arimidex and joint pain

The purpose of this post is for other breast cancer survivors on Arimidex - looking for experiences with joint pain. I had chemotherapy and radiation therapy in 2006 for a stage 2 invasive lobular carcinoma. I was on Tamoxifen from mid-2006 until late 2008 - when I had an oophorectomy (prophylactic). I had tolerated the Tamoxifen very well for two years - few side effects. I was switched to Arimidex in late 2008 and have been on it since. I am a pretty healthy (other than the BC) - 52 year old.

ve recently started Arimidex 5 days ago and again noticed dry eyes and my vision does not seem as clear once again. I have to believe that it's the Arimidex and Tamoxifin.

However after the chemo (4 cycles TC) I resumed the Arimidex and the joint pain has been much more marked. Joints affected for me are fingers, wrist, knees and feet and a general achy back when I'm too active. In general Ibuprofen relieves the worst of it but at age 60 I am feeling much older.

Could it be your tamoxifen causing the joint pain? I took Arimidex for 6 months until joint pain started moving thoughout. Switched to Aromasin and the joint pain stopped. 18 month later now my hips are starting to hurt pretty regularily, will discuss with oncologist next visit. Basically blocking all the Estrogen is not a great thing for the joints.

I hate to tell you but I am on Arimidex and I have joint pain in my hips and knees and my fingers are stiff and swollen -- It started two weeks after I started the Arimidex --- It may be gentler than Femara but for me it hasn't been a walk in the part either -- Sorry your mom is feeling so poorly -- I hope they help her quickly -- maybe she should be taking Calcium with Vitamin D in the meantime

Hi Japdip, Thanks for your reply. Yes, it was approved by my doc. The joint pain and hot flashes were much worse as well. I'm getting handfuls of hair every day in the bathtub drain. I am concerned that the hair loss is irreversible or may not grow back until I am finished with Arimidex. What I have read is the jury is still out if it's permanent or not, and I haven't read anything about going from one AI to another. I learned that Aromasin and Arimidex are quite different.

I have gradually gained 40 pounds, continually have hot flashes and night sweats, have joint pain and now starting to retain water/have diarreah. I had a 135 IQ but after being on Arimidex lost the ability to do math and have problems with simple addition and subtraction. Also I have directional issues. I get lost easily, it being worse if I am overly tired or stressed out. I always keep a Garmin in my automobile. I also have acquired problems with spelling and remembering things.

Is painfful intercourse a common side effect of Arimidex? I even have pain from just touching the vaginal area, plus burning from contact to various soaps except Ivory. Will this go away when I get off of Arimidex in 3 more years? My obgyn wants to give me estrogen cream but my oncologist is against it. What can I do to get relief? HELP!

1. Go back onto Arimidex for one week and see if hip pain returns. Absolutely unacceptable. 2. Take tamoxifen - again unacceptable, as prognosis for non-recurrence is better with an IA. 3. Switch to Femara or Aromasin 4. Referral to a bc Oncologist at my hospital - he finally hit my button! He is referring me to a female Onc with a special interest in not only bc, but lymphoedema, which I unusually have in the affected breast, but not arm - I never "present" normally.

has anyone been on Fosavance for osteopenia/porosis - I think I developed this as a result of an oopherectomy and Arimidex, and am now taking this drug weekly. Since taking it my bones and joints are absolute agony and I am walking around like a ninety year old woman. Does the pain get better? Another question is about the reconstruction.

If you have already posted and want to make an addition just click on your first post and add it as a comment. The previous answer you refer to would be with the original post back in January I suppose. Bone pain is a side effect of the medications you mentioned but a bone spur is an entirely different matter and no doubt the cause of the pain. Regards ..

I tried first tamoxifen made me tired and nausous then I tried Femara, the pain was so great in my joints and muscle went off it I am now on Arimidex and 5 months into it it seems ok. I have gone off it once before one of my races because of pain. Arimidex is in the same family as femara only a little gentler..As my doctor said he doesn't know if it will help and it is not chemo but I am 16 months past chemo and have been on an estrogen blocker the whole time.

I have been on Arimidex for 4 months Femara first two months but the muscle pain was to severe. Not to many effects in the first two months-of Arimidex- just a headache and some joint pain are my side effects. My surgeon ordered my Onco-I was a 17 with 8 percent rate of distant mets in 10 years low chance of recurrence for me. I will probably feel better when time passes as you say.. My doctors tell me I have a good prognosis. .

also, the cost of Arimidex, and which my oncologist prescribed first, is almost $400 for a months supply, of which my insurance covered 85%, but not all do. The Femara was something like $90 and my copayment was the same for that, $40. That's all I know.

Hi, the pain will eventually go away but it won't be in a short time period. I took neulasta and that gave me total pain all over my joints from head to toes. I took that during my chemo with Adriamycin and Cytoxin. I feel the pain after the 3rd to 4th day. I've noticed when I worked like walking and do activities I forget the pain but one's I sit and lay down I will totally feel the pain and it is so difficult to get up out of bed.

I have been to the doctor and am doing well. No cancer. One year later I have started with joint pain in my feet, knees , fingers, hips and arm and shoulder joints. When I sit I can hardly get up and going until it passes. In the morning it hurts in my feet and ankles to start walking but passes. Is this residuals from the chemo? This discussion is related to <a href='/posts/show/259132'>Residual joint pain after chemotherapy</a>.

I learned that some weman experienced elevated blood pressure and blood clots while on Arimidex. And Arimidex is known to cause high blood pressure and blood clots. How do know for sure that Arimidex is the cause of my high blood pressure?

But, I have noticed more and more pain the longer I take it. My ankles, legs, knees, arms and wrists get so stiff and sore, and I feel like I'm 90 when I try to get up. I have oral pain meds...Lortab...but I work full time, and it's hard to pop a pill and head out the door to drive an hour's commute. Any suggestions on how to manage the pain?

As many of you know or have experienced, the AIs ( Arimidex, Femara, Aromasin), which are used to treat hormone-receptor positve breast cancer, often produce joint or muscle pain as a side effect. For about 20% of women, the side effects are so severe that they stop taking their medicine, which increases the risk that their breast cancer will recur.

m in a good bit of pain - knees, wrists and elbows and of course the TMJ - then I take prednisone and usually by early afternoon I feel much better. From what I've read Crohn's can cause temporary arthritis that goes away as the inflammation in the colon goes away. I guess my question is can I expect this to continue for a while? Am I going to be in pain all the time after I stop taking steroids? I'll be done in 2 weeks.

The plan is to switch to Arimidex-not sure exactly when-he originally said 4 weeks, but since I still have the joint pain, maybe we'll wait a little bit longer. I am wondering if this joint pain could be a side effect of the Lupron shots as well that I needed in order to start on the femara-anyone have any idea on that one?

I have endometriosis stage 4, I had 2 surgeries in 2006, and my surgeon is putting me on Armidex to try to control the pain. Is this a common use for this medicine?

I have been on Arimidex for 3 years and I have the exact same problem with the weight gain in my stomach. I don't know if it will ever come off but all I can do is hope. I am cancer free since my surgery and the pills and hope to remain so. My oncologist seems to think every thing is going very well at this time. After all this is the most important part of it, remaining cancer free. I wish all well and hope you continue to remain cancer free.

(blood level) In the past few years I have had 2 episodes of pretty severe knee pain, and the first time the pain was excruciating, and what I had turned out to be osteonecrosis. Thank God, my PCP was the only one who had the wisdom to check my vit D level and it was very, very low. With supplements, the condition healed by itself and left no traces. This last time I told my oncologist I needed to have this test again and he was fairly unimpressed as I was already taking it.

I, too, have joint pain and swelling in hands (and sometimes feet) w/femara. I have developed a trigger finger and dequervains tendonitis in bilateral wrist w/thumb pain. Had to go off med for a month and also have sites injected w/cortisone. Never had any of this before. Oncologist said she had seen trigger finger before no dequervains tendonitis? Wondering if anyone out there has had any of these side effects? And what do you think of this? I am miserable w/all this discomfort.

symptoms I hardly ever had before-- heartburn, acid reflux, pain in my small and large intestines, occasional nausea. Diagnostic tests have not revealed a reason for this. But recently I have been wondering--could the g.i. symptoms be a side effect of anastrozole (arimidex)? I have been taking it for 3 1/2 years, after 1 year on tamoxifen, following lumpectomy, chemo and radiation.

Has anyone experienced a full face full of acne for a prolonged period after starting Arimidex? It is my friend who had breast cancer and she is blind and wants to write for her. She also has Lupus but she has seen a dermatologist and rheumatologist and they dismiss it as acne. She knows she is out of remission with discoid lupus. But they assured her the 'acne" is not lupus breakout.

Arimidex and joint pain

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