Estrogen blocking meds after radiation

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knitterkjv
knitterkjv Member Posts: 7
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

Can someone suggest an estrogen blocker after radiation that doesn't have many side effects and won't cause weight gain. I am 66.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited December 2012

    Hi Knitter,

    All of the aromatase inhibitors (AI's) have some potential side effects including weight gain. This doesn't mean you will experience them. I have been on Arimidex for over a year. I have some joint aches and stiffness but take glucosamine/chondroitin and try to keep moving. These se's have been quite minor and tolerable. As for weight gain, I think a healthy diet and exercise can help keep that to a minimum.

    Caryn

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  • Elizabeth1889
    Elizabeth1889 Member Posts: 1,036
    edited December 2012

    Hi knitterkjv, My advice is to keep in close communication with your MO. Any AI has the potential to cause side effects. For me, joint pain was the worst. I tried cortisone injections and my MO recently switched me from Arimidex to Aromasin. I found my MO was very interested in working with me, but I had to let him everything that was happening.

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  • aliyahgirl
    aliyahgirl Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2013

    Hi everyone

    I just finished rads yesterday and started arimidex today, right along with the new year.  I'm hoping, hoping, hoping to dodge serious SEs but who knows!  Trying not to be hypervigilant and just let it be, as the good Beatles suggested Smile.

    Elizabeth, did your joint pain prevent you from exercise?

    Best wishes for a happy and HEALTHY 2013!

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  • Elizabeth1889
    Elizabeth1889 Member Posts: 1,036
    edited January 2013

    Hi aliyagirl, Most of the time, the joint pain did not prevent me from exercising. There were a few weeks when my right knee hurt too much to use the treadmill, but a shot of cortisone by the orthopedist fixed the joint. The shot made the pain worse for a few days and then the pain was completely gone. So far, the knee pain has not returned. Good luck with arimidex.

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  • MMSS
    MMSS Member Posts: 103
    edited January 2013

    I think that people's reaction to the various AIs tends to vary all over the place and you just have to experiment to see what works best for you. I have a friend who has taken Arimidex for 3 years and never had the first SE from it. I tried it and got quite nauseated but the MO quickly switched me to Aromasin and that caused no nausea. I do have a bit more joint pain and some insomnia but had some of both prior to the medicine so the difference is not that bad. I have been on it for 4 months and have found that the SEs have not gotten any worse over time and that helps. Also I feel much better when I exercise and there is good data for the value of exercise in preventing recurrence so that keeps me motivated. I had a total knee replacement just 3 months before I was diagnosed so being able to get back to a regular walking routine feels like a treat to me. I also cut way back on sugar (except for a couple of squares of dark chocolate a day) and the combination of exercise and reduced sugar means that I haven't gained any weight at all. The tumor has shrunk dramatically so it has all been worth it. Surgery soon, then radiation and AI for at least 5 years. BTW I sent my unused Arimidex to my friend and we laughed that it woulld be pretty funny if two old ladies who were way too straight for the drug scene in the 60s were to be busted for shipping drugs in their mid 70s. If you read much on the hormone threads on here you get the idea that almost everyone on AIs has terrible SEs. Don't panic! The happy campers don't tend to post. 

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