Life on aromasin

HI Ladies, I have been MIA for a couple of weeks. Didn't realize I was gone so long! Life has been busy, which is a good thing. Last weekend I took a 3-day respite from the examestane because I was having so much pain. I did start to feel better in those couple of days, but then restarted it. I'm afraid to stay off too long. Pains are coming back, but hopefully with the weather warming up they won't be so bad. I see the MO at the end of April and will have labs checked again then. In the meantime, I keep moving...yoga, pilates, rowing machine which helps loosen the joints. Yoga has really been a huge help in flexibility!

Martha

Annie, I had really bad SE from the Arimidex. I first started on the generic and had terrible joint pain, dizziness, foggy brain. Asked to change to the brand that I got from Astra Zenec Direct but the SE did not seem any better and I was having terrible hand pain. MO told me to take 6 weeks off and if the SE went away to change to examestane (generic Aromasin). After about 5 weeks off the Arimidex I felt SO much better. I started the examestane and some of the SE have returned, but not all. I have joint pain but not the foggy brain. While I hate the pain I am learning to manage it with exercise and stretching.

I made the raisins a while back but I keep forgetting to take them. Does anyone know how long they last once they are the fridge?

Martha

hi all...I just switched from tam to aromasin (5 days now).  I feel horrible.  nausea, dizziness, and swollen hands and feet.  Is this normal? does it get better?  I read back on some of this thread that dizziness is a SE but does it get better?  Im afraid of driving.  Im going to have to take this at night to see how I do...or go back on tam

call the doc for sure, that is more than you should be having

Raider,

I am on Venlafaxine (Effexor) for my hot flashes and the dang buzzing started around the time he upped my dosage . And, if I remember right, when I had my Diep surgery, I was off the meds for a couple weeks  and the buzzing stopped. I guess I better do a little investigating. Would be nice to get rid of this buzzing. Now if I could get rid of the joint pain in the morning or if I sit for very long I would be doing great.  That isn't so bad tho, exercise helps and I guess I need something to remind me of all the fun I have been having for the last couple years dealing with this crap !!

ndgrrl --- I have "warm flushes," but they typically happen in the evening which is fine. (Better then than while I'm at work.) Sadly, I already use the upstairs air conditioning and my bedroom's ceiling fan when I go to bed at night. Hope you get some relief soon!

You know it isn't so much that I am scared to try something else, but I don't want to  just switch SE's when switching meds.

I would bet that we get some type of SE with anything we take.

I have half a mind (less since cancer haha) to just stop all of it !! But of course I won't. Not yet, anyways,.

songbird, I think there are usually ebb and flow to the side effects so it doesn't mean they won't return at some point. I have periods where it is better than others and then BAM...I wake up and can barely move due to joint pain. I am sure it is likely working and you are in a "good" period now. Enjoy this...who knows when you will feel yukky again!

mine do seem to be worse on cold or damp days so maybe it is really arthritis?  who knows, trying a new physical therapist as the back got crankie, to come if this one is helpful

ndgrrl This is your oncologists call. Remember that although your ovaries are gone your body converts fat into estrogen. If you are overweight this is something to consider as well.

Thanks April and Wave! You're right, I'm going to make the most of this smooth ride:)

Stay pain-free girls

x x

Bluemm

Soon they will tell us to rub use a suppository in our nose to help with insomnia.

Some of these off label uses of meds dont make sense.

Whatever, glad it exists.

Raider, don't dismiss Claritin. Many of us on a BCO website while going through chemo heard that, for some reason, Claritin could help with the pain of chemo. I asked my MO and she said there was no scientific evidence but that she had heard it often enough that she recommended I try it. It actually did help. She said she hoped someone someday would do a clinical trial with it. This is the regular Claritin....You might try it, at least, to see if it helps. On one or several sites here, a long-time poster recommended golden raisins soaked in gin, and I'm one who now takes them! So who knows what can help??

RaiderGirl and Annieb4 my tinnitus is more like a flat lining. High pitched sound. Note that drugs like aspirin, ibuparofen and Aleve can make it worse.