still mich better than the 2 1/2 - 3 hrs per night I was averaging during the last half of chemo, also hoping my sleep continues to improve as the rest of the chemo chemicals wash out of my body (last dose 7 weeks ago).
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Another question, have any of you experienced more sinus drainage on Arimidex? I get sinus drainage at night and sometimes I wake up nearly choking. Sorry, gross. During the day it doesn't seem to bother me. I keep thinking it's because it is winter, but I've never experiences this for so long. I think it started or got worse when I started on Arimidex.
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Suz-Q, I don't know if Arimidex has caused your drainage but take a Benadryl before you go to bed. That might help. Or your favorite antihistamine.
HUGS!
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Pre bc I used to sleep through the night. Halfway through chemo I was taking Ativan to sleep and would wake every night after 4-5 hrs sleep. I got off the Ativan after rads and used 3mg TR melatonin, but still would wake 4-5 hrs later and often unable to go back to sleep. I even tried 5mg TR melatonin, but it didn't help me sleep longer.My MO said 5 hrs is not enough sleep. I'm on 25mg of Trazadone for sleep now, still wake after 4-5 hrs of sleep but am able to fall back asleep most nights for another hour or two. Thanks for posting about the middle of the night wake-up, I thought it was just me. I thought it would eventually go away, but it hasn't...wondering if it's something I just have to live with.
PB
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thank you all for your comments and thoughts on how to proceed. I will try the pill and see what happens. I am just now responding because I'm not a blogger and just figured this all out
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jbmb, glad to see you back to read the excellent comments. Don't hesitate to come back if you have other questions as these folks are wonderful and won't give you a hard time regardless of your choices.
I take my anastrozole now in the a.m. but find I still wake 2-3 times every night for bathroom stop (sorry, tmi). When I do take melatonin (rare) I take 5mg but still have to hit the bathroom at least once! Never have problems falling back to sleep though. I exercise lots so no issues with joint stiffness. I used claritin for allergies years ago but it did nothing for my allergies but dried me out terribly.
Suz-Q, is your head elevated at night? Another pillow may help with the sinus drainage. I hate pillows but find during allergy season (or if I have a cold) it helps to use a couple so the drainage does not collect in my throat.
JerseyGirl, I also put my morning pills next to my toothbrush otherwise I would forget. You can put it anywhere you do something with regularity every morning.
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SuzQ, not sure if my sinus drainage is a SE of the Anastrozole or just this cold winter we have now settled into as others in my family have that annoying post nasal drip. It did however begin very soon after I went on the medication.
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Don't forget that you can try a different manufacturer to see if anything changes. The fillers of this drug can be the SE culprit.
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Thanks everyone for all your help! At first I thought was the occasional glass of wine. I always feel stuffy upon waking up after nighttime wine. But then I noticed it happening every night. I do keep my head elevated at night. I see my MO next week. I'm sure that she will say it's because it's winter. I'm hoping it will go away by the time warmer weather comes, however that could be June in Michigan!
It sounds like melatonin will help me fall asleep, but not keep me from waking up. I don't have any problem falling asleep most nights, it's the waking up and not being able to go back to sleep for another hour or so that bothers me. Peeing after waking in the middle of the night is a given in my book! I must say, if these are side effects and they are the only ones I get I will be very lucky. So many of you have far worse SE's and I give you all a lot of credit for sticking with it!
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