For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
-
Sloan, it certainly would seem the pool is the culprit. Hoping that you can figure out why so you can enjoy it!
HUGS!
0 -
This topic is most interesting to me. I started on Arimidex back in November 2015 (after having my ovaries surgically removed) and experienced joint pain, hot flashes and muscle cramping.The joint pains and hot flashes I associated with the removal of ovaries. In March 2016 I signed up for a generic brand called Agerdex. The difference in cost between both brands was huge 60e (euro) for the Arimidex (28 tablets) and 10e for the Agerdex (28 tablets) so it was a no brainer!! I swapped over to the generic brand. However, my muscle SE escalated to uncomfortable heights, I have been experiencing severe muscle cramping in my feet, backs of my knees, inner thighs, under my arms, fingers and sides but the worst cramping occurs in my neck. If I yawn my neck muscle locks and it is very painful, I usually have to wait a few minutes for it to subside. Furthermore, a vein in my neck is clearly being affected by my neck muscle spasms as it involuntarily pulsates when the spasm kicks in.
My Oncologist suggested that I go back on Arimidex to see if the muscle spasms decrease in any way and yet when I spoke with my pharmacist he said that he did not believe there would be any significant difference between the named brand v the generic brand. However, I am caught between a rock and a hard place because I will do whatever it takes to try and get the muscle spasms under control, so for now I will start back on Arimidex tomorrow in the hope that it was the Agerdex that increased the cramping.
Would be interested to know if anyone else took both brand and generic and noticed any difference and also if anyone else gets cramping real bad!!
Kind Regards,
0 -
It is very rare for anyone to take the name brand Arimidex here, because of the cost. Insurance pays for the generic so it costs maybe $5 a month. But not the brand name, so it costs about $500 a month. Yes, 100 times as much! Who could afford that?
I have heard that the manufacturer has a program where you can get it direct from them for $30/month but I don't know what you have to do to qualify for that. That's still pretty steep compared to the generic. However I have seen a few people say they have fewer SEs on the brand name than they had on the generic. Others have had less issues just by changing from one brand (of generic) to another.
0 -
Judo, the pharmacist should absolutely know that the fillers a generic manufacturer use can definitely affect the SE's. You may or may not find a difference but if you do it's because of the fillers. Since you are not in the USA I'm not sure you would be able to qualify for the brand name program but you can certainly go to their website (brand name manufacturer is AstraZeneca) and find out.
Good luck.
0 -
Judo, Every manufacture uses different fillers. I actually had an allergic reaction to one manufacture. I take a specific manufacturer. The cost for me is $45 for 3 months or $125 if I do name brand with my insurance. Cost in this country depends on your insurance.
0 -
I chose the Teva brand generic because at the time I was about to start anastrozole, most of the ladies said that their fillers caused few problems. So I have specified it when I get my rx filled. And so far so good after 21 months. Fillers do matter.
HUGS!
0 -
Jennie93, Judo......I take brand name Arimidex. When on the generic I could barely move. My oncologist wrote the prescription so that it is medically required that I have the Arimidex. I pay $20 a month, if generic it would be free....WELL worth the price. As for not being a difference, the pharmacist is wrong. Every manufacturer uses different fillers. Good luck!
0 -
Sloan & lago: Thanks for info. That is a different way to look at the AI. I will research a little more and talk to MO next visit. So far healing is going well from the implant surgery which is main concern right now... sutures come out Friday. Will keep following here and post again after starting Anastr ozone. For now I am checking my Rx to see which manufacturer the generic came from. Good luck to all.
0 -
Jittrbug, it might say on your prescription bottle who the manufacturer is. Mine does right below the name of the drug in tiny print. I checked my other Rx's and that's where it is too.
HUGS!
0 -
Totally agree with what everyone has said regarding fillers. I was in agony on the generic brand Anastrozole. Could hardly hobble around or even hold a pen. The improvement since changing to brand name Arimidex has been astounding. It costs me $38.30 a month here in Australia.
0 -
smurfette- I have an appt Wednesday with my oncologist and will now be asking about switching to name brand. My pain seemed to get better for awhile but is now back full force. Ugh. My feet (mostly left) hurt so bad I can barely walk and my hands are back to being bad. Been using a ball thing on my pens to write. Ugh. You have given me hope
0 -
Hope you find some relief BethL. Keep us posted. Donna.
0 -
I decided to check on the cost of name brand Arimidex after dealing with the SE'S of the generic brand. Found out that AFTER the insurance paid, my cost was $482 per month. Then I found out about the Armidex Direct program. Here is a link. https://www.arimidex.com/arimidex-direct-enrollment/arimidex-direct.html
0 -
I decided to check on the cost of name brand Arimidex after dealing with the SE'S of the generic brand. Found out that AFTER the insurance paid, my cost was $482 per month. Then I found out about the Armidex Direct program. Just Google Arimidex Direct. You don't have to "qualify" for the program, all they need is a prescription from your doctor. $30 per month or $90 for 3 month supply. And, no...I'm not a paid rep for the company, I'm just very grateful for the program, because my SE'S drastically decreased after getting away from the generics. No more trips to the pharmacy, they ship directly to your home and if you sign up for auto ship option, you never even have to order refills, they send your next bottle before your current supply runs out. Hope this helps some of you ladies. <<<Hugs>>>0
-
Good morning Ladies, I havent posted in awhile. Was having so much trouble with the anestrozole,I found a new Oncologist and he took me off for a week, then started me out 2 day a week , then 3 days a week and so on.....I am now back to 7 days a week and he added glucosamine chondroitin once a day....I have to say, (and Im praying here) I think it is getting better....I still have so much trouble sleeping. Anyone have any experience or knowledge about melatonin? I just sent my poor husband to the drug store to buy some....I sleep for an hour at a time and Im up watching the clock....when its time to get up and ready for work, Im exhausted....any info would be appreciated. Thanks Ladies....
0 -
MissV123, have you tried taking your anastrozole at a different time of day? Are you having hot flashes that are waking you up? I don't know anything about melatonin so can't help you there. What dosage are you taking of the glucosamine/chondroitin? Glad it is helping the aches and pains. I hope you find relief soon.
HUGS!
0 -
Hi Pontiac Pegg....yes, I am waking up with sweats, and just a complete feeling of unrest. hard to explain I take glucosamne 1500 once a day and chondroitin 12 once a day.....hubby got the melatonin, and Im going to try tonight...Oh and when I was first on the anestrozole, I was taking at night....but forget it....now the doc told me to switch to the morning.....
0 -
When I was in the hospital during my chemo phase, I was having trouble sleeping, and they gave me 6 mg of melatonin. It did the trick. I had the best restful night. I got some which I keep at home for when I have a problem and it always works well. I take my anastrozole with breakfast, and my biggest SE is hot flashes, but they don't usually wake me up.
0 -
MissV123, hopefully melatonin will help you sleep. I would guess you'll just have to live through the hot flashes until they subside. I was lucky and didn't have much in the way of hot flashes either during menopause or with anastrozole.
HUGS!
0 -
Thanks Brithael, Im going to take it this evening....see how it goes....
0 -
Wow...Pontiacpeggy, thanks for the breakdown on why the drunken raisins work...I think I need to try that again.
0 -
Hello! I'm new to this thread and hope someone can help me with a quick question. I'm sch'd to see my MO on 7/11 for a Zoladex injection and to get my first script of Arimidex. I've been reading this thread and others and it seems the name brand is superior as far as side effects. Just for the heck of it I priced the name brand vs. generic in my online app for my prescription benefits and it says my cost is $0. I'm very wary bc this doesn't sound right - to be sure I'm not doing something wrong here's my question - what is the dosage of Arimidex that you take? The app lists it as a 1 mg tablet. Maybe that dosage is very small and I'm not entering something right? It also says it is a "nonpreferred" product but definitely says my cost is 0. I'm really hoping this is true! Thanks!
0 -
I take 1 mg, and my cost is about $3. The cost depends on your insurance package. Recurrances cost more than pills, so they had to make sure the generics are super low in cost so people take them.Good luck!
0 -
Irish, the reason people often have SEs from generics is the difference in fillers from the brand name. I use the generic made by Teva and have had no problems. I specified that one from the beginning since most ladies said they found fewer problems with it than the ones made in India (Teva is made in Israel). I can't imagine the generic and brand name costing the same. BUT if they are then go for the brand name.
HUGS!
0 -
I believe 1mg is the standard dosage. I feel significantly better on brand name Arimidex.
0 -
Hello all, new to this post. I'll have a mastectomy in a couple of weeks for a second primary IDC, mixed mucinous, in the same breast, 100% ER positive/98%PR positive. My question is, if I already had my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, why do I need to take Arimodex?
0 -
Pittsburgh - Your cancer is hormone positive. While ovaries make most of the estrogen, normal body fat makes estrogen, too. Aromatase Inhibitors, like Arimodex, work best if your ovaries are supressed (or remived like yours). According to the article on AI's on this site,
"Aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme aromatase, which turns the hormone androgen into small amounts of estrogen in the body. This means that less estrogen is available to stimulate the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer cells."
The survival rates for hormone positive cancers, like ours, is based on a woman taking these preventive measures to decrease estrogen in the body. That's why we all take it. Some people think of it like taking a birth control pill: it's prevention. Others think of it as each day making it so the cancer cells floating in the body do not grow. Whatever the extent of your cancer and however you choose to think of it, the SOFT studies (Suppression of Ovarian Function Trials) show that AI's area really effective on women who are postmenopausal.
If you are worried about side effects, most people in here don't have side effects or the side effects go away after 3 months. Others have side effects, have to start and stop and re-start the AI so the side effects go away. Others have to take a different brand or different kind of AI. There are so many options. Talk to your MO. Talk to us. I hope this clears things up for you. Good luck!
0 -
Thanks Sloan15, this was very helpful!
0 -
Well put, Sloan!
HUGS!
0 -
Sloan15 ....great explaination ! Thank you....
0
