[Lucy]

Except for my breasts, I have all my original equipment so I'm just here to address the arimidex side effects. Of course they can be different for you but my worst issue was that it elevated my liver enzymes to the extent that I had to be taken off of it to avoid permanent liver damage. I did have some stiffness of the joints in the morning. Few, if any, hot flashes. I didn't gain any weight, but I couldn't lose any weight regardless of what I did or tried while on it.

While on chemo I had extreme muscle weakness to the point it was difficult to stand and walk unassisted. There was mental confusion and extreme fatigue. I'd had about a 3 month break between ending chemo and when I started the arimidex so I saw a significant improvement in things before I started taking the arimidex. Unfortunately I went back to work less than a week after starting the drug so when I started having the symptoms again, I assumed it was because I was getting back into the routine of working and my body was adjusting (I had been off work for 10 months by that time). I only worked a short time and saw some improvement when I stopped working. A few months after I stopped taking it I saw significant improvement, followed by another (recent) decline (which may just be related to my protein intake). Having said that, the muscle weakness in my legs has only gotten better over time, with only mild periodic "hiccups" in how they work now.

My point in mentioning all that is that I believe the arimidex may have contributed to the existing issues but that it didn't necessarily cause them, if that makes sense. I didn't experience hair loss and I finished herceptin around the same time I stopped taking the drug so the growth I believe was slowed (because it grew like a weed once I was off all drugs!), but it did grow.

I don't know if that helps but that's been my personal experience with arimidex.

Good luck.