Arimidex

Shirleyzo
Shirleyzo Member Posts: 7
in Breast Cancer #1
I have been on Arimidex for 2 years and also get an infusion every six months for bone loss. I have an awful lot of leg pain and have gained 20 lbs. Now I am losing my hair. Arimidex is listed as chemo so is very powerful. Has anyone else lost any hair? PS I buy my Arimidex(generic) through Health Warehouse. $81.00 for 120 tablets, or $20.00 for 30 tablets.

Comments

  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #2
    I have been on Arimidex for 2 years.
    I have thinning hair at my temples but had very thick hair before Arimidex. I had gained 30 pounds but was selected for a study at Yale which looked at Arimidex, weight gain and other side effects. I can't take bone density protective drugs due to TMJ. The test lasted 6 months. I lost 30 lbs, had significant improvement in bone density but still have thinning hair at my temples. Please pm me if you want moe info about the study. My other Arimidex side effects were eliminated by this study. No more sore hands and feet. Yea!

    Roseann
  • Different Ballgame
    Different Ballgame Member Posts: 868
    #3
    Met a few woman who had thinning of hair due to Arimidex
    I would say that the majority of women that I have met who take Arimidex have not lost hair, but I have met a few who have lost a lot of hair. (per my volunteer work at Lynn Sage Breast Center).

    A lot of women gain weight on the drug and a lot of women have joint pain, including me.

    Lots of Love,
    Janelle
  • janie560
    janie560 Member Posts: 42
    #4
    roseann4 said:

    I have been on Arimidex for 2 years.
    I have thinning hair at my temples but had very thick hair before Arimidex. I had gained 30 pounds but was selected for a study at Yale which looked at Arimidex, weight gain and other side effects. I can't take bone density protective drugs due to TMJ. The test lasted 6 months. I lost 30 lbs, had significant improvement in bone density but still have thinning hair at my temples. Please pm me if you want moe info about the study. My other Arimidex side effects were eliminated by this study. No more sore hands and feet. Yea!

    Roseann

    please tell me what they did
    please tell me what they did to get rid of the side effects. i just finished rads & they want me to start Arimidex and I am afraid to take it and afraid to not take. thank u janie
  • tufi000
    tufi000 Member Posts: 745 Member
    #5
    Arimidex since 2002
    I have had a minor thinning of my hair which wasn't so thick to begin with but it isn't noticeable at all. I also take Actonel once a month for bone stuff which has remained stable and surprisingly, to my docs, the joint pain subsided a bit when I started the Actonel though that is the exact opposite of what they expected. It could be a coincidence, but in any case, when I was given an option to stop the Arimidex at 5 yrs I didn't take it and feel like there is less of an anvil over my head about a recurrence, as I feel I am still being proactive instead of just waiting for the odds to happen to me.
  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
    #6
    Different Ballgame said:

    Met a few woman who had thinning of hair due to Arimidex
    I would say that the majority of women that I have met who take Arimidex have not lost hair, but I have met a few who have lost a lot of hair. (per my volunteer work at Lynn Sage Breast Center).

    A lot of women gain weight on the drug and a lot of women have joint pain, including me.

    Lots of Love,
    Janelle

    At my cancer center, there
    At my cancer center, there are women that say they've lost hair since being on Arimidex, but, I am not for sure that it is a side effect as I am not on it. I think weight gain is a possible side effect though.
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #7
    tufi000 said:

    Arimidex since 2002
    I have had a minor thinning of my hair which wasn't so thick to begin with but it isn't noticeable at all. I also take Actonel once a month for bone stuff which has remained stable and surprisingly, to my docs, the joint pain subsided a bit when I started the Actonel though that is the exact opposite of what they expected. It could be a coincidence, but in any case, when I was given an option to stop the Arimidex at 5 yrs I didn't take it and feel like there is less of an anvil over my head about a recurrence, as I feel I am still being proactive instead of just waiting for the odds to happen to me.

    I've been on Arimidex
    generic (Anastrozole) since Jan 2011. I will get another bone density test in March 2012. I have a bit of receeding hairline and my hair might be a bit thinner. I live with bone pain from osteoarthritis. My only concern at this point is developing osteoporosis. I have one sister who has it and my youngest sister is now giving herself a daily shot to prevent it.
    Char
  • Shirleyzo
    Shirleyzo Member Posts: 7
    #8
    roseann4 said:

    I have been on Arimidex for 2 years.
    I have thinning hair at my temples but had very thick hair before Arimidex. I had gained 30 pounds but was selected for a study at Yale which looked at Arimidex, weight gain and other side effects. I can't take bone density protective drugs due to TMJ. The test lasted 6 months. I lost 30 lbs, had significant improvement in bone density but still have thinning hair at my temples. Please pm me if you want moe info about the study. My other Arimidex side effects were eliminated by this study. No more sore hands and feet. Yea!

    Roseann

    Yale study
    Thank you for your post. Were you given medication to lose the weight.? What did it.? Were you still on Arimidex while losing weight? Thank you Roseann/ Shirley
  • Shirleyzo
    Shirleyzo Member Posts: 7
    #9
    cahjah75 said:

    I've been on Arimidex
    generic (Anastrozole) since Jan 2011. I will get another bone density test in March 2012. I have a bit of receeding hairline and my hair might be a bit thinner. I live with bone pain from osteoarthritis. My only concern at this point is developing osteoporosis. I have one sister who has it and my youngest sister is now giving herself a daily shot to prevent it.
    Char

    Vitamin D
    As I mentioned before I get 2 infusions a year(Aredia) to help protect the bones from further loss. My Oncologist told me to take 10,000 units of Vitamin D a day. It will help with bone loss and pain. I have a lot of pain in my leg bones and muscles, I noticed it does help a little. Shirley
  • mollieb
    mollieb Member Posts: 148
    #10
    janie560 said:

    please tell me what they did
    please tell me what they did to get rid of the side effects. i just finished rads & they want me to start Arimidex and I am afraid to take it and afraid to not take. thank u janie

    Don't Be Afraid
    Most people have mild side effects. Don't assume you will be one of the few who have really bad side effects -- cross that bridge when you get to it, if necessary.
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #11
    Shirleyzo said:

    Vitamin D
    As I mentioned before I get 2 infusions a year(Aredia) to help protect the bones from further loss. My Oncologist told me to take 10,000 units of Vitamin D a day. It will help with bone loss and pain. I have a lot of pain in my leg bones and muscles, I noticed it does help a little. Shirley

    I don't know
    if my hair loss is related to Arimidex, since it simply didn't all come back after chemo. I AM on Arimidex but to me it was obvious that the hair thing was going to be an issue before I even started Arimidex. I'm also 64 and many women "of a certain age" have significant hair thinning. All I know for sure is I had plenty of hair before August 5, 2010 when it all fell out because of chemo. My pcp thinks chemo is the culprit and so do I.

    Suzanne
  • robinewa
    robinewa Member Posts: 1
    #12
    roseann4 said:

    I have been on Arimidex for 2 years.
    I have thinning hair at my temples but had very thick hair before Arimidex. I had gained 30 pounds but was selected for a study at Yale which looked at Arimidex, weight gain and other side effects. I can't take bone density protective drugs due to TMJ. The test lasted 6 months. I lost 30 lbs, had significant improvement in bone density but still have thinning hair at my temples. Please pm me if you want moe info about the study. My other Arimidex side effects were eliminated by this study. No more sore hands and feet. Yea!

    Roseann

    Arimidex and weight gain

    I would love more information about the study you were a part of in 2011.  I've spent many hours trying to find any study about Arimidex and weight gain.  Even if the symtoms have come back I would like to know that something might help even if only for a short time.

    Thank you Roseann.

Discussion Boards