Faslodex Girls Thread

@radiation_cinderella - I, too, have developed a new allergy - to shrimp and shellfish!! What the heck! ?? These were some of my go-to protein sources. I didn't figure it out until the 5th or 6th time eating shrimp as I always blamed everything on the Verzenio. Good luck managing your allergies and thanks for the conversation -

I’m starting Faslodex tomorrow and want to know what to expect. This is my second go round with breast cancer. Last time Ductal stage 2 -lumpectomy, radiation, with 2 years of chemo for HR- cancer.
This time, same breast, stage 2B lobular. 1.5 months out from a double mastectomy with reconstruction. And now start treatment tomorrow for at least 5 years will probably add Letrozole once we see how I adjust to the Faslodex.
Just want to know general what to expect and other people’s experience with it.

Thank you!

@brutersmom I went Monday for my Shots. I’ve been taking them since 2022, almost 4 years. No issues. Only that the next day the lump in my buttcheeks from the shot gets sooooo itchy li a big hive.So I spray BACTINE on it and the “Hive” subsides immediately and goes away after a day or two. I get the Xgeva shot in my arm first then my butt cheeks.There is a recliner chair there in the chemo lounge and I put my knee on the chair hold the soft chair arms and shift my weight so the injection sight is relaxed. I alway forget which side to shift my weight though. I always have to ask which side to I relax? 😊

@tbos805 . My husband developed an allergy to shrimp and cannot even go near any shell fish anymore. Started during a shrimp dinner I made when our children were very young and all of a sudden at he dinner table his face blew up,and his eye became slits. Our GP who lived in our neighborhood told him to come right over to his house where his practice was on the first floor. As soon as he saw my husband at the door he gave him shot of epinephrine. He said don’t ever eat any shellfish again because each exposure is more severe you may not even make it to the hospital. He would go into Anaphylactic shock. So he also prescribed an EpiPen. Over the years, we noticed that he can’t go into a hibachi restaurant without his asthma being triggered by the shellfish cooking. So, though he was always asthmatic, shrimp never bothered him nor did me eating shellfish in a restaurant across from him. I also developed seasonal allergies, in my 50’s. Then, asthma after a bout with the bronchitis during those years. So I developed late age asthma. I didn’t develop cancer until my late 50s . So I guess our bodies are always dealing with illnesses throughout our lives.🫤🌷🩵

@weareburnetts I am so sorry you are dealing with a 2nd go around with breast cancer. You are in the right place to get support and encouragement as well as gaining information about your diagnosis, and medications. Fasoldex is a good treatment to help you thru this Breast cancer nighmare, I hope your Fasoldex injection goes well, and make sure they warm it before giving to you.Take great care.💕

@brutersmom Same! I’m also a lefty and am forever saying the wrong hand/way but showing it correctly! My fam knows to watch where I point vs what I say My parents used to say I was the only kid saluting the flag with her left hand during assembly as a child. I play all sports as a righty but can switch hands when playing pickle ball now and paddle ball when I was young. 🤣🤣

I really don’t mind the F shots and I really like not having to take a pill(s) everyday so do pray Faslodex works for me a long time! 🤞🙏

Same for all of you!!

xo juliana

@shanagirl - I always needed a good week or even two after the Faslodex shots, and in my case the Zometa infusions. I think it's just harder for you this time because of all that you've been through with the pneumonia these past months. Rest for awhile and give it some time. Hugs for sure!

@shanagirl - Healing takes a LOT of energy!! You are having to replenish your energy "account" so keep napping and resting and making those "deposits" so you can make bigger and bigger "withdrawals" as time goes on.

"Resting is doing." ~ Matthew Haig, The Comfort Book

@Rosebessie and @shanagirl - Same - I learned the first time I had Faslodex injections with Zometa that I could not do it that way in the future and have had to separate them ever since (18 months).

My Falsodex injections always on each side of both my butt cheeks right after I get Xgeva injection under my arm. Same day as my monthly Labs and follow up with my Onc. Every 4 weeks. It takes me into the second week until I start to feel in a little better just like @threetree. @Rosebessie & @tbos805 I used to get Zometa infusions every few months when I was being treated for Stage IIIA BC the first year or so. I don’t remember when I stoped the Zometa, but it was probably the first year after my treatment was finished after Radiation. In 2009.

Rosebessie, have you tried glute stretches. Check Ytube for exercises.

@Gailmary After 3.5 years I have been finding more aches and pains eventhought I work out 4 days a week. I am also 73. My bone scans have always shown degenerative disease. My last 2 bone scans the radiologist has commented on my right shoulder as having significant degenerative disease. I injured it years ago. He also comments about foot joint damage. This is new and I feel like it is getting worse the longer I am on the meds.

@brutersmom - I'm not doing Faslodex anymore, but I can really relate to your post about your experience. I too am 73, and have found that the aches and pains increased over the 2.75 years I was getting the shots. I also have degenerative joint disease that seems to show up more and more often on scans, in spite of having doen about 2 years with Zometa. My right shoulder also lit up this last time on the bone scan, for the first time. I think that might be related to using the computer mouse. They often try to say that this is "normal aging", but I can't help but think that the drugs contribute a lot here. I'm on Xeloda now and in the 9 months I've been on it, my joints and muscles have hurt more and more very steadily, so I agree that the longer we are on meds, the more our muscles and joints seem to suffer.

@Rosebessie I am having the same problem with the lumps. This happened for the first time last week after 18 months of injections. A nurse I had never had before. I messaged my onco to ask if these painful red lumps are due to being injected in the wrong place or what? Is the medication not disbursing? She said no, I was just having an inflammatory response, use ice pack 3x/day and Tylenol or Ibuprofen. That helped a little but one side is still hard. I hope this doesn't happen again!