Arimidex - Coping with the SE's

ginger...no...what did it say?

What I've come to find is that the news will blare out a big headline, scare everyone to death, and then it fizzles out. After my last round of chemo, I came home and on the news the big medical story was that some study showed that one of the drugs I was given was NOT effective 90% of the time!!! Turns out the study was flawed, I am fine, and the drug is still one of the mainstays today.......after about giving me a heart attack from worrying about it!!! So after that, I am really skeptical about studies. What I do is make sure I get calcium through my diet every day, do the weight bearing exericises every day, and take a couple calcium chews plus D. I don't rely on suppliments only to keep the bones in shape.

schatzi - I've been on thyroid meds for 30 years - you can take calcium supplements, but just not at the same time as the thyroid meds.  The calcium interferes with the absortion.  ie.  I take my thyroid meds first thing in the am, calcium, vitamins, and joint pain meds with dinner, then arimidex and celexa before bed.  We cancer patients keep the drug companies in business - don't we?

Just can't take calcium within 4 hours of taking the thyroid med.

Hi, Mostly sew,

As I know Prolia is denosumab as Xgeva - a small dose  2x yearly and Xgeva the same dose every months!

Have a lot information about!

Best wishes

usha

THX

I am getting soooooo frustrated.,  I've pretty much decided to skip the rads. which means I'd be crazy to ignore hormonal theray. I MUST have it, IMO and in my DRs!)  They suggest arimidex as I am post meno.

The problem is I have osteopenia, at the least.  I went for another bone scan today ( results next week) and after comparing them from 2000, 2004 and 2006 when I exercised more and was once on calcitonin and once on actonel, things dont look good at all. I can't imagine I  wont have lost a LOT more now.  Here is is 2012.

What the heck do BC pts do when they already  have significant osteo issues? Yes, I know- the biophospahtes , but If you have thin bones they can cause jaw issues and even more brilttle vones.

 I cannot imagine my QOL  with any of this !

MamaV...LOL...eating NO chocolate would cause me severe anxiety!

On second thought, small price to pay for no hot flashes. I am not bothered by them YET. I only had the occasional one when I went thru menopause so maybe I will be lucky with Arimidex...so far, so good. Actually they are the least of my worries.

I have a friend with osteopenia, she was already on a very low dose of Boniva. She completed her 5 years of Arimidex with no further bone loss. I have another friend with full blown osteoporosis. She added an endrocronologist to her team; he suggested she do tamoxifin instead, so that is what she is doing.

It is all a balancing act, isn't it? There is not a RIGHT answer that fits everyone, that is for sure.

schatzi - many of the calciums are "buffered" now, slow release, lots of factors to help prevent heartburn.  good luck.

I am between a rock and a hard place. Don't want the AIs due to my severe osteoporosis, but am on a blood thinner so can't take Tamoxafin.

The onc wants to talk to me about "other" options. But are there any? 

Thanks so much for this info. I'll study it and discuss it with my onc.

Thanks for your suggestions Sunflower--

Aug...did you try taking Claritin? I haven't had any bone or joint pain yet but it saved my skin when I was taking Neulasta! If and when I get it with Arimidex, I will start immediately. It is harmless as well.

Aug,

With an oncotype of 11, and 4 1/2 years done  - seems like you DESERVE a long break from it.  Seeing how you feel after a few months, you can go back on if you need to for "emotional" reasons  - which I FULLY understand.  Really, my stats are much worse than yours, and I've convinced my oncologist that I want to do at least 6 years.

NOW, for the SE's.  Don't know what you've already tried - and I sound like a blinkity blink broken record, but I have gotten so much relief from acupuncture, that I no longer need ANY pains meds.  I do the claritin too.  GLuten free really helped chase the joint pain OUT of my body.  An amazing difference.  

Vaginal Dryness as an Olympic Sport.  LOL  LOL  LOL - this is about the only "sport" where I know I can beat anyone.  Well, yes, being 67 adds to this "issue"- but really - being on the A Team, this is the main SE I can't get rid of.  COmfortable now, that I use a home made "suppository" of Organic Cocoa Butter.  Chip a little piece out of the jar, and inset b4 sleep.  Learned about it on the "scream cream thread" - used to made suppositories out of extra virgin coconut oil ( put a little piece in plastic wrap, put in fridget to solidify) but honestly, the ORGANIC COCOA BUTTER is the best.  I've told everyone I know, that if they find out it is "not approved" for E+ women, then I do NOT want to be told.  Queen of DeNile, yes, but finally, oh, damn, finally almost comfortable.