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v-ness · 07-29-2012, 08:54 PM

i ceased taking Arimidex after only a couple weeks. it had rather ferocious effects on me. the worst was blurred vision. i thought i was going crazy. daily headaches. i also had balance/dizziness issues and found i could barely finish a sentence when speaking. i had not heard of such SE's. i had the routine body aches and fatigue. but the others were serious (oh and a rash on my face too). i finally read that they were serious enough to cease the drug immediately and call the doctor. turns out they are signs of an allergic reaction - so word up to anyone out there who ever experiences the blurries and the rash!!! so i am now on a 2 wk hiatus from any med at all, and i have to admit it is wonderful. my vision returned to normal in 2 days flat. i have only about 2 hot flashes a day, and mild at that. i HOPE my oncologist will just put me back on tamoxifen for the duration. i have 3 more years to go, though i am post menopausal. i saw her partner friday and he said there is minimal difference between taking tamoxifen for the duration or an aromitase inhibitor. i will take my chances! i don't like the looks of femara either. for 2 cents i would go off all drugs, but my sister's friend who battled stage 4 HER2+ cancer for 7 years died today. so that gave me a kick in the ass. pardon my french. i can tolerate tamoxifen and i'd be an idiot not to take it, especially when i've got such a good survival rate. but to me, arimidex was the devil.

p.s. my feet, ankles and hands also swelled, and i guess my whole body too. i lost 5 whole pounds in water weight between thursday and today, sunday.

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07-29-2012, 08:54 PM	#6
v-ness Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: western ma Posts: 280	Re: Arimidex side effects i ceased taking Arimidex after only a couple weeks. it had rather ferocious effects on me. the worst was blurred vision. i thought i was going crazy. daily headaches. i also had balance/dizziness issues and found i could barely finish a sentence when speaking. i had not heard of such SE's. i had the routine body aches and fatigue. but the others were serious (oh and a rash on my face too). i finally read that they were serious enough to cease the drug immediately and call the doctor. turns out they are signs of an allergic reaction - so word up to anyone out there who ever experiences the blurries and the rash!!! so i am now on a 2 wk hiatus from any med at all, and i have to admit it is wonderful. my vision returned to normal in 2 days flat. i have only about 2 hot flashes a day, and mild at that. i HOPE my oncologist will just put me back on tamoxifen for the duration. i have 3 more years to go, though i am post menopausal. i saw her partner friday and he said there is minimal difference between taking tamoxifen for the duration or an aromitase inhibitor. i will take my chances! i don't like the looks of femara either. for 2 cents i would go off all drugs, but my sister's friend who battled stage 4 HER2+ cancer for 7 years died today. so that gave me a kick in the ass. pardon my french. i can tolerate tamoxifen and i'd be an idiot not to take it, especially when i've got such a good survival rate. but to me, arimidex was the devil. p.s. my feet, ankles and hands also swelled, and i guess my whole body too. i lost 5 whole pounds in water weight between thursday and today, sunday. \\ __________________ 8/09 - IDC 1.8 cm triple positive, lumpectomy left breast 10/09 began chemo (taxotere & carboplatin) and weekly herceptin. 1/21/10 finished chemo, continued on herceptin every 3 weeks until 10/2010. 2/10 began 7 wks of radiation 6/10 mom dies of primary peritoneal ovarian cancer 8/10 got my last remaining ovary out 10/10 mammogram all clear 3/11 MRI shows 5 'spots' in right breast, largest 1 cm unidentifiable on US needle biopsy proved the largest to be old inflamed cyst -phew! 7/10 switched to Arimidex 8/9 switched to Femara - allergic to arimidex Femara made me lose hair quickly so switched to Aromasin Aromasin made my hair fall out too and the bone pain was too much. back on Tamoxifen 1/2013. blood clot from trains and planes 5/2014 so on coumadin per onco for as long as i am on tamoxifen tamoxifen was supposed to be up with my 5 yrs in may but my boyfriend was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer so i am staying on tamoxifen indefinitely because i want some ammo against BC, given the stress. lost my husband in only 10 wks in 2007 to stage 4 esophageal cancer. cancer's screwing with another man i love 2/2016 - 6yrs in remission, off tamoxifen and off coumadin - yay!