For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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sweetandspecial....ditto!
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TImbuktu, thank you for the information from Sloan, and others' observations. When I look at my personal background, I can see several factors that might have precipitated the BC. First, I took Hormone Replacement Therapy for more than 10 years (and ended up with a cancer that was 98 percent ER+). I remember at the time my OB/GYN said the chances of getting BC were small because I didn't have a family history of it.
Second, I've been X-rayed way too much. As a preteen, I had scoliosis, which meant regular X-rays. Then, horror of horrors, in my early 20s, the dermatologist I went to gave me X-ray treatments for acne!!
When I was DX, I asked my BS what may have caused my BC. "One, you're a woman," she said. "Two, you're getting older."
I agree that environmental factors must cause some cancers. My father, who owned a service station and worked on cars, developed cancer at age 54 and died of lymphoma at 56. He was the youngest son in his family and the first to die. Not a single of his siblings, or his parents, died from cancer.
The other day, I was going through my file that includes every medical test I've had since 1990. Page after page of "all-clear" mammograms, done like clockwork every year. Then bam! Cancer showed up in 2011.
I've never asked "Why me??" But I'll never stop wondering, "Why us?"
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When my Mom was diagnosed with Lymphoma, she asked the doctor, "Why would I have this? Cancer doesn't run in my family." The doctor replied, "In all of the families it does run in, somebody was the first." I guess he's right.
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I too have asked the question "why" and like many of you I may never know. I too have had way too many MRI's x-rays, etc. Also I grew up in a neighborhood that had a chemical plant not far away and until recently many of these plants got by with putting things in the air and ground. When I was really young we lived in a house that was really old and I know it had asbestos and I am sure lead in the paint. My dad smoked. I am 64 and we didn't know that all of those things may cause serious things later in life. There were 6 of us. My brother had medulary thyroid cancer, my sister had scarodosis (sp), my cousin who lived with us had breast cancer. I also have an autoimmune skin condition. One family with that many issues? Oh yes my mom has bad rheumatoid arthritis and well as my dad who also died from Alzheimer's. I hope we have learned what not to put into the air, water and ground. When I go to the dentist or doctor's office I don't worry anymore about x-rays. I have had so much and not sure that the damage hasn't already been done. When we went on vacation with my son and daughter-in-law I put so much sun block on and stayed out of the sun as much as possible (really causes my skin condition to get bad). I was talking to a lady and we both agreed that if we don't end up with skin cancer we are lucky. When I was growing up it was baby oil and iodine. Really!
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baby oil and then we would lay out on tin foil!!!
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I haven't many X-rays till diagnosis (except for dental, mammograms and one back x-ray). I didn't use baby oil or tin foil. Never overweight. Always pretty active, always ate pretty healthy… yadda yadda yadda
shit sometimes happens for no reason at all. I'm just still waiting to win the lottery or something like that. Good shit can happy for no reason at all too
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I like that thought, good shit just happens also
hey, I buy powerball tickets, not that I ever win but someone has to and it could be me!
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I like your philosophy Lago. I don't obsess over why me; just genuinely curious about about how it developed. I am one of 7 girls in my family; two older than me but it has not been suggested to them to go for gene testing now that they have two first degree relatives with breast cancer. I always am relieved when my sisters get a normal report on their mammos. I have to say that out of all 7 of us, I have lived the more healthier lifestyle. My breast surgeon told me the only thing I could have done was have a different mother. I told her she didn't want to tell my mom that
"Shit happens" guess I'll buy some lottery tickets tomorrow.0 -
On the survey I was asked if I'd been treated for scoliosis or for acne with radiation.
Of the people I know who were on hormone replacement, they have done great. Maybe an artificial cause, once removed, cures you,
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Last I heard sun block contains estrogen!
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You made me laugh lago. I have always said that I don't mind not winning the lottery. I don't want to be the one in a million who wins or the one in a million who gets a rare disease.
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I remember filling out information at my BS's office that asked if I had ever taken the acne drug Accutane. I was on it 3 times in 10 years before they finally cleared my skin up. I never asked about that but maybe next time if I remember this fall I will ask.
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Let's see. Mom and two of her four sisters died from bc. All over 70. Grandma moms side did too. My two sisters are ok, though one had a biopsy but it was not cancer. Dads side, dad was 88 died from surgery complications. His sibling lived to 100. One sister died of a stroke, but she was over 300. Lbs. His Mother was 92 when she passed.
I took birth control pills for about a year, never took hr. Had very few xrays growing up. Had four kids, nursed them over two years each. Used to swim a mile a day, bike ten miles a day, until my joints gave up. Turns out I had scoliosis and never knew it, but it explains the bad knees. In the last fifteen years, however, not so much exercise, almost none, except for working and swimming when I could. Never smoked. However, since my first kid, gained weight. Stayed overweight til now. Still working on it, but eating way less than before bc, and not losing . Who the h*ll knows why. Just sucks.0 -
They asked if I had RADIATION as an acne treatment.
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When you think of how many cells we have and how many genes we have what's amazing is how well they reproduce. Now normal cells feel like a miracle to me.
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gee, I remember years ago the marketing firm I worked for ran a program for acutane approval. Folks had to sign that they would not get prego while taking the drug as it cause awful side effects in babies. Still remembe older woman complaining that no way could she get prego but they insisted the form be filed out
glad my acne was never that severe
now can I just get through the next final months on the dang AL so the SE can go away (hoping~)
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Wasn't there talk of acutane causing schizophrenia too?
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could be, do not know only that it has many side effects. Daughter of a pal of mine was stuggling recently with acne, I was so glad when she ended up getting it under control with some recomendations for diet changes that really worked for her. Facial guy suggested she cut out dairy from her diet and it worked~
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FYI just got the results back on my bloodwork and followup CT scan. 3 mos after final radiation and 5 months after final chemo..............all clear , everything good. YEAH!!!!!!!!!! My onc. still will not remove port from chemo until the results of the next CT in 3 mos. Bummer.
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Timbuk2 the 2nd time I went on it they upped my dose. Big mistake because it's based on your weight. I got very depressed on it. I figured it out and got off it. Ironically I just got married. My DH was really scared he made a huge mistake till I figured it out.
Married almost 18 years now.3rd time I was on it I went to the original doctor. He was the one who told me about the dose being too high. Didn't have a problem the 3rd time.
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Schoolmom, that is great news!!!!! Congratulations to you!!!
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I work for the company that make Accutane and Lago, I wonder if they asked you that to pull out the potential people who had taken it, but didn't know they were also supposed to take BC pills at the same time? Meaning maybe they were taking them, but had no idea what they were for (you'd be surprised--I swear. One of the customer support people in our diabetes patient self testing group told me a woman called in and wondered why the glucose strip wasn't telling her if she was pregnant after she peed on it).
Poor Accutane, so maligned. It is one rough drug when it comes to morphogenesis, but otherwise pretty much works :-)
Oh, and I've had more dental X rays than you can even imagine. Plus I'm a tanorexic who flew easily 5-6 times a week for 2 years in one job and worked for 2 years with a small angle X-ray diffractor for research in my post-doc. Hmmm....but I also have 2 maternal aunts who had breast cancer (when they were older, no one died from it). You just have to give up the wondering sometimes.
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Pbrain I wasn't taking BC pills at the same time. Granted it was discussed but we dealt with that issue. I took the pill in my early 20s but stopped by the time I was 23/24. I was on accutane the first time at age 28 or 29.
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Thanks for the advice Brookside. I take so many other meds, I am not sure it isn't a combination of meds.
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Hi folks- reading through the posts here. I notice I have much worse anger/irritability since starting the anastrozole/Arimidex. I sometimes have to catch myself that I don't do or say anything that is going to do harm to my relationships. That and feet that hurt more these days are my worst issues. I have been on this three months now and although I am coping, I wonder if I can get through 5 years of this stuff?
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It will be one month for me on this second go-round, No crying,,,yet, But slightly depressed/sad.
Leg pain returning but not terrible...yet.
Second time around I recognize the SE's which removes the uncertainty and fear but it's still no fun.
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FYI I did have some strange bouts of emotion on Anastrozole last fall. I mean I teared up once for no reason at all. I was WTF is that. Seems that doesn't happen anymore. I'm now 4 months into year 3. Almost 1/2 way through
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My onco said that the se's would go away after 6 months. I didn't believe him, or at least I couldn't cope, last go round. I'll try harder this time....
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The first year on Arimidex for me was uneventful but now after 16 months I am experiencing tremendous finger pains. They are swollen to the point there are no visible knuckles!
Saw my PCP on Thursday and he sent me for more bloodwork. I am taking meds for too much uric acid and he admits he know little about SEs from Anastrozole so I guess is checking for worsening of uric acid. Apparently too much can be caused by chemo but the first blood test I had after chemo showed normal levels. Is there no end to this crap?
I had little concern for you gals that said you had hand and finger pain from Als...to you I humbly apologize. Other than pain from herniated neck discs, this is the worse pain I have ever had! Hope it passes soon.
Claritin isn't gonna help this I am afraid LOL
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Tim- none of my oncologists (3) said that. If that is true, I would like to know. I asked one if my body would adjust and things would improve and she said generally, no.
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