For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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I'm the same since starting Arimidex. Only sleep for 3 or 4 hours then I'm wide awake.
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Hi ladies. I guess I'll try Arimidex. Femara was tough re: joints so I went back to Tamoxifen but my onc thinks the increased effectiveness make another AI worth trying. Ok, ok.
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FarmerLucy, You might ask for the anastrozole made by Teva or the brand name. Quite a few ladies have found that there are fewer problems with the fillers with Teva and sometimes those cause SEs. Just a thought.
HUGS!
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I just started Anastrozole last month. So far, so good. But recently been feeling nauseous. Not a big deal. Maybe caused by the medication, maybe just a flu trying to sneak in. I am still in the reconstruction phase having had a double mastectomy in December. Hate the tissue expanders. All else is great b/c I am better.
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Thanks Peg. Hi Katemom. Tissue expanders - booooooo.
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Hi Katemom, I have had nausea early on with anastrozole. It did eventually get better.
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Just want to share what just happened to me. I started taking anastrozole in October. I have had no side effects doing fine. I switched to mail order last month and got a different brand. In less than a week I started getting leg cramps, then I noticed increased fatigue and just feel crappy, this week my lips and tongue started to tingle and burn. Called the mail order pharmacy today and the quickly acknowledge that not all generics are the same and fillers are a big issue. New order is on the way. Back to my previous brand. What bothers me is that a manufacture can change fillers at any time and I could have issues again.
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Regarding pill holders/reminders, I use something called "Pillbags" developed and distributed by a lupus patient. I use one for am pills and one for pm.
Google "Sara Gorman pillbags" or go to her blog called "Despite Lupus"and you'll see them. They are not cheap but last a long time, you can throw it in your handbag (I take my evening meds after meals and so need to take them along if we go out). I find they work beautifully.
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Reader, those are interesting and, you're right, they're expensive. A good solution for people on the go. I'm lucky that if I need to take pills with me, my little metal pill boxes work just fine. I carry them all the time anyway filled with aspirin, Tylenol, Benadryl. I have 2 - each about 1-1/2" round and they fit nicely in my purse. But for home, I find the Dixie cups work and are cheap and convenient. But we all operate differently. Frankly, I thought DH was nuts when he first started doing that with his meds and then I cam to realize that it was a great solution for us. Especially when his memory got a bit shaky, I'd have the pills set out and he could take them himself if he wished.
HUGS!
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take anastrozole by teva, I had my alarm on my phone set to remind me to take pill mornings, but within 5 minutes if I didn't take it, I would forget and remember hours later after I saw it sitting there in my pill box. Next to hair brush. Anyway insomnia still occurred with me taking in am. So I guess it really is another issue or part of the issue. I also read an article that if you are pre diabetic and your sugar is up, which mine is, that too can play a role with insomnia, so I think I will take the melatonin 5 mg to help me fall asleep . I can always tale a catch up nap, mid day, if I have too. And see what dr suggests about the sugar issue, I know carbohydrates will elevate your numbers and so must the drugs. And since we can't go off the drugs, will watch my levels for a few more months and eating habits. Thanks for all the sharing and suggestions
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Thank you all for the feed back I will talk to my Doc! I am still working through some alternatives but I know I can count on all of you for support and that is huge!
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My "group" of pills are set up in one of those weekly pill boxes each Saturday; then each morning, I put the daily pills on a little bone-china dish. The dish is marked Limoges, France. It is a butter pat or salt dish found among things in my husband's family old farm house. I start my day not only 'fancy' but I think of his parents fondly.
Most of my meds are taken in the morning, thyroid, BP etc. I no longer take any aromatase meds (my decision with nod from my oncologist due to extreme joint pain) During the day I see that vitamin or calcium pill still on the dish so take them with other meals. Some days I know we all feel - ugh, one more pill.
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Mamacass - I also had that thumb pain following rads - it has really lessened, but it was weird!
I'm also having the nighttime wake-up. It's frustrating. I used to sleep like a log - through thunderstorms, city traffic noise, everything. I am taking my arimidex at night, which seems to help with the joint issues, and also occasional headaches. I have taken temazepam for many years for sleep, although I'd like to not be dependent on it anymore. I would like to try melatonin as well.
I take meds for lupus, so adding in the arimidex has not been a huge deal, although I will forget without the reminder on my phone.
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I am on Arimidex generic anastrozol but have to check who makes it. Doing rads (started 3 weeks after started AI) and on day 2 of rads started wicked burping and now this week is like pin prickly heartburn. I was taking it when I first got up with just water like I did tamoxifen before my ooph, recurrence Axillary surgery. My gastro recommended pepcid ac but after a good day it's back even though I took it with food the last two days. Wtf. I will monkey with how and when I take it though I am awfully suspicious of the radiation as they are doing a wide area. I've gotten the spiel from the rads nurse and doc that it's not it. I will ask onc if ok to change Arimidex maker..
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you can ask pharmacy MOs aren't usually up to date on this issue. They all contain the correct med, it's the fillers that can cause problems.
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7of9, ironically I had very similar symptoms during rads and I was taking anastrozole concurrently. My rad onc said yes indeed it could be rads causing my heartburn, nausea etc. I think maybe it was the two combined? I still am a bit gastric sensitive on anastrozole. BTW, I am very sorry about the recurrence. It must be very hard to wrap your head around.
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Ditto on asking pharmacy to try different mfr. MO won't care which brand.
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7of9 check out the Winter 2015-16 Rads thread, lots of women having your stomach problems there!
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7of9, I had GERD before I started Arimidex, then added Fosamax. Still have GERD. I take both Prilosec and Pepcid. That combination seems to work for me. Interesting that so many have that as an SE.
BTW, just ask the pharmacist for the manufacturer you want. MO does not care. Then make sure you check your prescription every time you pick it up. Mine had gone smoothly for over a year and yet last time they gave me the wrong mfr. I caught it at the store. Made them get the right one. Glad I hadn't run out!
HUGS!
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My onc gave me "real" Arimidex to try for a month. I'm hoping for few side effects and if so I may take advantage of a $30 for 30 day offer I saw on the sample bottle. I have a $0 copay for generics but if the real stuff works well I may go with that. Doggone slippery onc - I tried to pin her down on the relative increase in effectiveness for me w an AI over T considering my low oncotype score but then she played the "family history" card. I figured once we were dx our recurrence no longer relied on any part on family history but my dear onc is not convinced. I found out the family history card is getting me annual MRIs so maybe there is something to that. You ladies have a lovely day. Sunny and warm here today! I love sun!!
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farmerlucy, my onc said family history has no bearing on recurrence but I get the twice yearly screening of mammo every 6 months and mri every 6 months due to high risk of NEW cancer.
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Molly - that's what I figured. I guess if my lovely onc wants to be really conservative I'll go along.
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farmerlucy, I would do it the other way around, try the generic at $0 copay and if you find you cannot tolerate SE's then go the $30. copay route. Just a suggestion. Your onc sounds like a winner.
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thanks patoo - I have 28 free sample pills, then I might just do that. Yes, she is an awesome doc.
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What a great idea! I fill my "morning and night" weekly pill boxes each Sunday as it is the only way I can remember if I took my medicines or not. I am on Anastrozole. I have to say, filling those pill boxes is something that I really-really hate every week. I haven't learned to make peace with those boxes yet. Before BC, I took no medicines on a daily basis, now I fill those morning and night boxes and faithfully take everything my MO recommends.It is a reminder that I have BC and it makes me feel really-really old. When I actually take the medicines, I have a positive feeling, I know that I'm doing something to keep BC at bay but filling the boxes has the opposite effect. Maybe, I just need someone else to fill the pill containers for me!
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Golden, how interesting that filling your pill boxes brings on such negative feelings. That's rough. I guess I don't even think about it one way or the other. Just another daily task. Perhaps changing to doing them daily would make it routine? Like you, I'm so glad I am on Arimidex to keep the BC from coming back.
HUGS!
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Hello all. I'm new to this particular board and see that there are lots and lots of posts here that I should probably go back and review. I finished rads about 3 weeks ago and started on Anastrozole about 2 weeks ago. So far, so good as far as I'm concerned. I'm having a few early morning hot flashes (similar to what I had when going through menopause) where I'm kicking off the covers! Then this past week, I had a couple of nights that I had some knee pain that kind of radiated down my shin and into my foot. I tried to think if I had done anything unusual those days that would have caused it but both were fairly routine days. So, I'm guessing that might have been related to the med? My bone density about a month ago showed osteopenia and my MO recommended to keep taking my calcium with vitamin D (I'm taking one in the morning and one in the evening). Osteoporosis tends to run in my aunts and both grandmothers had it, so that's a long-term concern for me. I did have one aunt who took Fosamax weekly because of her osteoporosis. What's the best way to keep a good watch on this over time? Bone density tests repeated annually?
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I started anastrazole almost a month ago and so far it's been ok. I do worry because I've heard it may get worse. I have started daily supplements of folic acid, black raspberry, vitamin d, calcium, fish oil and a daily multi. I wonder if this is helping. I sometimes take aleve but6 days of the week I take no pain reliever. That one day though sux. Feel like I can't walk but then it goes away. This I can do if it doesn't get worse. Fingers crossed. I've got my daily pill box that my kids make fun of, but it works!
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I have been taking Arimidex since July of last year, switching to TEVA brand last month. No SE's to speak of
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