Arimidex

Arimidex
Hi Wanda........I was on Arimidex from 12/26/2009 until 05/14/2010. My onc took me off it be-
cause I was crying all the time...no particular reason...just would be sitting around & start crying....took about 3 weeks for that to stop(was having to take Xanax everyday 0.5 mg where as I had only had to take 1/2 tab only occasionaly until about April....I have an appt on Monday(6/21) to see her & guess she will put me on something different then........I've also had lots of pain in my hips(left is worse)& feet(that didn't seem to concern her much)lol.......started taking Aleve for that & has helped some.......gained a lot of weight & the hot flashes were awful(found out that if I ate a popsicle(1/2 of double ones) that by time I finished the popsicle, the hot flash was gone.......kept bowl beside my bed with an ice pack(like you use in coolers) & a wet washcloth to use on the back of my neck @ night...this helped me a lot........you may not have these problems...we don't all have the same side effects on same meds...several of the ladies on this board have not had any problems at all.......I wish you well with this....wish I could have tolerated it better....& my dr may put me back on it....not sure what she will do, but will soon find out.......
Good Luck!
Margaret

CypressCynthia said:

I have been on arimidex for
I have been on arimidex for just over a year and am doing fine with it. I had trouble with neck pain until I got my vitamin d level up to normal Optimizing your vit d level while on the drug can really help. See: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/17546

Have your doc check your vit d level. Also I take arimidex in the evening as taking it in the morning was making me a little tired.

Now it's like taking a sugar pill except my cancer markers are way down--yea!

Three weeks
and so far nothing. I see the oncologist this Thursday. I'm hoping no symptoms doesn't mean it's not working.

Victoria

starting Arimidex
I saw my Med Onc on Thursday. I picked up the pills at the pharmacy yesterday. I will start them on before July 1. She felt that I could take a break for a few weeks since I still have a burn on my breast from the radiation.
She explained that we would start with a one month prescription and if all went well, I will continue, otherwise I will be switched to one of the other preparations. They have similar actions, blocking the hormones, but different side effects. She stated that usually, if there are side effects, they occur by week three. For the joint and muscular side effects that prescribed several joint care supplesments first before switching to another hormone receptor blocker.She and the NP told me that sometimes the initial pains and aches decease over the course of treatment and level off.
Can't say I am in a rush to begin however, after going through surgery and radiation, I don't want to take any chances of the cancer growing again.
Hugs, K

CypressCynthia said:

I have been on arimidex for
I have been on arimidex for just over a year and am doing fine with it. I had trouble with neck pain until I got my vitamin d level up to normal Optimizing your vit d level while on the drug can really help. See: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/17546

Have your doc check your vit d level. Also I take arimidex in the evening as taking it in the morning was making me a little tired.

Now it's like taking a sugar pill except my cancer markers are way down--yea!

Praying that you have no
Praying that you have no side effects at all! Post to let us know how you do.

Lighthouse_7 said:

Thanks to everyone
Thanks to everyone who responded. Femara made me cry all the time for no reason too and I hope that I can take this one. Thanks for the post about taking at night, I do too, noticed I get sleepy as well. I guess most of us will experiment with all of them unless we are lucky enough not to have bad side effects. Sometimes I get mad because I wish after chemo and rads we could just be done for a while. I don't like to take medicine and it sounds like our maintanence drugs are loaded with other problems for us. But as you said, we have to keep fighting for it not to come back.
Bless you all,
Wanda

I hope you get to feeling
I hope you get to feeling better Wanda. I have never taken Femara, so, I don't know how hard it is on you.

Sending you a big cyber hug though!


Sue

sbmly53 said:

Only tried Arimidex
20 days and counting. Charley horses in my calves is the only 'new thing' that's popped up.

Sue

I'm with aisling and sbmly53...
Started on June 1st and no problems so far. Please dear Lord, keep it this way!