For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
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PontiacPeggy,
I wish you all the best. I pray your body responds well and you wake each morning able to “jump” out of bed instead of the “anastrozole shuffle” lol 😂
HUGS
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HumblePeace, I wasn't exactly jumping out of bed before BC. But I'm looking forward to seeing what changes do occur.
HUGS!
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Hi. May I ask why you are stage 2A? I wondered if it is because of the new staging system?
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BallOfAngst, who are you inquiring about?
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I took a couple of days off work for a tiny vacation. I had my HP infusion on Wednesday, and my MO asked me, how you doing on the Arimidex? The office was supposed to have submitted a letter to my insurance company requesting name-brand medication, that I was going to get at my next refill, which was Thursday. I called Walmart Thursday and they told me my co-pay would be $1285. I called my insurance, and they didn't have the letter. I called my doctor's office, and the nurse looked and, no, no letter sent, she would send one. Friday morning, I called my insurance and yes, it was received, and yes, it was denied. Not enough documentation. I called HR where I work, and she was very helpful, telling me they have to use the word "diagnosis" and my problem, which is horrible nightly leg cramps. They also have to state to "override the DAW penalty. " I have tried Zydus, Teva, Accord and Breckenridge. I bought the prescription from Eagle a few months ago when it was $30 and filled my pill box with those the last week - no cramps! (I have been saving this prescription and using it sparingly). I called the doctor's office again Friday, doctor was out, nurse told me - we will not write another letter until he comes back. That's a lot of help, I have 2 pills left.
The reason I am posting this is because the HR lady told me my co-pay, if it was a "preferred drug" thru my insurance would be $40-120, and if it was a non-preferred drug would be $80-240, she wasn't sure which one it was. I got on the phone and ordered from Eagle. If you're thinking of trying to get name-brand Arimidex, before going through all of this, you might check with your insurance to find out what the cost would be, even if they did approve it. I asked the tech at Walmart how many patients were on name-brand, and he told me none that he was aware of. That tells the story, for me - nobody.
My insurance person told me the cost for the company I work at for a month's supply of name-brand is $4000 before their discount. I believe after their discount, it must be $1285. I hope we will all find a place in this world that fixes the cost of our medication. If they can sell it for $60, imagine the profit they make if it is $4000. They ask us to take this medicine, and many women have no trouble, if only we were all so lucky. I wish everyone would work with us, and our side effects, to help us stay on the medication. Just wanted to share this, thank you. Best wishes to everyone, Lisa
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hello, thanks very much for this research. very helpful. there is a good chance i can stop after 5 years.
but yes, it is a moving target. best of luck to you.
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MissouriCat,
Hope you received insurance approval for Arimidex!
I'm undergoing something like that... Walgreen's is offering the royal run-around... clerk keeps leaving messages saying "out-of-pocket cost is greater than $1600 for 30 pills". And, they keep sending faxes to prescribing NP, saying med is not covered by insurance.
Meanwhile, I've gone to Walgreens & spoken w/ pharmacist in-perso & was assured Arimidex is covered, provided Dr. obtainsinsurance prior authorization. At med onc consult, I was promised NP would advocate for me & get prior Auth.
Frustrating that this process is being dragged out. Walgreens clerk seems to be pretending to reach out to Dr.'s office, but not actually doing anything.
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I have a question for anyone out there on Medicare, which I will be on, starting 12/1. What are you paying for your Anastrozole scrip?
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Depends on your insurance. I had 0 copay. I have Humana Advantage plan. All generic rx, $0 copay.
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I have an AARP prescription plan and pay $30 for 90 days of generic. I have a Medigap F plan and I have paid nothing for any of my BC treatments - just the prescriptions.
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MissouriCat, I take Magnesium at bedtime. It stops the leg cramps and it helps me sleep. I find that Anastrazole leaves me dehydrated if I don’t get enough water. Dehydration can cause the leg cramps. Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more.
Hope you get this resolved soon. I know it’s frustrating battling the pharmacy and the doctor’s office.
Bell
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Thank you all for listening, and thank you for understanding. I was so frustrated Friday, I sat and cried. I appreciate you all so much, thank you. I hope to hear from my doctor today. If it gets approved, I will let you know the cost. I wonder about AARP, I am going to look into that, thank you. And thank you for the magnesium tip, I do take that, gosh I take so many vitamins, it is almost crazy. I did soak in Epsom salts last night, Lavender scent, for 20 minutes. My cat sat on the tub and was very intrigued with the water. When I got out, I looked at the ingredients, I don't want her getting in there and having a lick and getting sick. The ingredients were MAGNESIUM SULFATE! Well, I didn't know that. I had NO cramps last night (I did take my second to last Arimidex pill). (Friday and Saturday nights I went ahead and took generic pills, and was up walking the floor.) Hoping to get an answer today.
You ever see that Winnie the Pooh quote, sometimes you just want someone to tell you, I understand? Much love to you women today, hugs, Lisa
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My insurance is going to override the DAW penalty, which made me very excited, I can get a refill of Arimidex today, BUT then my co-pay is $240. Sigh.
I have choices - quit, switch, pay the money. The cancer roller coaster continues down this journey. Thank you for being there for me, Lisa
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Sometimes you can get financial help from Astra-Zeneca towards your Arimidex. No harm in trying!
HUGS!
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Peg is right, ibrance copay for me would be over $600 a month. I have 0 copay from Phizer. Think you can get it for $30 a month. Check their website.
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Publix Pharmacy used Breckenridge this time for the Anastrozole. I haven't had this brand before. I paid less than $10 out of pocket, but my insurance pays the rest.
I moved to taking anastrozole every other day about a year ago, and that's keeping the stiffness tolerable. Last time I was in for a check, they mentioned that they think I should be on it for a total of seven years.
So, everyone has a different sItuation, but every other day is better than no AI medication at all. I feel rather strongly that it's in my best interest to continue with anastrozole.
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Hi everyone I haven't tried this myself yet but my Eye Drs. office had a card advertising Good Rx. Google it and type in the drug name. It's supposed to show where you can buy drugs cheaper. I typed in Arimidex and reasonably priced options came up. It's worth a try if you are having insurance issues.
All the best as we take this drug we "don't want to take." 😘 if all goes well I'll stop it in Feb. 2020. Looking forward to it.
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I am onKaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage in NorCal, I pay $11 co-pay for 30 day supply of Arimidex.
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Thanks for all the advice. I apologize, I was very frustrated yesterday. It used to be $30 from Eagle Pharmacy in Florida, and they raised the price just a few months ago to $60. I've thought of taking the generic every other day, that is an interesting idea! I guess we are just all different, I always smile when the nurse gives me that as an answer, but that has to be right. Sending everyone a hug today, thank you for your understanding, thank you for your support, this place is such a wonderful place to go - you ladies understand. Hoping you have a beautiful and pain-free day! Love and hugs, Lisa
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I've been on Anastrozole since February 2018. Lots of joint pain the first few weeks, but it went away. Had hysterectomy including ovaries removed December 2018. In the last few weeks, I've started having leg aches. The pain is wide spread and most uncomfortable in my upper thighs and shins. It's worse when I lay down. As a BC survivor, the first thing that came to mind was metastasis. It helps to read that others experience leg pain, joint pain, bone pain on this drug, and it can come after being on it for months/years. I see my onc in a couple of weeks for a regular appointment. I'll tell her.
Tylenol helps, but I hate to takeit regularly. I don't want to stress my liver and kidneys. However the last couple of mornings and at bedtime, I've had to take it. I read a study that prescription high dosage vitamin E (50,000 IU once a week) can help. I was taking Calcium with magnesium, but was spending way too much time in the bathroom, so switched to calcium without magnesium. Maybe that's why I'm getting leg aches. Has anybody had their doctor recommend anything that helped?
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Orangedaisy--Try the turmeric for the leg pain. That's how mine felt. It was my thighs and my shins. I take 1 capsule of Gaia turmeric every morning ( I think it's 500mg) and it works great. Also, I've found that if I have leg cramps, magnesium glycinate is the best one for that. I use the KAL brand. And lastly, lots of water. These meds are very dehydrating so extra water is key.
And one more thing, regular exercise. I always felt better sleeping the nights that I exercised.
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For the person who asked about Medicare - you need to shop around and do the math. We all pay something which is deducted from SS (or you pay if you aren't collecting it). Some buy "Medicare Advantage" plans which includes drug coverage but have co-pays for physician, hospital visits and drugs and usually have limited physician access. (The term they will use is physicians and hospitals IN NETWORK.) Most require that you get a referral from your primary care doc before seeing a specialist. I buy a Medicare supplement instead of medicare advantage and also buy a drug plan. With my supplement (Plan F) I pay no co-pays for physician or hospital services and all my cancer costs were covered, including chemo and radiation. Most of my drugs are under $30.00 for a 90 day supply with my AARP drug plan. Medicare Advantage plans are usually cheaper up front but you need to look at the out of pocket costs. I know my friend was paying really high co-pays for chemo for her stage 4 cancer although her husband kept insisting that their Advantage plan was "a deal." Think about what other health issues you have too. For instance, I just had 18 physical therapy sessions following knee replacement surgery and paid nothing out of pocket. There isn't a one size fits all answer to your question but I hope I have given you some things to think about when you sign up. It's a hassle, especially if you aren't feeling well or like me, aren't very detail oriented. Good luck.
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Thanks Lala. I take Theracurmin 60mg which is a form of Tumeric. Its dosages run lower because it is highly concentrated. I’m also a huge water drinker. Need to look into adding a magnesium supplement back. I doubled up on my MSM today. It’s great for joint pain, and I had cut back because higher doses make me thirsty. I do Pilates twice a week, but have slacked off on walking. Need to get back in the regular habit of that too.
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Orangedaisy, my husband had leg cramps and started taking Magnesium. He too was spending too much time in the bathroom. I suggested he take it every other night before bedtime. That seems to be working.
Bella
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I was always pretty anti-supplement but this whole BC journey has me taking several a day. I read up on magnesium (I've always been prone to leg cramps, but also saw it recommended for post-tx depression) and found this article helpful. My digestive system tends to run fast anyway so I've been taking magnesium glycinate, with no negative (bathroom!) effects.
https://www.vitacost.com/blog/vitamins-supplements/supplements/types-of-magnesium.html
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Great article, thank you! I take magnesium glycinate too and recently soaked in my Lavender-scented magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), I had no idea Epsom salt was magnesium!! It helps and smells so nice!
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It depends on your insurance. I'm in CT. and have a medicare advantage plan and pay $40 for a 90 day supply.
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I apologize in advance if this offends anyone, and I do not mean anything against anyone on Medicare, but I sometimes wish I were on Medicare, the benefits are better than those I have at work. One of the folks I've talked to in the chemo infusion room also has no medical debt, the hospital has helped him with all of it. I, on the other hand, have 2 years of out-of-pocket $3900, and possibly 3, depending on what my doctor has in store for 2020. One thing for sure, our healthcare in the USA needs help.
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Isn't medicare what you get once you retire?
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Toyamjj, yes, Medicare is generally for retirees (65 and over) though there are exceptions.
HUGS!
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