Arimidex side effects kicked in on day three

Great discussion board!

My se's are not as severe as some of you but the knees and the old age thing is messing up my head. I started water exercises yesterday and that felt great since I can lift my legs in the water,They are not heavy in there but once I come out I am lead again. But it did help my recouping knee, it feels better so whenever I have a chance I am going to do wqter exercises.I am trying to focus on walking again and riding a stationary or real bike as well.

My hair is about 2 inches long now since chemo last summer, I had a DIEP in late Oct, and I think I might need to take out part of my thyroid for a cold nodule. I don't feel down just lucky to get through this, and yeah and gained some weight as well, so I am trying to find the old me inside all of this.The arrimedx is like having an alien encounter  -- something that lives inside of you and you do not know who it is!!!! Any thoughts on that?

wondering7

Hi suntree,

I am glad you posted.  I am on day 12 of Arimidex and also feeling much better.  My side effects were not as bad as yours, but they were there and just today I noticed a big improvement.  I do not notice the chills followed by being warm anymore during the day.  I am still warm at night, but not a true hot flash.  I am still waking a couple of times, but not every 2 hours. No longer have vicious night sweats.  I never had the body aches, and still do not.  I have been feeling like a time bomb reading about others SE's and waiting for them to happen to me, but they have not so far.  I consider myself very lucky.

I am still taking lots of calcium and vit. D as my onco advised (more than the normal recommeded amount, but it is what she advised.) and have stepped up my exercise routine a bit.

I am wondering if anyone has studied differences in side effects of people on Arimidex who had chemo, vs. those who did not.  I wonder if it makes a difference?  I did not have chemo, but my neighbor did, but did not have radiation.  Her SE's on Arimidex were so terrible after 3 mos. she quit. She is also a very active person, before and after BC.  She didn't take any supplements though.

Also, I wonder if the estradial level makes a difference.  I already had a pretty low score, post-menopausal, so maybe it wasn't as much of a "shock" to have my estrogen reduce, hence the lesser side effects. I think you are right about our bodies having to get used to it.

I am so glad you are feeling better.  Me too!

Many thanks to all the ladies having bearable SE and posting. After reading about so many problems, it is truly good to know that sometimes it is OK!

It is day10 today for me. I had chemo... so far, the SE are bearable. Still a bit more hot flashes than on Tamox (they had almost completely subsided after my ovariectomy), but I gave up wearing turtle necks and wool, and I  expect that once the temperature will rise it will be easier (it was with tamox as well, central heating is very unpleasant!).

I am 45, and I am noticing some joint pain. Difficult to say if it is my own's or Arimidex: I have lots of arthritis in the family, so it may be that.

I've been watching what I eat and trying to exercise a bit, so at this point no weight gain (I already gained enough on Tamox, thank you very much!). I've also noticed that even a little exercise helps a LOT to keep the joints mobile.

I have been on Arimidex for 20 months.  Minor muscle and joint pain.  I find that keeping active like walking 45 min a day and Advil or the stores generic type.  Works for me.  I have to work out the stiffness if I sit for long periods of time. 

I also take Vit D with Calcium twice a day, but 4 hrs before my thyroid pill as I just found out that supplement can lower or even cancel the thyroid pill.    

Hi All.  I urge everyone to read the article on Breast Cancer Action.  There is a very good one Peeps posted that is women's experience with aromatase inhibitors.  It is a large study done with women who were menopausal and premenopausal.  They raise some important points and the article might be helpful when talking to doctors.

I just got a call from my med onc's office and I have switched from Arimidex to Tamox.  I don't like the idea of taking it or anything.  It has been heaven not being anything.

E 

Elisabeth -- Could you possibly give more information on how to find the article/posting by peeps on the Breast Cancer Action site. I've looked all over and can't find it.

Thanks,
Tricia

I'm on day 16 of Arimidex. I must say that "so far, so good". I'm somewhat surprised as my system is usually very sensitive to medications but I'm not experiencing anything significant so far. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My surgeon prescribed it prior to surgery (lumpectomy scheduled for 3/26) as my receptor pathology report showed both ER+ (99%) and PR+ (53%). He said that he often starts patients on AI's prior to surgery.

Carol

Hello all - I'm 6 weeks into arimidex and finding that I'm becoming "wired" inside, cranky, speedy at times (like too many cups of coffee) and impatient. the same urge to kill as I had during menopause. Has anyone experienced this, and is it probably a sign of estrogen falling? All through treatment (surgery, chemo, rads) I was calm, serene, & happy. Now my DH's wondering what the h... happened! thanks!

souad

I was not sleeping right either, and I suffered depression and discouragement and I am an outgoing person.  I was more outgoing and happy while I was going thru the treatment.  Now that I am out 2 years I have become cranky and old. 

Hi Meg42.  This is my first post and I was interested in knowing if the joint pain went away also after stopping the Arimidex course of treatment?  I started in August and my symptoms are so bad, I don't know if the cure is worse than the disease and I can't find information on how long it takes for the SE of the arimidex to go away.  Thank you.

For everyone having joint pain, my husband found this site for me at breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/aromatase-inhibitors/ where it indicates that those of us who suffer joint pain are least likely to get the Big C back.  So, there may be a pay-off in the end but I would like to know if our bones are destroyed in the process.  Thank you to all.

Sheila,

   I quit taking Arimidex after one week.  My symptoms were the same as Suntree's.  I lost all sense of balance and depression was off the charts.  Also, constant nausea and vomiting.

   I also tried Tamoxifen.  I think three different times and 20 mg, 10 mg and 5 mg.  I had the same problems as with Arimidex.  My doc wanted me to take Aromasin and I never filled the prescription.

   I had a hysterectomy about 15 years ago and my ovaries removed about 8 years ago.  I'm 53 now, was 51 at dx and was Stage I Grade II, er/pr 100% positive.  I agonized over my decision for over a year.  Did research, crunched the numbers and have learned to live with my decision.  It wasn't an easy one to make.  I had to seriously consider my QOL versus the possibility of a recurrence.

Hope all is well with you,

Bren

Hi ladies. I was wondering if anyone is experiencing any teeth pain; jaw pain on this? I just started about two weeks ago. My doc wants me to go see a dentist and says this should not be a se of Arimidex.

I also had jaw/teeth pain after about 5 months taking arimidex.

I have stopped taking armidex and the pain is gone.

I am curious about those of you that have decided not to continue with the Arimidex. What did your OC's say? Did they put you on anything else. I am really tired of feeling old and the weight not being able to come off. I am not over weight, and I don't have my ovaries..I eat healthy, don't smoke and exercise. I see my doc in a few weeks and I am talking to her. I want off this med. I have been on it now for 8 months...and I still hurt daily..feet hurt, tired or can't sleep..can't lose weight, etc.

I was on tamoxifin for a year before I had my hysterectomy last summer. That tx did not bother me nearly as much as this one.

I'ts a hard decision to go off of the AI...but I am defintately heading down that road.

Sick and tired!

Lisa