response to Steph

[Guest guest]

Steph:

I had a bilateral mastectomy end of August and was told I had early stg

disease based on the size of the largest tumor, no node involvement, clear

margins but my three tumors were aggressive. I am post menapausal and my tumors

were ER+ PR-. I have been on Arimidex since the mdl of Sept, 2006...I have a

lot of bone and muscle type pain, but I also have Osteoarthritis and have had

one knee replacement..I get occasional hot flashes, some constipation but drink

a lot of water, take Calcium as the Arimidex is hard on the bones.....I just

take Tylenol throughout a 24hour period and do quite well. The symptoms have not

lessened and some days the pain is worse than others..I live in a damp climate

so I am never sure if the pain is due to the drug or my Arthritis..I was told

that the Arimidex will cut my risk of recurrent disease in half. I just put up

with the side effects. I also take IV Herceptin on a weekly basis for a year due

to the aggressiveness of the tumors. I was

given a 25-30% chance of recurrent disease; however, with the Arimidex the

risk is cut in half, adding the Herceptin buys me maybe a couple more % points.

I did not opt for Chemo as the % of benefit was only 2%. I did not want the

side effects with that small of benefit....Only time will tell if I made the

right decision. I just wanted you to know that I went for a second medical

opinion at Vanderbilt Univ, Nashville, TN, and it was stressed that the Arimidex

was important even if I did nothing else, but you must take a Calcium

replacement up to 1200mg daily....

We have to each make our own decisions on this journey; what works for one may

not work for another....Newer drugs have not been in circulation for very long

and the long term effects are not known. It is a gamble, but you make the best

decision you can with the info you are given.

I hope this helps....Pat

[Guest guest]

hello patricia,

just wondering do get the hotflashes with the armidex , i had them so bad i

was in my own sauna>> plus lots of other side effects.sandy in oz

travelescape1234@...> wrote:

Steph:

I had a bilateral mastectomy end of August and was told I had early stg disease

based on the size of the largest tumor, no node involvement, clear margins but

my three tumors were aggressive. I am post menapausal and my tumors were ER+

PR-. I have been on Arimidex since the mdl of Sept, 2006...I have a lot of bone

and muscle type pain, but I also have Osteoarthritis and have had one knee

replacement..I get occasional hot flashes, some constipation but drink a lot of

water, take Calcium as the Arimidex is hard on the bones.....I just take Tylenol

throughout a 24hour period and do quite well. The symptoms have not lessened and

some days the pain is worse than others..I live in a damp climate so I am never

sure if the pain is due to the drug or my Arthritis..I was told that the

Arimidex will cut my risk of recurrent disease in half. I just put up with the

side effects. I also take IV Herceptin on a weekly basis for a year due to the

aggressiveness of the tumors. I was

given a 25-30% chance of recurrent disease; however, with the Arimidex the risk

is cut in half, adding the Herceptin buys me maybe a couple more % points. I did

not opt for Chemo as the % of benefit was only 2%. I did not want the side

effects with that small of benefit....Only time will tell if I made the right

decision. I just wanted you to know that I went for a second medical opinion at

Vanderbilt Univ, Nashville, TN, and it was stressed that the Arimidex was

important even if I did nothing else, but you must take a Calcium replacement up

to 1200mg daily....

We have to each make our own decisions on this journey; what works for one may

not work for another....Newer drugs have not been in circulation for very long

and the long term effects are not known. It is a gamble, but you make the best

decision you can with the info you are given.

I hope this helps....Pat