Refusing Arimidex

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I don't want to take these drugs and would like to know how many of you are refusing to take them. My thoughts are that they are altering the natural way our bodies work. I was stage 1, very small tumor, lobular, no nodes, and did radiation. Maybe I am flirting with danger, but am really afraid to put these drugs into my body. Anyone out there doing what I am doing?

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Amnia

this is absolutely your choice to make. a lot of people make the choice not to take the drug. yackiejay is one of them in this very forum. make the decision an informed decision. understand what went into your being offered the drug before you refuse it. they took a lot of people with exactly your disease who had exactly the same treatment you had and they divided them into two groups. they gave one group the drug and gave the other group nothing. they started adding up cancer recurrences and adding up side effects. the results showed the group that received the drug did far better in terms of less cancer, and that the side effects were quite tolerable and worth it (since there was so much less cancer). this process is called a clinical trial. to look at lists of clinical trials, explore clinicaltrial.gov there are many drugs that fail clinical trials and once the trial is over they are never offered to anyone ever again. you would not have been offered this drug if it did not have a favorable risk/benefit ratio in its clinical trial. imagine how you would feel if you refuse the drug, and in 6 months you find a lump. you would be kicking yourself. in fact, this is the situation a couple notes down in this forum. Margarita did not faithfully take her arimidex, and here is what she said: Quote: Margarita said: "[I was] Just Diagnosed With Mets to Bone/lung..I'm kicking myself for not staying on it [arimidex] more faithfully." http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/single,7593,1.htm They say the mark of a smart person is they can learn from their mistakes; the mark of a genius is they can learn from other people's mistakes. it is up to you if you want to be a smart person or a genius. it is your body and the decision is yours, as well as living with the consequences of that decision. either way, best of luck, i hope you never have to hear a doctor utter the word cancer ever again :-) , -Amnia

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Terrbear

Summer, I had Breast Cancer in 2001, I did a lumpectomy, They gave me Tomoxafin to take for five years. Well I cheated and only used it for three to four years. Big mistake. Arimidex does the same thing Tomoxifin. It controls our hormons because that is what created cancer in the first place. I've done more chemo, radiation, then more lumps came to RT. breast I finally had the right breast removed, did breast reconstruction,no I did not finish my five years of tomoxifin and now I have stage five breast cancer, metastic breast cancer in both lungs, my liver, my bones. Boy I was stupid. Hormons are very dangerous to creating more breast cancer. I did not realize that I had hormons all over my body. I had a full hysterectomy done so I thought I was safe. Now I am having major problems. I'm on arimidex and deciding what treatment to do now. Think careful before you say no. Good Luck!

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Kidznkim

I did the same thing. I only took my tamoxifen for 3 years. I was gaining weight from it. Going through a divorce and I just knew I was cured cause the cancer was found so early. Although I did have my breast removed. The cancer came back 5 years later in the primary area. So it was more chemo and radiation and back on tamoxifen. Now it has spread to my bone. This all started 10 years ago when I was 31 with stage 1 cancer. I am in remission now and I make sure I take my meds everyday I dont care what the side effects are. I can only wonder if I would be still fighting this 10 years later if only I had stayed on the tamoxifen that I hated so much. I can tell you it was much easier then chemo and bone cancer. So put alot of thought into it before you decide to just not take meds. Find a doctor you trust and can beleive in. Good luck and god bless you Kim

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Kittycath

Are these 2 drugs the same thing---just different brands? I took tamoxafin for 2 yers and now am on aromasin. The side effect of joint pain is just miserable. Does anyone think taking tamoxafin for all 5 yrs. is just as good? I see my oncologist in mid-november and will talk to him about it.

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Amnia

No, Anastrozole (Arimidex®) and Exemestane (Aromasin®) are not the same drug, but they are both in the same class. Aromatase inhibitors are drugs used in the treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by inhibiting aromatase, an enzyme which converts androgens into estrogens. Breast tissue is stimulated by estrogens; decreasing estrogen prevents cancer recurrence. In contrast to pre-menopausal women, in whom most of the estrogen is produced in the ovaries, in post-menopausal women most of the body's estrogen is produced in the adrenal gland from the conversion of androgens. THIS IS WHY TERRBEAR ABOVE WAS NOT SAFE EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD A "TOTAL" HYSTERECTOMY ("total" means includes ovaries). In the past, tamoxifen had been the standard treatment. Now, the best treatment is an AI for postmenopausal estrogen receptor positive breast cancers. The aromatase inhibitors: * Aminoglutethimide * Anastrozole (Arimidex®) * Letrozole (Femara®) * Exemestane (Aromasin®) * Formestane (Lentaron®)

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Summer103

after reading your replies I have decided it is probably better I take the Arimidex. I go to a new oncologist in Dec. Maybe I will feel better by all this with a new dr. My current dr did nothing to encourage me. This whole experience has been quite an eye-opener for me. I was so upset after my last visit that I was really dreading the next visit. This new dr came highly recommended by 2 people who are currently his patients. Thanks for your input.

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Kidznkim

Im glad you decided to take the meds. Everyone feels differant what treatment to take. But if you find a doc you can believe in you are on the right track. I trust my doc enough that if he told me jumpinjg jacks would cure it I would do it. No the meds arent easy and you will have side effects. But you know its better then it comming back. I wish I would have listend 10 years ago. Good luck to you and god bless. Keep comming here for questions. It has helped me alot. Kim

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Emjcake

I am not taking arimidex. I have stage 1 bc and osteopenia. Since arimidex is known to cause bone loss in years 1 and 2 ( this info is on the prescribing information sheet ) I didn't feel I wanted to live with osteoporosis with whatever years I have to live. Fosomax and other bisphosphonates are proven to be dangerous as well. There is no cure for cancer yet, any honest oncologist will tell you that.Arimidex and other treatments are to buy time so quality of life issues must be taken into consideration. I would be interested to hear from anyone else making these kind of decisions.

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Myretsel

I have been on Tamoxifin 5 yrs, and need to decide wheather to take Arimidex. I already have joint pain, but not from tamoxifin. Few side affects with it,I'm doubtful about arimidex.Would like to hear others experiences.

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