Arimidex, mouth sores, dental problems...

mawhinney

Sorry about your mouth sores..I did not take that drug but during chemo had to be cautious with getting mouth sores and mouth would get very very dry. I rinsed at least 3 times a day with Biotene Mouth Rinse (no alcohol). If I felt a mouth sore develope I would take a swig and it would literally disappear. Also, at one point my gums were killing me so I swished with some Glyoxide. Its like perioxide for your mouth. It will clear up any bacteria hanging on that is irritating your mouth. Docs can also prescribe something if the mouth sores are too painful.

Biotene and Glyoxide are available at drug stores.

Feel Better!

Di

mawhinney,

I developed mouth sores in late August after being on Arimidex for just over a year. I worry that the private pharmacy where I fill my prescription gave me the generic instead. It all came on so suddenly after I had my prescription refilled. Another factor might be that I burned the inside of my mouth on some very hot soup around that time. I was also drinking sparkling mineral water (not any more) in an effort to get my body to be more alkaline (as advised by a nutritionist.)

I never had a cold sore in my life, but now I have been dealing with painful areas along the insides of my upper and lower lips. They don't look like cold sores, they look like puffy areas and they burn. They vary in intensity--at times they are not so bad, but at one point my lips were very full, almost as though I had had fillers! Trout pout. Painful trout pout. The sore areas never form a scab or a crust. Even my tongue sometimes gets sore. I switched to Biotene toothpaste and I use zinc lozenges. I have seen a periodontist because my gums are sore. I start treatment this week. I started taking a B stress-complex vitamin which seems to have brought some improvement. Other than mild aches and stiffness, these are my first truly bothersome SEs from Arimdex. The sexual SEs are demoralizing, but manageable.

And just  to keep things interesting, I recently came down with a case of shingles. Something could be going on with my immune system and I'm worried. I had a flu shot about a week before the shingles showed up.

I have been on Arimidex for 7 years, have had lichen planus for the past 4 years.  My Dr and I talked about getting off Arimidex now, I was in no hurry until I began to read about mouth sores on this site, I quit A yesterday, will update my progress as I go.

Just started taking it a week ago. My mouth feels a little "raw".  No sores. 

Have been on Anastrozole for almost 3 weeks , now getting sores in my mouth like I did when I reacted to ciprofloxacin last year...mouth sores aren't really listed as a side effect that I could find...