For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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OK girls, this is why we need to get those bone shots or meds - we don't want our bones to get this bad.
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/ss/slideshow-osteoporosis-overview
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Is anyone taking Anastrozole and Warfarin and a statin??? Even though I am and have been eating a low fat diet and exercising every day, my cholesterol level has gone sky high since I have been on Anastrozole - in January, I discovered it had gone up by 60 points in just 3 months (to 275). I've already had problems taking Omeprazole and Warfarin and am so scared of adding another drug to the mix (a statin???). My onc told me to see a dr. where I live about the cholesterol level and I have been putting it off as I live in a small town "in the middle of nowhere" and drs. aren't familiar with Anastrozole at all! And Warfarin is a whole other story ... I was put on Anastrozole (it is my only choice) because of a pulmonary embolism that I experienced at the end of chemo ...
If a dr. here suggests a statin, is this actually doable??? I am planning on biting the bullet and going to see a specialist next week ...
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AL and statins together are no problem. I don't know about Warfarin. Isn't there anyone knowledgeable out there who could answer that, meaning one of your mDs or a pharmacist? The latter often knows better than a doctor how the drugs interact. Hope you get a positive answer, because you don't want that high cholesterol level. Don't you regretfully look back to those days the most we took was a Tylenol or vitamins?
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Just a reminder or even new information, at least it was for me, if you are on Anastrozole you should cover up when you go out in the sun. I just returned from a trip to the Florida Keys to celebrate that I'm done with chemo and rads. I went out on the beach used a 50 SPF sunscreen and covered up. But for the little bit I went out into the ocean, I didn't cover my arms and the next morning I had a red, pimply, itchy rash all over my arms and neck. It's been 3 days and it's still with me. I am very fair and live in Illinois so I'm not use to that tropical sun. But I did have a great time anyway and I didn't wear my wig!
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fmg salt water attracts the sun more. Trust me I'm from Boston but have lived here in IL for a long time. In my 20's I would tan by the lake. Never got as tanned as I did by the ocean. Tropical is even worse.
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Hi - I've been on Arimidex since the end of January and right away had night sweats
so they gave me celexa which helped tremendously. But... the last couple of weeks I've been unable to cry - even when something is sad - I get the feeling that the tears want to come out but can't. Anyone had this experience?Glad you are there,
Marilyn
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Question about hair color = has anyone tried to color your new hair? I have about 3/4" of dark brown and silver gray mix= I think it's too soon but I don't like this new look,,,,
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I have colored twice with Beautiful by Clairol. I got it at Sally's for 5.99. semipermanent and coverage for me was minimal.
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I went to my hair dresser 13 weeks PFC and had colored. It was a bit too red so he did it again. No problems.
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Ohhhh, Dassi52, yes - I sure do miss the days when all I took was a tylenol ... Great suggestion about talking to a pharmacist about warfarin and a statin ... Because I have seen stuff on the net about statins and warfarin not combining at all ... I am not confident about asking a doctor because of my experience of omeprazole and warfarin - one doctor (blood specialist) said it was ok. (it wasn't ...) and another said it wasn't and prescribed Zantac instead. I don't even want to take Zantac and am trying to wean myself off it - only started taking it because of terrible stomach pain (in my back!) after starting Anastrozole almost two years ago!!! I will see how that goes ... I am really sad about doing everything I can to keep my cholesterol down and it is just going up and up ...
Personally, I haven't had any problems with sun and Anastrozole and I live in a tropical place where it is very hot and sunny all year round and I am fair skinned (before chemo even had blonde, straight hair and after - curly brown hair) ... That said, I try not to spend time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10am to 4pm ... When I was having chemo I had to cover up and stay completely out of the sun, but now it's not as crucial.
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SoLinda....I have had problems with heartburn/reflux for years, but it is getting so much worse. I have used every OTC meds and they stopped helping. PCP put me on Nexium and that helped but after about a year it was no longer helping. Then I went to Acifex, and now am taking Protonix. My PCP recently doubled the Protonix and I am still having a lot of problems. I chew Tums all night. I just saw my PCP Wednesday, and she is going to test for H-Pylori. If that is negative then off to a Gastro doc for a scope.
My cholesterol is up as well, and I take Lipitor plus am pretty careful about my diet. Is there a link between Arimidex and cholesterol? My joint pain is so bad I am thinking of going off it for awhile.
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I have been taking Anastrozole for 14 months. I also take a very small dose of Lipitor (for 8 years) and just had my bloodwork done and cholesterol was fine. My hair is falling out tho....LOL
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justmejanis and others. Note that drugs like Nexium and Protonix can increase your chances with osteoporosis. Combine that with Anastrozole I would think your risk really goes up. If you have not had a bone density test ask your PCP and possibly your onc about this. BTW I had a real issue years before chemo. Protonix didn't work for me. Ended up with reflux so bad that I lost my voice. I switch my gastroentinologist and he switched me to Carafate Suspension. Worked in a matter of days. It was amazing considering I had suffered for 4 months with the other doctor. I did get the scope with the other doctor and they did see an ulcer.
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Schatzi my hair is falling out too. Unfortunately this began before Arimidex so not sure what is going on.
Lago thanks for all the info! I did have a bone density scan about 18 months ago and when I see my MO in June I will ask him when we can schedule a new one. I broke my arm right after Christmas. Fractured actually but two fractures high up near the shoulder socket. My sister is an RN and she works at a BC treatment center at the University of Colorado. She was shocked that my MO had absolutely no reaction to the break. Susan said there are red flags everywhere with a fracture. I have a large frame, and I am tall. All they told me after the bone density scan was that it was normal.
Question......have any of you developed a new lump in the scar tissue? I know my breast very well and this is a small hard lump right in the scar tissue area. I don't have my Mammogram until June. I am not really worried but wonder if a lump could develop as part of the scar. I am almost two years out from my diagnosis and not sure if these things can develop this far out? Any thoughts?
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justmejanis call your onc immediately. Local recurrences most often occur right on the scar. This could be nothing but you should not wait till June. Keep us posted.
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I agree with Lago, don't wait, but I had a lump near my scar tissue, they gave me a sonogram, and the radiologist said it was a cyst, typically not cancer. So maybe yours is a benign cyst. Hope that helps, but go get it looked at.
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lago, thanks so much for urging me to call. Stage 1 as well. Basically I knew I had to because it is bothering me quite a bit. We all know our breasts really well and this has been there for a few weeks. I called, I have an appointment on Wednesday. I appreciate the cheerleading.
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justmejanis I know we are sometimes reluctant to call. I've had this lump on my ear where it attached to my head (upper ear) since last Saturday. I'm pretty sure it's a cyst (what else could it be) but what ever it is it shouldn't be there. It has remained the same size so I called yesterday. Seeing the PCP tomorrow… just watch it will disappear tomorrow morning
Granted if I thought this was cancer related I would call my onc. I can send her pictures through email so it makes it easier.0 -
lago I am betting you are right and it is a cyst. Once we have had cancer we are so much more aware of our bodies. Please make sure to let us know after you see your PCP tomorrow.
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janis and lago...thinking of you both...
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Hey folks don't worry about me. It's not cancer. It's squishy and moves around. Trust me it's a cyst or some non-cancer issue. Just need to find out if I need to do something about it. I would know it its cancer. When I first found my bloody nipple the day before my mammo I knew I was screwed. This is nothing like that.
Save the good vibes for janis.
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Justmejanis, have you tried eating a little something every couple of hours? I find eating banana helps ... I am down to just half a Zantac at night now and am going to start alternating one day on, one day off. Then I will really see if I need the Zantac because of the Anastrozole or if it is something else and I have to go and get that checked out, too ... I sure hope not!
The problem with Warfarin is that it even says on the package that it doesn't combine with statins (i.e. Lipitor) or that they should be combined with caution. And my blood clotting levels are nuts already (I am having my blood tested weekly after being on Warfarin for 6 months and prior to that, Clexane injections for over a year). Although I mentioned my concern about Anastrozole raising my cholesterol, my onc. said it was rare for this to happen. Well, I think that is what happened in my case as everything happened so quickly, despite my extremely healthy diet, etc.
Schatzi14 - my hair is starting to fall out now, too!!! Could be the warfarin, could be the arimidex ... could be menopause ... I haven't started saving the hair to glue it back on my head yet though (ha ha) at least I live in a hot climate ...
And yes - I too experience Anastrozole joint pain which makes me look like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons every morning when I get out of bed! I can only hobble around for the first 10 minutes. Really special after a night of not sleeping much and having many nuclear bomb type hot flashes and night sweats. After almost two years on Anastrozole, I am still too scared to stop taking it and it is the only choice I have as there is less chance on it of me suffering more blood clots.
Justmejanis, glad to hear you are going to get that breast checked out!
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lago we can still be concerned. I am glad you have a good feeling about it though. A cyst is pretty easy to get taken care of.
SoLinda thanks for all the information and advice. I do eat smaller meals now and we eat dinner now before 4:00. I rarely have anything after dinner, and our dinners are pretty light. We eat a lot of salads for dinner. I have bananas all the time and I eat them, but nothing changes about this heartburn except that it is getting worse. I am so not amused.
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Salad is hard to digest. But mostly stay away from things that are acidic near bedtime. Tomatoes and tomato sauce will hurt like hell.
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Oh, Justmejanis - you're welcome! What a drag about your heartburn getting worse! Do you drink lots of water, too? Sleep on a raised pillow? Now, that would be uncomfortable and make me snore, ha ha! I saw a lot of SE's listed on the net which people experienced by suddenly coming off (for example) omeprazole and how that it should be cut back on and not cold turkey. I read that sometimes people have heartburn purely from taking meds., too. Great ...
Good luck to you and Iago both on those lumps that are hopefully cysts!
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SoLinda I have had heartburn for many many years. In the past it was always treatable with OTC meds. This past year it has gotten so much worse. I drink a lot of water. Anymore anything Ieat give me heartburn. I do prop myself up on several pillows. When I lie flat it is worse and then I actually have the reflux. Now that is some nasty stuff! I do believe I will have to be scoped....I will know in a couple weeks. My NP says she believes it is inevitable.
Lago.....oh I have made lots of food sacrifices but to no avail. I have had to cut onions out of my diet, big bummer as I love them. All the acidic foods as well. It mystifies me why even a piece of toast can give me heartburn now. It is just plain annoying!
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Ask your doctor about Carafate Suspension. Seriously it did the trick for me.
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Lago I will, thanks for the suggestion! Something has to help, right?
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Medicine is not a prefect science I'm afraid. Gastric problems are really hard to solve many times. I did have to chance doctors though. I switched to the head of gastroentinology. He got it with the first try. I was dealing with this for 4 months with no solution with the previous MD. Dumped him mainly because I kept telling him it wasn't working and he kept telling me to keep taking the same meds. Made the suggestions of the bed tilt etc.
I ended up taking Carafate at the end of chemo since the nexium wasn't working as well at that point. My onc had no problem prescribing it. Again worked like a charm.
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Lago yes, medical issues are not always one simple fix. I will ask my NP about the carafate suspension when I see her in a couple weeks. Of course I may talk to her prior to that.
Hope you are at your appointment and all is well.
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