Does anyone request a hormone test before starting Arimidex?

I had an estradiol and FSH test. My periods were regular prior to chemo but I have now not had a period since beginning of February. Both tests indicated menopause but my dr wants to retest in January to be sure it is menopause and not just the effects of chemo and other treatments. I will start on Tamoxifen next week and we will revisit this and potentially switch to an AI next year. You could always ask for the blood tests if you want to know. I am not sure if there are other tests in addition to my basic ones

Icietla,

Thank-you for that link! So, wouldn't it make more sense to test the levels of androgens circulating in one's system and figure out ways of reducing these levels? Is there a drug for that? I've read that losing weight and eating a diet low in sugars and fats and high in phytoestrogens such as flax seed can reduce androgen levels.

musk..IMO you should have hormone testing before, during and after anti hormone therapy. Good luck to all.

They checked all my hormone levels before I started the AI's  . I was young so they were checking to see my estrogen levels pre use and then once I was on it a year later.  It gave a good gauge as to if I needed my ovaries removed or not. I was glad they checked my levels and we saw a huge decreese once on the AI ...

LittBelt, you cannot officially take prolia unless you are also on adequate calcium and vitamin D ( vitamin D to target a 25-OH level measured by your doctor to be at least over 30 ng/dl and calcium either from diet or supplements to provide between 1.2 and 1.5 grams elemental calcium per day in divided doses.). You need the calcium as a building block for bone (and to prevent acute hypocalcemia cramps or even seizures from prolia) and vitamin D helps absorb the calcium

If the pills are too big, you can get little gelcaps of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and take one 2000-5000 units/day , depending on your obesity level and absorption, or even a little gel cap by prescription for once a week vitamin D2 ( ergocalciferol) 50,000 units ( not the same as D3 so units are different). Check with a doctor who understands prolia, and it may not be your primary care, might need an endocrinologist.

You can get calcium from diet (e.g., 3-4 cups of lean milk a day or 3-4 ounzes lean cheese, or 3 yoghurts), spaced out, or take chewable calcium ( e.g., if you are not on acid blockers you can take product called viactiv calcium carbonate chewy caramels or chocolates 1 twice a day with food, or if you are on acid blockers then "chewy bites" calcium citrate (come in different flavors) twice a day, to provide 500mg elemental calcium each to supplement diet if you do not like foods with calcium

Available on amazon or in drugstores, chewy calcium

The only time I had a hormone test was a few years after not having a period, post-chemo, when all my doctors were assuming I was in menopause from the chemo (I had two periods post-chemo, months and months apart and had not had one for over a year I think at that point). I was on Tamoxifen at the time. Anyway, despite all those assumptions, I was still producing plenty of estrogen and very much not in menopause. Which is why I'm now on Lupron shots.

No hormone tests in the couple of years since, again they are assuming this works, which doesn't fill me with confidence, given that history, and with that assumption, I am also now on Arimidex.

I hear that hormone tests can be unreliable when it comes to menopause, as levels can fluctuate. Anyway, long story short, I didn't have one pre-Arimidex.