Estrogen Inhibitors

I was on femara for six months and had bone pain, my oncologist put me on arimidex, and now my symtoms are worse... has anyone gone off the estrogen inhibitors and done well?

 thanks, Donna

I am on Arimidex and having so much bone pain. I am also thinking of stopping it! They said I didn't need Chemo or Radiation and Dr decided I needed Arimidex! All of the Aromatase Inhibitors are much the same but different brands.My scan showed no Cancer anyplace in my body.

So should I stop the Arimidex or not?

Not sure what to do but I trust in God to see me through this ordeal.

Hugs Shirley

On 6/15/2008 ShirleyM wrote:

I am on Arimidex and having so much bone pain. I am also thinking of stopping it! They said I didn't need Chemo or Radiation and Dr decided I needed Arimidex! All of the Aromatase Inhibitors are much the same but different brands.My scan showed no Cancer anyplace in my body.

So should I stop the Arimidex or not?

Not sure what to do but I trust in God to see me through this ordeal.

Hugs Shirley

Did your MD try tomoxifen? I had simple mastectomy with no radiation or chemo. I have had very mild effects with the tomoxifen, some hot flashes but no other side effects I have noticed. Tamoxifen is kind of old fashioned  but it has been thoroughly tested and is even available in generic form.I remember sone studies showed it was better than some of the new aromatase inhibitors.

A scan will not show anything yet, you have to wait til the tumor is big enough to show up on the scan.  Or you take an estrogen receptor in hopes that it will keep any cancer cells left in your body from growing into a tumor big enough to either cause symptoms or show up in a scan.

/I am a hospice RN as well as being a breast cancer survivor, and I deal with so many women dying of metastatic breast cancer. It is a horrible way to die especially because they can do so much for breast cancer nowadays. I will take my tamoxifen  for the next five years, thanking the Lord that I did not need radiation or chemo. If the cancer comes back I will deal with it, but I would take anything my MD advised me to take to keep my cancer from coning back.  Kay RN 

My Dr will not give me Tamoxifen. I have begged her and she says the Arimidex is best. BUT she don't have the pain that I have and I already had Arthritis before  the Breast Cancer!I will ask her one more time and see if she will give it to me. Tamoxifen does not hurt your bones but there is a chance that it may cause utrine cancer.I think that's why she won't give it to me.

Thanks Shirley

On 6/16/2008 ShirleyM wrote:

My Dr will not give me Tamoxifen. I have begged her and she says the Arimidex is best. BUT she don't have the pain that I have and I already had Arthritis before  the Breast Cancer!I will ask her one more time and see if she will give it to me. Tamoxifen does not hurt your bones but there is a chance that it may cause utrine cancer.I think that's why she won't give it to me.

Thanks Shirley

I knew about the increased risk of uterine cancer with tamoxiifen, so I will be getting my pap smears regularly and maybe worry a bit. I am uninsured  so the fact that tamoxifen is a generic might have been a reason my oncologist prescribed it. Breast cancer has been a real challenge, and I try to keep all the possibilities of the future, breast cancer recurrence, development of uterine cancer, in perspective. 

On 6/16/2008 kayatlanta wrote:

 

On 6/15/2008 ShirleyM wrote:

I am on Arimidex and having so much bone pain. I am also thinking of stopping it! They said I didn't need Chemo or Radiation and Dr decided I needed Arimidex! All of the Aromatase Inhibitors are much the same but different brands.My scan showed no Cancer anyplace in my body.

So should I stop the Arimidex or not?

Not sure what to do but I trust in God to see me through this ordeal.

Hugs Shirley

 

Did your MD try tomoxifen? I had simple mastectomy with no radiation or chemo. I have had very mild effects with the tomoxifen, some hot flashes but no other side effects I have noticed. Tamoxifen is kind of old fashioned  but it has been thoroughly tested and is even available in generic form.I remember sone studies showed it was better than some of the new aromatase inhibitors.

A scan will not show anything yet, you have to wait til the tumor is big enough to show up on the scan.  Or you take an estrogen receptor in hopes that it will keep any cancer cells left in your body from growing into a tumor big enough to either cause symptoms or show up in a scan.

/I am a hospice RN as well as being a breast cancer survivor, and I deal with so many women dying of metastatic breast cancer. It is a horrible way to die especially because they can do so much for breast cancer nowadays. I will take my tamoxifen  for the next five years, thanking the Lord that I did not need radiation or chemo. If the cancer comes back I will deal with it, but I would take anything my MD advised me to take to keep my cancer from coning back.  Kay RN 

Well I think it has a lot to do with my age. Dr said that since I was post menopause that Arimidex was the best for me. If I had been premenopause she would have started on Tamox first and then Arimidex later,b/c Cancer meds sometimes bring on Menopause much sooner than it would occur naturally. But I can't go on taking this,it's killing me. I can't take pain meds b/c I'm allergic to almost everything they give me.Some women taking Arimidex is almost crippled from the drug and I know that many decided to stop it  and have read where they will take their chances! I am very depressed about all this. I will Pray and ask God to guide me and direct me in my time of need.

Hugs Shirley

since you are post menapausal either Tamoxifen or Arimidex could be used.  Arimidex has become the standard because it has shown to prevent the cancer from returning much better than tamoxifen.  Still if the side effects are that bad, I wouldnt put up with it either.  Another possibility is the other aromatase inhibitors Femara and Aromasin.  They may not have the same side effects. 

Yes it could be used but Dr won't change it. She know how I am suffering I've told her.

Both Femara and Aromasin are Aromatase inhibitors,the same thing as Arimidex,which stops the production of Estrogen,but different brands.So no need to change to the other ones.

Tamoxifen is the only one that is bone and joint friendly. I am going to ask her once more and if she don't give it to me,I'll stop all of them. If I'm crippled,then no use to live!

Thanks Shirley