← Return to Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) after breast cancer treatments

Discussion

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) after breast cancer treatments

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Nov 12, 2019 | Replies (18)
Comment receiving replies
@trixie1313

@cfacarol
I could barely walk from the anastrozole and letrozole, the bone pain was so horrendous in my heels and ankles as well as in my elbows and hands. On the exemestane, I am not having all of that. I also think I'm having less hot flashes, but I do take my pill at night so I may be sleeping through most of that. The one thing I am having is insomnia - I can go to sleep easily, but awaken about 3 hours after falling asleep and then get up and read my Nook for a while and then go back to sleep. The trade off for me - bone pain or insomnia - I'll take the insomnia!

Jump to this post

Replies to "@cfacarol I could barely walk from the anastrozole and letrozole, the bone pain was so horrendous..."
cfacarol | @cfacarol | Nov 11, 2019

Thank you. I also have a similar sleep problem. Not sure it is caused by the letrozole because I had insomnia before taking it.

VIEW AND REPLY
sparklegram | @sparklegram | Nov 11, 2019

I've written here about taking Arimidex for over a year and a half, and finally giving it up due to all the side effects mentioned by other members of this group Everything hurt, joints, hands, feet, and I just felt OLDER. I took a month or more off and my Oncologist switched my medication to Exemestane. After two weeks or so I had a severe bout of neck and head pain. I'm in Physical Therapy now, and again my Oncologist has taken me off the drug for a month and I have an appointment to see her in December. Trixie, I'm so glad to know this drug is working for you. I don't want to go on Letrozole because from all I've read here and online, the side effects are the same as Arimidex. That leaves Tamoxifen. Oh, what to do!

VIEW AND REPLY
elizm | @elizm | Nov 11, 2019

@trixie1313 @cfacarol
I always was a great sleeper until chemo, and then that went out the window. It's been almost two years now and, for me, I need afternoon exercise and one mg. of melatonin at bedtime; otherwise, like Trixie, I'm awake by 2:30-3:00 a.m. I tried weening myself off the melatonin to no avail. Yes, it likely is the anastrozole playing havoc with my system... I am considering switching to letrozole to see if the arthralgia would be lessoned, but as I'm supposed to be on an AI for 7-10 years, I hesitate to take a steroid. No one seems to have studied what it's like to go off of it (or any of the AIs) after that length of time.

VIEW AND REPLY