Arimidex therapy

lola_j
lola_j Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
How are you feeling on Arimidex? This stuff is almost as bad as Neulasta. I hurt all over. Sometimes quite severely. Can't live on Motrin.
«13

Comments

  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #2
    How long have you been on
    How long have you been on it? I just started it 3 days ago. How long before you got side affects? I haven't really noticed any so to speak yet. I have some numbness and stiffness, but I've had that for years. Maybe mild headaches, and that goes with one Aleve.
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #3
    So sorry that you are having
    So sorry that you are having trouble with the Arimidex. It seems most do. Have you talked to your onco about something to help you?
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #4
    DianeBC said:

    So sorry that you are having
    So sorry that you are having trouble with the Arimidex. It seems most do. Have you talked to your onco about something to help you?

    I'm on it too and my joints
    I'm on it too and my joints ache so bad I can barely walk sometimes after getting out of the car or sitting for awhile....I'm seeing the ONC. tomorrow. We may switch meds.
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #5
    dyaneb123 said:

    I'm on it too and my joints
    I'm on it too and my joints ache so bad I can barely walk sometimes after getting out of the car or sitting for awhile....I'm seeing the ONC. tomorrow. We may switch meds.

    I'm very fortunate, no side
    I'm very fortunate, no side effects that I can see. We are watching my blood pressure. It was high a while back and I told meds and it regulated, but it is climbing again. But if I need to I will go back on the blood pressure medicine. Other than that nothing that I can feel. I always feel for the gals that are having side effects. I wish that everyone could take it without hurting, sweating, or flashing. But I think that anyone who is advised to take it, should try it and see how they respond. If side effects are too severe there is the choice of stopping. It is a tool in preventing recurrence. I was very concerned when I started because I have had arthritis for almost thirty years, but it is no better or worse on arimidex.
    Stef
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #6
    I've been on since Aug.
    I've been on it since Aug. without many issues. I have been moodier than normal but not much unusual joint and/or muscle pain. Sometimes I wonder if it is working. I know they check to see how Tamoxifen is being motabolized but my onc said they don't check the arimidex. I have gained weight. 7 lbs. in the first 6 weeks but it has leveled off thank goodness. There's nothing pretty about breast cancer.

    Roseann
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #7
    Vitamin D
    I mentioned to my nurse practioner that I was having foot pain (inflamation of the synovial joint of the toes if you want the fancy diagnosis)while I was on Arimidex. She lit right up and asked me about my Vitamin D level. Apparently her university had found that the majority of those women with BC also have low Vit. D. levels. D fights inflamation and a low level of it can cause inflamation. I did not believe at the time that my D level could possibly be low. I took calcium with D, drank 3 to 4 glasses of milk with D, and took a multi every day with D in it. So how could I be low? The blood test said I was very low, low enough for the prescription Vitamin D. After the first pill, I was convinced. The foot pain I had had for over a year disappeared. After 6 weeks of one prescription level D pill a week, I was in the average range and told to go to my health food store and buy the vitamin D in gel caps, preferably found in natural fish oil. The stuff works on my aches like motrin but without the side effects. If I forget my pills for a week or two in the winter, my feet start acting up again. If I take 2000 units every other day, no pain at all. It worked for me. I've also talked to several other survivors that have found relief by upping their D level. It is possible to overdose, so see your oncologist before you self-medicate. But definately look at the research and talk to them about it. (My primary physician didn't have a clue about the link between cancer, vitamin D, or joint inflamation and vitamin D. The research is there if you look for it. Good luck!)
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #8
    cabbott said:

    Vitamin D
    I mentioned to my nurse practioner that I was having foot pain (inflamation of the synovial joint of the toes if you want the fancy diagnosis)while I was on Arimidex. She lit right up and asked me about my Vitamin D level. Apparently her university had found that the majority of those women with BC also have low Vit. D. levels. D fights inflamation and a low level of it can cause inflamation. I did not believe at the time that my D level could possibly be low. I took calcium with D, drank 3 to 4 glasses of milk with D, and took a multi every day with D in it. So how could I be low? The blood test said I was very low, low enough for the prescription Vitamin D. After the first pill, I was convinced. The foot pain I had had for over a year disappeared. After 6 weeks of one prescription level D pill a week, I was in the average range and told to go to my health food store and buy the vitamin D in gel caps, preferably found in natural fish oil. The stuff works on my aches like motrin but without the side effects. If I forget my pills for a week or two in the winter, my feet start acting up again. If I take 2000 units every other day, no pain at all. It worked for me. I've also talked to several other survivors that have found relief by upping their D level. It is possible to overdose, so see your oncologist before you self-medicate. But definately look at the research and talk to them about it. (My primary physician didn't have a clue about the link between cancer, vitamin D, or joint inflamation and vitamin D. The research is there if you look for it. Good luck!)

    Thanks for the advice cabbott
    I'm keeping up with this thread as I will be on arimidex in a few months. Vitamin D is in the news quite a bit lately.
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #9
    Mama G said:

    Thanks for the advice cabbott
    I'm keeping up with this thread as I will be on arimidex in a few months. Vitamin D is in the news quite a bit lately.

    I am on Arimidex now. I only
    I am on Arimidex now. I only have taken 4 of them. I have to take Vitamin D3.(Calcitril)I don't absorb nutrients all that well, I have Celiac Disease.
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #10
    lanie940 said:

    I am on Arimidex now. I only
    I am on Arimidex now. I only have taken 4 of them. I have to take Vitamin D3.(Calcitril)I don't absorb nutrients all that well, I have Celiac Disease.

    D3 is right
    Yes, my nurse practioner also said D3 is the right type. She also insisted that I try to find the gel tabs with fish oil with D3. Apparently the pills you get at Wal-Mart, just don't absorb as well.
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #11
    cabbott said:

    D3 is right
    Yes, my nurse practioner also said D3 is the right type. She also insisted that I try to find the gel tabs with fish oil with D3. Apparently the pills you get at Wal-Mart, just don't absorb as well.

    I, too, have just recently
    I, too, have just recently started Arimidex. Actually, I've only taken 3 tablets so far. My onco recommended D3 and calcium, too. I'm actually using Viactiv which is a caramel flavored chewable vitamin. It has both the calcium and D3 and tastes good. They recommend that you take it with meals to help in the absorption. I had the bone pain with Nuelasta and am hoping that I don't have it with Arimidex. It's too soon to tell. I am also being scheduled for a bone scan. My onco said I would get a scan every year, in lieu of every 2, as long as I was taking Arimidex. So, I guess, time will tell.
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #12
    Arimidex...
    Have been taking it for nearly four years now (two years of Tamoxifen prior to) - and may continue for yet another four...

    Yes, the achiness can be awful. But, sometimes the SEs subside with time. I'll wish they will for you.

    I hope you're being openly honest with your med onc about the way you're feeling. For some patients (depending on many particulars), there may be other options.

    Kind regards, Susan
  • contrail
    contrail Member Posts: 129
    #13
    Arimidex Side Effects
    WOW!! Reading all these replies makes me feel alot better about taking Arimidex. I've had some of the problems some of you have described, but all in all, I've been okay while taking it. I still have problems with neuropathy in my feet, but that's a side effect of Taxol. Who knows how long that will last? The one thing I've noticed is that my hair is not growing as fast as it was before I started the Arimidex. I had been on Tamoxefin, but found out through a blood test that I wasn't getting much good out of it, so they switched me to Arimidex. Have any of you noticed that your hair growth has slowed down?

    Also, I was tested for the Vitamin D shortage and found out I was very low on it. So my doctor put me on 50,000 units twice a week for a month and I'm supposed to go in for a blood test tomorrow to see where it is now. I also take Viactiv twice a day for Calcium. I take so many pills now, I feel like a walking pharmacy.

    I guess the thing that gets me the most about this whole cancer thing is that until I was diagnosed a little over a year ago, I had never had a sick day in my life. Except for an occasional cold and my yearly checkup, I never saw a doctor. Now that's all I do! I think I honestly have more appointments now than I did when I was going through chemo. I just wonder if it will ever slow down. Connie
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #14
    contrail said:

    Arimidex Side Effects
    WOW!! Reading all these replies makes me feel alot better about taking Arimidex. I've had some of the problems some of you have described, but all in all, I've been okay while taking it. I still have problems with neuropathy in my feet, but that's a side effect of Taxol. Who knows how long that will last? The one thing I've noticed is that my hair is not growing as fast as it was before I started the Arimidex. I had been on Tamoxefin, but found out through a blood test that I wasn't getting much good out of it, so they switched me to Arimidex. Have any of you noticed that your hair growth has slowed down?

    Also, I was tested for the Vitamin D shortage and found out I was very low on it. So my doctor put me on 50,000 units twice a week for a month and I'm supposed to go in for a blood test tomorrow to see where it is now. I also take Viactiv twice a day for Calcium. I take so many pills now, I feel like a walking pharmacy.

    I guess the thing that gets me the most about this whole cancer thing is that until I was diagnosed a little over a year ago, I had never had a sick day in my life. Except for an occasional cold and my yearly checkup, I never saw a doctor. Now that's all I do! I think I honestly have more appointments now than I did when I was going through chemo. I just wonder if it will ever slow down. Connie

    Connie
    It is same for me. I did not even have primary care physician!!! Now my schedule is full. I have seen doctors at least twice a week. Like a full-time job.I still hope to go back to a normal life.
    Hugs
    New Flower
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #15
    cabbott said:

    D3 is right
    Yes, my nurse practioner also said D3 is the right type. She also insisted that I try to find the gel tabs with fish oil with D3. Apparently the pills you get at Wal-Mart, just don't absorb as well.

    My Calcitriol is a
    My Calcitriol is a prescription.I also take Magnesium 2x a day, 400mgs.
  • contrail
    contrail Member Posts: 129
    #16
    New Flower said:

    Connie
    It is same for me. I did not even have primary care physician!!! Now my schedule is full. I have seen doctors at least twice a week. Like a full-time job.I still hope to go back to a normal life.
    Hugs
    New Flower

    Life with Cancer
    New Flower - This is why I love this Websight. I can always find someone who has experienced what I have and it helps to be able to "talk" to someone who understands. Thanks for your reply, and yes, maybe someday we'll get back to normalcy. Connie
  • lola_j
    lola_j Member Posts: 4
    #17
    lanie940 said:

    How long have you been on
    How long have you been on it? I just started it 3 days ago. How long before you got side affects? I haven't really noticed any so to speak yet. I have some numbness and stiffness, but I've had that for years. Maybe mild headaches, and that goes with one Aleve.

    arimidex
    I've been on it for a couple of years. I was hoping the side effects would minimize. Not sure how long it took for them to start, sorry. Started out on Tamoxifen then was switched. I don't get as many hot flashes but this achiness is really getting to be a pain(lol). I just get concerned that all this Motrin isn't good for kidneys.
  • lola_j
    lola_j Member Posts: 4
    #18
    cabbott said:

    Vitamin D
    I mentioned to my nurse practioner that I was having foot pain (inflamation of the synovial joint of the toes if you want the fancy diagnosis)while I was on Arimidex. She lit right up and asked me about my Vitamin D level. Apparently her university had found that the majority of those women with BC also have low Vit. D. levels. D fights inflamation and a low level of it can cause inflamation. I did not believe at the time that my D level could possibly be low. I took calcium with D, drank 3 to 4 glasses of milk with D, and took a multi every day with D in it. So how could I be low? The blood test said I was very low, low enough for the prescription Vitamin D. After the first pill, I was convinced. The foot pain I had had for over a year disappeared. After 6 weeks of one prescription level D pill a week, I was in the average range and told to go to my health food store and buy the vitamin D in gel caps, preferably found in natural fish oil. The stuff works on my aches like motrin but without the side effects. If I forget my pills for a week or two in the winter, my feet start acting up again. If I take 2000 units every other day, no pain at all. It worked for me. I've also talked to several other survivors that have found relief by upping their D level. It is possible to overdose, so see your oncologist before you self-medicate. But definately look at the research and talk to them about it. (My primary physician didn't have a clue about the link between cancer, vitamin D, or joint inflamation and vitamin D. The research is there if you look for it. Good luck!)

    vit D
    Thanks for the post! I'll give it a try anything is better than feeling like I'm 100 years old every time I move. Really puts a cramp in my activity level. Vicious cycle.
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #19
    contrail said:

    Arimidex Side Effects
    WOW!! Reading all these replies makes me feel alot better about taking Arimidex. I've had some of the problems some of you have described, but all in all, I've been okay while taking it. I still have problems with neuropathy in my feet, but that's a side effect of Taxol. Who knows how long that will last? The one thing I've noticed is that my hair is not growing as fast as it was before I started the Arimidex. I had been on Tamoxefin, but found out through a blood test that I wasn't getting much good out of it, so they switched me to Arimidex. Have any of you noticed that your hair growth has slowed down?

    Also, I was tested for the Vitamin D shortage and found out I was very low on it. So my doctor put me on 50,000 units twice a week for a month and I'm supposed to go in for a blood test tomorrow to see where it is now. I also take Viactiv twice a day for Calcium. I take so many pills now, I feel like a walking pharmacy.

    I guess the thing that gets me the most about this whole cancer thing is that until I was diagnosed a little over a year ago, I had never had a sick day in my life. Except for an occasional cold and my yearly checkup, I never saw a doctor. Now that's all I do! I think I honestly have more appointments now than I did when I was going through chemo. I just wonder if it will ever slow down. Connie

    I could of had a D3 shortage
    I could of had a D3 shortage before I found out I had Celiec Disease, but 2009 was the yr from hell for me. From the breast cancer in July to the car accident in July(same times as my breast cancer) to hernia surgery in October, to the discovery of the Celiac disease. I spend a total of 13 days in the Hosp between T-Giving and Christmas.

    I'm taking Arimidex, and so far I'm only noticing some mild headaches.
  • bleedpink
    bleedpink Member Posts: 11
    #20
    arimidex
    I'm a little concern I have not started yet but will be taking arimidex after RADS is finished. I'm 39 yrs. old I recently had a complete hysterectomy prior to starting RADS and after finishing chemo. I wanted my ovaries out! No more estrogen from them puppies. But other parts of the body still produce small amounts of estrogen so I have to take arimidex.
    I had alot of bone and joint pain with nuelasta. Taxol also caused some neuropathy and joint pain. I was hoping I would get all this behide me. I already went through the hot flashes and moodiness with chemo induced menopause and now that I've had the total hysterectomy do you think the SE from the arimidex be as bad?
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #21
    bleedpink said:

    arimidex
    I'm a little concern I have not started yet but will be taking arimidex after RADS is finished. I'm 39 yrs. old I recently had a complete hysterectomy prior to starting RADS and after finishing chemo. I wanted my ovaries out! No more estrogen from them puppies. But other parts of the body still produce small amounts of estrogen so I have to take arimidex.
    I had alot of bone and joint pain with nuelasta. Taxol also caused some neuropathy and joint pain. I was hoping I would get all this behide me. I already went through the hot flashes and moodiness with chemo induced menopause and now that I've had the total hysterectomy do you think the SE from the arimidex be as bad?

    I am on Arimidex for about 2
    I am on Arimidex for about 2 weeks. I have only noticed mild headaches and neck pain where I had my surgery on my neck in 2000. No hot flashes as of yet, but I never got them going through menepause.

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