Arimidex - Coping with the SE's

Hi Ladies,

Ok, I'm ready to get on board with the cocoa butter, but call me a sissy! Has anyone checked with their Dr. about this since we're using it internally? Keep telling myself it's got to be better than a bunch of chemicals, but still I worry.



Thanks

The sores in the mouth were almost gone so I started taking the Arimidex again and now they are back with burning and sores on the tongue and under the tongue and every time I brush my teeth the inside of the mouth gets sore and pain and burning start,dunno if I take this for 5 yrs. Anyone else have this? I can take the weight gain,vomiting,nervous,anxiety and depression and pms but this burning of the tongue and constant sore mouth and gums no cant take this.

try gargling with Biotene & maybe try their toothpaste too

Yep I think you right ruth, I found an old travel size tube of Biotene for dry mouth in my desk at work and it helps so I will probably go get the full size until I go to my MO next Wed and give him my list of complaints. Went at 4 mph on the treadmill other evening and now have pulled the intercostal muscle and the right rib is killing me. gotta get the chromagranin test for circulating tumor cells and the creatine urine test today to take to him next week but quit taking the Arimi to see if I can get my mouth sores cleared up first. I finished my 14 day sample so would need to take the prescrip to see how much it is and if they suggest a generic for cost lowering. MO says I have good insur and shouldnt cost much..??? He looks like he is on last leg,how do these drs work..doesnt the med board chk to see if they are 100 yr old?

Layla,  I had mouth sores also (not as bad as yours, though) when I first tried the generic version of Arimidex.  The pharmacist told me the active ingredients were the same as arimidex but that the inactive ingredients could be what was bothering me.  I had read somewhere on here that the TEVA brand anastrozole was the closest to the brand name arimidex so I switched and never had any more problems with mouth sores. 

Bi lateral lumpectomies, no chemo, just finished 6 weeks of rads and now about to start that little pill  ;-)  Just curious how soon the side effects started for all you guys...thanks,

I just picked up the generic made by Mylan. Almost six weeks on the AZ brand, freebie from BS. No major SEs yet...hard to say when you type a lot if the slightly sore hands are SEs..... Slight heating up, no real sweats, and an occasional headache stab, which goes away immediately if I massage my temples. Had to stop jogging (began again after two years off due to knee problems) and now have tendonitis and can only walk...which doesn't burn the calories....and have gained weight--stress eating, of course adds to that.

 Hoping the generic won't make things worse....will report back. Hope you have minimal SEs. Laurel64.

Bogie, your MO is typical of many.  They pretend ignorance (or may actually be clueless) and act as if they haven't heard the same complaints from other patients.   Perhaps it's because they are not keeping abreast of new stuff and so don't want to commit.  Your complaint, if you were to go back to many of the 150+ pages in this thread, is rampant here.  Very annoying.  I think our MO's are learning more from us than we are from them.  Frustrating.

Chris13, I went from the brand-name when the generics came out last year to Mylan and have found no difference for me.  Hopefully you will be okay on it but, if not, there are others.

Laurel64, the SE's can start at anytime from the first week to months down the line.  It's different for everyone.  Hoping you don't have any of them (that's also a possibility).

Mimi I have't heard of hair loss as a SE of Arimidex. Your break from your AI may help you have fewer SE's in general. I know my break and then going on to a different AI, Aromasin was a huge releif for me. I have very few Se's now, a little hand pain, a mild headache in the morning, minor knee pain. My Se's on Arimidex and generic was a long list and I was in real misery every single day and it was only getting worse. I am so glad my Onc switched me off to Aromasin. I know they are different for everyone and I hope you find a good solution. This is important medicine.

Ginger

Gingerbrew hairloss on Arimidex is one of those SE's that is listed in the small print but can happen. It just doesn't happen to many people. Unfortunately I guess I am one of those few that it did.  I had the hair thinning/loss on the Tamoxifen too.  But more than that I was also concerned about the fatty liver disease I have developed and they didn't even mention it. Go figure docs. 

ginger_mea - I have a really good friend on another thread that just recently finished 5 yrs of Femara.  She did pretty well on it. Very few side effects with the exception of hair thinning and some mild wt. gain.  She is now feeling well and doing great.

ginger_mea....I just switched from Arimidex to Femara 11 days ago. I took a five day break inbetween (my idea) and my depression lifted by the fifth day...it was wonderful! I couldn't believe how quickly it happened. I'm still feeling well and my headaches are gone also. I'm hoping this lasts! I am still having the muscle aches and joint pains and my right hand is still numb and tingling (and still the hot flashes!)but it's so much easier to deal with when I'm not depressed.

Of course, I know we all are different but it might be worth a try. I hope you get to feeling better soon..

ginger_mea why don't ya'll get your Med Oncs to prescribe Effexor 37.5mg for 1 week and then increase you to 75mg and take one cap each night about 45 mins before bedtime.  This will help with depression/anxiety and hot flashes or night sweats you may incur. You don't feel bad in the morning when you wake up.  That is what I have been taking for the hot flashes/sweats, but it is an antidepressant.  Just works on the other.  It has been a life saver.  It is also not expensive. My co-pay is less than 15.00 on BCBS and I have the insurance where you pay for the med and then file and are reimbursed 80%.  yeah I know that stinks! Good luck!!   but you are right Lexapro isn't one of the best antidepressants to take in my opinion as a nurse though the side effects do eventually level out.  And if you are having major depression it is great! you just need to give it time.

Hi Ginger mea,

You are not alone. I have been on Arimidex and have trigger fingers, the usual pain in the am, headache all of which I am finding answers for between supps and exercize/yoga....however I am a a depressed wreck. I manage all the conditions of happiness in my life, but continue to be so sad. I have been taking effexor for a few years, now with increased dose and still no happiness in sight. I believe this is caused by nada estrogen? Pleas tell us how this new AI works. I am so happy to see someone here with my diagnosis and difficulties. You are a help! Thanks and hugs, Heidi 

I understand about the depression ginger_mea. If it comes back on the Femara, then I may try Tamoxifen again since I've had my hyst/ooph but that would be it. I hope that something works for you soon.

Hi, friends:

I found this thread the other day and have been pondering what to do - I've decided to take a couple of months off of arimidex and see if I feel any better.  I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in months, and the joint pain is horrible. 

I'm going to talk to my dr. when I go back in July, but in the meantime, I'm taking a mini-break from stupid arimidex.

Here's to sleeping well.