Breast Cancer Care

I have been on Arimidex for 20 months and find that yoga and cyling on a bike at the gym really help. I also lift some weights as I know that helps prevent osteoporosis which can happen when you are on Arimidex. Walking is also good and once I have made the effort to go to the gym I honestly do feel better and much less stiff and old! I am a very fit 70 year old who first had BC at 51 and then it recurrred nearly 2 years ago in the same breast.

Re the hot flushes, I find these get better with time but then suddenly reappear with a vengeance. When this happens I sleep on a towel. I also think alcohol increases the sweats as does very spicy foods. But I need a glass of wine in the evening to keep me going.

I have been on Arimidex since November 2007 and don't find it too much of a problem. I am 56 (57 in February) so well menopausal when I started. I am taking multivitamins with cod liver oil, prescribed by me, on the grounds it will do my joints good! I do get some hot flushes at night but just chuck off the duvet and wait to cool down. Apart from that I have changed nothing and it seems all right. What symptoms are you getting then?

Much love

Dilys
xxxx

I too exercise three or four times a week at they gym. But the best I have come across for coping with the side effects of Arimidex - is not drinking anything alcoholic. I have now not even had a glass of wine since New Year, and the effect is dramatic - no more muscle pain, hot flushes minimal!!

Yes it is if you are post menopausal.

I was prescribed calcium/vit D alongside Arimidex but the aching joints were just too much no matter what I tried (cod liver oil, glucosamine etc).

I was so fed up I asked my onc to put me back on Tamoxifen. She pursuaded me to try another brand of aromatose inhibitor and put me on Aromasin last September. I can't say it's brill but at least it's livable with.

Maybe if you really are suffering, it might be worth talking about a change?

Good luck.

Caz xxx

Hi i have posted many times on this site re the same problems, mine was mainly the sweating, morning noon and night, when i first started the Arimidex August 2007 they took over my whole life, at night i sweated so bad that i had to change my duvet for sheets so i could change them in the middle of the night by morning i smelt dreadful! hated it, by day i used to carry spare underwear with me as i could actually wring my pants out they were so wet! I always carried a towel with me everywhere i went to mop myself up. I have to say that now things have improved greatly, I still have a fan in every room and carry one with me everywhere i go but everything has calmed down, fingers crossed the sweats at night have practically stopped, I still get flushes and the odd sweat during the day but nothing that prevents me carrying on with my normal activities. The help for me was from Chlonidine, i had tried magnets,sage, EPO, starflower everything 'natural' all to no effect but Chlonidine definitely gave me my life back.

Yes i still get nausea from the sweats which i loathe but it does pass.

There is help available but when you first start Arimidex and get all these nasty side effects you think it is going to be like it for life and your whole life is going to be subject to the sweats and flushes, I used to be hysterical with them, my poor hubby went through hell with me and eventually dragged me off to my very understanding GP who told me he would try everything to give me back a normal as possible life again. There are various treatments out there and if one does not work try another, acupuncture is also meant to be very good but i have a needle phobia!

Hope this helps and yes it does get better in time though when hyou are starting out it does not seem that way.

Best wishes
Suzzanne