Vomiting with Arimidex

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swimmingmom
swimmingmom Member Posts: 165
edited February 2019 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Anyone have nausea and vomiting from Arimidex. I vomit with every dose. They finally told me to stop it for a month and then call. They also tried to tell me that the drug does not cause n/v. But I have started and stopped it three times with the same problem. They also said it was decreasing my risk of reoccurrence by 50% which seems high.

K

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  • Bren-2007
    Bren-2007 Member Posts: 6,241
    edited September 2007

    Hi K,

    I had severe nausea and some vomiting with Arimidex.  It felt like constant sea sickness.  I quit after one week.  My doc said he never heard of it either.  I did some checking on early studies of Arimidex and it was listed as one of the top SE's.  According to Adjuvant, which my doc's think is the Bible on stats, my recurrence rates are 18% with no HT.  Tomaxifen gives an additional benefit of 6% and Arimidex about 8-9%.  I then tried Tomaxifen for about 6 weeks with the same result.  I just can't live like that.  I quit all HT about a week ago.  My doc wants to try Femara next. But he'll need to prescribe anti-nausea meds up front before I start that medication.  I won't even try it this time with something to prevent nausea and GI problems.  It's too hard to manage it once you have those SE's.  I also had hotflashes and muscle pain/spasms, knee pain and wrist pain, but I could manage those SE's because they came and went throughout the day.  The nausea never stopped. 

    I've been struggling with the whole issue of QOL versus taking hormonal therapy.  My IDC was 100% er/pr +.  I just finished radiation 2 1/2 months ago and I barely had time to start feeling better before the HT made me sick again.  I still don't know what to do.

    I'm going to take a break from the SE's through October and then figure out what to do next.

    Please let me know how you're doing and what you decide to do next.  I'm hoping for the best for you and keeping you in my thoughts.

    Brenda

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  • homeagain
    homeagain Member Posts: 78
    edited October 2007

    Web up 'Arimidex prescribing information' and you will find the full details about all of it all..... About 3/4 of the way down the web site [pages aren't numbered for some reason...] look for Tables 9 and 10. That should give you the basic gist of #'s/%ages that are affected. There are those affected...Why anyone would say NOT is beyond me, unless only listening to 'sales people'?

    Call them, take time to report it? Takes about 20 minutes - you will be in the computers 'somewhere'...I'm sure.

    I'd ask and firmly from your Ocon about WHICH WHAT tests on ME indicate a 50% recurrance if I do not take this med?  I really would want to see the tests and have copies to hold in my hot [or cold] little hands to tote for a second opinion post haste....Hopefully someone's just misplaced a decimal point?  Pleese let that be so!  Do let us know what's going on.

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  • ashley36
    ashley36 Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2009

    try taking it after you eat, when I started Arimdex a few weeks ago, a few minutes to less than a hr I was vomitting, I was taking it on a empty stomach, my family and friends suggested I eat first, plus eat crackers before I took it when I did that and started drinking ginger ale the vomiting stoped and the hot flashes and leg cramps started but thats a whole another issue

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  • Annabella58
    Annabella58 Member Posts: 2,466
    edited January 2009

    Hi swimming mom:

    I'm doing fine on the arimidex but did start with some nausea and leg cramps and hot flashes.  They moderated after about a month. 

    I got rid of the nausea with a sugar free chocolate pudding snack w the arimidex.  The leg cramps I got rid of by exercise and stretching just before bed very very well.  The hot flashes have subsided by themselves, but I did notice that if I held something very cold (Like an icey water bottle) in my hand, i could ward them off.  Wine and coffee made them come on.

    Good luck!  alot of it is management, but some folks just cannot take them.  Remember what they say: that once your surgery is done you are "grossly" free of cancer, once your chemo or rads is done, you are "microscopically" free of cancer and the AIs/Tamoxifen are your warrantee to remain so.  That said, there are other ways to be safe as well; exercise daily, 9 fruits and veggies, get to a healthy weight, don't drink, eat anitioxidant foods (broccoli, pomegranate juice etc.)  I'd do my research and see what alternatives are out there.  I was told no to black cohosh, flaxseed or soy as those are weak plant based estrogenic compounds. 

    Good luck

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  • sschmidt
    sschmidt Member Posts: 178
    edited February 2009

    I was nauseous from Femara and started taking it at night and now sleep through the stomach thing.  On a couple of ocassions I forgot to take it at night so I took it in the a,m. and was nauseous.

    good luck

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  • Suzyshacklechick
    Suzyshacklechick Member Posts: 64
    edited February 2019

    Wow...day 6 on Arimidex and I just threw up my dinner. I thought taking it at night would be better. But tonight I have headache and threw up. Any recommendations on what I should do for this and does it go away? Thank you

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  • bgirl
    bgirl Member Posts: 538
    edited February 2019

    I started the AIs 4 weeks ago. Headache and nausea lasted about 2 weeks for me. Did take right before bed. Helped a bit.


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