Arimidex question

Hi Lois.

I am just about at my 5 years of Arimidex. My onc and I had the conversation you are coming up for, and we decided that, as I was ER+, and with vascular invasion that I will continue 'for the forseeable future' on Arimidex. She was just about to give me the 'I think your time is up on Arimidex' speech when I put forward my argument, of ER+ and vascular invasion....she said 'I can see what your thinking is' and agreed to let me stay with Arimidex.

I have a bad time with it, 2 carpal tunnels, 2 plantar fasiitis, now bones thinning, and lots of general bone and muscular pain. I still don't know if I have done right, but the 'vascular invasion' and the 'highly ER+' on  my path. report scare the Hell out of me !! I learn to live differently, and I moan buckets.

Isabella

for those of you on arimidex with bone thinning I would consider the new drug called reclast.  It is the same drug as zometa, just a different dosage than us stage IV girls get.  It is an amazing drig and helping to strengten the bones and turn around bone loss.  When I was started on it, they also told me that it makes the bones an inhospitable environment for the bones for mets to grow.  It does have a few risks, the biggest is ONJ.  On a lesser dosage that would be taken for menopause I would think it would be very minimal.  It is not that big in stage IV ladies so as preventitive I would bet it's even less.  You do get flu like symptoms for a couple of days after infusion but you only get it once a year.  Just my opinion, but if I wasn't stage IV and had bone thinning I would consider it.

CHJ,

Oh yes, BIG link, Astra Zeneca admitted the carpal tunnel, sometime last year I think it was, and have now put it on the packet insert.

I wear night splints, helps minimalise pain, but some of us have Cortisone injections, some go for the carpal tunnel release surgery ( my surgeon  suggested this to me only yesterday, says he can do it it 9 minutes flat !!)

My GP denied there was a link for 2 years, then I got into difficulties with plantar faciitis, and saw  a stand in for her, who said the plantar faciitis was also caused by Arimidex.  I have forgotten exactly how he put it, but I think it was because of Arimidex blocking oestrogen, that in turn made the wide band of tissue, the fascia, that runs from the heel to the toes, to contract, become less supple (because of no oestrogen) and cause all the pain that it does. This stand in GP also told me there WAS a definite link with carpal tunnel.

Shows we have to put our own 2 and 2 together, some doctors can be so dismissive.

Good Luck.

Isabella.

My onc is going to keep me on Arimidex.  Evidently there are some ongoing studies that are showing, especially for women with larger tumors, staying on arimidex beyond the 5 years can be beneficial.  Since I was stage 3, I fall into that category.

Pat