For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing

PinkCarn

Would you please repost the recipe?

Janett2014

A few people have told me they (raisins) help!

Spookiesmom

Yes, I stopped it for 30 days, last year. I got a cortisone shot for trigger thumb, could barely walk from all the joint pain. Then I started the generic TEVA brand.

I'm still hurting, hobble around, but not as bad as it was. Weather changes affect me too, so if it gets really bad, I'll skip a day or two.

So far, I'm NED.

angelia50

spookiesmom, have you tried the name brand?

ruthbru

'Drunken Raisins'-a natural arthritis remedy

To prepare gin-soaked raisin, first empty one box of dried white raisin in a shallow container. Only white or golden raisin should be used for this recipe. Then pour enough gin into the container to cover the raisins.

Cover the container ( but not with plastic, a kitchen towel is good) and keep it covered for 7 – 10 days on the  to allow the raisin to steep in the gin (sitting out, not in fridge).

Allow all the gin to evaporate to leave gin-soaked raisins in the container. These raisins keep well when refrigerated. The popular advice is to take nine of these "drunken raisins" every day. Most users report improvements in arthritis symptoms between 1 – 8 weeks of using this remedy.

Why it works:

1.  Golden raisins- the ONLY type of raisins worthy of the  recipe- require sulfur or sulfides in their processing to make them golden. Sulfur is an active ingredient in 2 effective natural arthritis supplements: glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. Golden raisins come from sultana grapes and are cultivated under the name Thompson seedless grapes in the United States.

2.  Sultana grapes contain proanthocyanidins which are  thought to help fight infections and reduce inflammation. Grapes also contain resveratrol, a powerful  anti-oxidant that is being studied for many of it's disease fighting properties.

3.  Gin is flavored with juniper berries and juniper berries contain Terpinen. Terpinen has anti inflammatory properties. The essential oil that is in juniper berries contains more than 100 compounds including myrcene (an anti oxidant), catechins (anti-oxidant),  and flavanoids (anti oxidant). Test tube studies have shown that juniper berries can inhibit prostaglandin synthesis.  Prostaglandins help mediate an inflammatory response and increase the sensitivity of nerve endings to pain. By inhibiting their production, a reduction in pain can occur.

PontiacPeggy

Ruth, too bad there isn't a "vault" on BCO where you could store this recipe and other recipes. Wouldn't that be nice?

Spookiesmom

Ang. No I haven't tried it. Some of the ladies have, and have good results. You can go to their site to print a $40. coupon.

ruthbru

That would be good, although I keep a copy in my word documents. I pass it out to so many people that I would hate to retype it every time I wanted it!

*and if you see somebody on another thread who might need it, please feel free to copy it over to them....share, share, share!

PontiacPeggy

Oh, I thank my lucky stars for word processing every day!

auroaya200882

well after 18 months on Arimedex my onco is switching me to Aromasin even though my ct and bone scan show stable but my tumor markers keep going up and this particular doctor believes in them so off to the Aromasin thread I go. It's being great reading your comments and I've learned a lot.

Aurora

farmerjo

Thanks, Ruthbru, for the recipe. Worthy of a screen shot!

WaveWhisperer

Aurora, you still can read and post here, too. Several of us are on Aromasin but were former Arimidex users. Some things are common to all the AI's. Good luck with your switch!

PontiacPeggy

Aurora we want you whatever you are taking!

angelia50

spookiesmom, I do use the Arimidex. I get it through a program from the manufacturer. I had asked if you had tried it because I think it reduced my joint pain more than the generic.

auroaya200882

Thank you wave and peggy I will definitely stay in touch here as well as reading the posts in the Aromasin thread.

Aurora

Spookiesmom

With my Medicare Advantage plan, I don't have a co pay on generics.. I looked at the site, it's $40 for a month. Big difference. I'll deal with this as best I can for as long as I can.

angelia50

spookie, I understand. I still have a copay even on generic, although, it would be less than $30 a month but I thought I would give it a try and so far, it seems to be better. I think I can drop the added blood pressure med I had to add, so I figure I'm saving from having ot buy that med.

Blessedteacher37

Hi everyone,

I read this post regularly . I have been on Arimedex since last July and I also have the joint pain, especially my hip and knees. As someone mentioned, Advil or Aleve takes the edge off, but I don't want to take that everyday a couple of times a day for 5 years.

I have another problem that I wonder if anyone else has. Since taking the Arimidex, I have had painful red bumps under my skin, like a severe acne outbreak. They are around my chin. I have put prescription cream on them and avoided foods that I know aggravate my skin, but they still occur regularly. Since I know acne is related to hormones, just wondered if a hormone blocker could also cause it.

Waiting to hear....Ellen

Spookiesmom

Hmmm, have you seen a derma to rule out roscea? You'd like to think at our age we are too old for acne, suppose anything is possible

Starynights

ruthbru Im going to try the drinken raisins first. Lawdy I hope they dont taste like gin ! lol Then Im going to my Primary Care doc and see what she says. Oncologist seems to think I should just take advil. "There is nothing else I can put you on"! was on Femara and was not only suicidal but homicidal. Got off that fast.

Im kind of having a pity party tonight....Arm feels like its been run over by a truck and other arms isnt much better.

ruthbru

They don't taste ginny at all. Hope they work for you!

Starynights

Im going to switch only as a last resort. My insurance wont cover brand name Arimidex and its 500.00 a month.

angelia50

starrynights, you can get it direct from the manuf, Astra Zenica, for $30. They do it mail order through a pharmacy in Florida. I've been doing that. $30 isn't that much more than my generic co pay and so far, the change has seemed to help my hip pain and my blood pressure and my generic was the Teva.

Cee67

Pontiac Pegg, you're such a sweetheart - your comments to everyone are always so kind

Drunken raisins - someone said they'd try them and then make an appt with their PCP. I think I need those things RIGHT BEFORE I go to my doctors LOL! I always have a bad time seeing my docs - I don't like them. Those raisins sound...calming. Bet my PCP wished I'd used those before coming in today *sigh*

chtease

I started arimidex yesterday. I'm having a hard time deciding which MO to see. The guy is older, can be blunt (cold hard reality - gee, thanks) and seems to have a one-size-fits-all mindset. The woman is early 30's, MD/PhD and I communicate much easier with her.

My quandary is that he typically uses Zometa before osteopenia develops because he feels it's better to avoid playing catch-up with bone density and because he believes it helps to prevent mets. I've read a number of papers that back him up on that in women like me - postmenopausal for several years at diagnosis. She says she's seen as many papers showing it does not help. She's less rigorous in monitoring for local recurrence than the group at "his" practice. She does mammograms every 12 months and exams every 6 months. His group does mammograms on the affected breast every 6 months. I'm thinking that approach makes me more comfortable, as my tumor was not palpable by myself, my OB/Gyn, the radiologist or my BS.

Hard decision - how are you guys monitored? Anyone on Zometa? If so, why?

Thanks!

PontiacPeggy

Cee, thank you for the kind words. I do try. We have enough hassles coping with BC. I cracked up with your comment on the drunken raisins and how your doc would have appreciated your being on them! A good start to the day. (Hope the raisins help!).

Chtease, for me, I think I'd go with the "cold" male MO. His approach seems to make you very comfortable and that's important. My MO put me on Fosamax when I started anastrozole. I have some osteopenia. I guess I'd rather try to prevent a problem than treat it after it occurs. I see my MO about every 3 months right now. My BS coordinates everything and is the one who ordered my first mammogram post-lx (it will be in April). I think that all my oncs discuss my case at the tumor board regularly. At least I feel they are all talking to each other. BTW, I see my RO in October. So I'm seeing everyone regularly. Hope this helps.

HUGS!!!

PinkCarn

Thank you so much for the recipe.

ruthbru

chtease, what is your bone density now? If it is in the normal range, I would not start out by taking another drug. I had good bones going in; did lots of weight bearing exercises, got 2 daily servings of dairy, a serving of prunes (which builds bones) and took 3 calcium chews (with vitamin D) a day. I had regular bone density scans, and although by the end of the 5 years the numbers had dropped, they stayed in the normal range (and have gone back up now that I'm done). If your bones are okay right now, I'd do the things I mentioned, get regular monitoring, and deal with a problem IF it develops. (If you already have osteopenia, that is a different story).

I did mammograms every 6 months for the first two years & then back to yearly. When I asked my oncologist about it, he said that too much radiation is not good for you either. If you can find a place that does 3D mammograms, go there. They are wonderful and will catch most problems much earlier than the old machines.

PinkCarn

Have you thought about another option? Neither one has the entire package we all want. Aggressively checking us and easy to speak with and get support. I don't know how many choices you have in your geography; but it might be time to check on that.

PinkCarn

Can you eat dryer prunes? What type of prune? Canned, fresh, dried?