After being diagnosed with stage II, hormone positive breast cancer in August of 2007 I underwent a lumpectomy and 7 weeks of radiation treatment (ending the week after Thanksgiving). I elected not to undergo chemo, and in January began treatment on daily Arimidex and weekly Fosimax. I also returned back to work full time durring the same time period. I was fine for the first couple of weeks then started feeling very fatigued and after about a month started feeling very jittering and became very emotional. It got to a point where I was unable to continue working. My doctor has told me to discontinue the Arimidex for 2 weeks and then come to see him. It has been 6 days since I last took it, but I am still feeling very fatigued and although my emotions seem to be better I still have periods of crying.
Has anyone else had adverse effects like this, and if so, did they subside or are there alternatives? I just want to get back to some sense of normalcy in my life and this is preventing me from achieving that.
Thanks for any information you can give me!
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Side effects from Arimidex and foximax
- By charz0417
- Posted February 13, 2008 at 6:38 pm · 7 replies
- In Breast cancer
- Shared with the public
Explore topics in this discussion:
Cancer Aromasin Breast cancer Carpal tunnel syndrome Osteopenia Pain Menopause Osteoporosis Stress
7 replies
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- By li47
- Posted March 7, 2008 at 9:14 am
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I was diagnosed stage I ,mucinous ,hormone positive breast cancer and I had a mastectomy.
I am on Arimidex for 3 years now.For the frist 2 years I didn´t have any side effects, but lately I am feeling fatigued too, and same times very emotional.This effects are however alternatives.
My Onc. never talked about Fosimax, thus I don´t know what is it.
- By frizzle530
- Posted May 26, 2008 at 8:40 am
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I was diagnosed with stage IIIb inflammatory breast cancer in June '06. I had chemo, modified radical mastectomy and then a month of radiation. I have been on Femara (same as Arimidex) since November of '06 and Fosomax since January '08. My biggest complaint is bone pain. I feel like I went from 47 to 87 in a minute. I had my doctor switch me from Femara to Aromasin and the Aromasin made me have hot flashes every hour 24/7. Needless to say I am back on Femara. The Fosomax is for osteoporosis. I have osteopinea and we are using it because of the lack of estrogen in my body it is inevitable that I will have osteoporosis in time. Did you have either diagnosis or was it given as a preventitive? Personally I hate, hate, hate, the Fosomax and have threatened to go off of it....threatened who, I have no idea, but we all must vent, right!? It makes every joint in my body hurt, I fatigue easily, and my muscles ache. Someone had suggested to switch to the once a day version which I have not done as of yet. But I do recommend changing brands. I know someone who was on a different brand who actually had a racing heart and sleeplessness. As far as crying goes, after all of my main treatments were done I had a complete meltdown. I was crying all the time, feeling hopeless, just very gloom and doomy. I think it was an afteraffect of it all. We go into fight mode and then when it's all over we can mentally collapse.
But I would suggest going off the fosomax before I would go off the Arimidex. The Arimidex is what's going to save your life, not the Fosomax. Also, google Fosomax side effects. Sometimes the doctors don't know it all. Mine said he never heard of Fosomax hurting bones, then I read a lot of experiences from women who seemed to greatly disagree.
Good luck to you
Sue
- By charz0417
- Posted May 27, 2008 at 11:44 pm
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Thanks for the feedback. Since I first wrote this my doctor took me off the arimidex and fosimax and after 3 weeks started me on Femora but not the fosimax. He said we could wait awhile on that. I have been on it now since March and seem to be tolerating it better than before, but that could be because I am just taking the one. I am still very tired all the time, but so far it is tolerable...the emotions part is better, only a few times when it became overwhelming. I, too, was diagnosed with osteopenia, the very beginning stages,in my hip. It will be 1 year in August, and I wonder if I will ever be "not tired" or if I will just have to learn to live this way...my onco said he will take blood tests in July. I also have joint and bone pains, but nothing that is dibilitating, more annoying than anything. I know that I need the meds to increase my odds of the cancer not returning, so will continue as long as the side effects are tolerable.
Thanks again, I will keep you in my prayers.
- By LaGata
- Posted May 28, 2008 at 12:12 pm
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I've wondered quite often lately if some of our crying episodes are a version of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. After all, we did go through a truly traumatic event, the diagnosis. Makes sense to me.
Also, because we are all so different, what side effects one person has is not a prognosticater of what someone else will have. I have problems with my hands on Arimidex. It affects me with d'Quervanes (a form of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that affects the thumbs and wrists), and sometimes severe stiffness. Others have no problems at all and a few have such serious side effects that they cannot tolerate it and have to be changed to something else. The same can be applied to any of the different drugs we take.
Hot flashes seem to go with the territory but has anyone, that still has their ovaries, considered that it might be menopause? It's so very easy to confuse all the drugs we take and what we've been through with the body's natural process. I did have to laugh out loud with, not at, a man who, thanks to the drugs to treat HIS breast cancer, was experiencing hot flashes! He was taking it in good spirits but he said he'll pop the next guy he hears making fun of anyone going through hot flashes! LOL!!!
- By charz0417
- Posted May 29, 2008 at 12:26 am
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I do agree with you ...it seems that, while going through the decision making process and then acting upon the decisions made, all energy is used to maintain a positive attitude and concentrate on whatever is happening at the moment. It isn't until things quiet down and some sense of "normalcy" is once again regained that the physical and emotional stress that was just experienced is actually realized.
Although I had been through menopause and my hot flashes had subsided, I find that being on the hormone medicine, first arimidex and now femora, they have returned. So I am sure that it is a side effect of the medicine. The days for me aren't too bad, but it bothers me more at night.
It is good to be able to communicate with others that are having similar experiences and to hear their perspective.
Thanks.
- By LaGata
- Posted May 29, 2008 at 12:50 am
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I SO agree. Just when I think I'm all alone and experiencing something that no one else possibly would understand, another wonderful person steps up and says, "yeah, I know what you mean. That happened to me to and this is what I did that helped".
My "normal" now is whatever is going on, on this side of the bridge. The bridge that disintegtated behind me when I crossed and I can never go back again. I accept that. Others do to. A few cannot and they'll live the rest of their lives wishing for something that can never be again and being miserable in the process. I choose to do and be the best that I can, with the limitations I have and there are a lot more of us than them.
- By frizzle530
- Posted May 30, 2008 at 1:10 pm
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I agree with you about normalcy, but sometimes I just get mad. I know that I can never go back, but after a few minutes of ranting I regain myself and go back to my life again. I do think that when you still have children at home cancer is a whole different ballgame. I only wish that this could have happened to me ten years from now when my kids are grown, independant people. Yes, we all want to see our grandchildren etc., but knowing your children will have to grow and mature and go through all the ups and downs of adolescence without you is enough to keep yourself angry for a long time.
As far as the hot flashes, I had them all through chemo and then they subsided. Once I was on the femara they came back pretty hard but again, after a year they are hardly noticeable. My joints are my biggest problem, but I am learning to deal with that also. I just had a conversation with my doctor about post traumatic stress syndrome. He said that everytime we face another situation (like a possible recurrance) we go through an emotional experience much like a soldier after fighting in a war. When he gets a trigger the whole scenario starts spinning in his head. Cancer and the treatments themselves are our war and nobody wants to go back .
Sue
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