HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Aromatase inhibitors

rentrac · 08-15-2007, 05:15 PM

I took Arimidex for about 9 months then stopped because of my first recurrence. Not only did my joints hurt, but the longer I took it, the more migraines I had. Things began to noticably clear within 2 months of stopping it. I did find that Effexor XR seemed to keep the pain from being as sharp - a pleasant side effect that Cymbalta advertises it does as well. I found that warm baths, mild exercise in the pool (no weight on the knees) and warm rice bags gave some relief.

Since Tamoxifen, Arlmidex and Aromasin have been less than successful for me, my team and I decided to just put aside hormonal therapy for now. I'm taking Tykerb and Xeloda now after brain mets and now lung mets in the last 4 months. Gamma knife did a great job - my MRI yesterday showed the brain mets had shrunk more than 50% and are essentially tumor corpses that may remain forever as just scar tissue. I can't help but imagine dead bugs lying on their backs with their dead legs sticking up!

Hope the joints feel better soon.
Warmly, Rentrac

08-15-2007, 05:15 PM	#3
rentrac Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 65	I took Arimidex for about 9 months then stopped because of my first recurrence. Not only did my joints hurt, but the longer I took it, the more migraines I had. Things began to noticably clear within 2 months of stopping it. I did find that Effexor XR seemed to keep the pain from being as sharp - a pleasant side effect that Cymbalta advertises it does as well. I found that warm baths, mild exercise in the pool (no weight on the knees) and warm rice bags gave some relief. Since Tamoxifen, Arlmidex and Aromasin have been less than successful for me, my team and I decided to just put aside hormonal therapy for now. I'm taking Tykerb and Xeloda now after brain mets and now lung mets in the last 4 months. Gamma knife did a great job - my MRI yesterday showed the brain mets had shrunk more than 50% and are essentially tumor corpses that may remain forever as just scar tissue. I can't help but imagine dead bugs lying on their backs with their dead legs sticking up! Hope the joints feel better soon. Warmly, Rentrac __________________ Oct. 2003: Dx age 48, Stage IIIA Ductal Ca. dense dose neoadjuvent AC. BrCa 1&2 -, ER+, PR-, Her2+. 2004: R mastectomy, 3+ nodes, dense doseTaxotere ( allergic), total hysterectomy, radiationx36 . Tamoxifen x6 mo., Arimidex x9 mo. Jan. '06: Multi left metastatic nodes left neck. Stage IV. Taxol, Carboplatin (allergic to both), Herceptin, radiationx27. Herceptin cont'd. 1 mediastinal met in old rad field. April: 2 brain mets - Rcerebellar, Ltemporal lobe. Gammaknife. Stop Herceptin, Start Tykerb. May: CyberKnife-mediastinal node, Zometa restart. July: New RLung mets. Xeloda add. Jan. 2008: CT: Lung mets shrinking. Fatty liver w/increased liver function panel. Feb '08: MRI: brain mets back, 2nd GammaKnife. June: Migraine headaches from cerebellar tumor. Team for WBR - Choose Craniotomy on Cerebellum only. Aug: Crainiotomy successful. Sept: PET -right lung apex clean; left internal mammary artery appears malignant. Herceptin in future. Left mastectomy?