1. < Breast Cancer

Aromatase Inhibitors: Did you decide to go on them or not?

Posted by nanato6 @nanato6, Oct 12, 2018

Nanaloves: I’m about to start arimidex and just feel that the contraindications , bone issues etc. are overwhelming. I’m 70 years old, dodged a bullet I feel with zero stage DCIS but the follow up is pretty much no different then if it was more aggressive. I’ve just done 33 treatments of radiation and now they advise arimidex as a preventative. I’m not sure with the beginnings of arthritis and lower back. sensitivity already that I should take it. Anyone not take it and not have a recurrence within the 5 years.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

callalloo | @callalloo | Apr 26, 2022
In reply to @colleenyoung "Umm, @pbnew. Thanks for alerting me to the broken video. I will look into this and..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Umm, @pbnew. Thanks for alerting me to the broken video. I will look into this and get back to you with the proper link.
In the meantime, you can see it here:
https://www.facebook.com/MayoClinic/videos/350931292115996

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There are a few 'eating for cancer' videos on YouTube put out on a Mayo Clinic site there. And a Ted talk by, I think, a doctor from Mayo.

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windyshores | @windyshores | Apr 26, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "It is low with the caveat that it has only started being tracked recently. (Meaning people..." + (show)
@callalloo

It is low with the caveat that it has only started being tracked recently. (Meaning people could have had in the past and had it attributed to poor oral care, age or just written off as an anomaly.)

I don't think people are sitting around choosing between risking osteoporosis or bone metastasis though. I'm sure that no one wants either one of them.

For me, personally, the myriad treatments for osteoporosis are so unpleasant that I am just motivated to do anything that I can to postpone ever needing them. And hope that far better preventative options become available. I look at young girls (and boys) and the ever-increasing subtle forms of eating disorders and worry about them a lot.

There a lot of Hobsons's choices in medicine unless we can be and remain perfectly healthy, alas.

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@callalloo you have osteopenia, not osteoporosis, and don't need meds. You have a chance to do things more naturally. Right now, I take Tymlos in the morning and have to stay in bed for 2-3 hours. I don't have Hobson's choice or any choice at all, really!

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1 reply
callalloo | @callalloo | Apr 26, 2022
In reply to @windyshores "@callalloo you have osteopenia, not osteoporosis, and don't need meds. You have a chance to do..." + (show)
@windyshores

@callalloo you have osteopenia, not osteoporosis, and don't need meds. You have a chance to do things more naturally. Right now, I take Tymlos in the morning and have to stay in bed for 2-3 hours. I don't have Hobson's choice or any choice at all, really!

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I know. You, and others here, are helping so many people by sharing your experiences and what you've learned about prevention and, if needed, drugs.

People usually learn things the hard way, not benefitting from the wisdom of others. Mayo Connect is a wonderful resource for changing that process for those who found their way here. (And the others they can in turn help by what they've learned.)

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1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | Apr 26, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "I know. You, and others here, are helping so many people by sharing your experiences and..." + (show)
@callalloo

I know. You, and others here, are helping so many people by sharing your experiences and what you've learned about prevention and, if needed, drugs.

People usually learn things the hard way, not benefitting from the wisdom of others. Mayo Connect is a wonderful resource for changing that process for those who found their way here. (And the others they can in turn help by what they've learned.)

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I should have come on here earlier! Noone told me about the pain of fractures, or the loss of independence.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 27, 2022
In reply to @pbnew "Link did not go to video etc. Just comments." + (show)
@pbnew

Link did not go to video etc. Just comments.

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@[pbnew, the video is working again.

In this video, Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a cancer survivor herself, shares information about food and diet that helped her and has helped her patients.

Dr. Mussallem is a physician at Mayo's Center for Breast Health where she leads the integrative medicine and health program within the Breast Center.

Cancer-Fighting Foods
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/event/cancer-fighting-foods/

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pattyayn59 | @pattyayn59 | Apr 27, 2022

I’m 63 ,dcis zero stage. Took anastrazole after radiation and couldn’t tolerate side effects. ! After two months - I stopped it.
Now they want me to start tamoxifen! Hoping to get opinion of mayo dr.
Anyone else have this experience?

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1 reply
shortie0650 | @shortie0650 | Apr 27, 2022

At age 72 (as of June), I have decided to not take the Anastrozole or the Tamoxifen, and likely not the radiation because I do not want to spend the rest of my time sick and dealing with the serious side effects. Opening up myself to getting osteoporosis is just trading one serious disease (cancer) for another serious disease (osteoporosis) and I don't want to be sickly, in pain and miserable for the rest of my life. I am however, going to try as many of the natural type treatments as I can, including diet, stress management, exercise and naturopathic help. I am looking into the Mistletoe treatments that are used a great deal in Europe, but are not yet approved in America. Some people use it as a stand alone treatment instead of the traditional ones and others use in in addition to their treatments to help manage the side effects. I know that this is not the path that many would take, but for me, at my age, it is a more acceptable way of seeing my life for the time I have left. 🙂

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2 replies
klarsonopenfields1 | @klarsonopenfields1 | Apr 27, 2022
In reply to @kilkennyfarmwife "Americans take ten times more prescription drugs then other Industrialized countries. The medicine I was taking,..." + (show)
@kilkennyfarmwife

Americans take ten times more prescription drugs then other Industrialized countries. The medicine I was taking, Anastrozole, gave me bad side effects, after being on the medicine for more then 2 months. It made me so irritable and mean it would have destroyed my marriage and my relationships with family and children. This POST is probably the effects of the Anastrozole still in my system. It was affecting my mental health that I started to drink alcohol, eat tons of carbs, and sugar. I was gaining weight and felt depressed. They offered anti-depressants or mood stabilizers, to combat the side effects. I have never been on anti-depressants. America has 5 percent of the worlds population but uses 60 percent of the worlds anti-depressant medicine. When I went off this medicine I feel like a million dollars, stopped drinking alcohol, started eating healthy, etc.. Maybe, in my case, the Anastrozole is doing more harm then good? I will try another estrogen blocking drug but this would be my 3rd drug. Most important I trust my doctor and team at Mayo.

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I tried Anastrozole and Letrozole. Different side effects with each. I was SO SICK with Anastrozole that I stopped taking it after 3 weeks. My back pain in the spine was beyond manageable. Headaches, digestive problems. I think I'm done with pharma AI's. Meeting with alternative medicine DO.
Look online for more info.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 27, 2022
In reply to @pattyayn59 "I’m 63 ,dcis zero stage. Took anastrazole after radiation and couldn’t tolerate side effects. ! After..." + (show)
@pattyayn59

I’m 63 ,dcis zero stage. Took anastrazole after radiation and couldn’t tolerate side effects. ! After two months - I stopped it.
Now they want me to start tamoxifen! Hoping to get opinion of mayo dr.
Anyone else have this experience?

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Welcome @pattyayn59. Have you submitted your question about switching to Tamoxifen on Mayo's patient portal?

There are others here like @francine6829 and @lisman1408 who have been able to successfully switch from an aromatase inhibitor to tamoxifen with fewer side effects.

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callalloo | @callalloo | Apr 27, 2022
In reply to @shortie0650 "At age 72 (as of June), I have decided to not take the Anastrozole or the..." + (show)
@shortie0650

At age 72 (as of June), I have decided to not take the Anastrozole or the Tamoxifen, and likely not the radiation because I do not want to spend the rest of my time sick and dealing with the serious side effects. Opening up myself to getting osteoporosis is just trading one serious disease (cancer) for another serious disease (osteoporosis) and I don't want to be sickly, in pain and miserable for the rest of my life. I am however, going to try as many of the natural type treatments as I can, including diet, stress management, exercise and naturopathic help. I am looking into the Mistletoe treatments that are used a great deal in Europe, but are not yet approved in America. Some people use it as a stand alone treatment instead of the traditional ones and others use in in addition to their treatments to help manage the side effects. I know that this is not the path that many would take, but for me, at my age, it is a more acceptable way of seeing my life for the time I have left. 🙂

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I'm also not taking any anti-hormone drugs, in part because I'd be trading a 5% chance of recurrence if the genetic testing is valid (and two oncologists I saw think it is) for a 100% likelihood of needing to go on drugs for osteoporosis. I have a few other reasons for not taking an aromatase inhibitor but wanting to avoid a certain osteoporosis threat gets my attention.

But am doing whatever else makes sense that can improve health. I haven't researched the mistletoe stuff and would be interested in reading an update about it if you take it.

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