Arimidex

Dear Ruth & Yana. I certainly do have the joint pains and fatigue with Arimidex. It also keeps me awake at night a couple of times each week, but I'm willing to admit that part of that is my not being very active, along with anxiety and stress, which is sometimes worse than other times. I remember being told by the medicos and the breast nurse that: "we would expect all the side effects to diminish with time". Whilst I appreciate that positive thinking, regular exercise etc both have their merits, it isn't always the reality for us who are battling the disease. Then unfortunately, with some of the medicos, when one continually complains about the persisting side effects, one constantly feels as though said side effects are in fact imagined. This is very disheartening, & only serves to cause us to turn inward once again. I have been taking arimidex for just over a year, & I can say with confidence (because I keep a journal) that for me, some of the side effects haven't "magically disappeared", & indeed I have different ones at different times. I haven't had a sore throat from it, but I am almost always in pain from one or more joints. I have a hip condition which was present long before my diagnosis with breast cancer in July 2010, and despite having repair surgery performed on it, once I began chemo therapy, the pain was back with a vengeance. I also experience hand and wrist pain (fairly sure it is not carpal tunnel, as was suggested), and really odd pain in the webbing next to both big toes, as well as pain in the toes themselves. Also in the arches of my feet. Again, this could be the result of not regularly exercising, however I'm afraid I am "over" trying to do the gentlest of stretches or walking, when all that's achieved is being drenched in pools of perspiration! Sorry, have turned this into a rant-please forgive! I am grateful, however, for being generally well. I'm about to embark on radiation therapy to the metastases in my back, so we'll see what transpires after that. I am trying to continue monitoring my routine, hoping I can return to something that resembles work-currently I don't feel as though I'd be all that reliable. Love to you all-this is a great forum. Please keep posting about side effects and your day to day struggles:I feel lucky to be able to share with you all! Take care Kind regards Kathleen