Weary of Horror Stories - Aromatase Inhibitors

First things first, look at the results! According to the studies I've read and my oncologist has told me about, the aromatase inhibitors, including Arimidex, give you twice as good of protection against reoccurance and twice as long of disease-free survival as Tamoxifen. That means that if you had 90 % chance of no cancer for five years on nothing, you have 95% chance of no cancer on Tamoxifen and 97.5% chance of no cancer on Arimidex. The worse your cancer odds, the better and better Arimidex looks. I'll let you do the math. Just divide you chance of getting cancer or a reoccurance in half once for Tamoxifen benefits and once again for the aromatase inhibitor benefits. Another thing to note: many times breast cancers progress to where they begin to feed off the Tamoxifen. That is why we are taken off of Tamoxifen after 5 years. No research as shown that aromatase inhibitors stop working and start back-firing. Trust me, that's great news. It means we may have a long-lasting weapon in our arsenal against the beast that doesn't quit killing the creature. Next, all meds have side effects. All people differ in their reaction to any given medicine. I have a bit of joint inflamation in my toes. Sometimes getting out of bed in the morning makes me feel like the Little Mermaid, if you have ever read the story. I have feet but I don't feel much like walking on them. But every morning I get up anyways and by the time my shoes are on (complete with toe splints that look like little foam pads and an elastic loop!), I'm fine and dandy and off to the gym. Today was kick boxing and doing the "300's". The 300's include 50 jump ups and step downs. I did 'em all, so obviously the pain for me is not all that bad. (I will admit to doing them on just the step with no risers, but maybe next time I will try to jump higher). Vitamin D fixed up most of the pain problems, which the onco nurse said might work. Get yours tested if you have a problem. Another side effect is bone loss. I'm taking calcium supplements and drinking milk to save my bones. I like milk, so it is no big deal and the supplements are cheap. Cancer, on the other hand, is a very big deal to me. And cancer is very expensive. If and when I go into stage 4 cancer, chemo will be there waiting for me. The side effects of chemo compared to arimidex are like an elephant compared to an ant. So those are the poitive things I keep in mind every night when I take my little pill. Opps, one more: the pill tastes kind of sweet if you don't swallow it fast and it's very tiny. Hope that helps!

Hi Marilynn,
I began taking Arimidex in May 2003. I was 54 at the time and already suffering osteoporosis. My gynecologist put me on Fosamax for bone density. I'm pleased to say that, 5 years later and despite being on Arimidex, my bone density is now normal. My hair has thinned a little from the loss of estrogen but I style it so you can't tell and I have several friends with thin hair who've never taken Arimidex. I'm a little stiff first thing in the morning and after riding in the car for long distances without a break but have NO debilitating bone or joint pain. My oncologist and I have even decided I should stay on Arimidex, for the foreseeable future, until we're convinced it's no longer effective. My cancer was aggressive and I feel especially fortunate to have Arimidex in my corner. I can also tell you that two of the women in my breast cancer support group also take Arimidex with zero side effects (no thin hair or bones). We tend to hear more often from the women who suffer from a treatment and my heart breaks for them. But there are a lot of us out there doing great. Best of luck.
terri

mgm42 said:

Thanks so much to all of you gals who responded so quickly and so positively about your experiences. Now I can face this latest phase in my breast cancer battle with more confidence. I was very aprrehensive because I had such horrible side effects from my chemo that I was dreading another medication. Thanks so much. You're made me feel so much better. Hugs, Marilynn

Weary of Horror Stories -- How is it going?
I just found this discussion board, and I'm curious how YOU are doing with the aromatase inhibitors, Marilynn. I was on Femara for 8 months and am switching to Arimidex this month. I had a lot of the side effects others have written about (especially foot pain), but I've still managed to play soccer 2 - 3 times per week and walk my dog several times per day. It is getting out of bed that's the problem!

mgm42 said:

Going GREAT!
Hi, AnnArbor. I was just up in your neck of the woods a few weeks ago. Beautiful Michigan. I've been on Armidex for two full months now and so far, no side effects. It's like taking a vitamin each morning. No big deal. At first, I thought it was causing me some insomnia, but it wasn't. And, instead of gaining weight, I'm actually still losing a little weight. Nothing dramatic - but steady. Of course, I'm watching what I eat and trying to walk a few miles each day. I'm so grateful for the Armidex, particularly after reading the response from C. Abbot. That's one smart cookie when it comes to breast cancer. But, as for me, I feel great. Thanks for asking. Hugs, Marilynn

Looks like I will be
Looks like I will be switching from Tam. to Arimidex due to lowered Estradiol levels. So I went back and read this post and comments and it sure helped me. Thanks Marilyn, Cabbot and all who posted. You all are a great source of information and support. love, Joyce