User Reviews for Arimidex oral

First 2-4 months no problem. Gradually kept getting alot of side effects. Have joint pain which progressed to pain all thu body, bone scan shows widespread degenerative disease. Hot flashes were the worse and as I continued on the medicine they got so bad and started being accompanied with bouts of dizziness, once when driving. Hot flash so intense gave me a very ill feeling in my body when it was happening and the longer I took the more sever they became. Did not want to eat because just felt so bad. Lost weight. For the past 12 months it these side effects increased in intensity. Would take pain pills on some days. Started getting depression because felt so bad. I quite taking them after 15 months (off now for 2 months). I am gradually starting to feel better but I am afraid my bones in back may have been effected. They are starting to crack sound when I turn or move. Almost makes me feel like that are thining and I am worried now the wrong move can snap a bone in my back. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE DRUG. In spite of all this it only increases your chance of cancer not coming back by 2%. The damage that this drug has caused is worse than the 1 stage of DCIS cancer I had. Drug companies have got to make money even if it is at the cost of patients lives. I am looking into more natural things I can do with eating better, exercising and taking vitamins if I need them. My dr. even said that 2% means cancer may not come back in that breast but can come back somerwhere else even if you are on the med. I choose quality over quanity. Read More Read Less

I HAD DCIS FIRST, TOOK TAMOXIFEN, STOPPED AFTER 1&1/2 YRS. 5YRS. LATER CANCER GAME BACK. NOW ON ARIMIDEX. I CAN TAKE THIS. JOINT PAIN, I TAKE FISH OIL AT NIGHT AND Q-10 IN THE MORNING. IT WORKS.. I ALSO HAD DOUBLE MASS. AND RECONSTRUCTION DONE....

I've only been on this drug for 6 months and I stopped it 2 weeks ago I cannot bear the joint and bone pain that it has caused. With the percentage under 5% that I'll have a reoccurrence of cancer by continuing this drug for the next four and a half years it's not worth it. I will try tamoxifen but if it also causes serious side effects that are debilitating I will discontinue all hormone blocking drugs and just take my chances it is what it is

After being on Arimidex for almost a year, I had such tremendous breast pain following lumpectomy (both breasts) and lymph node (1) removal on each side, that I was advised to go off for a month, and the pain should go away. and it did!!!! BUT! now the nervousness, dizziness, sleeplessness have emerged.. I hate this feeling every single day and hope that with Stage 1 HER2negative, being told that I am lucky and this surgery/radiation should be the cure.. I am hoping that when I see the Dr in two months, I can go off of this drug.. I am a wreck and it's hard to cope with this drowsy, lethargic, jittery daily feeling, and now see where my hair thinning is attributable as well as weight gain ... I see that others have this as well.. While the alternative is disastrous, living like this daily for the next 4 more years is not pleasant.. If I did not have to work, I think coping might be easier? I'm not sure, but sitting at my desk, almost falling asleep by mid day is terrible.. I guess there is no alternative to this drug, but damn!! I will find out..Read More Read Less

I have been on this for about 6 months after having taken tamoxefen for 5 years and my cancer came back. At first the only side effect I had was the hot flashes. But I got the generic this time and find that the fatigue and sore joints are a huge issue. Plan to bring this up at my next appointment.

The drug has quickly shrink my neurotic mass and tumor in breast

Stage 1 breast cancer and 1 week of radiation. After 17 months on the drug, my lipids are now very high, which I now learned is another side effect. I've never had a cholesterol problem. Must choose to discontinue or have heart problems.

Just finishing 5 miserable years on this drug, for stage 1 estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, a tiny tumor. Seems like overkill, trying to smash a fly with a sledgehammer. I doubt I even needed to be on this horrible drug, which caused the following side effects: very stiff and painful joints - especially in the hands and feet, hot flashes, dry mouth, vaginal dryness, heart irregularities (had to be put on heart med to control), tired most days, minimal hair loss. I feel 20 years older than I am, like a shriveled up old lady. Limping around. I get off this drug in a month and will be celebrating my 60th birthday - hoping to feel younger instead of older. If doctors had to experience these side effects, they might prescribe this medication less often. I don't think it was worth going through 5 years of awful quality of life to lower my chance of a recurrence by just a few percentage points. It hardly seems worth it, and I regret doing it. It's amazing how most doctors underestimate how awful this drug can be - my gynecologist implied I was being a big baby for complaining about it. I will not be going back to her again.Read More Read Less

Being relatively new to the med (< 6 months) I can say that the side affects far outweigh the outcome (hopefully). A question that I have not been to get a definitive answer to is: are the weight gain sleeplessness temporary?

firstly I cannot say anything yet about the effectiveness of the drug as I have only been on it for a short time, so I put what I hope it will be. I was diagnosed in October 2014 with breast cancer had a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal. The cancer had not spread to the nodes, thank god. I had radiotherapy for a month and will be having my final session in two days.I started the drug about 3 months ago. I have had no side effects like the ones that most of you have had. I do have slight pain in the hip area and lower left side. I attended my doctor who said it was a kidney infection, but the pain is still there. I don't know if it has anything got to do with the Arimidex. Apart from that I have no problems as yet with it. I'm so sorry to hear from all of you the pain that you are in, its terrible to go on suffering after all you have gone through with the cancer itself. We will all survive this, you have to have hope ladies, and hopefully another drug can be found that will bring us all back to the health we had before the cancer. Keep your chin up ladies and love life.Read More Read Less

I have been taking arimidex for the last four years and have one more year to go (I hope) I have experienced hot flashes, tiredness, and thinning hair. My dexa scans are fine and I have not had any arthritic or increased joint pain...my weight remained stable, but I am losing weight now or other reasons. After reading really bad reviews on this drug, I was reluctant to take it, but for ME, it has worked although I used to have really long hair and had to cut it because my hair thinned out so badly. Hey! I am still here to tell the tale, so I won't complain too much...but hot flashes are terrible and I have tried everything I can, soooo I am just one hot mama! ugh!Read More Read Less

I love the term Arimi-death! That explains my whole situation. Horrible joint pain especially in my wrist, hands and fingers, insomnia, hot flashes and burning skin. I have turned into a 100 year old female within the last year and a half. I think the doctors that prescribe this beast should have to take it themselves. Maybe they would get clue on how terrible we feel.

At Stage II Breast Cancer (one lymph node involved I had a lumpectomy in May 2012. Have been on this medication since January 2013. I, too experience Hot Flashes, join and muscle stiffness. I also fall a sleep and within 20 minutes will awaken with a strong feeling of anxiousness. This happens every night. But I feel blessed that this drug has the opportunity to help me as the alternative scares the heck out of me.

I already had bone on bone Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Carpal tunnel, Spine Stenosis, plus too many more to write. I hate this pill, my breast cancer was stage 1, done went though menopause. My Rheumatologist said she has done all she can for me. I can hardly use my hands. The Neuropathy in my feet is worst, every thing is worst. I have been on this for over a year, I talked to the cancer Doctor about all the pain, he said we will see where you are in 5 yrs. I can NOT take this that long. I was taking this pain pill which helped, but it got to where it only lasted for 4 hours. Now don't even have that. I have thought of just going to sleep and not waking up. I don't know how much longer I can take this pain 24/7.....Read More Read Less

I'm so happy to have found this site. It is important to realize I am one among many with severe side effects from Arimidex and not just an overreacting patient!I was diagnosed with stage 1 aggressive ductal cancer. My treatment regime included a lumpectomy,chemotherapy,36 radiation treatments,18 Herceptin treatments and 5 years of Arimidex. I've completed 23 months of Arimidex with the following side effects;anxiety,sleeplessness,low libidity,short term memory loss,difficulty finding words, weight gain,carpal tunnel (requiring surgery), a rotator cuff injury,due to inflamation and severe roaming joint pain to every joint in my body. The joint pain is debilitating!! I'm a nurse working full time 12 hr. shifts on a busy ward walking many kilometers a shift. I need my brain, my stamina and my body to work optimally!I am struggling to walk or stand by the end of a shift due to severe ankle, foot and knee swelling inflamation and pain. I'm at the end of my patience with my quality of life on this med but fear the cancer recurring if I quit! Read More Read Less

I had a double mastectomy with 4 positive lymph nodes and was Her2 positive. Spent a year taking Herceptin. I was started on arimidex 2 months before I finished my chemotherapy so did not realize for a while that the fatigue, continued hair loss, nausea, sleep problems and joint pain were because of the arimidex. My diabetes, which had been under control before the arimidex, became unmanageable. My oncologist refused to accept that the arimidex was causing any side effects. A few weeks ago I experienced shortness of breath and chest pains. My oncologist immediately took me off the arimidex while continuing to insist that I was not having side effects from the drug, but that I had heart disease. After a complete battery of tests my cardiologist told my oncologist that there was nothing wrong with my heart. My oncologist prescribed aromisin, which has the same and worse side effects. I have been off of arimidex for 3 weeks and finally feel like I am recovering from my chemotherapy, which actually ended in February (it is now October). I have decided to stop the drugs. I have had a negative PET scan and my blood work continues to show that I am cancer free. At age 65 I would like to live my life, and not merely exist. If the cancer comes back I will deal with it then. I am very happy with my decision but would not recommend it for everyone. You need to decide which is more important to you - doing what your doctor says will help or having a better quality of life. Also, there is no guarantee that the cancer will not recur just because one takes the drug.Read More Read Less

I was diagnosed with grade three invasive duct carcinoma with lymph nodes umors present and Paget`s carcinoma of the nipple in the left breast. After the mastectomy and 7 months of chemotherapy I was placed on Anastrozole, generic for Armidex. I have been taking it now for 5 months. I am 64 years old and have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromylgia, Neuropathy and osteoarthritis. The Armidex has caused my already painful resistance unbearable !!! I get nauseated and the level of my depression scares me. My ophthalmologist says that my vision has worsened 68% since starting the medicine. My family says that I am totally despondent the majority of the time. Also, I do not act like myself and the irritability causes me not to even want to be around myself. I guess due to lack of sleep. I'm very afraid to stop it because when I call the doctor's office, all I get back is, «it's more important than the chemotherapy. I'm exhausted. I don't know what to do. Read More Read Less

As a fit 41 year old I have found Armidex terrible!! Night sweats, hot flashes and join pain just un bearable . Having a active family with a beautiful six year old daughter the fatigue and depression is debilitating . I have only been taking this medication fora a month and certainly need some encouragement to give it 10 years !!!!!!

I had a low grade carcinoma and lumpectomy with two lymph nodes removed both of which were clear as well as the surrounding tissue of the small tumor. I have been taking the generic form of Arimidex, Anastrozole, for 20 days and have decided to discontinue the use. I never experience side effects to medications I have taken in the past so I deliberately did not read the insert of side effects so that I wouldn't put the thought into my head that I would experience them. In this short period of time I have suffered Waves of Nausea, Exhaustion, overall Body Pain that just cannot be alleviated with pain meds, Sleeplessness and Hot Flashes that could smelt iron ore. I just looked at the side effects two days ago just to make sure I wasn't imagining that I could feel this miserable. The doctor wants me to take Effexor for the hot flashes but I vetoed that idea since I've not read anything positive about attempting to get off of that drug. Taking one drug to mask the side effects of another just doesn't seem like a sound solution. Unlike some other reviews I've read, I don't have the luxury of staying home and dealing with the side effects. I have the responsibility of a job which I need to attend to daily and Arimidex most definitely is not conducive to this way of life. I wish you all well if you are prescribed this medication.Read More Read Less

I am having bad hot flashes, sleeplessness, face rash, sweating, weakness hip weakness, and back problems. I have bad arthritis so I am not sure if it causes it to be worse or not. I want to try something different if there is something else. Want to go off it! I've been on it for three years.