Life after Arimidex/Aromasin?

Hi there, I finished up with the hormone therapy three years ago..

I can lose weight now, my pains are almost gone, no sleep problems but I am

more tired, but then I am eight years older now...about the bones, I don't know

I started taking fosamax about 18 months into Arimidex...I stopped when

I finished up the Arimidex, but the bones still went down..so I started again

finally after about

two years the bones started being a tiny bit better. 

PS I am 66 years old

Have been off arimidex for a couple of months now and the bone pain has lessened, I am taking calcium with vit D and magnesium also.  Still no sex drive and still dry but am hoping and praying for that to get better.  I have been taking melatonin to sleep and it has helped a lot.  I am wondering if life ever really returns to normal.  I have lost 10 pounds, gained a lot of weight on it. It is a little scary to think of being on nothing to prevent cancer now but I have heard it stays in your system a long time and my oncologist says absolutely no to taking it over 5 years so even if I wanted it I couldn't get it.  Praying for the best for all of us.

Great info here, ladies. Thanks! I'm coming up on one year on Arimidex and have 4 more to go. SEs have lessened considerably, except for the thinning hair! Dare I hope that it will thicken back to my original mane once I stop taking this med? Anyone?

Nichole, I know what you mean.It is a huge price to pay, but maybe we can get a discount. I have been on Arimidex for nearly eight months. The diminished sex drive has been very discouraging. I cried plenty of tears over it. It was a LOSS. I recently read about coconut oil on BC.org and it really has helped me. I used to use coconut oil conditioner on my hair during beach vacations and it worked wonders on restoring shine and softness to my parched locks. It's great for dry skin, so I figured, what the heck, I'd give it a try. I got 100% pure organic coconut oil at our local organic foods store. It's a thick white paste which liquefies on contact. It's not slimy like silicone-based stuff or sticky like vaseline (ugh) and I put it on my husband. LOTS of it. Works wonders. If you are having trouble with desire or getting started, light the candles, put on some music and use a vibrator to get going. Then use the coconut oil. It works. My husband says things haven't changed as far as he's concerned, and that he's a happy man. He loved that it was my idea. I have to say that I am still a little anxious ahead of time, because I'm afraid it will be painful. But after using coconut oil consistently for several weeks, it's been getting better and better. It had been the last inch that was killing me, if you know what I mean. I felt the same way for a few months after the birth of my child. I thought maybe it was because I was breast feeding. I just felt smaller and "closed for business."  I have to assume that the coconut oil must be softening the tissues, because of the significant improvement. Maybe less discomfort will help you relax and start to have more sensation.

It is so sad that we have to go through this, and we don't want to give up on our sexuality. Give it a try. It has made me feel so much better about myself and also that I am not letting my husband down and so I'm more hopeful and less hangdog these days. On a side note, the wonderful aroma of coconut oil reminds us of Cinnabons! (Cinnamon bun franchise at highway rest stops across the US.)

Hope I wasn't too graphic. I know you didn't want to hear about more lubrication, but I do hope this helps. You can get through this and things can be better. It may never be like it was when we were in our twenties (I'm also in my fifties) but before BC my husband and I were going strong after 27 years together and now I know that sex can be pleasurable again. 

hi,

newbie here.

just finished  the first 10 days of arimidex.

cpl of  things:

been taking 2000 D/day for about 3months. My level went up in 6 wks, and then when i reduced the dose, it went  down some, so i'm  going to maintain 1500-2000. My hair has been getting really thick [ it had been  thinning from age I presume] and my dentist says D is also great for pain, jt pain in particular. So hope it helps w/ SE of  the drug.

 Also have a  thickened uterine lining of 6.7mm, so they want to do a D&C.

Since I  am  not sloughing anything off it these days[ I'm 65], what  do they scrape?? and what are the after effects? for how  long?  if anyone has had experience w/  that.

i was cramping for a week after they tried to do a biopsy in the office on my stenosed  cervix!! So beware  their thinking of  doing that to you if you are very post menopausal!!

i love your info about  coconut oil. i was working w/ a vibrator asap hoping i will keep some libido  going! we do use a lot of ky  goo. i'm 65, so not a wild child.., but enjoy  enjoying. and want to do eveything i can to feel normal. exercise helps too. but i am a newbie at  ! month into ameridex, so far okay. .

okay, i've been on arimidex now for 2 months.

went  to see onc donc july 12th, and he said, "ok, tell me you  hardly know you're taking a  drug'" and i  agreed. very mild hot flashes, always have  jt  pain, and it's helped w/ exercise.., it was so far, so  good; fingers crossed. felt like a healthy  sexy  65 yr old amazon often! 

the very next day watery  diarhhea started, and it's been  iffy  since.  It's been about 4wks.

i've played w/  diet[ which  was/is hi fiber/fruits, veggies,  whole grains, flax seed etc], and finally started  taking a pepto bismol tab once a day. as well lactaid, someone here  suggested it.

pepto helps, but i  used to have great bms! had heard that the heavier they were, the more estradiol was being taken out of yr  body, so i loved it! and felt proactive w/ my great  diet and exercise etc.

now, flour products seem to help ' constipate' me, which is  sort of necessary[ tho i feel  counterproductive health-wise] , as my intestines  no longer produce  good formed product. 

It started after a month of  the real drug, so it isnt the generic. i'm calling onc  donc tomorrow. but  expect they will just say imodium  etc, and i'd like a  break from the med.

my husband suggested  that if it took a month to happen, prob need a month to get  normal again. but it seems  very unhealthy to have no bulking happen in my  intestines! 

anyone have this prob, and have any  helpful experiences? 

i like this  pass4sure 310-200 alot..

I am 3 months short of finishing my 5 years on Arimidex.  I have had many of the side effects that have been mentioned, but none as bad as the vaginal dryness.  Lack of desire can be ignored or faked but the physical pain has prevented us from having sex in the past 2 years.  I have been sort of biding my time, looking forward to ending Arimidex and hopefully regaining some of the natural moisture I had before (even though that was dwindling with age).  I am 63.  I saw my gynocologist today for annual visit (2 1/2 years after my last painful PAP!).  When I mentioned the problem and my anticipation of returning to a normal sex life, she pretty much implied that it would never happen.  I was completely discouraged. I have NOT shared this info with my husband yet since we both have been looking at the 5 year mark as something to look forward to in terms of renewed sex life.   She did write a Rx for Vagifem tablets which she said might help a little, but she sure wasn't very encouraging.   Have any of you used those?  Did they help?   I will definitely try the coconut oil, but my skin is SO sensitive that I hope it doesn't irritate.

Lisa - Please let us know if your sex drive returns after you've been off the Arimidex for a while.  I still have 3 months to go and I'm hoping for some big changes!

Hi Whitechocolate here, I hav'nt been on the discussion board for quite a while as I'm not very computer skilled, but here goes.  Diagnosed 2007 BC had mastectomy then breast reconstruction, then all the usual treatment chemo,radio then the drug Hercepton,then Arimidex for five years.  well as a lot of yous out there will know the terrible Arimidex affects sore joints hair thinning or loss.  I stayed the course for two half years,then asked my doctor to take me off. He gave me a six week break from Arimidex, I was amaized at how quickly the pain began too leave my joints, but then he put me on Aromasin and then all the side afects started again.  Now I've come off my medication, although I'm a wee bit scared I've started taking IP-6 with inositol as it's suppose to be very good for the immune system.. Is anyone out they'r know much or taking this IP-6 as I read about it on the internet and the reviews sounded really good. Bye for now whitechocolate.   PS I'm a you 69yrs

You know Lisa you have just encouraged me to go have a bone density scan - can you believe it but no-one has ever told me to have one because of cancer. In 2009 my hubby and I decided to go to the UK as my sister had been diagnosed with bowel cancer and as she had just prior to that lost her husband and daughter to brain cancer, we felt she would need some support during the surgery etc. Well after being there for 6 weeks I was diagnosed with the dreaded breast cancer. Had surgery in the UK, then came home and started chemo and 12 weeks radiation. My clinical oncologist is great, put me onto Arimidex. First 18 months OK but this past year has been awful, all the SE's that you dear  people mention. When I say no-one told me about Bone Density I'm not sure who that should have been. The surgeon in the UK, my clinical Oncolgist or the Dr that I see once a year from Radiation. I feelcompletely and absolutely stupid that I didnt research more so phoned my GP today and have an appointment in a few days for the scan, so thank you. I only joined this forum today and look forward to learning from you all. God Bless.

Be very careful with the Vitamin D. Now recommended dosage is no more than 800 mg a day. Builds up in your body like Vitamin A which almost killed me thanks to one dumb doctor years ago. My internist took me off any Vitamin D supplement due to high in acceptable range. MORE IS NOT BETTER!!!!