Pain, Pain, Pain

[NanaKaren]

I have been on Arimidex for over a year now, and the bone and muscle pain it causes me is unbearable without pain medication. I have tried Femara and Aromasin with the same results, so I decided just to grin and bear it. I am afraid now of becoming addicted to the pain killers, but can't seem to even function without them. Any advice from all you sweet sisters. NanaKaren

[Patb]

Sorry about your pain. I also am on Arimidex and
have been for 18 months. Exercise and especially
in the water really helps, even though I push myself
to do it. I also take Omega 3 fish oil caps and I think
they help. I have decided to continue on the Arimidex
if at all possible.
Good luck.
patb

[dhealey]

I had tried arimidex and aromasin, both caused such dibilitating pain in the joints. Now taking femera (2nd month) doing well so far. I walk everyday, lift light weights and do yoga. This seems to help body and mind. Good luck!

[Becky]

Besides taking at least 3g-8g of fish oil daily, try Triple Flex from GNC (joint supplement with MSM, glucosamine and shark cartilage). It might help. If all else fails, you could resort to Tamoxifen or Evista or even Faslodex

[Debra]

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!! It changed my life. I was in quite a bit of pain as well and started to exercise 5 days a week; simple walking on a treadmill and a few exercises with weights. The pain was relieved by about 90%. I still am stiff at times but am so thankful I listend to my doctor on this one. Please give it a try.

[harrie]

I couldn't agree with Debra more.....excercise....keep moving! I notice I am stiffest when I am inactive like in the middle of the night. Once I get up and move, I am so much better. I exercise like a fanatic and I believe that helps me tremendously.

[R.B.]

Further to Becky's comments this thread may help.



It is complex but balancing the Omega 3s and 6s, and ensuring a supply of long chain Omega 3s EPA and DHA (found in Fish Oil) can help with pain and joint issues.

I Know it sounds unlikely but fats have a huge influence in the structure and function of the body.

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=24410&highlight=greek+diet

[basset girl]

I have been on Armidex for a year now. Lots of joint and bone pain. I have found that walking and exercise really helps me loosen up. When I get up in the mornings I feel like I am about 80 years old. I have to get up and walk it out. I haven't tried to change to a different med yet. Hopefully the exercise will keep working.

[abitjaded]

NanaKaren, you are not addicted! You are just controlling your pain. There is so much misunderstanding about pain relievers. If they work, take them. It is not a matter of getting "addicted" to oxycodone or fentanyl and the like. Your body just gets better and better at adapting to the drugs, so they need to be increased. (But so do the things that keep your intestines moving. Increase your diet roughage. Take a metamucil "chaser". Take larger doses of colace and senna.)

My mother had osteoporosis pain for years. Numerous spinal fractures, numerous surgeries. Every time she was hospitalized the doctors would freak about how much fentanyl she got and how much oxycontin, besides. But the pain specialist always got it straightened out.

Ask for a consult with a true PAIN SPECIALIST. They know what they are doing. And they do it one heck of a lot better than an Oncologist, Radiologist, Surgeon, etc. These guys just are clueless about long term pain control.

Carla

[harrie]

My personal experience with Arimidex and now Femara is that the more inactive I am, the more the joint pain will creep up. So of course at night after I have been sleepingfor a while is the worst. EVERY SINGLE morning then I get up, I go straight to the bathroom and soak in a nice deep bubble bath tub and soak. I can literally feel my joints loosen up immediately. At night I also take a nice deep bubble bath with candles, but that is all for relaxation.
As long as I keep active and moving, my joints seem fine....for now...keeping my fingers crossed that it does not get worse.

[sarah]

Hello,
Try taking it at night. I take Femara and take some pills for bone loss but no pain pills.
I agree with the others, exercise helps. I walk at least an hour a day with my dog plus other short walks, plus bicycle periodically and go to a gym once a week. that helps. the more stiffness, the more pain.
hope this advice helps
sarah

[Kim in DC]

You might want to check your vitamin D levels. I am a drug rep and one of doctors in our area who specializes in osteoporosis says that most bone pain is due to a vitamin D deficiency. It couldn't hurt.

Kim

[NanaKaren]

Thanks everyone for good advice. Kim in DC, I have just added Vit.D to my list of vitamins along with the calcium. I haven't been taking it long enough to notice a huge difference yet. My regular MD also suggested glucosamine, said it couldn't hurt. I will admit after moving around a bit in the mornings the stiffness and pain does seem to ease up a bit.

[harrie]

I will try taking it at night. I usually take it first thing in the AM.

I take almost 2,000 IU of Vit D3 daily. Nanakaren, how much are you planning on taking daily? I also started glucosamine this wk.

[MJo]

I'm sorry about the pain. I have been on it two years and the pain has lessened. I take it at night. I also lost some of the weight I gained during chemo and that helped. One thing cancer teaches us is own individual our bodies are. 3 billion people and 3 billion individual reactions. I was invited to be in a study that might have kept me on aromatase inhibitors for 10 years. I passed. Five is enough.

[NanaKaren]

Harrie, I have been taking 1000 IU of Vit D daily. Do you think 2000 would be better? I will also try taking the Arimidex at night. Anything that helps I am game for!!! And about that nice hot bath...I think my body is on a time clock for that. Each day when I get home from work, that is the first place I go. It really seems to help those joints to loosen up and it makes for a lovely relaxing evening with my husband. I don't feel quite so grouchy from so many aches and pains. All great advice again, my sweet warrior friends. Nana Karen

[harrie]

Nana,
I think 2000 would be better. My Vit D3 contains 1,000 and the additional come from the calcium that I take and the mulitvit.
2,000 is not too much. At the symposium I recently went to on the topic of osteoporosis, I specifically asked that question because I did not want to overdo it. The speaker said 2,000 was fine.

[NanaKaren]

Harrie, Thanks for the good info. Do you take Fosamax or any of the biophosphonates? I know my Fosamax could be causing me some of my pain also.

[harrie]

Nana, yes I take Fosomax once a wk. Have for a few yrs now. It has never given me joint ache. It may be possible, but I don't know of any who have had that problem.

[sassy]

I have not heard of anyone else that has tried this but...

After being on Arimidex for two years, my GP started looking a changes that might help with the stiffness and joint pain I was experiencing with Arimidex/Lupron. She took me off HZTZ for BP that started while on chemo. She put me on Lasix to help with fluid/BP. After being on Lasix for two weeks, the joint pain from Arimidex/Lupron began to improve tremendously. I have been on Lasix for about six months and feel like a new person. I have very little joint pain/stiffness now and feel physically able to do much more than before.

Not sure why this worked, but this change in medication has to be responsible for my improvement. It was the only variable at the time.

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else tries Lasix, whether on BP meds previously or not.

[Gerri]

Hi Sassy,

Your post is interesting because I too have been on Lasix since January. I just couldn't take the swollen feet and ankles anymore and my onc decided to let me give it a try. At the same time, I was having trouble sleeping because my hips hurt me so much at night, no matter what position I tried. Our mattresses were overdue to be replaced so we went out and bought a new bed - this helped a great deal with my sleeping problems. I also take Iceland Joint Relief. So....I'm not sure if it is a combination of all of the above, but my aches and pains while not completely gone, are definitely better. I still get stiff after sitting for a long time but everything loosens up when I start moving. The fact that I can see my ankles again and my feet don't look like balloons at the end of the day make taking Lasix worth it. If it has also helped in the joint area, all the better.

All my best,

[harrie]

Water aerobics is a good form of exercise. It not only puts no impact on joints, but it involves working a variety of muscles in legs and arms as you work against the resistance of the water. I recently gave it a try because I had injured my lower back and it went into the sciatica nerve when I went running before it was completely healed. It was rec that I try H20 aerobics and I was surprised on how much I liked it! It is something you can make as intense or as easy as you choose. We work our inner outer thighs, calves, chest, bis, tris, and even our abs, as well as a fair amount of cardio. By the time I am done I feel relaxed and worked out. Not bad and very refreshing in this warmer weather here.