I'm dripping.

Isabella4

I'm dripping.

Isabella4

I've been on Arimidex four and a half years, with lots of problems, but NOT hot flashes.

For about 10 days now I have been getting the dreaded sweats, about twice a day at first, now I am up to 10 or 12 a day.

I am rushing to stand infront of my fridge, or splash myself in cold water, NOT funny !!

Sweat is running down thru my hair into my eyes, and my whole upper body just soaks in a couple of minutes. My washing machine is doing overtime !

At first I didn't really recognise what was going on, just thought it was maybe time to take a sweater off with the weather changing, but now its becoming a fixture !!  And besides, we are having one of the coldest Springs on record.

I have no problem at all on a night, they just wait to jump out on me as I get up on a morning!!

This is ridiculous, I am 10 years past menopause.

I know if I make an appointment to see my GP she will just give me her cross between a funny look and a sigh and tell me I'm OK... NOT to worry, as she always does ! Or tell me its the weather !!

Anyone ?? Someone ??

Isabella. 

Anonymous

I had that on tamoxifen but after having the ooph and Arimidex, I'm fine again. Sorry about this.

wishiwere

Interesting to find out regardless.  I'd at least call and see if it's something maybe with your estrogen levels, but of course, it should be nil by now, I'd think too.  I was had periods till dec then chemo stopped them.  I was starting this year to miss some from reg meno I think anyway.  But then after chemo my tests showed I was post-meno.  Now, I've been on arimidex a month and the hot flashes have subsided to where I'm warm flushing, but nothing major. I was hoping it would continue.  Now I'm wondering.  Let us know what you find out on this, if you would please?

gsg

hi, isabella.  I'm on Arimidex and have those at night while sleeping, so i sleep with a fan blowing directly onto my face...high speed.  My worst ones, however, are when I'm getting ready for work in the morning.  I can completely relate to your description of it running down through your hair and into your eyes.  It frustrates me because I dry my hair, put on my makeup, and get dressed standing in front of the high-speed fan.  As soon as I walk away from the fan, the sweats starts...my hair gets all frizzy and the mascara runs down my cheeks.  I don't know what to tell you for a solution.  Just wanted you to know I'm right there with you, experiencing the same thing.

TenderIsOurMight

I'm wondering if you've had a 10% or more intentional weight loss over the last months. I've noticed a dramatic increase in hot flashes with as low as a five pound weight loss. If we loose fat cells which may provide more for the aromatase inhibitors to act on, then the enzyme perhaps more effectively covers the remaining adrenal and fat cell estrogen suppression, lowering your blood value even more.



The brain thermostat regulation for hot flashes is poorly understood. If I had to guess based on weight, AI, and hot flashes, I'd guess it's more logarithmic in its response and elevation than linear. Small percentage of body fat loss may amount to higher than expected hot flashes from readjustment of brain estrogen/thermostat. Of course, this is all speculative on my part.



Tender

honeygirl

Isabella , gsg , I am right there with you. I think I can say , mine are worse than yours. I rarely wear make-up gsg , because of the sweat that starts on my head , and runs down on my face. But it is so bad at times , my hair is soaked like I took a shower! I HATE it. My face gets red and my chest. So of course everyone notices and they will always say " are you having a hotflash right now?" I want to say " no I am embaressed to be seen with you dum f__! Then when I start sweating , I start itching all over! If anyone has any tips , please share. I sleep with a fan on too gsg.

Tender interesting thought. I have been thinking that maybe something is awry with my , I think its , hypothalumous(msp) gland. I think its that , that regulates body temp. I haven't lost weight though , I have gained it. Thought maybe that was adding to it. I take effexor twice a day , 25mg each. And it has helped some , not having as many , but some are just as bad as before. Thanks for your imput. I really appreciate all your help.xx Melody

momtothree

Isabella, gsg, and Melody,

I'm right there with you! I have to sleep with the fan on high 2 inches from my body. My husband HATES it. I have to blow dry my hair in front of the fan. lol

As a nurse I am always running around, and the patients rooms are usually very warm. When a hot flash hits it's just like the perfect storm!! I think I'll try to make the wristbands and headbands that tennis players wear come back into fashion! I would be perfectly happy wearing one of those. lol

Binney4

Tender, if you lose weight and the hot flashes increase (which, now that you mention it, has certainly happened to me), does your body eventually adjust to the new weight level and tone down the sweats? (Or should i just go buy some really good chocolate and forget the stupid weight loss program! )

Thanks,

Binney 

Isabella4

Thanks for your comments girls.

(Nope, not lost any weight Tender, I wish I could!)

I saw my GP, took 11 days to get an appointment, she was her usual dismissive self, and told me 'not to worry' 'it probably was Arimidex'

Well, I was worrying, and I thought it had something to do with Arimidex, so really I wasted my time. I still didn't get an answer.

I am still dripping, we are having quite a nice warm spell, so when I go all pink and start mopping my brow, I can commiserate with anyone else who is moaning about the hot weather....I am blending in....

Isabella.

TenderIsOurMight

Isabella, at times I wonder why we go to our doctors if they are not going to listen. Truly, it is so frustrating. And the thing is, there is always something new coming forth in medicine.



Now, I'm wondering, are you on any additional medicine Isabella that may be making the Arimidex circulate and have it's effect accentuated? I know Lipitor can do that for example, or at least I checked a pharmaceutical interaction site and it said Lipitor would inhibit Arimidex metabolism some.



If we're on drugs which may do this, perhaps our hot flashes are extreme. Then too, while they haven't found polymorphism with CYP3A4, who knows, maybe we will be told there are ultra metabolizers, who may have greater or lesser side effects etc...



Gosh, clonidine is suppost to help hot flashes, as does Effexor. But, always more medicine, yes?



Binney: yes, I believe with time the hot flash thermostat readjusts to the new weight. The link between weight and hot flashes seems difficult to discern, dissect, but real.



All the best all,

Tender

iodine

Google each med you are on and ck the side effects.  My best friend sweated like a mare!  Come to find out it was the anitdepressant she was on. 

the dehydration and inability to see thru all the salty sweat was driving her mad!  Even soaked thru and dripped from her headbands!

Isabella4

Tender, thanks for your reply.

I am on  simvastatin, it used to be Zocor, but I think I am now on the cheaper  generic form of statin, I noticed it suddenly changed around about Christmas time, it is pretty useless asking why, my GP just cites cost cutting when my meds seem to mysteriously change themselves. (Isn't Lipitor supposed to be more effective than Zocor?)

I just notice the box has suddenly changed, and have mentioned it to her, she just says 'well it's the same drug, just a different company making it'  I know they are being told to cost cuts, so its not worth an argument with her. 

Isabella.

DragonladyTina

I can completely sympathise with all the sweaty chicks out there, I am one of them. I never, ever shed a drop of sweat before my total hyst back in 05, now, I am dripping with sweat especially at work. On my day off I still have the hot flashes but the sweats are minimal. I am on tamoxifen, started it in May/05 and have taken it all this time except for a 6 month stint on Arimidex which almost finished me off.

I sleep with a ceiling fan twirling, floor fan buzzing and two windows wide open even in the middle of winter! Hubby is total opposite...always frozen, long underwear in June!

I hate sweating and hot flashes, either boiling or freezing. I have about 2 more years on tamoxifen and then hopefully the hot flashes and sweats will have disappeared!

yours in wetness, Tina

Lynne

I have been having 10-20 hot flashes a day since my instant menopause at 43 (from a complete hysterectomy 3 years ago). 2 weeks after surgery I was put on Arimidex. After a month, my oncologist put me on effexor. I started on 37.5mg it helped a little, she upped it to 75mg, it helped more, still had some hot flashes though. I stayed on it for 2 years. I switched about 6 months ago to Neurotin. I started on 300mg once a day, now I take it twice a day. I still have hot flashes. I use a "chillow pillow" (I bought it online) at night when I sleep. It keeps your head cool. I also have a fan next to me on the nightstand. At work I have a fan I keep turning on and off and I also have a small portable fan I use sometimes. Some people have more luck than I on the meds.

Good luck!

Lynne