Anyone taking Arimidex with little or no side effects?

Kay Kay, it is NOT selfish to share your feelings about what is going on for you.  It is a healthy response to atough situation.  I have been on arimidex for about 2 weeks and my joints and hands hurt, but not so terrible.  I continue to pray for all our sisters

Hi Annie, I was on Arimidex for 8 mos.  Didn't really have clicking noises in my hips. My hips, knees, feet ankles, wrists, hands were very sore. I felt like I had severe arthritus everywhere.

I have only been taking it a week, but so far just moderate worsening of hot flashes - that is all, maybe some stomach upset. I had tried Tamox but eventually had severe mental side effects, so I had to stop. A canadian site says that Tamoxifen can cross the blood-brain barrier, but Arimidex cannot... in any case, so far Arim. is better for me, but we will see.

 These drugs effect everyone VERY differently.

arimidex side effect profile: 

http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/257C9CFC-35D9-47B2-B5A5-FC7FF482077F/19487/Anastrozolemonograph_2Nov06.pdf 

I have a friend who was DX'd 3 1/2 years ago, she forgo all surgeries and radiation for which she was scheduled, instead she saw a doctor at UCLA, he put her on Arimidex, she was on it for 6months, went back in for another MRI and her 3 tumors had completely gone, she has had no side effects at all.  Just thought you would all like to hear that success story!

L

ox

Hi sweetie pies; just an update:

Got my nerve up to call my onc who was quite reassuring about the hip pops.  He said it is common to have all kinds of pops and crackles after chemo (tho a year after chemo ends?) and that arimidex is widely known for it's effect on the joints.

I have found that exercise has helped ENORMOUSLY with all and any SEs.  Truly.  But it needs to be pretty vigorous to make a difference.  I do 1/2 hour on air stepper (like a stair stepper, but no jarring) 1/2 hour walk,,1/2 hour stationary bike.  Also lift, run up and down stairs and in general stay moving.  What an enormous difference it has made.

My onc also said to GET OFF THE FISH OIL.  He cited phytoestrogens, which I do not get, as unless it is farm raised fish, fed a crap diet, it wouldn't have phytoestrogens.  But I got off of it and my joints are fine so far.  Bones I could not tell you, but sure take a ton of calcium and D3.  I had osteopenia (or it was written that way to get insurance to cover it, not sure) but he told me my bones were "perfectly normal".  I'm thinking that is good.

I did get some mild dizzies, they passed but good to know others have.  I just keep on going, like the energizer bunny and it all seems to pass off.

Good luck all....I seem AOK so far.  Besides the obvious...can hardly walk in the AM and I hobble around like a 90 year old.  So I keep that exercise going once I warm up!

xoxo

i am 72 yr old and one year away from mast. that was followed by chemo-FEC- then rads and now since march i am on arimedex.  i am sooo tired that i must nap almost every day and then have no trouble sleeping 8 hr at night. my problem and one i wish to ask about is this-i get nauseus just about every day around 10am. some days i even get dizzy,  enough that i have to hold on to something or sit down. is this nausea and dizziness arimidex related?  has anyone else experienced this? would love to get some info re: problem .  other than that my health is "good"

happy autumn to all

I can't get past the $90 for a month's supply!!  And I'm complaining that we changed insurance carriers and now have to pay $30 for a month's supply!!!!  Been on Arimidex since June with little or no SE, but will meet with onc. next week to check bone density, blood cell count, etc.  $90 a month, wow!

pottergal, or anyone else, I, too, experienced dizziness soon after starting radiation.  The rad onc. pooh-poohed it and I just figured it was something else.  At that time, I sure didn't want more tests.  A friend who had also undergone chemo and radiation said just to get up from the table slowly and take my time jumping off.  That seemed to work somewhat, but I did and still do have spells of the room spinning when it's the worse or just some dizziness at the best.  Never did it occur to me that a tiny white pill could be the culprit.

Hi Carole,

Nice to run into here!  The first couple months I bought Arimidex it was $313.00.  I thought how could it be worse?  It could be, they raised the price last month!  A little more than 2 years and I will be on Medicare... hooray!  Will definitely get the drug plan!

About your question:  Cancermath.net has an interactive site where you plug in your personal stats and it "predicts" your future.  I did mine and taking Arimidex made almost no difference in survival rate... maybe took a month off of my predicted life span if I did not take it.  BUT  they are talking survival, not preventing recurrence.   In other words, we might be more susceptible to a metastasis without the Arimidex but with modern good medicines and our already advanced age, we would still live nearly an average full life span.

Here is the link...     http://cancer.lifemath.net/breastcancer/therapy/index.php

I'm sorry, I don't know how to hyperlink it so you will have to copy and paste.

How are you feeling?

Pam 

So glad you are doing well.  

 I am putting a lot of faith in Arimidex.  And what I have read about it is impressive.  I am already nervous over the  prospect of stopping it at the end of 5 years, just when my recurrence chances start to go up!  I have read some centers are now in to a second 5 year increment.  

Tamoxifen is available as a generic and price is quite low.  Arimidex is scheduled to go generic in July if Astra Zeneca does not get a patent extension.  It is my understanding that Tamoxifen is better tolerated but has more serious side effects, ie stroke, uterine cancer, blood clots.  Arimidex has a bad quality of life reputation; bone pain, weight gain, leg-foot-hand cramps.  So far I am tolerating it and feeling quite martyr-like  Actually it has not been as bad as I feared.  

All ER+ women can take Tamoxifen but only women who are not producing estrogen from the ovaries (either age menopausal or surgical menopause) can take the aromatase inhibitors.  I actually asked my oncologist for Tamoxifen as I was concerned about cost but she convinced me that my health was better served with Arimidex.  Sure hope she is right.

Now - on to healing up for you!  I hope that tape is no longer a problem.

Pam 

Dear Fairy 49

Great to see your post that your friend do well with Arimidex without surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, all her tumours disappear

How is your friend now, any relapse or new cancer that is not hormone sensitive but HER positive ?

Surprise that oncologist agree not to have surgery but on medication alone!!!

I have a new cancer on my left breast after taking Arimidex for 3 years

Though it is only 0.7 cm, HER2+, my concologist said that surgery is the primary cure follow by chemotherapy and radiation although I propose no surgery but only chemotherapy as Herceptin can target the cancer cells of HER2 positive tumour

I opted for mastectomy, no radiation and did not go for any chemotherapy as the benefits is small

Now on Arimidex as my right breast is ER+ and I take ganoderma lucidum (lingzhi) alternate with coriolus versicolor (PSK) or yunzhi

Hope to hear good news about your friend who opt for no surgery

Lots of love,

Kheng