For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing

There is some debate if it's the form of soy is that makes the difference, which is why some Asian countries have very low levels of BC. In Japan they eat it in a pure form, not processed like much of it is here, but until they know for sure, I'm with Jo-5 and avoiding it. Like wheat, they sneak it into things that you'd never expect it to be. I've become an avid label reader. Once something is deemed good for you they feel the need to stick it in everything whether it needs it or not. It is a major allergen though, so many products will note it on the label as they do with wheat, peanuts, etc.

I found one of the best foods mayos doesn't have soy - Best Foods Canola..

My naturopathic onc advised me to avoid soy, she said that Oriental women metabolize soy differently.  She does have me using ground flax seeds though as they help to eliminate estrogen from the body instead of it being reabsorbed before they are eliminated.  I try to use about 2 Tbsp a day in my yogurt, oatmeal or smoothie, depending.

Not on her list and I trust her.  She's a board certified naturopathic oncologist and there are not too many in the entire country, so I know she does her homework.  But I think everybody should weigh it, trust their own gut and make their own decisions on their nutrition choices.

I, myself, would not add flax.....

nancyjac - I beg to differ somewhat.  I'm on anastrozole and my MO was adament that I not gain weight and  I'm at a healthy BMI.  The following indicates that being overweight and obese makes you more at risk for recurrence.  http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/new_research/20120830.jsp   

To me it's logical.  A 1mg dose for someone weighing 120 lb has to be more effective than the same dose for someone weighing 180 lb.  If my SEs were not so mellow, I'd challenge my MO on this "one dose fits all."   

This discussion made me dig around and I found this article, so I think, nancyjac, you are 1/2 right.  Paragraph 10.   

http://www.menopause-weight-gain.com/articles/Estrogen_101.shtml 

I do agree with your 100% or 0% for individual risk, but risk percentages are not totally useless.  Without them I would have been given a course of chemotherapy which would have shortened my life and done nothing to kill my cancer. 

I'm stopping the arimidex.  I got all the SEs I had from femara and aromasin combined plus yesterday started my hands shaking and an amost migraine quality headache.  I did find help getting a specific type of generic tamoxifen (Mylan brand) which I am going to go back to, through an online pharmacy my insurance works with, Express Scripts.  So thank you to the gal who suggested that awhile back.

lago, I love the ESD reference, you are hilarious!

Just got this article in my inbox from WebMD - pertinent to our discussion of estrogen and body fat:

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20120827/obesity-may-affect-breast-cancer-recovery?ecd=wnl_brc_091112&ctr=wnl-brc-091112_promo_2 

Dang, I knew I shouldn't have eaten that peanut butter cup!

This weight thing is nothing new. This article is from Jan. 2011

…Short of resorting to such drastic measures, all women can reduce the risk of getting breast cancer by drinking less alcohol and losing weight. "Patients want to know what they can do," says Cobleigh. "It used to be you could say, ‘There really isn't anything.' Now you can say, ‘If you control your weight after a diagnosis of breast cancer, you'll be less likely to die.'" 

source linky   

Interesting.  Before my chemo I took arrimidex for a month and felt absolutely nothing.  I even asked my onco how we knew I was metabolizing it?

Then I had chemo, last infusion March 15.  Started arrimidex again April 15.  by July the aches were becoming unbearable and I could not stop crying.  I asked one dr how that could be?  Does the Arrimidex build up in your body?  She said, no, the level stays the same and there should be no change.  

Well, I called Memorial Sloan Kettering and they told me that in some people the symptoms do build.  They told me to go off of it and then start Femara.  I've been on Femara for about a week now.  Some aches, but not like before.

On the arrimidex it reached a point where I could do nothing but lie in bed on a heating pad.  When I realized I could not go to a favorite class because it meant sitting in a chair for over an hour, I stopped taking them and all of the pain and depression vanished.

It is hard to tell exactly what causes what.  We've been through so much!

I sure hope I can continue with the Femara.  I have good days and bad.  Yesterday was good today was horrible.  But it could be from xanax withdrawal too.  I just looked that up.  I am exhausted.  Terribly tired.  And I can't seem to lose weight.  Maybe Optifast is the way to go because I really need to get rid of this weight.  I only makes everything worse. 

C-squared I thought it was due to the fact that "fat" helps build estrogen in post menopausal women. More "fat" more estrogen therefore more fuel for estrogen postive cancer.

Timbuktu I had no SE the 1st 3 months an ESD (anastrozole). Then I started with the stiff fingers and toes, etc. I'm still functional though but this spring after being on it for a year I noticed one of my fingers has trigger finger in the morning. Also my fingers are somewhat stiff all day unless I am constantly moving them and I don't mean typing I mean making and releasing fists.

1.5 years down. 3.5 to go.

Hello to all,

I haven't been on this board for quite some time but just thought I would check it out.  I am trying to figure out the thread about mayonnaise and soy so I went to my fridge and checked my mayo jar.  It does say made with soybean oil.  Oh brother, I just had a chicken salad sandwich with mayo for lunch.  I love mayo but may need to switch to the olive oil kind from what I read here.  I have been on arimidex for 5 months now and haven't really changed my diet all that much so maybe I will need to start reading labels.   Basically I am doing very well with few side effects and have resumed my usual diet.  I maintain a healthy weight well within the normal BMI that I am suppose to be in.  I guess I just want to think because I feel "normal" I can go back to my normal lifestyle but such is not the case.  Still......I think we can get neurotic over all of this and I am trying not to do that.  I go by the way I feel and if I feel like a chicken salad sandwich with mayo for lunch, that is what I have.  When I finished treatments at the end of April of this year and met with my MO she did not say NOT to eat certain things, just to make sure to get a well balanced diet and to not have a lot of soy in my diet.  She asked if I was a vegetarian and when I said no she said "good" because most vegetarians do have a lot of soy in their diets.  I do take a multi-vitamin every day and Calcium with Vitamin D-3.  My bone density scan showed osteopenia which I knew I had but the score had not changed in 5 years.  I guess after a year on arimidex, they will run that test again.  Basically obesity is at the root of most diseases so it is always good to keep the fat off.  I will ask all these questions on my next 6-month checkup on October 25th.   

Well, today marks one week on Anastrozole!

I take it at night, only because I thought I'd remember it better that way.

But last night was awful: terrible insomnia, and hot flashes all night. I got maybe 2 - 3 hours of sleep. And - GRRRRRR - my brand new ta tas (exchange surgery 8/22/12) felt like TEs again!!!!  Sooo painful!!!!!

So as I tossed and turned and grumbled and moaned, I got to thinking - is it the AI? Could I have SEs already?

I know my "freeze flashes" are gone. The hot flashes are bearable. The insomnia? Well, I'll start taking my pill in the morning and see if that helps.

I've had some joint stiffness and pain, but I've also gone from exercising nearly every day, to a MONTH of being a total couch potato. My PS hasn't released me to do any exercise that raises my heart rate yet. So maybe I'm just stiff from lack of exercise.

And I had a TON of pocket work done at the time of my exchange....and I was trying to sleep on my side in a tight sports bra last night. After I made it back to the recliner, I snatched a few ZZZZZZZZs.

I also haven't built the fish oil, aspirin, calcium, and Vitamin D into my daily regime yet.

I'm not ready to give up!!!!! (But DANG, I hate insomnia....)