For Arimidex (Anastrozole) users, new, past, and ongoing

Hello Ladies (as in "Charlies Angels" remake):

Any ideas/advice as to natural/easy-to-digest brand magnesium supplement -- as well as Calcium/Vit D3?

Previously, relied on "Dyno-Mins" (Nature's Plus brand) magnesium tabs/ recommended by hospital nutritionist.

Recently however, no luck w/ ordering @ pharmacy. Tried MegaFood brand magnesium (VitaminShoppe) -- it's OK, but rough on GI system. Magnesium content is also much lower than Dyno-Mins (12 % DV vs. 63% DV).

Re. "Citracal Max Plus" (calcium + Vit D3/minerals) -- I am tolerating only 1/2 tab, every other day. Full daily dose of Citracal = 2 horse pills)... so, supplementing w/ One-A-Day Multi-Vitamin 3x/week.

Started Anastrozole May 1st. Side effects are the usual suspects... don't like "old-ladyitis".... but thankful to have a treatment option that (hope) will push back future recurrences !!

Have a great day & weekend, All !!!

Roseanne7

Zupozi99, Just picked up my presciption and it is also 1mg. Oncologist said to start in 2-3 weeks a few weeks ago, I keep looking at the bottle and know I need to start in a few days.....

Peregrinela, Lots of good ideas (here's to "modifications"! & thinking outside the box ) Thank you -- Roseanne

Keywestfan, Take a deep breath. You don't know that you will have SEs. Try to remember why you are going to take it. Think positive! It can help.

I take mine in the morning. Before I started taking it someone said it kept them awake. I didn't want that so take it in the morning. However, I don't find it keeps me awake at any time!

Good luck and remember you are trying to prevent a recurrence!

HUGS!

keywestfan I was scared, too. Ridiculously fearful of the tiny white pill. I'm doing fine. Yes, think positive, as PontiacPeggy says, and for lots of us, it's just fine. I take mine in the morning. That's when I take other things that are daily, so it's easy for me to remember.

Hi Everyone! I'm new to this board and so happy I found this topic. I was another another topic, and some of the women suggested this thread. I'm finishing radiation this Thurs! The date to start Arimidex iis this Friday. I was still on the fence about taking it and this forum has helped me so much! Have read the Susan Love's Bible, the Breast Book and couldn't decide My onco score was low, so my thinking was I didn't need all the side effects, especially at 68. After reading some of the topics, I have a long list of questions and am willing to give it a try. BUT My MO just went on maternity leave and didn't assign another MO to my chart, nor did she place the order for the Arimidex. I found this out when I went into Mychart to leave a message. I'm at a major medical university in Chicago so I know this can be straightened out, but causing anxiety & delay that I don't need right now.

Keywestfan, I also take mine in the AM with other supplements and meds. I am one of those that have a hard time sleeping, but always have. It did seem to make it a little worse so I take melatonin at night and that helps.

I was worried about starting AI also, been on it for almost 4 months and haven't had to many issues. A little more achy, but I exercise regularly which helps and also is good for me.

Congrats to those who are close to completing rads....

Hello Ladies on Arimidex,

I am going to be going on this drug after trying 2 others and having complications from the se's. I was doing pretty well on Aromasin but found out that it is a steroid and was compromising the effects of my diabetes medications and rendering them ineffective. I have been off it for 2 weeks and am preparing to go on Arimidex and need to know how it effected hair loss, blood pressure and diabetes. I have seen that it can cause permanent hair thinning and loss. I am a working professional and my hair has grown back thicker, curilier and more healthy than ever. I know it may sound like a petty thing to be worried about, but I am concerned about it.

this community has been such a blessing to me over the 3 years I have been a BC patient. It has made a tremendous difference in how I deal with all that comes with BC and all the side Effects.

thanks for being there for me.

Angelsgal57

AngelsGal57 I've been on Anastrozole for 8 months. No hair thinning so far.

I’ve been on Arimidex a little over two years and no hair loss. My hair is genetically thin so I’m happy about this. Pain in toes and fingers that comes and goes

The research shows Tamoxifen is the biggest culprit for hair loss followed by Femora.

Not saying it can’t happen on Arimidex but my lid is wild. I still worry about hair loss. But I don’t see it yet. Over a year and 4 months on Arimidex. 🙏

Stellawt57, I am taking pretty much the same herbal products, biotin, co q 10, tumeric, melitonin, etc. Ever since starting AI treatment.

Seeing all the positive replies helps.

Thanks everyone

Angelsgal

I got horrible joint pain soon after I started taking Anastrozole in Feb. It was very hard in the morning. I have a desk job, so it was hard to sitting at the desk for a long time. I had to get up and walk every hour. My MO suggested tumeric. 3 days after I started taking Glucosamine with Chondroitin, Tumeric, MSM supplement, I felt much better. I didn't feel much joint pain even in the morning. However, it didn't last very long. After 6 weeks or so, joint pain came back and now it is getting worse even with this supplement. I tried different brands but not making any difference.

I read in this thread that Clariton may help. I'm going to try this next. Any other suggestions? Other than joint pain, I don't have any other side effects.

HockeyCat Claritin helped me not a single bit, but I've read people on this thread who found that it did help. Everyone seems to be different! What helps me is getting up and moving, and also exercising every day for 1 hour. As my strength has improved, my joints have less to complain about. I have no severe pain at this point, but I do have occasional stiffness. Sometimes I take an NSAID (OTC: Aleve, Ibuprofen, or Rx Meloxicam), as I already had arthritis, and it's slightly more noticeable on my AI.

Hi Everyone, I found this thread because after 2 years on Anastrozole I am ready to give up. I have suffered through the stiffness, depression, dry eye, crepey skin, osteopenia, etc but now that my hair is falling out at an alarming rate it feels like the final straw. Until I read many of these posts I have felt so alone and confused. Thank you all. I just made an appointment with my MO to discuss going off AIs all together. BC was stage 1A HR+H2-, clear nodes, I've had a BLM, sentinel nodes removed, hysterectomy, and oophorectomy. At the risk of sounding extremely naive, shouldn't I be at low risk of recurrence? 3 more years on this drug feels so daunting.