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Hazel_M's avatar
Hazel_M
Member
9 years ago

Arimidex v Tamoxifen

Hello there, hope everyone is as good as can be. Saw my oncologist yesterday for a check up. It has been a little over 3 years since my lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. I have been on Arimidex since June 2014. I have been struggling with joint pain, mood swings, lack of sex drive and generally just don't feel like me. All of these side effects are listed so no surprises there. My depression and anxiety (which I had pre breast cancer) has gotten worse. So, I had a talk with the oncologist and she said I had options, being post menopausal I can take Tamoxifen. Taking into account my 2 tumours were er+ & pr+ and my severe family history, she explained I was still very high risk and that I needed to be on something. I have to weigh up quality and quantity of life. Doctor gave me paperwork explaining the 2 drugs so I could compare. I am having a 2 week break from Arimidex, she said if I feel a whole lot better in 2 weeks then we will know it was the drug. I could then start Tamoxifen and finish the 5 years with that. I wanted to know from anybody who has made the change from Arimidex to Tamoxifen and how they went. I realise everybody is different and tolerates drugs differently. Just interested in knowing peoples experiences. Would I just be swapping one lot of side effects for another?
Hazel 

5 Replies

  • Hazel_M's avatar
    Hazel_M
    Member
    9 years ago
    Thanks, ladies for sharing your experience. I'm still gathering facts, at this point in time, I'm leaning towards staying on Arimidex and trying different things to alleviate the side effects. As bad as the joint pain is, my depression worries me more. I tend to think starting Tamoxifen might open up another can of worms, so to speak. I do take magnesium and have done for some time to help with leg cramps. Maybe the devil you know etc
    Hazel xx
  • melclarity's avatar
    melclarity
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hazel, I was on tamoxifen for 4yrs pre menopause with zero side effects, but I had a recurrence at 4yrs so had chemo and put on Arimidex, I suffer lots of pain but continue to work with my exercise physiologist and take magnesium. My oncologist said Arimidex is slightly better than Tamoxifen, there have also been recent studies where around a third of cases Tamoxifen stops working according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. 
  • Michelle_W's avatar
    Michelle_W
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hi Hazel,  I started on Tamoxifen and was on it for about eighteen months, my onc then changed me to Arimidex. I only lasted on this for about a month as depression set in big time (bone pain was terrible, I felt like I was eighty but would have put up with it). Onc then gave me six weeks break then started on Tamoxifen again. I haven't had any real side effects, had hot flushes from chemo but these are tolerable. I have to have Tamoxifen for ten years. I have developed hyperplasia and polyps which are a side effect of Tamoxifen (not  very common) I am having a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in two weeks.  

    I am not too concerned about the surgery but the pathology scares the hell out of me (the waiting and the what ifs). I just keep thinking while I am travelling this path another woman is'nt. 

    Thinking of you as you are not feeling great, but it does get better.

    Regards Michelle.
  • Ann-Marie's avatar
    Ann-Marie
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hi @"Hazel M" I know there will be more members that will come online and help you out with their experience. In the meantime if you want to read some other conversation about Arimidex & Tamoxifen try typing these words into the search bar that appears when you go to the "Discussions" tab.
  • Deanne's avatar
    Deanne
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hey @"Hazel M",
    So sorry you are experiencing a lot of trouble with Arimidex. My experience is a little different (kind of the reverse) but might be relevant. 

    I started off on Tamoxifen and had hardly any side effects, just mood swings (very cranky at times!). But no joint pain or lack of sex drive. After 2 years and the removal of my ovaries I switched to Femara (Letrozole, similar to Arimidex, I think). I have been on that for about 15 months now. Joint pain stopped me in my tracks at first, on Femara, and it has resulted in some sexual issues too (which I have now sorted out, I hope). It also affected my bone density and I felt very depressed there for a while. The joint pain lessened over time but the best thing for it has been starting on Curcumin tablets.

    This is a supplement made from Turmeric. (You always need to check that it is ok to take supplements with any other medications you may be on). It also is reported to help with cholesterol issues. It has taken 3 months for the full effects to be appreciated but for me it seems to be working brilliantly. My mood has also improved, maybe because I am not in constant pain! 

    Sometimes if you can get on top of one side effect the rest start to fix themselves too. Less joint pain means I feel more energetic. I get more done and feel happier. I'm happier, feeling more relaxed so that helps with the sexual side of things too.The vicious circle starts to reverse itself.

    The Curcumin seems to be working so well that I have been able to stop taking the Krill Oil and Glucosamine that I was taking to try and help the joint pain. 

    So for me, while Tamoxifen was mainly just mood effects, getting on top of the joint pain on Femara has resulted in a pretty good quality of life. Tamoxifen might be worth a try but I found lots of help on here with ways of coping better with the side effects of Femara. I also have to be on something because of high risk of recurrence.

    Anyway, I am sorry to hear that you are not coping well with it. I remember how well you went at first after all your treatment. Hope that you find some answers. Maybe there will be some other ladies who have swapped to Tamoxifen with good results. Take care. Deanne xxx