Ladies, please I need advise

sea60

I felt those mood swings with Arimidex
I was on Tamoxifen after chemo, then was switched to Arimidex. After about 6 months I started feeling this impending doom. Along with increased joint & bone pain, I also felt my swallowing reflux was slower...weird!

But I would literally wake up in the morning with a feeling like something bad was going to happen. My doctor switched me back to the Tamoxifen.

I now have numerous hot flashes and heart palpitations daily so I guess that would be the side effects to this drug. I never even took aspirin for a headache before cancer so filling my body with all these drugs went against my grain as well. I had a tough time with it. I struggled with not wanting to go on anything but I utlimately listened to my Oncologist who strongly suggested I continue the tamoxifen.

As far as emotions, yes, I cry at just about anything, joyous and sad. I have to attribute that to having had the experience with cancer. I truly feel for me that it has deepened my emotions.

You're so sweet as not to want to upset anyone. But don't worry about that honey. We've all been through this and we're all here for each other.

Pray for God's discernment and guidance not only through this but with everything seek Him. He wants the very best for you...for all of us.

You're in my thoughts and prayers.

Christine Louise

sea60 said:

I felt those mood swings with Arimidex
I was on Tamoxifen after chemo, then was switched to Arimidex. After about 6 months I started feeling this impending doom. Along with increased joint & bone pain, I also felt my swallowing reflux was slower...weird!

But I would literally wake up in the morning with a feeling like something bad was going to happen. My doctor switched me back to the Tamoxifen.

I now have numerous hot flashes and heart palpitations daily so I guess that would be the side effects to this drug. I never even took aspirin for a headache before cancer so filling my body with all these drugs went against my grain as well. I had a tough time with it. I struggled with not wanting to go on anything but I utlimately listened to my Oncologist who strongly suggested I continue the tamoxifen.

As far as emotions, yes, I cry at just about anything, joyous and sad. I have to attribute that to having had the experience with cancer. I truly feel for me that it has deepened my emotions.

You're so sweet as not to want to upset anyone. But don't worry about that honey. We've all been through this and we're all here for each other.

Pray for God's discernment and guidance not only through this but with everything seek Him. He wants the very best for you...for all of us.

You're in my thoughts and prayers.

Off-subject
sea60, I always think your picture is the Sydney, Australia Opera House when I glance at it. I guess I've got Sydney on my mind because my son is still in the air, flying there for a semester of study abroad. sniff.

KayNYC

Arimidex
First, you are entitled to your feelings. There are no right or wrong feelings. Feelings are just that, feelings, nothing more. I can see how the thought of five years of mood swings can make anyone feel that that the cost of taking the hormone blocker, far outweight the potential benefits.Please consider talking to your Onc about your difficulty with the side effects. Try not to make such an important decision about your health when you are feeling miserable and in such an emotional state. Discuss the options including diet,nutritional supplements, exercise and yes, other medications if necessary.
I started Arimidex six days ago. I have been in the medical field for many years and I have heard so much about the side effects that I have to admit, starting this medication was harder than either considering surgery or radiation treatment for me. After a discussion with my Medical oncologist and her NP, I felt alot better about starting the meds, knowing the options that are available if I should need them. I also met with a nutritionist and have started on B vitamins + CoEnzyme10 and stepped up my efforts to eat a lowfat, high fiber and low processed food diet.
A close friend who had been on Arimidex for two years is doing well with minimum side effects. She described side effects improving after the first month.
Good luck with your decision and with your treatment journey.
Hugs, K

MNLynn

KayNYC said:

Arimidex
First, you are entitled to your feelings. There are no right or wrong feelings. Feelings are just that, feelings, nothing more. I can see how the thought of five years of mood swings can make anyone feel that that the cost of taking the hormone blocker, far outweight the potential benefits.Please consider talking to your Onc about your difficulty with the side effects. Try not to make such an important decision about your health when you are feeling miserable and in such an emotional state. Discuss the options including diet,nutritional supplements, exercise and yes, other medications if necessary.
I started Arimidex six days ago. I have been in the medical field for many years and I have heard so much about the side effects that I have to admit, starting this medication was harder than either considering surgery or radiation treatment for me. After a discussion with my Medical oncologist and her NP, I felt alot better about starting the meds, knowing the options that are available if I should need them. I also met with a nutritionist and have started on B vitamins + CoEnzyme10 and stepped up my efforts to eat a lowfat, high fiber and low processed food diet.
A close friend who had been on Arimidex for two years is doing well with minimum side effects. She described side effects improving after the first month.
Good luck with your decision and with your treatment journey.
Hugs, K

Just started on Arimidex also
I started on Arimidex six days ago also. I see you've mentioned taking certain vitamins after talking with a nutritionist. Are these specifically supposed to help with side effects? I did get a lot of information from a nutritionist at a "survivor's conference" that I was going to ask my oncologist about when I see her in July - things that are supposed to be good to take for just keeping your body "on an even playing field" to help in the fight against cancer in general.

Best of wishes in your journey!

Lighthouse_7

sea60 said:

I felt those mood swings with Arimidex
I was on Tamoxifen after chemo, then was switched to Arimidex. After about 6 months I started feeling this impending doom. Along with increased joint & bone pain, I also felt my swallowing reflux was slower...weird!

But I would literally wake up in the morning with a feeling like something bad was going to happen. My doctor switched me back to the Tamoxifen.

I now have numerous hot flashes and heart palpitations daily so I guess that would be the side effects to this drug. I never even took aspirin for a headache before cancer so filling my body with all these drugs went against my grain as well. I had a tough time with it. I struggled with not wanting to go on anything but I utlimately listened to my Oncologist who strongly suggested I continue the tamoxifen.

As far as emotions, yes, I cry at just about anything, joyous and sad. I have to attribute that to having had the experience with cancer. I truly feel for me that it has deepened my emotions.

You're so sweet as not to want to upset anyone. But don't worry about that honey. We've all been through this and we're all here for each other.

Pray for God's discernment and guidance not only through this but with everything seek Him. He wants the very best for you...for all of us.

You're in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you
Thank you sea60.

Mariannemm

MNLynn said:

Just started on Arimidex also
I started on Arimidex six days ago also. I see you've mentioned taking certain vitamins after talking with a nutritionist. Are these specifically supposed to help with side effects? I did get a lot of information from a nutritionist at a "survivor's conference" that I was going to ask my oncologist about when I see her in July - things that are supposed to be good to take for just keeping your body "on an even playing field" to help in the fight against cancer in general.

Best of wishes in your journey!

No Prozac and tamoxifen is what I was told....
I am on Tamoxifen, just started 3 days ago. Last week I read on one of the threads here on the discussion board that if you are taking tamoxifen you can't take prozac. Well I was on prozac! My onc never told me that I couldn't take them both at the same time. So I called and left a message for him and he called back and said yes you are right. He applogized over and over that he hadn't caught it. I told him I had read about it here and he was so glad I had read it and acted on it. He told me that there are many anti-depressants that you can take with tamoxifen. So I had to ween off the prozac before I started tamoxifen. I am so worried that I will have even more emotionally issues with coming off the prozac and the side effects of tamoxifen on top of all of this. The onc told me that if I have problems to call him and we would see what we could work out. I will keep you posted if I am losing my mind or not! Marianne

sea60

Christine Louise said:

Off-subject
sea60, I always think your picture is the Sydney, Australia Opera House when I glance at it. I guess I've got Sydney on my mind because my son is still in the air, flying there for a semester of study abroad. sniff.

You must miss him being so far. Australia looks so beautiful. Hopefully, you've had a chance to visit him.

Take care Christine

Christine Louise

sea60 said:

You must miss him being so far. Australia looks so beautiful. Hopefully, you've had a chance to visit him.

Take care Christine

Miss him already
He's too far away for me to micro-manage and be control-freaky -- lucky boy! I have to trust his judgment during his 6 months overseas.

At college this year, it was hard on him not to see, day-to-day, that I was doing okay. He was home before traveling and saw that I'm fine. I won't get to visit him there, though.

MNLynn

Mariannemm said:

No Prozac and tamoxifen is what I was told....
I am on Tamoxifen, just started 3 days ago. Last week I read on one of the threads here on the discussion board that if you are taking tamoxifen you can't take prozac. Well I was on prozac! My onc never told me that I couldn't take them both at the same time. So I called and left a message for him and he called back and said yes you are right. He applogized over and over that he hadn't caught it. I told him I had read about it here and he was so glad I had read it and acted on it. He told me that there are many anti-depressants that you can take with tamoxifen. So I had to ween off the prozac before I started tamoxifen. I am so worried that I will have even more emotionally issues with coming off the prozac and the side effects of tamoxifen on top of all of this. The onc told me that if I have problems to call him and we would see what we could work out. I will keep you posted if I am losing my mind or not! Marianne

Glad you asked your onc
It's good to have a dr who's understanding about questions we have . . . and realizes that, yes, they are valid concerns.

cahjah75

I'm wondering
if any of you have already gone through menopause like myself??? During perimenopause and then menopause I went through the mood swings, the constant weeping, the HOT FLASHES, etc. My gyn recommended a pyschiatrist that specialized in SSRI's. I took Wellbutrin for the past 9 years and it definitely helped with the mood swings, etc. However, it did nothing for hot flashes. I stopped because I didn't think I needed it any more. I'm 61 and still get hot flashes. I meet my oncologist in 2 weeks and will definitely have to talk to him about side effects.

I had one sister (49) who had DCIS lumpectomy/radiation/Tamoxifen for 5 years - no side effects other than hot flashes. Another sister (53) had lumpectomy/7 lymph nodes/chemo/ radiation/Arimidex for 5 years - no side effects other than hot flashes.

I had bilateral mastectomies last week. Met with my oncology surgeon and went over pathology report. Before surgery he thought I would need chemo and radiation (bc tumor 6.1cm). I am estrogen/progesterone + and my margins were clean and no lymph node involvement so he believes the oncologist will only put me on 5 years of Tamoxifen or something else.
Char