Letrozole Joint Pain & Exercise

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Comments

  • Artferret
    Artferret Member Posts: 259
    @Sister in regards to your pilates session, were you doing a lot of lying down work because that will make you dizzy if the instructor is not mixing up the sitting up and lying down exercises. I found that from time to time even on the reformer. Maybe you could try doing it through a physio on a more one on one situation, that way, like you said, you're using all of the equipment and not in one position constantly. Sometimes it's a case of finding the right pilates teacher too. I'd look around at what else is available in your area and have a chat with the instructor before trying their class. 
  • Doin'it
    Doin'it Member Posts: 377
    Thanks @arpie. Awesome 👏 
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,960
    Went to a pool this morning.  Did my own aqua exercise programme plus a hundred metres either side.  Enjoyed it, and felt tired but good afterwards.  Completely different from my experience on Saturday.  It was mixed up @artferret but even with both the trainer and me being careful, I think it still put too much strain on my neck.
  • iserbrown
    iserbrown Member Posts: 5,540
     
    This is from my Exercise Physiologist 

    Just FYI, every year each person is eligible for 5 Exercise Physiology sessions under Medicares Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC). There are also other things available like physio, dietitian, osteo etc... 

    ALSO,

    If you have private health insurance you may receive a further rebate on top of the scheduled fee. 



    Hopefully you can check it out and find someone that will tailor for you. 

    Once I get the all clear this is what I will be doing as the core muscles and muscles in general deterioate when you're unable to use them


    Hope it helps and take care
  • Artferret
    Artferret Member Posts: 259
    Good idea @iserbrown an ex phys will be able to develop a program tailored to your limitations and your needs. Check it out @Sister. I used one after i finished the ex-med program just to make sure i was on track with my gym program and she developed a 4 rotation program for me. It was great.
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 7,521
    Great segue!  I believe playing is helping mine too ... hence annoyed when the thumb wouldn’t bend as I do use it in some tricky chords. 
  • kitkatb
    kitkatb Member Posts: 442
    Hi @arpie , fully understand how you must be feeling.  5 months on femara now and really starting to effect my right hand.  Takes a couple of hours in the morning to get fingers moving. have to actually bend my thumb and fingers with other hand to move them and thumb joint actually clicking in and out.  In the scheme of things I am lucky as things could be way worse but Grrr annoying. xox
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 7,521
    Sadly, @kitkatb ... Trigger Finger - and now Trigger Thumb (and other joint pain) is a really common problem with AIs .... and is quite debilitating.  But it is 'over & above the general joint pain' that we get too - but it is never mentioned by our Oncs - yet they must hear about it every single day .....

    It really needs to be investigated more thoroughly, as it is affecting our day to day lifestyle SO badly  :(  Every day, I am finding things I can't do - that everyone else just takes for granted, like pulling the tab off a Yoghurt Tub.    Sure, I am 66, but I am not 'infirm' - I've lived with arthritis for 25 years - and it was NEVER as bad as this.  

    It is the meds & nothing else that is causing it.
  • AllyJay
    AllyJay Member Posts: 942
    Another (rather long), but very interesting article and study.https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00535439/document
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,960
    I can't say that I read all of the second article carefully (I can't focus on the technical language for too long these days) but what was highlighted to me is that the joint effects have never been focused on because no-one was "officially" asking the questions.  Why are women dropping out of a treatment that is a lifesaver?  No idea...  

    Alright, I'm being facetious but it's good to see that studies are being done and eventually it may be taken seriously enough that treatments are available.
  • AllyJay
    AllyJay Member Posts: 942
    @Sister, you might have noticed the first was published in 2010 and the second in 2009. These are both respected medical studies, and this knowledge has been out there, and in lots of bespoke medical publications. This myth that is trotted out that the symptoms described are anecdotal is rubbish. It is a well known and established fact that people stop potentially life saving, or at least life prolonging treatment because of intolerable side effects, and it gets chucked into the "Too Hard" basket...basically suck it up or throw the dice and take your chances. As has been pointed out, if the majority of patients were men....well...that would be different. Research would be undertaken, solutions found (or other reliable alternatives) and lives would be both improved, extended or saved. Disgraceful.
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 7,521
    edited April 2019
    I picked up on that as well, @Sister    Yes, I’ve bookmarked the page and will keep an eye on developments.  

    Hmmmm Just noticed that This document is nearly 10 years old ... I wonder where the results are?.

    (Tho About bloody time someone looked in to it.)

    This one is dated 2013
    https://academic.oup.com/annonc/article/24/6/1443/180703

    another one, 2015
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26059931

    2017
    https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187165

    I just put this into google ..... quite a few bits to read over Easter!
    Aromatase inhibitor induced arthralgia in early breast cancer
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 7,521
    And this one specifically on Trigger Thumb ... altho the lady didn’t have BC (she had a raft of other conditions that was treated with AIs.)

    She ended up having surgery as both her thumbs were severely affected.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4479852/
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,960
    I'm usually a bit more careful about looking at dates on things...