Femara and joint pain

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hidee
hidee Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was wondering if anyone else out there is taking Femara. I have been on it now for about 3 months and am finding that both my arms and my feet ache constantly. I was previously on Arimidex and had to be removed from it as I was having terrible bone and joint pain. My oncologist advised me that Femara is almost the same as the Arimidex but that I shouldn't have the same symptoms! I also find that I don't have much energy, I finished my rads in February of this year after undergoing 4 treatments of Adrimycin/Cytoxin.
It seems as though the doctors don't worry about the complaints of achiness and stiffness just as long as the cancer is gone!
I will be interested to hear from anyone in the same predicament.
Thanks so much

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  • momof4
    momof4 Member Posts: 56
    #2
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    Hi Hedee I am on Femara and I also have aches on my feet not sure it it is a bobe spur or the Femara as both my feet ache at the bottom especially when i stand up and walk after sitting as for the joint pain i dont have much of it my legs hurt from standing but i associated it with the 30 or more pounds i have gained since my treatments have startedI always tought all this pain onmy feet started after the taxol but if i really think about it it has been since the stat of the femara i dont complain about it to my onc. because i figure another medicine could be worst
    love and take care
    Mariat.
  • jamjar62
    jamjar62 Member Posts: 135
    #3
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    Hidee...you are right, they don't worry about the complaints. My onc just looks at me like I'm so ungrateful to be complaining about aching joints. What she doesn't understand is that its a constant reminder of what I went and am going through and that it makes me feel old old old.

    I keep telling myself "only four more years to go" as if thats a comfort! The worse part is that the makers of tamoxifen, arimidex, etc won't admit that it causes joint pain but talk to anyone on it and you know differently.

    When it gets too bad, I just take a really hot bath and load up on arthritis strenght tylenol or bextra (prescription).

    Has anyone found that exercise helps with this pain? Maybe yoga or something?

    Karen
  • tlmac
    tlmac Member Posts: 272 Member
    #4
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    The thing about pain is it's such an individual thing. I've been on Arimidex since May 2003. I have stiffness every morning and after riding in the car for long periods in addition to the joint pain. My primary care prescribed Bextra which does help. My pain isn't unbearable so I'm speaking only for myself. I accept the joint pain as an unavoidable inconvenience for the protection Arimidex gives me. Compared to the threat of a recurrance, it's nothing. I'd love it if there were no side effects but that's not the case. I actually feel lucky that I'm ER+ and have the option of taking a protective drug for the next 4 years, side effects and all. Good luck resolving this issue.
    terri
  • Kathy1108
    Kathy1108 Member Posts: 62
    #5
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    tlmac said:

    The thing about pain is it's such an individual thing. I've been on Arimidex since May 2003. I have stiffness every morning and after riding in the car for long periods in addition to the joint pain. My primary care prescribed Bextra which does help. My pain isn't unbearable so I'm speaking only for myself. I accept the joint pain as an unavoidable inconvenience for the protection Arimidex gives me. Compared to the threat of a recurrance, it's nothing. I'd love it if there were no side effects but that's not the case. I actually feel lucky that I'm ER+ and have the option of taking a protective drug for the next 4 years, side effects and all. Good luck resolving this issue.
    terri

    I am taken Arimidex and I have a lot of joint pain. I am very stiff and I feel like a very old lady and I am only 43 yrs old. I have tried Vioxx and celebrex but they both gave me side effects. So, I stopped taken it. I was wondering is anything else out there to take for the joint pains? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    Kathy
  • jamjar62
    jamjar62 Member Posts: 135
    #6
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    Kathy1108 said:

    I am taken Arimidex and I have a lot of joint pain. I am very stiff and I feel like a very old lady and I am only 43 yrs old. I have tried Vioxx and celebrex but they both gave me side effects. So, I stopped taken it. I was wondering is anything else out there to take for the joint pains? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    Kathy

    Hi Kathy,

    Vioxx and Celebrex also caused the typical side effects with me but Bextra did not so you might give it a try.

    Karen
  • Kathy1108
    Kathy1108 Member Posts: 62
    #7
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    jamjar62 said:

    Hi Kathy,

    Vioxx and Celebrex also caused the typical side effects with me but Bextra did not so you might give it a try.

    Karen

    Thanks Karen. I will ask my oncologist to give me an prescription for it.

    Kathy

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