A small problem - Arimidex?

JAAL said:

Femara, Aromason, Tamoxifin side effects
After breast surgery, radiation therapy, and trying both Femara and Aromason, I am now on Tamoxefin. I tried to stay on the Femara as it seemed the best medicine out there, but the joint pain I had made it impossible to stand. I could hardly get out of bed in the morning, and my fingers and toes cogwheeled, stiffened and wouldn't move smoothly. So I am on Tamoxifin and pray that will prevent recurrence of the cancer. I have been noticing that I have that pain that usually means I am going to get a urinary tract infection more often. Not necessarily related to sexual activity, pain exacerbated upon urination. I have foound sitting in a hot tub of water anad taking Naproxyn ease it up within a couple of hours, plus drinking alot of fluid, cranberry juice. I have a gyn appt. in Dec. and will ask her for something to prevent this recurrence if possible. There is no problem with dryness vaginally. I am also very apprehensive about an up-coming MRI of the breast. The last MRI showed an increased dye up-take at the surgical site. The radiologist will determine if I need a biopsy after she reads this new MRI in Dec. I am scared to death that it is cancer growth, because I keep reading that if the dye is taken up it is usually cancer cells!? The radiologist feels that the smooth appearance of the dye line indicates scar tissue absorbing the dye. Has anyone been through this that can put my mind at ease. This cancer is so scarey for me, and my husband is reading all the negative things about cancer patients and I think he is going to just walk out on me. He just lost his father, and now the thought of living with a sick wife is too much. Of course, that leaves me in a great spot. If I get a clean bill of health I am thinking to ask the team not to share the information with my husband. I don't want to lose him. Sorry, I have alot of apprehension and it is pouring out.

JAAL said:

Femara, Aromason, Tamoxifin side effects
After breast surgery, radiation therapy, and trying both Femara and Aromason, I am now on Tamoxefin. I tried to stay on the Femara as it seemed the best medicine out there, but the joint pain I had made it impossible to stand. I could hardly get out of bed in the morning, and my fingers and toes cogwheeled, stiffened and wouldn't move smoothly. So I am on Tamoxifin and pray that will prevent recurrence of the cancer. I have been noticing that I have that pain that usually means I am going to get a urinary tract infection more often. Not necessarily related to sexual activity, pain exacerbated upon urination. I have foound sitting in a hot tub of water anad taking Naproxyn ease it up within a couple of hours, plus drinking alot of fluid, cranberry juice. I have a gyn appt. in Dec. and will ask her for something to prevent this recurrence if possible. There is no problem with dryness vaginally. I am also very apprehensive about an up-coming MRI of the breast. The last MRI showed an increased dye up-take at the surgical site. The radiologist will determine if I need a biopsy after she reads this new MRI in Dec. I am scared to death that it is cancer growth, because I keep reading that if the dye is taken up it is usually cancer cells!? The radiologist feels that the smooth appearance of the dye line indicates scar tissue absorbing the dye. Has anyone been through this that can put my mind at ease. This cancer is so scarey for me, and my husband is reading all the negative things about cancer patients and I think he is going to just walk out on me. He just lost his father, and now the thought of living with a sick wife is too much. Of course, that leaves me in a great spot. If I get a clean bill of health I am thinking to ask the team not to share the information with my husband. I don't want to lose him. Sorry, I have alot of apprehension and it is pouring out.

cabbott said:

Advantages vs. Disadvantages
Tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors work differently to stop cancer. Tamoxifen blocks the estrogen receptors with a weak estrogen-like substance. Like putting watered down gas in a car makes it stop running, the weak estrogen-like substances keep cancer from growing. Well, at least they seem to work for awhile. But after a few years (some researchers think about 2.5 years) cancer sometimes mutates into a form that actually runs on the weak stuff. It takes about 2.5 years more before these cells get numerous enough to start spreading and causing problems. Taking you off the Tamoxifen after 5 years stops the new cancer from getting the Tamoxifen that is now fueling its growth and slows down the chance of reoccurance for another 5 years (hopefully!). While some women lose bone while on Tamoxifen, many build bone while on Tamoxifen. That may be from the extra estrogen-like substances in addition to their own estrogen. Tamoxifen can cause uterine cancer because it stimulates cell growth there. I was one of the rare lovelies to get stubborn ovarian cysts while on Tamoxifen. That can be one of the rarer but known side effects of Tamoxifen. California lists Tamoxifen as a carcenigen (cancer causing agent). Please note that early stage uterine cancer is much easier to fix when the doctors are looking for it than untreated breast cancer is. Just remember to see your gyn yearly and tell him right away if unexpected bleeding occurs.

The aromatase inhibitors can only be used AFTER menapause has happened. That is because they are not strong enough to stop the ovaries from making estrogen. However, they can stop estrogen from being made by our andrenal glands and body fat. Estrogen dessert about describes it. Since the estrogen level is pretty much nil, the cancer doesn't have any fuel at all. That stops estrogen postitive cancer from growing even better than Tamoxifen with its weak estrogen-like substances. (Totally off the subject, did you know that Tamoxifen was first created to help women get pregnant? Or that it is currently used by body builders to cut fat?)Cancer cells don't adopt to a no fuel environment. However, if an estrogen negative cancer cell exists, it could grow in either environment, so aromatase inhibitors don't mean a zero risk of cancer. As my oncologist said, "If it comes back, hormone therapy won't be all you need. It will be aggressive in nature. . ." He's a nice guy but he doesn't hold back on the bad news. Aromatase inhibitors don't seem to cause uterine cancer. Neither do they prevent it, but at least they don't cause it.

I've been on both drugs. After a surgical menapause for suspected ovarian cancer (false alarm), my doctor suggested I change to the aromatase inhibitor. I had been on Tamoxifen for 2.5 to three years. A study had been done to show that patients who switched at 2.5 years from Tamoxifen to Exemestane survived much longer and with less reoccurances than folks who stayed on Tamoxifen. A lot of research suggests that folks that START on the aromatase inhibitors get less reoccurances than folks that start on Tamoxifen. But the research is very young because the drugs haven't existed all that long. There is no research yet to show how long the better effects last. There is no 20 year research to show what the long term outcome will be on our bodies. There is no comparison long term research showing when is the optimal time to quit Tamoxifen and start on an aromatase inhibitor. There are only a few completed shorter studies so my doctor went with the one that he knew was successful mentioned above and suggested I switch. That was about 3 or 4 years ago. It is hard for me to separate the surgical menapause from the effects of the aromatase inhibitor, but between the two I certainly experienced plenty of hot flashes. I have also learned to really baby my joints. Aromatase inhibitors do cause inflamed joints that feel somewhat like arthritis. However, Vitamin D testing and treatment seemed to stop that effect on my joints. I was very grateful that it worked. I'm sure the orthodics and the exercises I do help too. But I still have to make sure I don't get an overuse injury. I am very active but I don't carry a shoulder bag, do too many toe stretches in yoga class, or work past the point of being tired at anything. Pain is not the same as tired. Tired muscles are good. Strained muscles are not. Another effect of aromatase inhibitors is that they are all bone eaters. Many studies have pointed out that going on bone builders like Alendronate sodium (Fosamax) will stop bone loss for folks on aromatase inhibitors. After 2 years on the Exemestane, my regular doctor finally decided that it was time to stop the bone loss and put me on the generic form of Fosamax. I don't have osteoporosis yet, but my back had some osteopenic spots and I didn't want it to get worse. Before you go on an aromatase inhibitor, you should have a bone scan. This needs to be repeated every two years to keep close track of how your bones are faring. You don't want to beat cancer only to break a hip and die anyhow of complications of osteoporosis a few years later!

So what should you do? You need to assess your risk. If you are dealing with aggressive cancer that just happens to be estrogen driven, then it is certainly worth your while to check out the aromatase inhibitors. Yes, I have hot flashes regularly (like every hour though they are not as hot this year as they were last year). Yes, my joints have been problematic at times, but I've found ways to take care of most of that problem. But these aromatase inhibitors are TWICE as good as Tamoxifen at stopping cancer growth and spread. If you find them unbearable, you can always go back to Tamoxifen. You could stay on Tamoxifen for a few years and then go on the aromatase inhibitors. You could go on the aromatase inhibitors for 5 years and then quit. Perhaps future research will discover that we can stay on the aromatase inhibitors much longer. Maybe they will discover that we can flip from one to the other back and forth for several decades. Maybe they will discover that 5 years is sufficient treatment. Right now, it is a guessing game. The only thing that is known is that the aromatase inhibitors are about twice as good as Tamoxifen, which was the gold standard for treatment for the last few decades.

C. Abbott

JAAL said:

UTI
I am afraid that the Cipro didn't take care of the infection after all. The minute the 11th hour arrives I have the pain coming back. I will call the GP in the am.
My big problem today, there seems to be a new one every minute, is that my insurance has just said it wouldn't pay for my MRI. I was told I needed to have another MRI to determine if the cancer has started to spread, and if so a biopsy to confirm this will have to be done. I have been put on hold for six months which have been hell, and now I find out the insurance doesn't agree!
I am wondering if the insurance through my husband wont pay, can you submit to Medicaid? I have never had to use it yet.
I will be calling my surgeon to get him to appeal the insurance response, but I can't wait another three months while they deliberate. I also am retired and on a fixed income now so cannot affort the 3400 dollars for the MRI. So if you aren't rich you take your chances in this great USA? Has anyone out there won an appeal, and would you mind letting me know how? I am so frustrated, and frightened, but I also cant go bankrupt and drag my husband down with me. Any suggestions.
I also read the new person with the worry about depression. I have been blaming all the problems I keep running into, I am on Tamoxifen, and have broken down crying at the drop of a hat. Hopefully that will resolve if the insurance does. Hope you let your oncologist know how you have been feeling. An antidepressant may be what you need.

dorothyt said:

I'm feeling depressed also
I'm feeling depressed also and I take Arimidex. I found out that Arimidex is a depressant. Is there any medicines that do not have any side effects?

grandmato3 said:

Depression - and other side effects
I also have tremors. My oncologist said 3 other patients of his who are on Aimidex complained of tremors also. He sent me to a neurologist to rule out anything else like Parkinson's Disease. The neurologist found no underlying cause for the tremors. I cna live with the tremors, but I don't want to live with the depression. Besides, all this kind of makes you wonder what other side effects are going on in your body that you don't know about yet. I think I'm going to find a doctor for a second opinion on the whole business.