Does arimidex cause us to be tired??

natly15
natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I just read the thread on what is a "new normal". I started arimidex in July 2010 after all my treatment. Surgeries in July and august of 09. Fought infection all thru chemo from Oct 09 to end of March 2010. Took month off and started 6 1/2 weeks of rads May 2010. Finished last radiation on June 15, 2010. I had a short period between chemo and rads where I was really energized. havent felt that way since then. I'm sleepy and I'm tired nothing like the horrible fatigue I experienced during chemo but I'm tired. I do force myself to do things and wonder how much is physical and how much is boredom. I try to walk a mile or swim each day, but I'm still tired. I could go to sleep right now with no effort. I've noticed I've become gradually more tired since i started the arimidex. I do take an anti depressant and I'm not feeling depressed. any thoughts or comments?

Comments

  • survives
    survives Member Posts: 254 Member
    #2
    Yes, it does
    And, with time, you will find that this new fatigue will lessen, but may NOT go away. I take Femara, and it too can make you tired. Not sleepy....just so tired. I'm fairly active right now, and really can't find a time, but exercise does seem to help if you can fit it in in your day somewhere. Once winter hits again, and I'm not out in the yard quite so much, I will restart my yoga, and I know that will help with the fatigue. I find I tire quicker than I used to, and I am having a toss-up in my mind on whether it is age or the Femara.

    Hope this helps.
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #3
    survives said:

    Yes, it does
    And, with time, you will find that this new fatigue will lessen, but may NOT go away. I take Femara, and it too can make you tired. Not sleepy....just so tired. I'm fairly active right now, and really can't find a time, but exercise does seem to help if you can fit it in in your day somewhere. Once winter hits again, and I'm not out in the yard quite so much, I will restart my yoga, and I know that will help with the fatigue. I find I tire quicker than I used to, and I am having a toss-up in my mind on whether it is age or the Femara.

    Hope this helps.

    thank you Survives for your
    thank you Survives for your comments.
  • kickie
    kickie Member Posts: 85
    #4
    tired too and getting fat as a fritter!!!
    i go to the dr friday and am going to see about this weight gain since i have started it, Lord my lumpectomy saved my one breast but the other will soon be down to my knees with this extra weight!!!!
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #5
    kickie said:

    tired too and getting fat as a fritter!!!
    i go to the dr friday and am going to see about this weight gain since i have started it, Lord my lumpectomy saved my one breast but the other will soon be down to my knees with this extra weight!!!!

    I was taken off Arimidex a week ago...
    and I can definately say that it does cause you to be very tired. I'm just today starting to feel more "normal". My reason for going off is the numbness I had on the left side of my body, and that is finally starting to wear off, too. The Onc says it will take a month and the pharmacist says 2 weeks. I'm hoping I can give it another try, though. It's such a fantastic drug!
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #6
    Mama G said:

    I was taken off Arimidex a week ago...
    and I can definately say that it does cause you to be very tired. I'm just today starting to feel more "normal". My reason for going off is the numbness I had on the left side of my body, and that is finally starting to wear off, too. The Onc says it will take a month and the pharmacist says 2 weeks. I'm hoping I can give it another try, though. It's such a fantastic drug!

    I've been on Arimidex for almost a month
    and, yes, I get fatigued. But I also think it's a combination of ending chemo in May and just ending rads 2 weeks ago. Think of what our bodies have been through! I'm really hoping that this is my only side effect--I can deal with this. Sounds like you've been on almost the same schedule. Let's get more energized, together, and rest when we have to.

    Good luck and many hugs,

    Renee
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #7
    In a word...
    Yes, definitely. I'm now into my 5th year of Arimidex (after 2 years of Tamoxifen). Tired.

    Kind regards, Susan
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #8
    Christmas Girl said:

    In a word...
    Yes, definitely. I'm now into my 5th year of Arimidex (after 2 years of Tamoxifen). Tired.

    Kind regards, Susan

    Just started to get tired
    I've been on Arimidex for almost 2 months now and I get tired at 2 pm everyday. I get so mad because I don't want to give in to a nap everyday, I want to live more! I'm having a hard time with all these side effects and that one is very hard for me. My hands and feet are swollen and ache all the time too.
    Sorry, guess I ranted a bit!
    Hugs,
    Wanda
  • lizzie17
    lizzie17 Member Posts: 548
    #9
    yes!
    I just completed 24 months on arimidex and I am still tired a lot. I work full-time, but even on the weekends, or when I feel like I should have a lot of energy, I rarely do.
    I also continue with the bone pain in my legs.
  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #10
    lizzie17 said:

    yes!
    I just completed 24 months on arimidex and I am still tired a lot. I work full-time, but even on the weekends, or when I feel like I should have a lot of energy, I rarely do.
    I also continue with the bone pain in my legs.

    Confused
    I've been taking this little white pill for two and a half months and basically I'm fine. Things hurt then they stop or I get used to it. I'm tired and then I'm not. My teeth ache then I forget about it. Nothing HUGE is happening, just a bunch of oddities. So I guess it's all Arimidex? Lovely (that's sarcasm).

    xo,
    Victoria
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #11
    aisling8 said:

    Confused
    I've been taking this little white pill for two and a half months and basically I'm fine. Things hurt then they stop or I get used to it. I'm tired and then I'm not. My teeth ache then I forget about it. Nothing HUGE is happening, just a bunch of oddities. So I guess it's all Arimidex? Lovely (that's sarcasm).

    xo,
    Victoria

    Victoria some is probably
    Victoria some is probably that little white pill and some may be residual from chemo/ and or radiation. Maybe this is our new normal or maybe this is new normal for me. i get days where I do many things and then I'm wiped out. I just have to learn to pace myself. This old gal aint what she used to be. For me some may be age, but most of it I contribute to this last year. My onc nurse said yes, arimidex and tired go together but it should improve.
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #12
    I have been taking Arimidex
    I have been taking Arimidex at bedtime for two years. Still, I notice I don't have the energy that I am used to. It took me a while to just acknowledge the tiredness and let myself rest when I need to. Despite the SEs, Arimidex is worth every penny. xoxoxoxo Lynn
  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    #13
    I think so,
    but I have so much going on, and maybe it's the SE's. I have hot flashes and night sweats that keep me from sleeping well.

    Sue
  • filimu
    filimu Member Posts: 74
    #14
    sbmly53 said:

    I think so,
    but I have so much going on, and maybe it's the SE's. I have hot flashes and night sweats that keep me from sleeping well.

    Sue

    I can tell you
    that Femara is sure making me tired...I've been on it nearly a year now, and I still am worn to a frazzle and could nap every afternoon if I let myself. I don't have nearly the energy I used to have. It drives me up a wall. At least the hot flashes aren't nearly as bad as they were in the beginning, nor as frequent, but then I went straight from high dose estrogen to full dose Femara - it was like hitting a cement wall at 120 MPH. I'm surprised I could live with myself, let alone that my sweetie could live with me through that transition!

    The worst thing for me is that the Femara has dried my body out so badly that, for all practical purposes, my sex life is now nil. Thank God, my darling says he'd rather have me alive...but I HATE it this way. The onc doc says there's nothing I can do that has anything estrogen in it to help, and nothing without it does help...he says maybe, in 4 years, when I'm off the pills, my body will balance itself out and things will be more normal for me again, but I won't know til then. Or not... It's enough to make a gal scream! And feel useless...

Discussion Boards