Life on aromasin

april485

Proud, when in doubt, I blame everything on the exemestane..

proudtospin

april, so good to have something to blame!  lost my keys for a while yesterday, of course it was the dang PILL!

Kindergarten

yes, Lonnie, don't give up on losing weight while on aromasin!! It is a little harder, because it is steroidal in effect, and your appetite does increase!! I am very carb sensitive, so I do have to watch my carb intake!! I have lost 

 20 lbs finally, but  I do walk every day, drink lots of water and limit my carbs!

Lago, yes, my feet have gotten wider, too! I went to my onc two weeks ago, and asked if I could go off the the aromasin, being on it for 9 years!! She said, what is one more year, just do it!!! Ok, I will do it for one more year!!! It has kept the cancer away!!  For the last 3 months, I drink a green smoothie every morning with spinach, spirilina and lots of fruit! I also sprinkle a tsp. of turmeric daily on my food!! I feel more energetic!!! 

lago

On the Anastrozole thread, many pages back there are women complaining of sore feet too. Mine are much much better now that I switched to Exemestane though. 

doxie

Just a last comment on the eyes.  This is a good site to visit if you have dry eye and wonder if it is related to the oil glands in your eyes.  Treatment is simple, but adds time to the morning and evening routines.  I see a marked difference after two months of treatment.  

http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vis...  

I have meibomian blepharitis with no redness, just swollen eye lids like I am having an allergic reaction to something at the moment.  Which right now I am, so it's hard to tease these things out from each other.

lago

Doxie I too had blepharitis, no redness but swelling a couple of years ago. Never associated it with treatment. So far it was the first and last time I had it. Warm compresses brought it down in a day or two. BTW I was diangosed with Rosacea just before cancer. Mostly on my nose but who knows. I have a very mild Rosacea break out -2 times a year. 

Ginger48

interesting article. Will ask my dr about this. Thanks. 

My feet are wider and a size bigger as well. 

Lily55

i think this thread should be renamed No life on Aromasin, nothing touches me, i feel no joy, i see no reason to go on, why am i even struggling with fat transfer recon if i will feel nothing ? Its like life is in a bubble away from me, i feel old, tired and sorry to be graphic but dried up, shrunken and nothing like a real woman.... Oh yesand ive had eye abscess for two weeks.....

Kindergarten

Dear Lily, I felt so bad  after reading your post! You don't deserve to feel like this! How long have you been taking aromasin? I would definitely talk to your MO about your side effects! You might do better on another aromatose inhibitor!! Don't give up!! Hugs, Kathy

Lily55

thanks Kathy, ive been on it a year, before that was Femara which made me really depressed after six months, by nine months i had tight chest,heart racing, severe joint pain etc so stopped it for two months,all symptoms   disappeared  but over last few weeks i just feel totally alone and joyless and hopeless, so i think its the oestrogen i miss, i doubt Arimidex will be any better, i was 100% ER POS sadly, but this dies not feel like living 

lago

Lily you may need to see a shrink. I know you don't want to take more meds but you can't function being depressed. I know I was miserable on Anastrozole for too long. Just happens the Exemestane is not screwing with my head (or my back, neck, shoulder and sleep patterns either). You need to explain this to your MO. At the very least is Tamoxifen an option?

Ivylane

Hi Everyone... I am just going off Anastrozole (Arimidex) after 7 years.  At first it was supposed to be a 5 year deal, then my Onc said "they" (whoever "they" are) recommend 10 years now.  I am really worried about bone loss.  As it is I have osteopenia and now have osteoarthritis.  I'm afraid to be off it but afraid to stay on it.

proudtospin

ivylane, do not assume the worst.  I just ended my 5 years on aromasin.  my bone density was fine when I began (I had taken Fosamax for a time).  after my 5 years, my density just tested as fine! no osteopenia!

but I worked out through out with weight bearing exercises and tons of cardio, if you have a gym....join it!

 

Ivylane

Thanks Iris.. Do you feel any different being off it?  Did your oncologist recommend 5 years or 10?  

proudtospin

my onco was ok with 5 years but I was DCIS and very early stage.  Passed all my mamos during treatment so she was comfie with me ending at the 5 years

do I feel dif?  hard to say, the initial week was awful, she told me to go cold turkey and I was a mess!  would suggest sort of weaning off it~!~~now after being off 9 months...there are things that I blame on the AL but not sure if that is the cause.  I have shit balance, aches in my feet.  who knows!!!

but I am cancer free!

lago

Ivylane I was already osteopenic before chemo and chemopause. After 2+ years I just hit osteoporosis in my spine. Osteoporosis is much more treatable than metastatic breast cancer. I'm now into my 3rd year on an AI. Already tried Fosomax (got acid reflux). Now moving on to one of the injectables.

WaveWhisperer

Lily, I went through a two-month period on Aromasin like that. All I wanted to do was stay in bed. No joy in anything. But I recognized that those were classic signs of depression,  ecause I had has it before, I went to my regular doc and she put me on Lipitor, and withinweeks the clouds had lifted. I highly recommend anti-depressants when needed. Please consider. You deserve to feel better than this.

From one who's been there...

WaveWhisperer

Doxie and Iago, I, too, was diagnosed with blepharitis. The eye doc gave me antibiotic drops and told me to do the hot compresses twice a day, plus massage the eyelids. Maybe it's this, not chemo, that has left me with thin and missing eyelashes. 

lago

Wave it's probably the Aromasin that has left you with thinner lashes. Granted my lashes are better on Exemestane than they were on Anastrozole.

My lashes and brows came in great after chemo then thinned a few months into Anastrozole.

208sandy

Wave - Lipitor??? Isn't that for high chloresterol?

doxie

Yes, Wavewhisperer, that is one possible symptom and SE of blepharitis, depending on which type you have.  I'm trying to avoid the antibiotic drops since I'm already allergic to one antibiotic and it looks like I'll take after my mom with kidney infections.  Can't tell if the drug used to combat my kidney infection is also fighting the blepharitis or my routine of eye scrubbing is working, but it's looking and feeling better.

WaveWhisperer

Sandy, big oops!!! Meant Lexapro!!! Thanks for questioning that. Chemo brain.  

kayezzy66

Have been off chemo since Nov.26,and finished my radiation,and now on aromasin for 5 years.But this last week i started to have stinging pain on the side of my breast,that comes and goes.Does anyone have any of those symptoms...it just never ends does it !!!!! 

lago

kayezzy Could be nerves regenerating but does for sure sound nerve related. Have you contacted your surgeon?

kayezzy66

Thanks Lago...i thought that might be nerves in the breast.But was wondering did anyone else experiance this...I know when i dont wear my sleeve,it acts up when i do weights,so i am careful..Dont go back to the surgeon for months..But if it gets to be uncomfortable i will see someone.thanks

lago

You can just call and ask to speak to the nurse. Good chance you won't have to go in.

doxie

kayezze66

Now that you mention that you feel this pain after lifting weights, it may be that this is triggering breast or truncal lymphedema.  Does this side of your trunk look slightly swollen?  Can you see bra straps or elastic marks that you cannot see on the other side?  

Having had radiation, you are more likely to get truncal LE than someone w/o it.  You mention a sleeve, so do you already have LE in your arm or is the sleeve preventative?

april485

Rads cause lymphodema? Is this the case if not having had any lymph nodes removed? I don't have lymphodema but want to know if I am at risk because of rads. I had lumpectomy and no lymph nodes done for DCIS.

doxie

I think you have to have had lymph nodes removed for this to add to your risk in any significant way.  I would think without the disruption to your lymph flow caused by removal of lymph nodes the chances of rads alone causing LE would be minimal.  

proudtospin

I had 3 lumpies and the last one, surgeon did check the lymph glads.  And I have LE in my trunk, the left boobie is bigger than the right one even with 3 chunks removed!  Arm is fine and has never swelled but I am careful and only do light lifting.  yeah, times I get some pings of nerve pain...as in now but it never lasts long.