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09-20-2011, 06:47 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2
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aromatase inhibitors
Hello to everyone. I have completed chemo, radiation and will have another 9 doses of Herceptin. Because I was ER+ and PR+, my doctors want me to take an aromatase inhibitor. I have just tried Femara for 2 months and the side effects, although minimal at first, became increasingly intolerable. I am taking a break and will try Arimidex next. Any experience out there? Advice? Thanks
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09-20-2011, 10:00 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Alaska
Posts: 24
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
I was on Femera for 2 months and then switched to Aromasen and now I am taking a 2 week break and will try Armidex. If Armidex doesn't improve the side effects I imagine I will just have to manage with all of the joint pain and hot flashes for the next 5 years. I take alot of Aleve for pain and at night I occasionally have to take something stronger.
I have 3 more Herceptins and I am anxious to see if Herceptin is causing any of this. I sure hope so!
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09-20-2011, 10:11 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 758
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
I started out on Arimidex but after nearly 4 years I switched to Aromasin and did really well with that.
Love & hugs,
Marlys
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09-20-2011, 11:36 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: france
Posts: 1,648
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
Freyda,
Are you taking it at night? symptoms might lessen if taken at night.
good luck
health and happiness
sarah
__________________
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09-20-2011, 01:51 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,173
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
Hi,
I was on tamoxefin for one year, finally went into post meno. and switched to Arimidex. I've only been on it for just about a month. Hot flashes are getting to be a bit mutch, you will be amazed what we will put up with to increase our survival rates. I'll let let you know if anything else happens! (I sure hope not). Gods blessings to you.
__________________
dx 11/12/09 IDCI
Stage 3a
ER 98% PR 80%
Her2 +3
4/12 nodes
6 rounds TCH
Herceptin 12 months 3weeks
Rad. 30 tx
Tamoxifin 6 months stopped
Arimedex stopped 9/12 (side effects)
Aromasin 10/12
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09-20-2011, 03:02 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
I took Femara for the first 3 years. Developed painful "trigger thumb" so switched to Aromasin. My onc says they are all interchagable and we all have different reactions to them. So I figure by switching through the course of 5 years of treatment I can get by if I need to try yet a different AI.
Keep the faith.
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
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09-21-2011, 11:24 AM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
Thank you all for your generous replies. It is good not to feel alone in this process. The decisions all seem difficult and the options at this point all have their downsides. I'll stay in touch.
Freyda
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09-21-2011, 12:44 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ireland
Posts: 3,463
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
I've been taking Arimidex for five years and just agreed to another two. In the early days my side effects of bone and joint pain bothered me but think this has lessoned over the years and I prefer now to deal with that rather than cancer as feel arimidex may be keeping me cancer free, either the pain has lessoned or I've learned to live with it!!!
__________________
Tricia
Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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09-21-2011, 06:20 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Hershey, PA. Live The Sweet Life!
Posts: 2,005
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
I have been fairly pain-free with Femara. I do take anti-inflammatory supplements such as Fish oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, and several others. I also take 4000IUs of Vit D daily. Most of the time my joints feel pretty good and when one doesn't I can usually trace it back to an innocuous activity that stirred things up. For instance, I was painting a room and now my right knee is sore, but on the bright side my hands and wrists feel fine. I have read that taking Vit D lessens the arthralgia pain associated with A.I.s.
I'd institute the Vit D and some anti-inflammatories, switch to another A.I. as you are planning and try to get a few years on one of them. You may have to switch again down the road. Good Luck!!!
__________________
Smile On!
Laurel
Dx'd w/multifocal DCIS/IDS 3/08
7mm invasive component
Partial mast. 5/08
Stage 1b, ER 80%, PR 90%, HER-2 6.9 on FISH
0/5 nodes
4 AC, 4 TH finished 9/08
Herceptin every 3 weeks. Finished 7/09
Tamoxifen 10/08. Switched to Femara 8/09
Bilat SPM w/reconstruction 10/08
Clinical Trial w/Clondronate 12/08
Stopped Clondronate--too hard on my gizzard!
Switched back to Tamoxifen due to tendon pain from Femara
15 Years NED
I think I just might hang around awhile....
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10-10-2011, 11:56 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 64
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
I am on Lupron and Arimidex after I failed to respond to Tamoxifen. I have been taking Arimidex for about 5 weeks and I have the usual hot flashes, joint pain and moderate bone pain. I blamed Herceptin for the joint/bone pain before, but I am starting to think Arimidex is keeping it going
__________________
41 Years Old
Dx w/IDC in August '10
No family history
ER+/PR-/HER2+
2.2cm tumor/Stage 2A
No node involvement
Tested negative for BRCA 1/2
Participated in a UCLA clinical trial testing TCH and/or Lapatinib in stage 1/2/3 bc patients that can be removed by surgery.
Underwent neo-adjuvant therapy to shrink tumor prior to surgery.
1st Surgery date: 2/16/11
Pathology report indicated ADH/DCIS in margin.
2nd Surgery: 3/21/11
Clean margins!
Started radiation: 4/11/11
Completed radiation: 7/8/11
1st post-surgical mammogram: 8/16/11 - CLEAR!
6 Weeks of Tamoxifen - Failure to Respond
Started Lupron/Arimidex: 8/29/11
Herceptin until September '11
Recurrence - August 2018
Same profile - ER+/PR-/HER2+
Undergoing neo-adjuvant therapy prior to surgery;
Gemzar, Carboplatin, Herceptin & Perjeta
Chemo through the end of 2018...
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10-10-2011, 05:32 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
Hi Freyda,
When I started on AI my dr. ordered Arimidex was on it for about 3 wks and started with bad headaches. Came off Arimidex for 2 wks..then back on. Things went okay for a short time, then the joint pain began. It became so severe especailly in the morning on first waking up, my ankles felt like I was 100 yrs. and I could barely walk. Ater moving about for 10 min. it would ease up.
Since this continued my onc. switched me to Femara.
Major difference and I do not have the severe joint pain. I do take Vit. A, Fish Oil, mushroom extract, and grape seed...and other supplements. (Like Laurel)
You will have to try one of the AI and see how your body responds. You can always switch if need be.
Wishing you all the best.
Jean
__________________
Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
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10-11-2011, 07:36 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 463
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Re: aromatase inhibitors
Freyda,
Good luck with the switch. There was a study that showed about 50% of women who tried switching from one AI to another found relief. And it was the switch itself, not one particular AI-or-the-other, that seemed to make the difference. Once again, we're reminded that each body is different.
Since you don't way what your side effects were, it's a little hard to advise. But if it's the usual . . .
Have you tried supplementing with Vitamin D? I know several women who noted a drastic decrease in pain when they began supplementing. Alas, I do not know (nor does anyone) how much you should take -- but you could try a few thousand IUs to start and see what happens.
And if that doesn't work, there's Tamoxifen, which is much less likely to cause the "musculoskeletal" pain although it does have its own issues.
Ginny, I'm really curious about your statement that you "failed to respond" to Tamoxifen. It looks to me like you took it when you were NED so how could you know you failed to respond? Maybe I'm missing something.
Although there was much interest in testing for CYP2D6 mutations based on the theory that some people didn't metabolize Tamoxifen properly, there was pretty convincing evidence presented at the last SABCS (or was it the one before?) that there is no correlation, and I think most docs have let this idea go (if they ever signed on at all).
Debbie Laxague
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