Arimidex - Coping with the SE's

Thanks for information.  Here is what I got off Arimidex website about SE's:

In the early breast cancer clinical trial, the most common side effects seen with ARIMIDEX include hot flashes, joint symptoms (including arthritis and arthralgia), weakness, mood changes, pain, back pain, sore throat, nausea and vomiting, rash, depression, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fractures, swelling of arms/legs, insomnia, and headache

I had asked if anyone had mood changes and I am definitely having those.  I do have a lot of stress in my life but I have had so much for years.  If I started telling you about problems in my family you would probably think I was making it up.

My autoimmune condition (dermatomyositis) has some of the same issues and this makes it hard for me to tell what is going on.  My sleeping is getting worse and I took a sleeping pill last night and woke up 4 hours later and could have gotten up.  I stayed in bed but kept waking up every hour.  I do bookkeeping so sleep is important to me.  I hate to take more and more medicine.

Yes due to the fact I am very small boned and was borderline to begin with I have had tests.  It will be up to my doctor when I have another one.

Two, there are a lot of posts about ways to help with the joint pain. Claritin (antihistamine form only), tumeric (the yellow herb used in Indian and other cooking), exercise as possible, prunes....there are a lot of tips if you go through the different threads, including this one. Also, some women say they have pain that eventually lessens.

Good luck finding something that can work for you...don't give up! 

I've only been on Arimidex maybe two weeks now. I haven't had joint pain, thank goodness cuz I have enough of that without the drug. But I'm struggling so hard with depression, it's ridiculous. I just don't want to do anything, can't seem to get off the couch. Just don't want to do anything. And crippling fatigue. I'm hoping this will get better as my body adjusts. If not, I'm going to need to find something different because I can't live like this. I battle depression as it is, I don't need something to jack it up like this.

Life, From your stats, you began radiation in Dec. The fatigue could be partially caused by that. Also, depression is pretty common at the end of active treatment. If you have that battle already, I highly recommend telling your doc and trying antidepressants. They can give you a boost out of the hole. When you're feeling better, you can taper off. Please ask for help now. Asking gets harder and harder the more you feel depressed. (((((HUGS)))))

Life-sorry you're suffering. Make sure you tell your doc. I take an anti-depressant to combat hot flashes, but it helps with those bouts of depression too.

Life, I totally agree with others who suggest you talk with your MO about the depression, I've been on a mild antidepressant since DX and it helps eve out my moods.



I have severe joint stiffness from the Arimidex and will try Claritin, which worked when taking Neulasta shots. I asked my MO about it then. She said she knew of no scientific reasonit should work but that so many of her patients had used it successfully that she had proposed doing a clinical trial with it. She saw no reason for me NOT to try it.



Does anyone else have fingers that lock up???

Mine locked up in the shower one morning. It was the weirdest feeling. Fortunately it only lasted a few minutes. I have a strange thing happen when I reach to pick things up. Sometimes the base of my thumb hurts so bad I can't grasp. Then I change position and it works again, but is a bit unreliable. I spoke to my PCP and she said it's the most common place for arthritis to start.

Linda, what do they do for you when your thumb joints disintegrate??? That's really scary. My fingers are like claws, bent and hard to straighten, especially in the AM. Every few days a finger will lock up. I feel like I'm 80!

I have been having acupunture for the side effects of "A" and have had great results. The numbness on the tops of my feet from chemo is gone. Check it out ~ you will love it!

not yet...I am starting my second year and still freezing...wonder what summer will be like?

I was only on Arimidex a few months before my MO switched me to a different AI, I was freezing the whole time I was on it - had hot flashes on the other.

Hi ladies. Just stopping by to read up on Arimidex and introduce myself. I am suppose to start taking this in a month. I had bad bone pain from my chemo that lasted after chemo was over. I am just now getting over that so I am dreading having that side effect again. Maybe I will be lucky and not get that. I also have had hot flashes basically since my mastectomy and chemo. I am now in menopause from the chemo. Im 43. I appreciate the tips here. Healing hugs to all.

Hi, has anyone else's hair stopped growing since being on Arimidex? Mine seems to have come to a complete halt and I hate it. Grrrr.

Melmcbee--the joint pain with the Ais is not a given for everyone, the stats say about one third of women taking it get serious bone and joint pain.  Many of us discovered that taking claritin (non-drowsy version) blocks the bone pain.  It did for me when I started using it in the last couple years I was on arimidex.  (I finished last Oct).  As someone else said too, many women who cannot tolerate arimidex do much better on one of the others.  Hang in there and give the arimidex a chance, you will probably be happily surprised!

Kyliet--my hair didn't stop growing while I was taking arimidex, but I did "shed" heavily when I first started it and about once a year after that.  Apparently my hair grew back in between 'cause it's still just as thick as it was before.  I'm betting it will start up again after a bit.