For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Let us know how this works for you. My China Gel is working well.
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I typed the wrong thing on a previous post. My Doctor told me to stop taking Ibuprofen and start taking 2 Aleve not Advil twice a day. This seems to be helping quite a bit
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Thank you, Nancy! I had not thought about the magnesium lotion, and my partner has a jar he got in NZ, and I am going to use it tonight! I had forgotten about it completely. I haven't heard of China Gel -- will look that up. We have a peyote gel that you can buy in Mexico which has a bit of Maryjane in it, hehe, plus diclofenac and other pain-relieving stuff. Sounds strange, but my friend claims it helps her. So, many options to try, which is good. Ruby, I tried the bar of soap a while back, but I am not sure if I had the right kind. I will check on google to see what brand/type is recommended. I tend to have "natural" type soaps, so might need to buy something like Ivory or whatever works best.
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MJ: If you look for the 2 pack, that is not an add-on item. That's what I bought. I gave one to my husband and kept one for me.
Doughboy: I have been switching back and forth between Advil, extra strength Tylenol, and Aleve. The Tylenol does nothing. The other two work about the same...but not much more than 6 hours each.
katcar: I'm "into" essential oils and lots of people swear by something call root beer oil!!! and cannabis oil and black pepper oil all mixed together for pain. I haven't tried any of it yet. I have used this blend and it works on my arthritis and trigger thumb:
1 drop each Rosemary, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Copaiba
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Thank you, Nancy - ordered! I'll let you know how it works. I wonder if it will also help with my restless legs (related to my post-polio syndrome)? That would be wonderful!
MJ
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Nancy -- I have access to a lot of essential oils but have not heard of root beer oil! Thanks for the tip!
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I took anastrozole for a month and suddenly I've become very ill. Dr had me stop meds. It's now been 8 days off the meds and I'm still very ill. I was sent to the ER and my blood work looked good. Dr can't figure out what's wrong. What could possibly be going on
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mammacita....so sorry you are not feeling well. Can you give us more details? Also could you make your stats public. It's just hard to answer your questions accurately when we don't know them. Good luck and keep us posted.
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What are you taking now? I have not started the Armidex yet. Am scared of the SE with my osteopenia. It has been a month since my rads and I wake up with my legs & feet restless & tingling which I've never had before. Don't see my doctor until September.
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my gyn just prescribed Hydrocortisone suppositories to counter the vaginal atrophy SE of arimidex...anyone else on this?
She said use once a day for 10 days and then 1 or 2 times a week thereafter...
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Spookie's mom - What shot did you get for trigger thumb? Did it also help with trigger finger? Stiffness and soreness came on almost immediately with Arimidix/Anastrolzole? I use curamin as will as putting tumeric in meals several times/week. Started anastrolzole end of April. After about 2 months stiffness/soreness and trigger subsided a little, but seems to becoming back.
2009 - lumpectomy, radiation, tomaxafen 5years. ER positive, PR negative, HER2 negative
2016 - recurrence or maybe new cancer same breast. ER positive, PR negative, HER2 negative TC chemo 4 infusions; bilateral . Last infusion oct/2016. surgery nov/2016.
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Was a steroid, he didn't say, I didn't ask. Had lidocaine in it to kill pain. Relief was instant, hasn't bothered me since, 5 years. I don't do any supplements of that type.
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I agree Seq and I truly believe that ocologists should be positive, too!! They hold too much power over our thinking and attitude. I changed to one at Dana Farber and love her--look up Bernie Segal on YouTube--I'm 59 so I remember him in the 70's and 80's. He is a doctor that tried to stress to other doctors the importance of giving your patients HOPE and positivity (not to exclude realities....) I love him! Plus he suggests for post cancer treatment patients to get a dog
Now I have an excuse to tell my landlord that it is "doctot's orfers" Stage III - bi-lateral ended Tment 6/30/17 (chemo, 2 surgeries, radiation) 18/17 lymphnodes positive - I have to figure out how to post all of this info!
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i have been on Arimidex since around April. Was previously on Tamoxifen. When I first started it I was having GI issues, I mentioned it to my MO and he made me an appointment with a gastroenterologist. Then my problems went away before I even had the appointment so I cancelled it. Now for about the past month they are back, loose stool and diarrhea. I at first attributed it to stress because I have had a lot of personal crap going on. But now I am not sure and getting a little scared. Don't really feel like getting a colonoscopy nor do I have time to take off work right now. Anyone else having GI issues with this med?
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Anyone out there have experience with Rick Simpson Oil (marijuana) vs CBDPure made from hemp. Pros-Cons. One Pro for me is that I can have CBDPure shipped to me, legally. With RSO, will need to find a seller and go out of state. Experiencing joint pain and stiffness (trigger thumb and fingers from AI hormonal therapy. Have occasional sleepless and found that sometimes cookies helped me sleep for soundly, but did not actually make me sleepy) I also posted this to forums on Alternative Medicine; Pain; Chemo-before, during, after; Complimentary and Holistic; hormonal therapy before, during, after
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I'm thinking of stopping the Anastrozole (TEVA). I am in constant pain in my hands and legs and I get headaches a lot. I homeschool my kids and my temper is very short. It has been 1 year 3 months since I started taking it.
Did anyone else stop and regret it?
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Except for a few mild hot flashes, my SEs significantly decreased when I started the brand name Arimidex. You might want to try that before stopping.
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Coach Vicky,
Do you buy it directly from the maker? My insurance would charge me $1700 for a three month supply.
Elaine
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I am on Arimidex and have awful pains in my hands, fingers feet, anxles. Cannot move my fingers when I first wake up, but as the day progresses so does my ability to move my fingers. My feet always sore - anxcles - same all day.
Sleeping is a challenge and have gained about 15 pounds. Night sweats and hot flashes but not so much. I am 66. My onc said other meds come with worse side effects. Not sure what to do.
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Elaine,
Here's how I got my insurance to pay for the brand-name.
I started with a generic manufactured by GSMS. I think that was the name. I documented all my side effects which included as much as 5 pound weight gain overnight, swelling, bee stings in my head arms and hands, and all day hot flashes.
I called my mail order pharmacy and spoke to a pharmacist. I explained my side effects and told her that I had heard the TEVA brand might be better for me. I ask her if I could get it. She said she would send it to me immediately. Frankly, I was very surprised at how cooperative she was.
I tried theTEVA generic brand and again documented all my side effects. Although the bee stinging subsided somewhat, the hot flashes were brutal. I was awake most nights and I sweated so much I had to launder our sheets on the sanitize cycle.
This went on from April through the beginning of August. At that point my oncologist had enough data to state that I could not tolerate the generic and only the brand-name drug. April through August were brutal months for me.
If I get the brand-name at a retail pharmacy my co-pay is $72 for a 90 day supply. I have contacted my mail order pharmacy and the two people I've spoken to said I could get it from them for $20 for a 90 day supply but I'm not sure that I'm getting accurate information. I plan to talk to one of the pharmacists next week and check out what the representatives told me.
Finally, if you get on the Arimidex website you can get the drug from the manufacturer a for dollar a day. That was my next step if my insurance company refused to let me have it.
I barely notice the mild and few hot flashes today. I am committed to taking this for 5 to 10 years.
I hope this is helpful and I wish you the best of luck.
Vicky
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I just started the anastrozole a couple of days ago. I have a lot of sensitivities to medications and admit I am scared taking this fearing the side effects. Some medications like metformin for diabetes I had no trouble with it. I got lightheaded and felt weak and slightly nauseated. But the worst is I am crying all the time and very depressed. I have to hide in the bathroom at work periodically to get through the day then I go home and cry all night. I just don't feel
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I am sorry you are feeling so miserable. I cried a lot at first. I then switch to a different brand and had an allergic reaction. Then I switched to the Teva brand and I felt better. I did develop other side effects after about a year and 1/2 and had to stop the drug.
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My humble opinion---if you have trouble with one drug (Arimidex) try the other one Femara. I have been on both and for the me, Four days of Femara was a hell I like to never got over, so I went back to the Arimidex. I looked at the ingredients in the various drugs and while the active thing is the same, the amount of the fillers and in some slight ways the type of the filler are different. I do far better on the Teva brand, but even with that one, after 2 years I became toxic. My doc just said that for whatever reason, I wasn't "clearing" the drug as fast as I should, so we went to every other day for a while and now I am taking it every day except Monday and Friday. I had foot , ankle and hand and wrist problems. They are pretty much resolved, but when it "flares" we take a 2 week break and get back on task. the Femara board is full of people who jumped to that one so it is a common problem.
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Coach Vicky-Astragenica? The maker of Arimidex does have an Arimidex direct program for a very reduced price where you get the 90 days of the name brand. I had trouble with it too, and found the Teva to be the easiest for me to tolerate, but since you have tried everything else and we are all different, go for it.
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thank you. It is making it difficult for me to work. Is crying a lot a common side effect of this? I don't feel like I can think right or make good decisions. My son thinks I should stop until I can call the doctor Monday. Does it alter your emotions and thinking forever or does this part wear off after you adjust to i
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Sometimes, a lot of us will show signs of PTSD after treatment is finished. You may want to talk to your MO or PCP. I quit the arimadex and am on low dose tamoxifen now, but it still must be from Teva.
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On the first generic, I cried every time I took it. I couldn't watch the dog video on Facebook without crying.
Coach Vicky
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I am taking the antidepressant pristiq with the Arimidex. It helps so much.
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I go through periods of "cryability" still, but I must say it is much better now than at the beginning. Just finished my first year of Arimidex (Teva) after a year of Tamoxifen. Just 8 more years! My main complaint is sore feet when I first wake up and general achiness. I also have noticed cognitive dysfunction. I am more forgetful and have some difficulty with words some times. You do adjust and unless the feet get worse, I think I will stick with Teva for now. However, Coach Vicky's experience makes me wonder about checking out the name brand.
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When I got my first anastrozole prescription, I asked my pharmacist to get me Teva. She agreed but told me it's 12x more expensive than other generics. I just got a refill and assumed it would be Teva but it's Accord. What experience does anyone have with it? I'll give it a try and hope for the same good results (i.e. no SEs) as with Teva.
MJ
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