Re: Arimidex and Synthroid

[Guest guest]

I too have had thyroid cancer, can you tell me more about what

adjustments you had to make to your synthroid, and how quickly?

Thanks

> >

> > I learned from my oncologist that my chances of cancer coming

> back is 78.5% without any kind of adjutant therapy like Arimidex.

> With Arimidex it only increases the chances by 9.2% or about 88%.

> > Not much difference with it or without it. Since the

percentage

> is really good without it, I am

> > considering stopping it altogether. However, I am going to

wait

> til after my three month mammogram and ultrasound.

> Jan K

> ---------------------------------------------------

> Hi Jan,

>

> I think you have your numbers reversed, lol, taking Arimidex

> INCREASES your chance of recurrance??? I know what you meant, but

I

> had to laugh at your post.

>

> Like you, I didn't need chemo or rad, and I'm on approx the same

time

> line as you. My onc said my chances of recurrance " might " be

> decreased by 5% by taking Arimidex. I asked about refusing

> treatment, and was told it was her job to offer what was

> available...maybe a CYA? I have the scrip and haven't filled it

to

> date. I don't like the idea of cutting of all the little estrogen

I

> still produce and dealing with the side effects. I have decided

on

> a careful wait and watch strategy.

>

> This next info won't apply to most here other than Jan....taking

> Arimidex will require adjustments to your Synthroid dosaging if

you

> are being kept medically suppressed (hyperthyroid) due to thycan

and

> this opens up a whole new can of worms.

>

> Kathleen

>

[Guest guest]

Fortunately my thyroid nodule was not malignant. But it was totally removed

with the parathyroid.

This was back in 1979. My thyroid nodule was a result of radiation on my

tonsils back in the fifties.

(Now you all know how ancient I am.) Radiologist who did my biopsy said that

people who were

radiated like this also are at risk for glaucoma. If your feet were ever

x-rayed as a child, that could create some problems, according to the same

radiologist.

A few weeks after the surgery, I was put on pure thyroid. Then about 1986, I

started having some symptoms of severe sweating, even though I was in an

air-conditioned building. Went back to

an endocrinologist who put me on Synthryoid. This has been an up and down

thing for me. At one point, I was on .112 mg, but now I am on .175 mg. I was

advised to take it at bedtime and an hour at least after I eat so that I get

maximum absorption. This seems to work well. However, I feel that I

could up the dosage even more but the doctors are wary because of possible

liver damage.

So, , what was your situation like?

racker84 racker84@...> wrote:

I too have had thyroid cancer, can you tell me more about what

adjustments you had to make to your synthroid, and how quickly?

Thanks

> >

> > I learned from my oncologist that my chances of cancer coming

> back is 78.5% without any kind of adjutant therapy like Arimidex.

> With Arimidex it only increases the chances by 9.2% or about 88%.

> > Not much difference with it or without it. Since the

percentage

> is really good without it, I am

> > considering stopping it altogether. However, I am going to

wait

> til after my three month mammogram and ultrasound.

> Jan K

> ---------------------------------------------------

> Hi Jan,

>

> I think you have your numbers reversed, lol, taking Arimidex

> INCREASES your chance of recurrance??? I know what you meant, but

I

> had to laugh at your post.

>

> Like you, I didn't need chemo or rad, and I'm on approx the same

time

> line as you. My onc said my chances of recurrance " might " be

> decreased by 5% by taking Arimidex. I asked about refusing

> treatment, and was told it was her job to offer what was

> available...maybe a CYA? I have the scrip and haven't filled it

to

> date. I don't like the idea of cutting of all the little estrogen

I

> still produce and dealing with the side effects. I have decided

on

> a careful wait and watch strategy.

>

> This next info won't apply to most here other than Jan....taking

> Arimidex will require adjustments to your Synthroid dosaging if

you

> are being kept medically suppressed (hyperthyroid) due to thycan

and

> this opens up a whole new can of worms.

>

> Kathleen

>

Jan Koelsch

---------------------------------

Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast

with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.

[Guest guest]

I had my thyroid removed in 11/04 (nearly 2 years prior to bc dx);

had nodules that were negative on biopsy, but my grandfather had

thyroid cancer, so my dr. recommended removal. Pathology showed

malignant (papillary). One year later my sister dx same, weird.

I am on .200 mg synthroid, took a while to get to the right dose and

in the interim I was exhausted all the time. I take it as soon as I

get up in the morning, on an empty stomach.

Oddly, my dog also takes thyroid med, apparently labs tend to have

underactive thyroids! crazy.

I will be starting Arimidex or similar end of May, after my

radiation, so I want to make sure I'm on top of any changes needed.

Thanks.

> > >

> > > I learned from my oncologist that my chances of cancer coming

> > back is 78.5% without any kind of adjutant therapy like

Arimidex.

> > With Arimidex it only increases the chances by 9.2% or about

88%.

> > > Not much difference with it or without it. Since the

> percentage

> > is really good without it, I am

> > > considering stopping it altogether. However, I am going to

> wait

> > til after my three month mammogram and ultrasound.

> > Jan K

> > ---------------------------------------------------

> > Hi Jan,

> >

> > I think you have your numbers reversed, lol, taking Arimidex

> > INCREASES your chance of recurrance??? I know what you meant,

but

> I

> > had to laugh at your post.

> >

> > Like you, I didn't need chemo or rad, and I'm on approx the same

> time

> > line as you. My onc said my chances of recurrance " might " be

> > decreased by 5% by taking Arimidex. I asked about refusing

> > treatment, and was told it was her job to offer what was

> > available...maybe a CYA? I have the scrip and haven't filled it

> to

> > date. I don't like the idea of cutting of all the little

estrogen

> I

> > still produce and dealing with the side effects. I have decided

> on

> > a careful wait and watch strategy.

> >

> > This next info won't apply to most here other than Jan....taking

> > Arimidex will require adjustments to your Synthroid dosaging if

> you

> > are being kept medically suppressed (hyperthyroid) due to thycan

> and

> > this opens up a whole new can of worms.

> >

> > Kathleen

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Jan Koelsch

>

> ---------------------------------

> Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast

> with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.

>

>

[Guest guest]

: Before my thyroid was changed to .175 I was really dragging, also. I

have

felt better since then, and then I was diagnosed with bc and have since been

put on

Arimidex. The side effects of Arimidex were almost unbearable. I called my

onc. and

was taken off it about a week ago to see if it was the Arimidex or something

else. The

symptoms have drastically lessened. Called the doctor office today and the

nurse was

going to visit with the doctor. Probably will be going on another " cousin " of

Arimidex.

Hopefully it won't be Femora. I have learned from several on this site that

it has nasty

side effects also.

Hope you have better luck with Arimidex than me. I am now able to move around

pretty

freely and the past three nights have slept through the night with only

getting up once.

With Arimidex I was up to change places to sleep at least 4 to 5 times a

night.

Take care.

Jan K

racker84 racker84@...> wrote:

I had my thyroid removed in 11/04 (nearly 2 years prior to bc dx);

had nodules that were negative on biopsy, but my grandfather had

thyroid cancer, so my dr. recommended removal. Pathology showed

malignant (papillary). One year later my sister dx same, weird.

I am on .200 mg synthroid, took a while to get to the right dose and

in the interim I was exhausted all the time. I take it as soon as I

get up in the morning, on an empty stomach.

Oddly, my dog also takes thyroid med, apparently labs tend to have

underactive thyroids! crazy.

I will be starting Arimidex or similar end of May, after my

radiation, so I want to make sure I'm on top of any changes needed.

Thanks.

> > >

> > > I learned from my oncologist that my chances of cancer coming

> > back is 78.5% without any kind of adjutant therapy like

Arimidex.

> > With Arimidex it only increases the chances by 9.2% or about

88%.

> > > Not much difference with it or without it. Since the

> percentage

> > is really good without it, I am

> > > considering stopping it altogether. However, I am going to

> wait

> > til after my three month mammogram and ultrasound.

> > Jan K

> > ---------------------------------------------------

> > Hi Jan,

> >

> > I think you have your numbers reversed, lol, taking Arimidex

> > INCREASES your chance of recurrance??? I know what you meant,

but

> I

> > had to laugh at your post.

> >

> > Like you, I didn't need chemo or rad, and I'm on approx the same

> time

> > line as you. My onc said my chances of recurrance " might " be

> > decreased by 5% by taking Arimidex. I asked about refusing

> > treatment, and was told it was her job to offer what was

> > available...maybe a CYA? I have the scrip and haven't filled it

> to

> > date. I don't like the idea of cutting of all the little

estrogen

> I

> > still produce and dealing with the side effects. I have decided

> on

> > a careful wait and watch strategy.

> >

> > This next info won't apply to most here other than Jan....taking

> > Arimidex will require adjustments to your Synthroid dosaging if

> you

> > are being kept medically suppressed (hyperthyroid) due to thycan

> and

> > this opens up a whole new can of worms.

> >

> > Kathleen

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Jan Koelsch

>

> ---------------------------------

> Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast

> with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I've been on Synthroid for about 20 years with very few problems - once every

several years, perhaps a dosage increase. My former primary doctor switched me

over to the generic sometime last year. I completed 5 months of chemo the end

of October and started Femara a couple of weeks later. When my TSH was checked

the first week in December it was abysmally low. When it was rechecked 8 weeks

later, the result was the same. A thyroid ultrasound a couple of weeks ago

showed a 5mm echocentric, non-typical nodule, so I was scheduled for a nuclear

medicine scan next week. In the meantime, I'm off the Synthroid altogether.

The thyroid nodule may be unrelated I'd guess, although when I started Synthroid

way back when, it was to shrink multi-nodular goiter. It sounds like the

hormone drugs are interacting with the hormone drugs, huh? I wonder if all of

this is connected.

Yet another question for my new primary doctor and medical onc to noodle on.

We're such a learning experience for them, aren't we.

SharonK

[Guest guest]

Hi , (and Jan)

In general, the more estrogen in your body, the more synthroid you

will need, and vice versa.

As examples, if someone is taking synthroid and is post-menopausal

and starts HRT, they'll need more synthroid. If someone is taking

synthroid and goes into menopause, they'll need less synthroid,

assuming they don't start HRT.

Unlike Tomoxifen, which attaches itself to estrogen to block

interaction with cancerous cells, Arimidex blocks the production of

estrogen so you may need a reduction in your Synthroid dose. As you

know, this will take some time to show up, since TSH levels take

awhile to adjust. I personally can feel when my Synthroid dose is

too high/TSH too low (heart palps, insomnia, etc).

I was prescribed Arimidex two months ago, just had it filled today,

but still not sure if I'm ever going to take it. I'm in a low risk

category (had single mast, no chemo or rad) and frankly, am freaked

out at the idea of having NO estrogen in my body and such unpleasant

side effects for a *possible* decreased risk of *as much as* five per-

cent. I'm not saying this is the right decision for everyone......if

I were higher risk, I'm sure I'd start taking it, and may regret my

current decision someday.

Kathleen

-------------------------

>

> I too have had thyroid cancer, can you tell me more about what

> adjustments you had to make to your synthroid, and how quickly?

> Thanks

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Kathleen. I will be checking with my doctor when I see them on Tuesday

of next week.

fantur2 katschell@...> wrote: Hi , (and Jan)

In general, the more estrogen in your body, the more synthroid you

will need, and vice versa.

As examples, if someone is taking synthroid and is post-menopausal

and starts HRT, they'll need more synthroid. If someone is taking

synthroid and goes into menopause, they'll need less synthroid,

assuming they don't start HRT.

Unlike Tomoxifen, which attaches itself to estrogen to block

interaction with cancerous cells, Arimidex blocks the production of

estrogen so you may need a reduction in your Synthroid dose. As you

know, this will take some time to show up, since TSH levels take

awhile to adjust. I personally can feel when my Synthroid dose is

too high/TSH too low (heart palps, insomnia, etc).

I was prescribed Arimidex two months ago, just had it filled today,

but still not sure if I'm ever going to take it. I'm in a low risk

category (had single mast, no chemo or rad) and frankly, am freaked

out at the idea of having NO estrogen in my body and such unpleasant

side effects for a *possible* decreased risk of *as much as* five per-

cent. I'm not saying this is the right decision for everyone......if

I were higher risk, I'm sure I'd start taking it, and may regret my

current decision someday.

Kathleen

-------------------------

>

> I too have had thyroid cancer, can you tell me more about what

> adjustments you had to make to your synthroid, and how quickly?

> Thanks

>

>

Jan Koelsch

---------------------------------

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