Thumb joint replacement and arimidex

turtle42

I just found out that all the pain I have in my wrist and thumb is from advance arthritis. My doctor recommended have my thumb joint replaced.

I also have carpal tunnel and a bone spur.

I am just wondering if this pain might go away after I stop taking this drug in August of this year as that will be ten years.

I'm not going to rush into this but the pain is definitely getting worse.

farmerlucy

I think you are wise to wait. I stopped Arimidex three weeks ago and went back to tamoxifen. My joints are dramatically improved including my hands.

Blessings2011

turtle42 - I agree with farmerlucy. Since you have a big change coming up soon, you MAY see a dramatic difference. (If not, then you can decide to proceed with surgery.)

Going off Arimidex after so long isn't going to take away the arthritis, but it may make a significant difference in your pain levels.

While I was on Arimidex, I had severe trigger fingers on both hands, and couldn't close my hands tightly enough to make a fist. After two months off the drug, those SEs went away. I still have arthritis in my fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome, and some leftover issues from orthopedic recon surgery in my right wrist, but the pain is totally doable now that I'm no longer on Arimidex.

ChiSandy

Arthritis is a mechanical, degenerative disease of the aging process--and if it’s advanced to the point where your doc is recommending thumb-joint replacement (a surgery that is not routinely recommended), it means you have little to no cartilage remaining in that joint. Estrogen deprivation accelerates aging, but it’s not clear whether AI-induced joint pain is truly arthritis--some of it may be pain alone without joint deterioration. (Cartilage doesn’t regenerate unless stimulated by autologous transplant--removal, culturing, and reinjecting--and age 45 seems to be the cutoff for that). Stopping the AI might improve your pain, but the boat has probably sailed on your thumb joint’s integrity and functionality. If it’s any consolation, an expert fingerpicking-guitar pal of mine had both thumb joints replaced, and he’s playing better than ever.