concerned about estrogen progesterian blockers

janie560 said:

They have told me which drug
They have not told me which drug yet and i am 64. thank for your response.

TraciInLA said:

Hi, Janie -
The type of hormone blocker you will take depends first on whether you're pre- or postmenopausal.

Because you're 64, I'm going to take a wild guess that you're way past menopause :-). So your doctor will likely start you on one of the 3 drugs called "aromatase inhibitors" for postmenopausal breast cancer survivors: Arimidex, Femara, or Aromasin.

I'm premenopausal, so don't have any experience with these drugs to offer you...but, if you're reading others' posts or looking at information elsewhere, focus on those 3 drugs. While some postmenopausal women do end up taking Tamoxifen for various reasons, it's much more common for them to take one of these 3.

Hope that helps a little?

Traci

SIROD said:

For Janie560
Each woman reacts differently to hormonal therapy. One doesn't know how a drug will be until one gives it a try. One person might have lots of hot flashes another none at all. Some have awful bone and joint pain and other women don't have any.

I have been on one kind of hormonal therapy for 16 years and I don't believe that anyone would say I look older than my peers who have not had any cancer treatment. In fact, most people say I look darn good.

Yes, hormonal treatment especially the aromatase inhibitors can be wicked on the bones. Your doctor should prescribe some sort of bisphosphonate treatment such as Fosamax, Boniva and etc. This will prevent fractures. When AI (aromatase inhibitors (arimidex, femara, aromasin) came out, they didn't realize that they would cause bone fractures. A few years after I was on Arimidex, I had a minor fall that cause 3 vertebra fractures. Then I went on a bisphosphonate and my eye specialist made me stop. I developed an eye condition that doesn't allow me to use that sort of drug anymore. I am just very, very careful on not falling.

You should also have a bone density test before you begin your hormonal therapy. This will give a baseline for you in the years to come.

Good luck to you.

Doris

CAchick said:

femara
Hi, I am 53. Been on Femara for about a year. When I first started taking it, I had a lot of side effects...bone pain, nausea, and fatigue. Plus, I felt like I "moved older" if that makes any sense. However, I have sort of gotten used to the se's. My Med Onc put me on Cymbalta, and it helps with the pain. I get special bone tx (Zometa) to strengthen my bones (twice a year). And, I take Calcium every day.
Best wishes to you,
Sybil

SIROD said:

Susan in Response to your Question
Hi Susan,

Aromatase Inhibitors are notorious for bone fractures. If you have not been prescribe a bisphosphonate drug, please ask your oncologist for one. It will help strengthen your bones so you won't develop osteoporosis. When bones are deprived of estrogen for a long period of time that is what happens. It's not just for women on aromatase inhibitors but for those who had a hysterectomy. Everyone should have a bone density test to figure out where they are and how close they are to developing fractures.

To be certain that Femara is not causing pain and achiness in specific areas, you could stop the drug for 3 weeks. It took me that long to discover what was Femara pain, what was pain from my other problems. It took 3 weeks after restarting Femara to have the pain back in the areas that I was questioning. I went off the drug twice before my present vacation from Femara at this time. I did have my oncologist approval for this experiment. I have an indolent kind of cancer, so the experiments are not for everyone.

I would say that more than likely Femara is causing more pain in bone & joint areas that were injured at one time. The drug seems to like the most vulnerable bone & joint areas in one's body.

Fractures takes time to heal especially if your walking on it.

Best to you,

Doris