Arimidex therapy

2

Comments

  • NAN033
    NAN033 Member Posts: 11
    #22
    lanie940 said:

    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.

    Arimidex
    Monday I have to decide whether to take Arimidex or not. This site is really helpful. I am already taking VitD3. After reading comments I worry because I stopped taking birth control in my 30's because of migraine headaches. How bad are the headaches. any info would be appreciated. I did savi pump radiation already.
  • NAN033
    NAN033 Member Posts: 11
    #23
    lanie940 said:

    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.

    Arimidex
    Monday I have to decide whether to take Arimidex or not. This site is really helpful. I am already taking VitD3. After reading comments I worry because I stopped taking birth control in my 30's because of migraine headaches. How bad are the headaches. any info would be appreciated. I did savi pump radiation already.
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #24
    NAN033 said:

    Arimidex
    Monday I have to decide whether to take Arimidex or not. This site is really helpful. I am already taking VitD3. After reading comments I worry because I stopped taking birth control in my 30's because of migraine headaches. How bad are the headaches. any info would be appreciated. I did savi pump radiation already.

    Nan, welcome to this site.
    Nan, welcome to this site. I am pleased to report that I do not have headaches with Arimidex. I'm only a little less than 2 weeks into taking it and I, knock on wood, haven't noticed any side effects. I'm hoping it continues this way for the rest of the 5 year period. Good luck.
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #25
    vitamin d
    Have your health care professional check your vitamin D level. See study re vitamin D, pain and aromatase inhibitors (arimidex): http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/new_research/20091215.jsp
    The group with the least pain recieved very high doses of vitamin d. I believe that they received vit d by injection. I see my endocrinologist next week, so stay posted. I will let you know what she says. I currently take 2000 IU Vit D3 and still have some pain AND my vit D level is still low!

    Go Saints and Happy Mardi Gras!
  • NAN033
    NAN033 Member Posts: 11
    #26
    CypressCynthia said:

    vitamin d
    Have your health care professional check your vitamin D level. See study re vitamin D, pain and aromatase inhibitors (arimidex): http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/new_research/20091215.jsp
    The group with the least pain recieved very high doses of vitamin d. I believe that they received vit d by injection. I see my endocrinologist next week, so stay posted. I will let you know what she says. I currently take 2000 IU Vit D3 and still have some pain AND my vit D level is still low!

    Go Saints and Happy Mardi Gras!

    vitamin D
    Thanks for the site info I currently take 4000 IU I take it twice a day. I was taking 2000 but my last blood work said it was still low. So much to learn. Brain explosion. I will check the site out.
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #27
    NAN033 said:

    Arimidex
    Monday I have to decide whether to take Arimidex or not. This site is really helpful. I am already taking VitD3. After reading comments I worry because I stopped taking birth control in my 30's because of migraine headaches. How bad are the headaches. any info would be appreciated. I did savi pump radiation already.

    Well, I am noticing I have
    Well, I am noticing I have Edema in my ankles. BUT it's kinda hard to tell since I have thicker ankles anyway naturally. Also, edema is a side effect of having Celiac, but the Cancer center nurse called me today to see how I was doing and I told her fine except for some mild edema in my ankles. she said it is possible it could be the Arimidex. She told me to go buy those medical stockings. I priced them at Wal-Mart, they are 20.00 a pair!
    they are also a pain in the neck to put on!
  • Dot53
    Dot53 Member Posts: 239 Member
    #28
    Arimidex
    I began taking Arimidex about three weeks ago... the first side effect I had was pain in my legs.. it was pretty bad.. so bad that I stopped taking it. I asked a couple of my specialists what they thought as I have rheumatoid arthritis and they both said that I am probably better off without it. I still have to tell my onco but quality of life is very important to me ... I do not want to end up in a wheelchair... when my onco prescribed Arimidex he said that my chance of reoccurance was 10% and that this drug would drop the odds to 6%. I had to wonder if those odds made it worth living in constant pain....

    Dot
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #29
    NAN033 said:

    Arimidex
    Monday I have to decide whether to take Arimidex or not. This site is really helpful. I am already taking VitD3. After reading comments I worry because I stopped taking birth control in my 30's because of migraine headaches. How bad are the headaches. any info would be appreciated. I did savi pump radiation already.

    Why Monday
    Nano33,
    Why do you put a deadline for taking Arimidex. If you miss one week to make yourself comfortable with your decision you still will be ok.
    Good luck
    New Flower
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #30
    NAN033 said:

    vitamin D
    Thanks for the site info I currently take 4000 IU I take it twice a day. I was taking 2000 but my last blood work said it was still low. So much to learn. Brain explosion. I will check the site out.

    I hope all bc survivors have
    I hope all bc survivors have their Vitamin D level checked. So many of us are low in it and need to take oc supplements or prescription Vitamin D.

    Hope you start to feel better Lola.

    Angie
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #31
    Thanks
    Thanks for the post. I have not started this yet but I am sure I will be given this drug. There is another one that starts with an R and it is like Arimidex but it has the same side effects.

    On the vitamin D thing...can I get that over the counter?

    P
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #32
    aztec45 said:

    Thanks
    Thanks for the post. I have not started this yet but I am sure I will be given this drug. There is another one that starts with an R and it is like Arimidex but it has the same side effects.

    On the vitamin D thing...can I get that over the counter?

    P

    You can get vitamin D and
    You can get vitamin D and Calcium in Viactive. You take it twice a day. It's a chocolate chew. BUT, Vitamin D3 for me is a prescription. It is called Calcitriol. I have to take it for 2 reasons, having had beast cancer and I now have Celiac disease. I have been having trouble with low levels of Vitamin D.
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #33
    lanie940 said:

    You can get vitamin D and
    You can get vitamin D and Calcium in Viactive. You take it twice a day. It's a chocolate chew. BUT, Vitamin D3 for me is a prescription. It is called Calcitriol. I have to take it for 2 reasons, having had beast cancer and I now have Celiac disease. I have been having trouble with low levels of Vitamin D.

    Thanks
    Thanks for the tip. I am sorry you have Celiac. Was this something brought on by the cancer meds?

    P
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #34
    aztec45 said:

    Thanks
    Thanks for the tip. I am sorry you have Celiac. Was this something brought on by the cancer meds?

    P

    Nope, I had this probably
    Nope, I had this probably for a year and didn't know it. It is an autioimmune disease. Many people think they just have IBS, but it's really Celiac. Why it showed up at age 60 is beyond me, and the Dr.s said the same. So, I probably had it for awhile. They say that surgery and excess/extreme stress can bring it to a head in an older person, well, I had 2 surgeries and STRESS! From the breast cancer and the hernia surgery, so who knows. I'm dealing ok with it. I lost a lot of weight, which was good! I'm 2 sizes smaller.
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181 Member
    #35
    Lack of vitamin D.
    I just started this medicine.I keep reading about making you lack vitamin D.What does that make you feel like?Just wondering because I am so very tired all the time.But I just finished Rads.3 weeks ago.Thanks everyone. Pat.
  • Sunrae
    Sunrae Member Posts: 808
    #36
    ppurdin said:

    Lack of vitamin D.
    I just started this medicine.I keep reading about making you lack vitamin D.What does that make you feel like?Just wondering because I am so very tired all the time.But I just finished Rads.3 weeks ago.Thanks everyone. Pat.

    I bumped this subject up
    I bumped this subject up again since so many of us are on hormone therapy. I've been on Femara for 5 months and have very little side effects, some night sweats. I went to my onc today and asked her why she chose Femara for me instead of Arimidex, which so many take. She said Arimidex is cheaper and soon there will be a generic available. But she said so many of her patients have so many more side effects from Arimidex than Femara she has switched over to Femara as drug of choice. It is more expensive, about $300 a month, which I told her I didn't know how much longer I could pay. Since I have so many other expensive prescriptions every month I get into the "donut hole" quickly. (For you younger ones, when you get on medicare and part D prescription coverage, after you and the insurance spend a certain amount, near $3000, you lose prescription coverage and have to pay full price for prescriptions.) So about June every year I start paying full price and it runs over $600 per month. She offered to switch me over to Arimidex for a month to see how the side effects are but I'm doing well on Femara so for the time being I'm opting for that. She is helping me out by giving my samples but I know she can't always do that. Wish there was a good solution for all of us but just wanted to let you all know that there is a generic coming soon for Arimidex.
  • scout5000
    scout5000 Member Posts: 94 Member
    #37
    NAN033 said:

    Arimidex
    Monday I have to decide whether to take Arimidex or not. This site is really helpful. I am already taking VitD3. After reading comments I worry because I stopped taking birth control in my 30's because of migraine headaches. How bad are the headaches. any info would be appreciated. I did savi pump radiation already.

    migraines
    I have had many side effect from Arimidex but no migraines since I started 5 months ago, which is less than I normally get.
  • Dot53
    Dot53 Member Posts: 239 Member
    #38
    Femera
    Thanks Sunrae for bumping this up again.. Earlier in this thread I said that I stopped taking Arimidex and most likely would not take any of these type of drugs in the future. After speaking with my onco I was encouraged to try femera to see if the side effects are lessened and I agreed to try it. Planning to fill the script today so I will update you as to how it is working in the next couple of weeks...

    Dot
  • scout5000
    scout5000 Member Posts: 94 Member
    #39
    arimidex
    I have had pretty severe pain in my feet, back, hands and shoulder since starting on Arimidex. The pain began about 3 weeks after I started it. I tried lots of anti-inflamatory meds, Vicodin, Soma... none of which helped with pain. I recently saw a rheumatologist who prescribed Mobic. It is usually prescribed for arthritis. It has dramatically reduced my pain. I didn't think any meds would help but Mobic did.
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #40
    Sunrae said:

    I bumped this subject up
    I bumped this subject up again since so many of us are on hormone therapy. I've been on Femara for 5 months and have very little side effects, some night sweats. I went to my onc today and asked her why she chose Femara for me instead of Arimidex, which so many take. She said Arimidex is cheaper and soon there will be a generic available. But she said so many of her patients have so many more side effects from Arimidex than Femara she has switched over to Femara as drug of choice. It is more expensive, about $300 a month, which I told her I didn't know how much longer I could pay. Since I have so many other expensive prescriptions every month I get into the "donut hole" quickly. (For you younger ones, when you get on medicare and part D prescription coverage, after you and the insurance spend a certain amount, near $3000, you lose prescription coverage and have to pay full price for prescriptions.) So about June every year I start paying full price and it runs over $600 per month. She offered to switch me over to Arimidex for a month to see how the side effects are but I'm doing well on Femara so for the time being I'm opting for that. She is helping me out by giving my samples but I know she can't always do that. Wish there was a good solution for all of us but just wanted to let you all know that there is a generic coming soon for Arimidex.

    Sunrae, I just filled my
    Sunrae, I just filled my prescription yesterday for a 90 day supply of Arimidex and the cost was $1,100. I paid my co-pay of $30 and was on my way, but until the generic is out, I'd say this is just as expensive as Femera. My onc did tell me that the generic is due out very, very soon and once it comes out the price will go down substantially.
  • Shirleyzo
    Shirleyzo Member Posts: 7
    #41
    went off arimidex
    After four months on Arimidex I had to go off. I have never had such bad back and leg pain. My Oncologist isn't to happy about it. I have been on Tamoxifen for 2 months with no problems.

Discussion Boards