For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
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Isn't Methotexate the M in CMF?
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kjiberty: thanks for the info but from what I am looking at I will stick with Tamoxifen
sweetandspecial: i don't naturally sleep well either. I am on restoril for sleep. I am not too fond of making this switch so I may just put it off. I already have joint pain and trigger fingers so I don't need them to worse. And I like my blood pressure so I am just stay with Tami for the time being.
Thanks ladies for your input. If I can stay with Tami for 5 years I will stick with it. I have finished my first years and the SEs are down to a minimum with the hot flashes and morning joint pain. I am always tired. Seems like it will all get worse. I hope all of you continue to feel better. I will come back to this thread if I make a switch to get such wonderful feedback from a nice group of ladies
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Leeza, you can stay here and take Tami both if you want!
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nbnotes - are you storing the raisins in the refrigerator? and did you drain the remaining gin from them?
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Funny, melatonin affects me differently than I'm hearing it does some of the rest of you. It definitely helps me sleep through the night. I don't take it all the time, but when I am having a bout of insomnia I take 1 benadryl and 2.5 mg melatonin about an hour before I go to bed. My MO's nurse suggest Tylenol PM, but I don't usually have pain and that's just benadryl and acetomenophen.
Leeza, it sounds like you've made your decision, but I'll throw my 2 cents worth in. I've only been on arimidex for about eight weeks, but so far I'm doing fine. I notice a bit of stiffness in the morning, but it's not bad and doesn't last long.
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Store the gin in the fridge. Eat 8 at a time....either drain or drink the gin, your choice
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I'm a day late, dollar short here. What is the raisins supposed to help?
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spookiesmom - it is suppose to help joint pain ..arthiritis.. if you google raisins and gin you will see alot about it.. you soak the golden raisins covered in gin for 2 weeks and then you start eating 8-9 a day..
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Thanks! Don't have a lot of joint pain, hot flashes are another thing.
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Timbuktu, Methotrexate is used for chemo; however, in my case it is going to be used to help with my autoimmune condition. As I understand it, it may be more for keeping my muscles from getting worse than for the rash. Condition is only 1 in 100,000 people get it so I don't get a lot of information from doctors other than my dermatologist.
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UPDATE:
I saw my MO yesterday afternoon. I felt like a total wimp and a failure. I SO wanted to be her Arimidex Cheerleader!
When I first started the Anastrozole almost a year ago, my SEs were mild. We were both glad about this, and she did ask that if I posted about it here on BCO, that I please mention that not all women have devastating side effects. (She is the one who told me that BCO is the only site she recommends to her patients, as this is where the most correct information regarding all things BC can be found.)
Unfortunately, I didn't even make it to the one-year mark. A few days ago, I posted here about my increasing severity in SEs.
We had a great discussion yesterday; she kept reassuring me that I wasn't a wimp, and that she had many patients for whom Anastrozole was not appropriate. Unfortunately, with the specific SEs I have, she doesn’t think that any other drug would work, as they all have the same potential for the same issues.
(In my family, we're heart disease, stroke, AND blood clot people...
)She gave me an 8 week drug holiday. I am to keep track of my BP twice daily, and keep a log/rating scale of my other SEs weekly. She wants to see trends.
There is a possibility that my high BP is just genetic, and she says that can happen at any age, and can come on suddenly. It's not necessarily related to the Anastrozole, but the daily log will help verify that it is or is not.
She agreed that prescribing an additional drug for every single side effect was not appropriate, and if it turns out that the Anastrozole is the culprit, she will simply take me off it altogether.
As for the vaginal atrophy issues, she still approved the occasional use of topical estrogen cream ("a small dab on the outside") but said on the days I DIDN'T use the estrogen cream, I would need to use a lubricant every day to prevent irritation.
She recommended a natural product called "V Magic" which is made by a company called Medicine Mama’s Apothecary. It is completely natural, and soothes, moisturizes, and repairs tender intimate tissues. It is a natural anti-inflammatory, and can also be used as a lubricant for “intimate activities”
. I’ll get some at the health food store today.Because I am 100% ER+, I do worry a bit about going off the AI completely. But since my risk of recurrence was so low to begin with (less than 1%), the MO says she is not too concerned.
Hopefully, getting rid of these side effects will allow me to resume my active lifestyle, get the weight back off, and reduce the tiny amount of estrogen that is still produced in my body.
Will keep you posted!!!
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Blessings, you definitely don't sound like a wimp to me and it sounds like you have a wise and wonderful MO.
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Thank you, AnnieLane!!!
It really does help to have an MO who listens and understands...
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Morning all. 6 weeks on Arimidex and so far no SE except weight gain. Am very glad to hear of everyone else's experiences so I know what to be watching for. No better place to keep abreast (my pun of the day) of what's happing in the AI community. Here's hoping everyone has a splended and uneventful week.
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Blessings, it sounds like you have a wonderful MO and it sounds like she is keeping an eye on you and wish you the very best.
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Blessings, it sounds like you DO have a wonderful doctor who really wants to get to the bottom of things, not just gloss them over. You will have to tell her that she has a virtual fan club!
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Ok, Gals. Question here:
Does anyone have several joint/muscle pain occasionally? Not everyday, but maybe once/twice a week? Yesterday it brought me to my knees...I could hardly walk and had to rest/sleep on the couch almost all day...I hurt so bad. Today I feel fine...and the day before (Friday) I felt fine. It goes like this. I don't ache every day, just some days...but those days sometimes it is excruciating!...need to take pain pills and give in to the couch or bed. (I did get the laundry and dishes done but only because I was absolutely determined to do it.
)I am going to the gym exercising and may have done too much but it didn't feel like that...that feels different. Just want to know if anyone else has intermittent joint/muscle pain from the anastrazole. At first it was constant but that has let up, mostly since I did start going to the gym and working with a personal trainer...so what is this? Am I just puny? (A little humor there!)
Just want to know what you others experience...go to see my MO next Tuesday and I will ask him, but I really value what you all experience too...he hasn't had breast cancer that I know of.
Hope you are having a great weekend.
Patti
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Yes, it's very unpredictable. Except the longer I stay off of the pill the better it gets. It's over a month now and I just don't have the heart to get back on it. My daughter goes back to college in a week and I want to be able to walk/function, predictably. Every day on the pill is unpredictable. I explain it to myself..."it's the weather, it's the shoes, I excercized too much, I ate the wrong thing, i sat too long" but I never feel I get the answer, except that it's the pill!
One thing I did solve. I put a piece of plywood under my mattress and the excrutiating back pain was gone after the first night! That was a nice surprise.
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easydancer - I can relate - sometimes my feet hurt sometimes they don't.. my right one is excruciating -sometimes no pain at all.. my knees hurt-everytime I get up.. never had knee pain before..my hands, especially thumb joints are so painful I sometimes can't write -othertimes its not as bad.. I will say I will be seeing my MO this week and will run all this by him... lately I am utterly fatigued and feeling achy like when you might be getting flu.. been on the pills for just about 6 weeks.
I did make the raisin gin mixture and am on day 4 -hoping for some relief..husband joined me on ths cure as his shoulder has been aching him recently and within a week of the raisins his pain went away..
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Easy, maybe if you journal your daily activities/exercises you will find a pattern (and maybe not, but I think it would be worth a try).
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Ruth, that is a good idea. I do journal regularly, but not really daily, and i haven't journaled by daily activities/exercises to look for a pattern. I will do that...thanks for the suggestion. I will also note the weather since I do have arthritis in my back and hip so that could be a contributing factor.
Thanks everyone. Glad to hear it is not just me.
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ruth, thanks for the reminder. I keep forgetting to do that. The last dr I went to, the vascular dr, told me to do that.
The thing is, when something stops hurting, i forget all about it! lol But I do have to keep track!
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Easydancer, I also have intermittent joint pain. Was almost daily the past year and I would take ibuprofen/ibuprofen pm every night for several weeks. Then suddenly it would stop for about a week and then start up again. Started up again yesterday but feels fine now (until I get up off this lounge?) It could be the anastrozole, or my arthritis (osteo?). On days I walk a lot it acts up more. Of course I recently was told I need hip replacement so maybe it's not the pill at all as I was warned about 12+ years ago (pre-BC) that that would be necessary.
I've been on this little pill 4-1/2 years but had little problem with SE's. Yes, had shots and used wrist supports as carpal tunnel and a tirgger finger tried to get me. Also have one of my toes that is curved downward - doesn't hurt but feels funny in socks when walking. It does give me an excuse for why I'm not losing weight because I simply cannot blame it on bad eating/lack of exercise! Only a few more months.
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Easydancer I agree that keeping a journal of symptoms at least until you see your MO again sounds like a very good idea. My joint pain is intermittent, but not anywhere near that severe when it does occur.
Patoo, that sounds like "hammer toe," pretty common with osteo-arthritis. I have one of those that I had before BC and anastrozole.
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Still waiting for insurance to approve scan to recheck liver tumor. Also Prolia shot was the choice to treat my osteoporosis....it's an expensive shot and health insurance hasn't approved it yet either :-( . the waiting game...In the meantime year 3 on Arimidex.
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I started taking Anastrozole two weeks ago. No side effects yet. My sister was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer 21 years ago. Both of us are Estrogen positive. She is very concerned that I have not had my Estrogen level tested. She was part of a study at the Mayo Clinic that proved that lowering the estrogen levels improved the survival rates for ER+ cancer. I have been reading BCO for months now and I don't think I have read about anyone getting their Estrogen level tested. My sister is tested regularly and her goal is to keep her levels at zero. She has done this by having her ovaries removed, losing a lot of weight, and taking Tamoxifen for many years.
I received my prescription for Anastrozole from my MO and I am not scheduled to go back to see him for six months. It seems most people see their MO more often than that. Granted I don't need chemo or radiation, but still.0 -
Lucky777 my estrogen levels were tested for 5 months initially but that was because I was perimenopause before chemo, went into chemopause and my onc went directly to Anastrozole not Tamoxifen (mom has a history of blood clots). She wanted to be sure I stayed in chemopause. Given my age and when my mom & sister when through it my onc felt I wasn't getting my cycles back.
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Lucky777: I was post-menopausal when diagnosed and have been on Arimidex since Dec 2012. After initially prescribed I saw my MO for a one-month follow-up, now it's every six months. I didn't have to have chemo or radiation either.
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I can't understand why my estrogen has not been measured. I am overweight. One onco told me that the AI's remove all but 2% of the estrogen you have. They seem to go by that figure, even telling me there is no reason to lose weight or excercize, at least not for the estrogen. The pill will take care of it. It does seem odd to me. My bs said that the pill turns the switch off. The estrogen just can't be made. I wonder if it's just that this is the best they can do so why test?
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Timbuktu: You're kidding me.....every time I see my MO (4X so far) he reminds me that losing excess belly fat will further reduce my chance of recurrence even with Arimidex! I was told that the fat cells in the abdomen don't just sit there adding extra bulk, they're active and produce hormones and other substances which affect your health. Yes, Arimidex may cancel out the effect of the hormones produced, but it would be better not to produce them in the first place, I think. Check with your GP and see what he says.....betcha he'll say just the opposite of your MO. Is there anyone out there carrying some extra weight who's GP HASN'T urged them to lose it?
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