Exactly HOW does Femara/Arimidex cause foot pain ?

I have been to a podiatrist and he has confirmed heel spurs all over the back of both heels.  Since they were not there before femara and got progressively more numerous as I took the drug, I know it was the cause.  Now I have to pay for physical therapy and wear inserts.  I am wondering if all of us who have had heel problems on femara shouldn't have a law suit to warn others of the problem.

I am so glad I found this thread!

I recently switched from Arimidex to the generic Anastrozole and bingo---immediate foot pain! Seems to be worse on first getting up, then subsides, especially if I wear really good support shoes.  Reappears at the end of the day.  Oddly, it's only the left foot. As people here have said, foot feels sore, almost like a burn and I have to limp until I get going.

I never had plantar's fasciitis before, so I think it's triggered by the  meds. 

I plan to increase Omega 3's and Vitamin D.  Also to see podiatrist for orthotics. 

Had to see how closely connected my foot pain was to Femara, and thanks to all of you BINGO!  There it is.  So the Arimidex and Aromasin did similar to me, and the only one that hasn't is Tamoxifen.  BUT I cannot take Tamoxifen because there is some reaction that can/does occur when taken with Welbuterin!!  I hope you all know this, because my oncologist did not!  My pharmacist had to bring it to my attention!  I have tried so many other anti-depressants over the years, and just cannot find one better for me.  So instead of going down that rocky road again, I am living with the foot pain!  Wonder if there is a better anti-inflam out there these days....

Hi Jazzy,

I've been on Anastrazole just shy of two years now. Like you I'm limping and finding it difficult to walk any distance; but, in my case, it's my knees that have been painful to the point of disability. I've been missing being able to exercise and feel like I've been in a downward spiral in terms of my fitness.

I have found that taking a combination of supplements (Vitamin D, Omega 3's, Claritin, and Boswellia/Cucurmin) is helpful in relieving the pain - to a certain extent. All of them seem to be necessary. If I do happen to miss one of them for a couple of days I'm reminded just how helpful they are.

I've recently added acupuncture to my routine and so far that has been very helpful. It's got me back on my feet. I predict that my acupuncturist and I have just started what will be a long term relationship.

In the last few weeks (since starting the acupuncture) I've discovered Nordic pole walking. It makes simple walking into a more complete exercise by involving the upper body; and, best of all, I find that it takes a bit of pressure off of my knees, allowing me to walk longer. If you've ever done cross country skiing it will seem very natural to you.

Each of these things have provided an incremental improvement in my mobility and, hopefully, in the longer term, my fitness level.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks for the info!Going to get the Topricin today

I don't know why it causes it. I thought I had severe plantar fasciitis for the past 4 years.  I have had 3 rounds of steroid shots in my heels because I could not walk.  Always forgot to ask the oncologist if it was OK.  It worked for a week the first time, the second two times maybe helped a little.  I had mentioned plantar fasciitis to the oncologist and he never said the femara could cause it.  I have been off the femara for 4 days now (due to other side effects) and I am walking without orthotics, and have been pain free for two days.  Life on femara does not feel worth fighting for. If my cancer came back while on femara I would probably just choose to live what time I had left without any treatment.   I was tired all the time. I had no fight left in me.  I had a sad resignation that at 56 I had the body of an 80 year old.  I sat on my front porch and watched other people walk around the lake in our neighborhood and wished that I could walk.  I watched my flowers and plants slowly die as I did not feel like getting up and watering them.  It's a miracle that my employer hasn't fired me, as I have been practically useless at work.  I have hope now that I can get back to living.    I already feel 10 years younger without the extreme pain with every step I take.  I hope I will continue to improve and be able to do yoga, gardening, and feel up to visiting with friends and family.

DTweety. I hear ya. This is sucking the joy out of each day for me. what i have heard about femara is that the pains will migrate. Did that happen to you, or did it stay with one place, just your feet? i dont know what stage you are, but hopefully four years did the job. i have been on various anti estrogens, and so far, this one is the best, except for the excruciating foot pain. i may have to go back on arimidex, i know i hurt on that one, but at least it was an all over pain, and not focused entirely on my feet. and yeh, i just turned 55 a couple days ago, and i do feel as old as my mother, we share the same litany of woes, we sound more like two really old women who are friends than a mother and her daughter. Really? did the pains start going away that quickly after stopping? that is my greatest fear, that the pain will not go away after stopping. thanks, and welcome and i do hope you feel better and better.

This article explains why the AIs cause joint pain. Hope this helps

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC21401...j

I had foot problems prior to my dx so I can't blame all the problems on arimidex, it just didn't help. I learned stretching exercises in PT that work. Also, I tried orthotics, but for me Birkenstock shoes work best.

I've had burning, stiffness and problems walking which began around 1 year after starting femara.
I've been afraid of paraneoplastic syndrome - hadn't thought about femara until now.
some days are worse than others.

Sometimes it feels like a needle is pressed through my toes. Its unbearable. I rushed to buy new footwear, insoles etc and hope it helps enough to make the "journey" tolerable.

Is anyone having the same problem still or maybe know how to reduce the pain.

I agree, dtad, we need better treatment options and full transparency regarding potential SE's from our MO's. After trying generic anastrozole, then name brand, and finally Femara, I waved the white flag and said "enough - no more" due to severe SE's.I thought I was dieing and the doc and his nurses didn't seem to care. Now, months after going off the meds I got the sharp pain in my heel and ankle. My podiatrist says it's a couple of things - tarsal tunnel, tendonitis and venous reflux. I'm getting the vein ablations to ease pressure on my ankle and legs (a lot of swelling) and wear a "walking boot" to help ease the heel pain. Often my Birkenstocks and/or similar comfort shoes help but sometimes not. (BTW, I am also working to limit sugars in my diet as they cause inflammation.)

My SE's are not disappearing as I was led to believe they would. At least I can get up from a chair... now it's a question of whether or not I can walk when I'm up. These AI's have been like poison to me and the poison is not yet relinquishing it's grip. Has anyone else had lingering damage and/or new problems due to these AI's? Has your foot pain ever subsided?

Thanks dtad - I'm doing what I can to stay strong and get around and through all this! There are days when it's particularly difficult - both physically and emotionally... I still remember the doctor assurances to me... "With this diagnosis, this is easy" or "this will be a breeze" from the very beginning of this cancer journey and I just wish they never would have said those misleading things and set my expectations as such. Positive thoughts are important - but I also think the framing of the situation must be authentic. No one really knows what's going to happen. I appreciate your support and that of others on the forums here.  

Ladies hope I can give someone a little hope and good advice. I remember how bad the foot pain was, my feet were so sore I could not even bare to have something touch them, I was limping around at times, the only thing that I found helpful was:
switch shoes, water "massage", it would only minimise the pain a little so after 1,5 year on Femara my oncologist suggested I switch to Arimidex. I feel like a new person. The symptoms from my feet has almost gone completely after 2 to 3 weeks. My sleep is better. I feel more energized. 

at this point my acquired worrisome and almost masochistic mind starts to speculate - does this really help when it doesn't hurt???

seriously - I recall reading an article about a link between degree of symptoms of low estrogen and response...

I would love to hear stories of great responses and few/no side effects.