For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing
Comments
-
"fun" and "bra" in the same sentence?
0 -
Patoo, you crack me up!
0 -
Thanks for the posts girls you made me feel a little better(not much but a little) I'm 66 and my pic was taken last month. Your right about the sense of humor though. after reading Pbrains hurting something while putting on her bandeau bra....now I must tell you that last week I thought I had to call for help in the dressing room when I tried on a Spanks shaper - I couldn't get myself out of it!!! I was in such a sweat and thought about how embarrassed I would be when someone had to come help me =my arms in the air, the life being sucked out of me couldn't move - needless to say I didn't buy it - I chose to let it all hang out and it does
0 -
Luv Bugs - thanks for the great chuckles.. I so can relate to your dressing room situation.. LOL
0 -
Pbrain you should see me get out of a wet sports bra. It was about 1.5 years after BMX before I could even wear one that didn't zip up the front. I have pulled my neck/shoulder getting out of them from time to time but not in a while. (Car accident from years ago so it can be a bit sensitive).
5LuvBugs we all change. Personally I too think you look amazing. I feel my face has aged just in one year but I'm not really sure if it's Anastrozole, or if this is just the natural progression that happens at my age. I just use more concealer to deal with the mirror. I don't worry about my ass because I can't see it.
0 -
Bugs, that is hilarious. Ahh, Spanx, I ordered one of those online once. I am one of those apple shaped types and all the Spanx did was displace the fat - I had a very high muffin top spilling out over it and fat rolls bulging out from under where the thing stopped on my thighs. I tried it on once and never wore it anywhere.
Bugs, is your hair crazy curly ever since chemo? My avatar pic was taken about 8 weeks ago and my hair is thicker and longer now and getting crazy curly. I've never had curly hair and I don't know if this will last, but if it does, I don't know what in the world I'm going to do with it. Not complaining though. At least you can't see my scalp through it anymore.
You know, lack of estrogen really does age the skin and I think we were all headed there anyway, but anastrozole just adds insult to injury.
0 -
I have aged tremendously. I try to remind myself that aging is a GOOD thing! Was a time, two years ago, that I didn't think I'd have a chance to get any older.
I remember having lunch with a friend and she was complaining about the weather, par for the course in Chicago. But it really really shocked me and I thought "I won't care what kind of weather I have to suffer through, if I can just be here to suffer through it!" Of course in time, I went right back to the "normal" complaints. But how lucky I feel to have "normal" complaints! Hard to remember though.
0 -
You all crack me up! Luvbugs, I think you look great!
A couple weeks ago I was thinking about how much this last year has aged me. My jaw jowls seem to hang a little more and everything is just a lot more soft than it used to be. My middle feels like the pillsbury dough boy and the "waddles" under my arms seem to hang a lot lower. Chemo, surgery and now Anastrozole, I guess there is no going back. At almost 55, it was bound to happen eventually, I just didn't expect it to happen so fast. But thanks to the BMX and recon, my boobs are still perky
Annie, your hair looks great! I ended chemo about the time you started and my hair is about as long as yours is in your pic. Of course I am still on Herceptin, so that is slowing things down.
0 -
A year after I had finished 'active 'treatment, a teacher friend was complaining about her class. Then she said, " You have a tough group too. How is your year going? " I said, "GREAT! " and I meant it. Any year that I have normal problems is a great year to me now!
0 -
LuvBugs, you must have the same mirror I do!!! Since going off HRT with my DX, plus the Anastrzole, my body shape, skin and mobility allhave warp-speed aged 20 years. I do not recognize or like this chubby, jowly me with no eyebrows and stingy lashes. BUT I'm thankful to be alive and believe the AI is my best defense, so I'd rather be pudgy and creaky than a skeleton on her deathbed.
Annie, my chemo curls are FINALLY loosening up, 18 months after my last chemo. In fact, my hairdresser can blow it dry straight while at home, only the bottom curls. It's a big relief. Despite the weight gain and all the other stuff, having 'regular' hair does help me feel better, more like the old me.0 -
LuvBugs....I use the Spanx aisle for inspiration.....to keep me moving, as in no way want to wear one of those contraptions. Way too much like the lace corsets my grandmother wore back in the day.
My body looks just fine, but I will say it takes discipline. It was in my 40s that things started to go south when I left my job repairing room sized reprographic equipment for a desk job. Then I started cycling. My entire body changed shape, and in a good way. It's very sneaky what happens when you move less. The first thing that happens is that you lose muscle tone, then you replace it with fat, THEN you gain weight.
Fortunately, this is reversible.
I do things I enjoy doing.....cycling, skiing, hiking, swimming, and also built in exercise into my life. So most errands on foot. I lift weights and do a series of crunches on an exercise ball each weekday. Not fun, but effective and minimally disruptive. I do the exercise ball prior to showering and the weights when cooking dinner. I plan a lot of exercise activities. I am thinking of cycling on Bainbridge Island, hitting the wineries, on Saturday and cycling 10 miles each way to the church picnic on Sunday. This will be a light weekend. I do cycling events to make sure I train enough, and I get in a couple of 5k runs during the week.
I know all about the hair, and now 4 years past diagnosis, mine looks great.....or it will around 7 pm on Friday after I get it cut!
Need to get to work. All my weekend activities and a super-busy Monday caught up with me yesterday. So finally slept in this AM as was worthless yesterday evening! Amazingly, I got it all done. - Claire
0 -
You are sooo inspiring!
0 -
Clair - do you remember the bionic woman? You're bearing a remarkable resemblance in my mind
0 -
yeap, we all want to do as Clair! I am trying as much as I can at my gym!
Need to see if I can get back into Spin class, that would help me keep up with Clair! or at least keep her in site!
Congrats Clair for your dedication to all things good~
0 -
I wish someone had told me that those big deep creases above your upper lip (where your lipstick eventually creeps during the day) would appear OVERNIGHT!!!!
Did some demented fairy hit me with the Wrinkle Stick, or what?
0 -
LOL the wrinkle stick. Those fairies are working overtime.
But as my mom used to say when her older birthdays came around: consider the alternative
0 -
Anyone know of a brand of Anastrozole that is NOT made in India? The one I have now says it is distributed by a company in Ohio, but when I called them they told me all their drugs are manufactured in India.
0 -
Somewhere on this or on one the other anastrozole threads someone posted a list. Sorry I'm not more helpful, but I'm on a break from work with no time to search for it now. You could always ask your pharmacist, too.
0 -
Thank you Annie! I found the list and called my pharmacy, they are going to order the Teva brand from Israel for me.
The pharmacy was trying to check into it, but they are super busy. Once again the the wonderful ladies on these boards have been a great source of information! I was able to call them and give them the 2 manufacturers and they were able to order the one.
0 -
Sorry, Bren58. I never really paid much attention to that until recently.
The label on the bottle of my Kaiser generic Anastrozole lists the manufacturer as Breckenridge.
The Breckenridge Pharmaceutical website is devoted to pages of miscellaneous blah blah blah information about all their US locations and numerous departments.
However, on the Patient Information Sheet, in the tiniest print, at the bottom, it says
Manufactured by: Natco Pharma Limited, Kothur – 509 228. A.P. India
Underneath that is says
Distributed by: Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc., Boca Raton, FL.
Good for you for doing your detective work!
0 -
My 2nd day on arimidex, and would you believe I forgot to take it? I realized it late this afternoon, and not wanting it or the Claritin to interfere with sleep, I skipped it today.
Mine comes from AstraZeneca. Anyone know where that's made?
Paula0 -
not sure where mine are from...where do you see the name of the manufacturer?
Paula - I take mine after dinner and it doesn't interfer with my sleep...not sure about the claritin - MO told me to take them for bone pain after Neulasta shot..but with these pills its more joint pain rather than bone pain.. hopefully you won't have any side effects - that would be the best
0 -
if the claritin you bought is called non drowsy, then best to take in the morning as it will keep you awake
if it does not say nondrowsy, then you may be able to take at night....this from a long time alergy person! funny that it will help the side effects although, I take aromasin and no SE
0 -
soteria, with my memory I would believe forgetting anything! Good luck with the pills.
I re-started mine today. It usually takes a month or so for the SEs to kick in so don't worry about them for awhile.
0 -
I actually took arimidex for a few weeks right after dx. We delayed surgery for several weeks because of insurance issues and my surgeon wanted me to be doing something proactive during the wait.
I took both pills in the mornings with my coffee. I had some soreness on the backs of my hands and stiffness upon rising from my bed or chair. Rubbing my hands helped, as did walking through the house to shake off the stiffness. Those SEs started within a week, but I had no hot flashes or insomnia.
Paula0 -
You guys are all great! The humor is sooooo enlightening and I love it. I am trying hard to exercise at the gym every other day....when I can hobble up to the door, that is. ! Seriously, I do it and it does make me feel better, it is just hard to work through the initial pain sometimes...other days no problem.
I also recognize the aging issue. Took HRT up to day of DX...12/24/2012...then sudden menopause all over...then Arimidex which I swear speeds up the process. Oh well, I don't feel tooooooo terribly old...just days when I look in the mirror and see my beautiful mother looking back at me! I can stand it though...I want to live to see more birthdays...old or not. I had a really good run for a lot of years...HRT for 22 years...they never told me it was dangerous...I swear that! Not one doctor out of 3 mentioned it in 22 years.! So I just happily went along taking it...fortunately I was also taking progesterone so that helped balance the estrogen danger...and I felt great the whole time!
So, when I go to my oncologist next Tuesday I am going to serve him up a complete list of all my SE's, let him savor it for a minute or two and then gently remind him of our conversation when he told me it might be tough and that I promised that I would work with it as he asked me to, because I don't want to look at recurrence if I can possible help it! AND that I am going ahead with it until our next appointment...if it gets impossible for me to do, I will call him. He believes that Arimidex works better than any of the other options so I am going with his judgement...my Gynecology Oncologist agrees with him too, and she says I should stick with it too if I can.
I will continue exercise, meditation, journaling and whatever else you girls suggest to me to deal with this monster...but I am going to deal with it...recurrence is not an option for me. I am also going to try the raisins again! Sooooo, keep the humor coming, it helps me and I am sure it helps everyone else too.
Love you all, You are the greatest!
Patti
0 -
I started out on Tamoxofin and had terrible side effects immediately so my onc. changed me to Anastrozole. I was fine on this for a year and a half, but the same SE's came back about 3 weeks ago. Agonizing pain from the soles of my feet to my hips. Onc. told me I could either get off the Anastrozole and take my chances (NOT AN OPTION) or continue to take it and take pain meds. I opted for the latter. But he also wants to change my prozac to lexapro. So I wanted to ask if anyone else has had any experience with lexapro and if you would mind sharing. If you're more comfortable with a PM that would be fine but I really need to hear from someone who has used it. I appreciate it, Ladies. Man this stuff can be so confusing!!
0 -
I have a bad reaction to Lexopro, It actually makes me depressed. Also nauseous, tired, etc.
The first time I tried it I lost all pleasure. I think it's called a paradoxical reaction, I understood true
depression for the first time. I hear tell effexor is a great anti-depressant but it raises blood pressure and blood pressure is a problem for me.. So I'm toughing it out as best I can.
0 -
Bren58 I use Teva which is an Israeli manufacturer. Not sure where they make it… it could be a number of places including India but not sure. I just know it's not an Indian company so I'm sure some if not all of it is made in other places. I have to order it special at Costco. I know Walgreens was selling that brand too.
0 -
my pills are manufactured by Breckenridge.. thats what it says on the bottle - so does that mean its made here in the USA?
0
