Pins and Needles on trunk- Arimidex?

[Crn]

Hi all,
I have been experiencing sharp pins and needles sensations on my back and chest. They can be quite painful. I am used to the mild pins and needles sensations of neuropathy in my hands and feet from chemo, but this is new. It seems to occur whenever I start feeling overly warm - in a hot car, or at night under a blanket. My oncologist has taken me off Arimidex for a couple weeks to see if the sensations abate. She asked me to follow up with my primary care physician so I have scheduled an appointment. I am nervous about being off the Arimidex. With so many side effects from therapies it is difficult to tell what to worry about and what not to. Anyone else had this happen to them?
Thoughts? Advice?
Thanks,
Cindy

[Lucy]

Hi Cindy,

So sorry you're experiencing this. I'm on anastrazole (aka arimidex) and I do experience pains. It's mostly joint pains and some prickliness in other areas but since I read that these pains mean the drug is doing its job, I endure them.

You might talk to your doctor about other drugs you could take in place of the arimidex, maybe try them out and see which one causes the least amount of issues. I would also talk to my doctor about the consequences of discontinuing, i.e. what it does to your odds and do my own assessment as to whether the benefits were worth the side effects based on that.

Good luck with this. Let us know what you decide to do.