Takeaways from American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 (ASCO) via Dr. Susan Love Foundation. I don't know what changed in my little brain, but something did and I've stuck to it and have lost28 lbs. is incredible. If you develop bone pain, talk with your doctor. trixie1313 @trixie1313 Hi Trixie. I am starting arimidex in a few days. I hope that your cancer is being kicked in the butt and that we can become friends together doing so. Headaches were one of the most common side effects that people taking this medication reported. If you lose your appetite, it may help to take your tablet with food. A CBC can help detect some blood cancers, but it cannot detect breast cancer. I have lost 5 3/8 from my waist and 3/4 from my neck. I was Dxd with an early stage breast ca. Interested in more discussions like this? When given before surgery to shrink a tumor, its called neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. Being hypertensive and being overweightare known risk factors and they are both things I can try tocontrol. 111 respondents never started due to concerns about side effects. Live your life to the fullest - one day at a time. Sorry to not be more definitive, but thats my honest answer to both parts of the question. I also had managed to lose a few pounds. Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. And dont stop using Arimidex unless your doctor recommends it. xoxoxo Lynn, lynn, Thank you so much for your response. 1 Lifestyle Changes That Will Help You Lose Weight After Your Operation. Breast lumps and visual changes to the breasts or nipples are more frequent signs of breast, Aggressive, hard-to-treat breast cancer types such as inflammatory breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer are the most likely to recur. My husband agrees with my decision to not take an AI. ! I regestered for this website in February and just gotback on here last night and tried to figure what to do. If that's a donut, go for it. Although rare, its possible for Arimidex to cause cardiotoxicity or liver toxicity. Connect with thousands of patients and caregivers for support and answers. It's possible that you may continue to have side effects from Femara even after you stop taking it. We discuss these 'drugs we love to hate' here on the blog. Then, you can share this information with your doctor. I have been a Hodgkin's lymphoma patient since I was 15 years old. Stopping smoking and doing regular weight-bearing exercise can also help keep your bones strong. During your Arimidex treatment, consider keeping notes on any side effects youre having. It's not worth it. In some rare cases, side effects can result in permanent damage, even after you stop treatment with Arimidex. If you develop symptoms of a liver condition, contact your doctor right away. Do what give you joy. You may find eating small frequent meals or snacks helps keep up your food intake. When I finally got on here I did a lot of reading different post and learned alot about different people and the inspirition I got from everyone is unbelieveable. My BMI has dropped by 2.6 and is now within normal limits for my height. For more information about Arimidex, including details about its uses, see this in-depth article. A physiotherapist may also be able to suggest exercises to help. . On the other hand, if you experience loss of appetite with depression . If you havent gone through menopause, talk with your doctor about the best treatment option for you. How long do side effects last after stopping Arimidex? My sisters were also on drugs in the same family (one on aromasin and one on femara) and they did not gain weight. Some people find anastrozole produced by one manufacturer seems to suit them better than another. Arimidex may weaken your bones and increase your risk of bone fractures. While on exemestane, I struggled to lose any weight. However, the very best defense against the joint pain is staying active. Arimidex can safely be used with other treatments for your breast cancer. Some of those unpleasant side effects include: joint pain, muscle aches, bone loss (osteopenia and osteoporosis), bone fractures, lowered libido, hair loss/thinning, weight gain, hot flashes, mental fogginess and sleep issues, to name a few. (An example is anabolic steroids.) However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. Other side effects, such as high cholesterol and osteoporosis (brittle bones) take much longer (months to years) to develop and may be hard to notice, but your doctor will monitor you for these. Your doctor may recommend a different treatment option for you. Some side effects are mild while others are more severe. No one seems to know. Now I'm experiencing some weight gain. Arimidex is selective too which means that it only affects blood estradiol concentrations, and has no effect on the formation of adrenal corticosteroids or aldosterone. At that point, my oncologist and I decided it was okay for me to be done. Medically reviewed by Carmen Fookes, BPharm. Carpal tunnel syndrome and other nerve-related conditions, Sleeplessness (it can take months to resolve bad sleep habits). Back in the day those 28 lbs. Wrapping Up 2022 Looking Back, Looking Forward. Arimidex is sometimes taken to lower estrogen levels that are high due to anabolic steroid use. They may be able to offer ways of improving your symptoms. If the bleeding continues for more than a few days, tell your specialist. The names in parentheses are brand names. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.). The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. . This medicine is used only in women who have already stopped menstruating (postmenopausal). advanced breast cancer that has worsened after taking, swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet, swelling of your mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe, what dose of drug you were taking when you had the side effect, how soon after starting that dose you had the side effect, what your symptoms were from the side effect, what other medications you were also taking, any other information you feel is important. 3. Especially those newly diagnosed need to hear that indeed there are well documented side effects, and its not just you. If you can become pregnant, you should use birth control while taking Arimidex. I started with 1000 and she upped me to 2000 and shall be moving toward 5,000 in a few days. By using this Site you agree to the following, By using this Site you agree to the following. 4. I allow myself to fall off the wagon if I feel like it on the eating, but I have changed my eating habits consistently and I maintain the exercise routine 5 days a week. Examples include chest pain or shortness of breath. I think it is important to do all we can to fight the cancer and Arimidex seems to be a powerful weapon. Anastrozole may also make you feel sick (nausea) or be sick (vomiting). Stephanie L. Graff, MD, FACP summed up those results succinctly: Researchers presented results from several studies looking at genomic assays, tests that look at the genes of the tumor itself. For many people, side effects improve within the first few months of starting the treatment. This is especially helpful to do when you first start taking new drugs or using a combination of treatments. Taking this med foralmost 7yrs. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. We avoid using tertiary references. But due to the way that Arimidex works, it may cause harm to a developing fetus. Many side effects of Arimidex will improve within a couple of weeks of stopping Arimidex; however, some may persist long term. I am new at this website and just now learning to tackle the process of do's and dont's. Keeping it real. Meanwhile, we wait for those clear answers. Maybe your doc could refer you to physical therapy for a while or a trainer at a gym could work with you on what you can do and how to do it right to increase strength and avoid pain and injury. If you have a liver condition, taking Arimidex may increase your risk of liver problems or worsening of your liver condition. Its also important to keep active and eat a high-fibre diet to avoid constipation. Arimidex is the most common hormone therapy drug taken by post-menopausal breast cancer survivors. It is possible to lose weight if you don't eat dinner, however, it does not necessarily mean that you should stop eating dinner altogether. Many breast cancer tumors grow in response to estrogen. Calorie counting. Your specialist will sometimes check the strength and thickness (density) of your bone with a scan before or shortly after you start taking anastrozole. How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer: 10 Lifestyle Recommendations, Symptoms of Late Stage Metastatic Breast Cancer, What to Know and Consider Before Having Prophylactic Mastectomy. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is pressure on a nerve in your wrist. sandrajo @sandrajo I'm interested to read the responses to this, too. Since Nov. 1 I have been to the gym 5 days a week, missing only an occasional day here and there (maybe a total of 5). vikkr Just wonderingdid all of those symptoms occur a short time after stopping the Arimidex? In some cases, the studies continued to monitor side effects in females for 5 years after stopping treatment (10 years total). Hot Flashes. Many side effects of Arimidex will improve within a couple of weeks of stopping arimidex; however, some may persist long term. Since treatment I did exercise, just inconsistently - maybe 3 days a week one week, skip a week, 2 days a week,an occasional 4-day week, 30 minutes here and there, etc. More Items Apr 26, 2022 Can You Take A Break From Anastrozole? I donot like the fact it can cause bone fractures along with blood clots. Dizziness. Im convinced the drugs make weight loss harder and weight gain easier. 4. I'm sorry you're dealing with so much and don't have the option of stopping your AI med unless, of course, you have to switch treatment regimens entirely. I have been on Arimidex for 2 months. Is Taking a Break from Your Aromatase Inhibitor Med a Good Idea? thanks for your reply. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Arimidex. What are the new treatment options for migraines? I would like to thank you for them. Goodacre underwent surgery and radiation in 2012 after an ultrasound detected a tumor. I've been taking lexapro 20mg for three years. Allergic reaction. * The medication isnt approved for use in males* with breast cancer or other conditions. To calculate your BMI, enter your height and weight . But the biggest indicator to whether or not someone will maintain their weight loss, Dr. Grunvald said, is if they have a . Luckily, you should only experience more severe exhaustion for a limited time after stopping your injections. It does this by inhibiting the enzyme aromatase, which converts these androgens into estrogen. My last bone density T- scores showed improvements over the last couple previous scans. Stopped taking arimedex several months ago but some symptoms persist: Fatigue, hair thinning, profuse sweating. Find out more aboutlooking after your bones and osteoporosis. Five years of treatment with anastrozole (Arimidex) safely and effectively prevented breast cancer recurrence in high-risk postmenopausal women at 10.9 years of follow-up, according to data from the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study II (IBIS-II) Prevention trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December Learn more about some of the side effects Arimidex may cause. Will I have side effects after stopping my Femara treatment? This choice has been the best thing I've ever done for me. Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group. 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