Dec 1, 2010 10:11PM Medigal wrote:

So Call:  That is interesting what you wrote about the pain in the tendons of your forearm.  I have been on Arimidex for 7 years and suddenly this week I started experiencing a tightness in my upper arm and it is slightly painful if I try to stretch it.  Almost like I have a tight rubber band in the inside area from underarm to elbow. Nothing really looks swollen tho.  

It concerns me because it is only in the right upper arm the one where they took out the 27 nodes over 7 years ago.  Could this be some version of lymphedema starting??  I wear the Lymph bracelet and have protected that arm all these years and can't figure out what I could have done to cause this.  It is not really painful yet but I am concerned whether it will get worse.  I just wondered if any one else or yourself has had this happen to them?  Thanks for any info.

Dec 1, 2010 11:43PM molly52 wrote:

Following exerpt from article doesn't seem to rack up with my experience.  I am stage 1 and had tons of joint pain. 

Only one factor predicted whether women had pain-having later stage cancer. "If you have stage II or stage III cancer, you are more likely to have this pain than if you have stage I cancer,"  

Any stage 1s out there that had joint pain, or am I the only one?

Dec 2, 2010 07:37AM nativemainer wrote:

Anti-inflammatories don't work well for AI tendon pain becuase the drug doesn't get into the fluid around the tendons (or the fluid around the joints or spinal fluid for that matter).  Unfortunately, the best way to get medication into that area is to inject it directly--not a fun prospect (of course, I am extremely needle phobic). 

Dec 2, 2010 09:18AM 0000000 wrote:

Hi all,

Met with my Med. Oncologist yesterday and he advised Arimidex but said it would increase my overall 10 year survival by 5%.  He gave me a print out with the stats on it.  Of couse every one is different and my tumor was 2cm, ER and PR + , Her2-, Histologic grade 2, 0/7 nodes neg. lumpectomy and SNB with biopsy track removal on Oct 20, 2010. No rads, No chemo and now I have decided no arimidex... I found this online and thought it was interesting

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/WarningLettersandNoticeofViolationLetterstoPharmaceuticalCompanies/UCM166192.pdf

The bottom line is the side effects are totally downplayed by the docs ; well, it's not their body.  I choose not to go this route because of the very high percentage of women (36% in some cases) who get very distressful and disturbing and painful side effects.  In the literature from the manufacture, they list the incidence as . .>10% because they don't want to give the actual percentage which is significantly higher than 10%.  It is just another way of deceiving the public.

Good luck to all of you as you made the very difficult decisions we are all faced with re: BC treatment.   I went thru a lot of agony and anxiety until I just decided to follow my gut and not take  Arimidex.  My doc is fine with that and  and was actually supportive...for the first time since diagnosis (IDC) in September I feel very positive about the future.  

Dec 2, 2010 10:26AM socallisa wrote:

Despite all the side effects, I am glad I did my time with arimidex..good to have finished, I have to say