Forum Discussion
Arimidex
I have been reading through the blogs about Arimidex and found them very interesting. I have been on Arimidex for 6 months and up until 4 weeks ago, "side affects free" - until now that is.
I now have what appears to be the usual aches and pains in the legs and numbness in the hands, tiredness and headaches, so I guess I didn't escape at all I am just like all my other Arimidex sisters.
I will have to mention this to my oc next visit, but as so many others have said before at least I am here reading the experiences of others. It does help.
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244 Replies
- 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
Hello Yana. I often have a sore throat but I thought that was due to my asthma. I do suffer from tire dness and aches and pains though. I don't think that you ever get used to them. I have been on arimidex for Years and my Specialist said that I can keep taking it. I have the braca2 gene and although I get symptoms from the arimidex I feel that it is protecting me as I have gone nearly thirteen years since I was diagnosed.
Has anybody experienced a sore throat as an Arimidex side effect? And if yes does it go away over time? After only one week I am also already experiencing tiredness and aches and pains. My Onc wants me to stick it out for 3 to 6 months, does this mean side effects will be getting better or we are just getting used to them?
Has anybody experienced a sore throat as an Arimidex side effect? And if yes does it go away over time? After only one week I am also already experiencing tiredness and aches and pains. My Onc wants me to stick it out for 3 to 6 months, does this mean side effects will be getting better or we are just getting used to them?
Sounds great.
Hi Moira
When you say that's all you have now, did you have a lot more pain which has subsided with time? My doctor keeps trying to make me last it out but as time goes on the pain gets worse not better then I arc up and stop taking it. Aromasin seems less painful but gets me badly at night and now in my third month I find I'm getting out of bed to take painkillers so I can sleep. The weight gain is really ticking me off too. Funny us girls, when we are sick and the weight falls off we freak out, then when we're getting better and weight goes on, we freak out! Go figure!
thanks to Kathleen and Ruth; you're right, a good laugh works wonders. I'll hunt something out to watch later tonight. your word are a great comfort to me xx
Hi Kathleen, I thought that your advice to Bella was spot on. This is a great site to vent your feelings and we can be here for each other. A good comedy is good for the soul. I agree wholeheartedly. I have a very demanding hypchondriac Neighbour who tried to wake me at 3 A.m. (thankfully I have a Cpap machine and didn't hear her) to get me to run her to the Hospital. She annoys me every day and it was starting to get to me, so your suggestion rang a bell for me as well. Sometimes I just find that things get to me and I feel like I'm on a merry go round and can't get off, so thanks for helping me to see past that as well. Regards, Ruth
- Hi Bella I feel for you and I know where you're coming from. I agree; I continually have the experience of medicos "expecting" one's side effects to have subsided or even totally stopped months or years into hormone treatment. This is totally unrealistic. Whilst it's good to be positive "set your mind" to think a certain way, we certainly don't imagine it. With your walking, may I suggest (from experience) that you start out with 10 mins a day. The trick is not to unnecessarily push yourself. Also, with your feeling down-I can relate to this as well. At the moment, when I thought I'd got on top of it. Then came stresses associated with elderly family member in an elderly care facility, and my 2 sisters and I not always agreeing on strategies! My secret weapon? Listening to comedy audio books! At the moment, it's "Is it Just Me" by Miranda Hart. It's laugh out loud funny, & the best thing to take the mind off woes. This forum is wonderful for support and sharing-good for venting! Take care & I hope you feel a lot better real soon. Kind regards Kathleen x
Hi everyone, I have been on holidays and have just caught up with some of the comments. I agree with shortlionruth's comment about "just because we look okay, etc.". People don't understand; they think that you're imagining the pain, or you're a hypochondriac or any other number of scenarios. I'm feeling quite down at the moment; After a few days walking on holiday, I was in so much pain from one of my knees that I survived most of the holiday on painkillers and a knee brace. I was so depressed I would be bursting into tears all the time; (still am ) and to add insult to injury developed incontinence, possibly because of the effort of getting up and down to go to the toilet. I'm hoping that will improve as the knee gets better. I have to remind myself to be grateful to be here; but I am sure that people think once you have finished your treatment you're better; however, the after effects and the side effects of medication are too numerous to list; and I don't think half the GPs have any idea what they are; and to some extent that's fair enough, because we're all different. Mentally I think I'm the worst I have been since diagnosis - which was just over two years ago. I will be seeing the doc in a couple of weeks and will have a long chat. Actually I just re-read shortlionruth's comments; you're saying exactly what I'm trying to say, but waffling.
