ARIMIDEX Reviews (ANASTROZOLE)Average Rating: 2.5 (1431 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ARIMIDEX with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 |
More on ARIMIDEX: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ARIMIDEX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 2 | breast cancer stage 1 | trigger thumbs stiff joint knees worst like a 90 year old woman thinning skin especially around anus skin tears hair loss mood swings tired teeth loss of enamel appear see through sensitive positive rheumatoid arthritis nodules on finger joints finger nails look like peanut shells little concave marks no sex drive dry vagina | a horrible medication and if the would at least admit to some of the side effete you might not feel so bad as you would be prepare to fel them sited they tell you you will need advil as you will have stiff joint so I felt like a complainer because of all the things that were changing with my body I quit after 3.5 years an all but the thinning of skin teeth and hair are now good | F | 59 | 3.5 years 1mg 1X day | 7/8/2011 | 3 | Stage 2 Breast Cancer | Painful to walk-soreness in back and legs. This drug has taken me from a very active mom to a tired and sore old woman! My foot feels like I have broken bones and I have shooting pains through my ankles and legs. | My oncologists think I am nuts and when I called to see them for an alternative, they didn't feel my symptoms were critical enough to schedule me for two months. My radiation oncologist finally told me to stop taking it but I'm afraid that the side effects continue to worsen. Has there been any research into concurrent vitamins or activities that will improve mobility? I struggle to lose ten pounds, but at 5'6" 145 pounds; I'm not overweight. I'd like an alternative or at least the promise that in 5 years when I stop this drug, I'll be able to walk, hike & run again! | F | 44 | 3 months 10mg 1X day | 7/6/2011 | 5 | Stage 1 Breast Cancer HR+ | Very infrequent joint pain. Weight gain, slight hair thinning. | I have been very fortunate. Side effects are minimal. I do take 2 fish oil caplets daily. | F | 67 | 3 years 1 MG 1X day | 6/30/2011 | 3 | breast cancer stage 3 | Severe leg pain, difficulty moving after sitting for more than a couple of minutes, fuzzy thinking that interferes with my job as a teacher, depression and sense of 'what's the point' pretty much all the time. | I am glad I found this site; I wasn't sure about my symptoms and now see that they are common. Though my side effects continue, I have found relief through very basic yoga stretches done religiously and also taking a 'boot camp' type body weight exercise class. This class is basic push-ups, lunges, etc. I absolutely hate it and it hurts, but walking out of the class is often the only time my legs are pain free. The class has kept off weight and built up my muscle mass a lot. It has been a life-changer for me. | F | 57 | 2 years 1 mg 1X day | 6/29/2011 | 4 | stage 3 metatastic breast cancer | I am having extreme fatigue and brain fog. i have pain in most of my joints, especially the knees and wrists. My feet and legs hurt after sitting for any length of time and makes getting around very difficult. | Despite the terrible side effects the medicine is working for me and I am able to avoid a 2nd round of chemo. I am seriously considering stopping it after my lesions have cleared. This medicine has affected all aspects of my life and I do want to live to see my grandchildren but my youngest now is 7 and he needs a mom, not 90 year old zombie! | F | 45 | 8 months 1mg 1X day | 6/14/2011 | 5 | BC Stage 2, only 1 Lymph node | Stiffness, serious foot pain, joint pain, tiredness, no energy to do anything or go anywhere | Ladies, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. After 5 years of various side effects effecting my mood and general well-being, I finally am feeling great again. It's been 5 months since my last pill and finally a few weeks ago, I realized I felt no more stiffeness, achiness, or foot pain. I can walk and ride in cars for 30 minutes or more without feeling that I am so stiff that I can hardly get out and move! I can walk now without my feet killing me! Ladies, don't give up hope. It will go away when you have been off the meds for a few months. I am a five and 1/2 year survivor now and I think these meds have helped me get this far. | F | 67 | 5 years 10 MG 1X day | 6/5/2011 | 3 | Breast-invasive lobular carcinoma | Exhausted and sleepy; can't function. | Started taking May 19. I became progressively more tired, sleeping during the day. On Sunday May 22, I didn't take a pill and felt great. I spoke with the nurse about cutting or alternating the pills, and she said to try it. I started taking half pills on May 23 or 24, and again felt exhausted today (May 28). I may try again doing half pills, but going off the pills for one day a week and see how that is. No other side effects so far. | F | 68 | 10 days 1X day | 5/28/2011 | 2 | bc 2a some node involvement | Took generic for 30 days joints made cracking sounds joint pain great hunger and constipation horribly smelly gas weight gain switched to brand name normal appetite still tendency to gain weight joint pain lessened no smelly gas no constipation but no energy my thighs have swollen up and my breasts have gotten smaller i have kept my weight the same by eating like a bird and exercising alot severe foggy brain no memry can not sit still without pain for periods of time wake up tired sleep well at night but never feel rested can not focus can not verbalize words see something say a hammer but do not know what word to use forget where i am when i am driving or in the house why am i standing here at times disoriented | I am not happy with this drug after surgeries and chemo and radiation i felt like me {in excellent health same wt as college} i waited two weeks before starting it i felt great now i dont feel great i am barely existing i want to stop this is not life | F | 54 | 6 days 1mg 1X day | 5/27/2011 | 1 | Breast cancer stg.4 | I posted on 8/31/2010 and again 9/15/2010 (see history). This is an update as I have lingering side effects of joint pain and now something like sciatica but in left groin and down left thigh, cannot sleep much and pain pills (extra doses of NSADS and occasionally a tylenol w/ synthetic low dose codeine) sometimes don't even reduce the discomfort. | The lingering side effects are joing pain, if I go get groceries and bring them in, that is enough to start the discomfort. Same for light yard work. I can't do what I should be doing as a single working mom and am afraid to do more because I can't afford for this to get worse. After working part time since I had the reaction to Arimidex, I just started a fulltime office job, and from the difference in having a relaxed schedule to now sitting in a chair for 8 hours a day working, I immediately got major hip pain in left hip and nerve pain in groin and down left thigh, making trying to focus on my new job very challening to say the least, and pain is moderate and continual, making sleep a challenge, and some days the pain meds don't help at all, sometimes they get me through my day able to focus on my work. I am so at my wits end about the lingering effects of this drug. (I am now on aromasin and that seems to be working okay, we'll see...) | M | 60 | 2 days 1X day | 5/22/2011 | 1 | BC stage 2 | All side effects that everyone else on here has had!!! | 2009 BC stage 2. 6mm tumor, 11 nodes removed, one had cancer. Did four rounds of chemo, 33 treatments of radiation everyday. Put on this terrible little white pill. Side effects were just horrible. Stopped taking it on my own after 6 months. Now 2011, MRI done two months ago, everything normal. May 13, 2011 mammo and ultra sound done, everything normal. Port taken out May 19th. I feel so alive again after stopping this terrible pill. No more pain in joints, back to my normal weight, more energy. Up and down stairs without feeling like I am 100 years old. Life is good again without ARIMIDEX!! | F | 67 | 6 months 1 mg 1X day | 5/20/2011 | 2 | stage 1 lobular breast cancer | This is a follow up to my 3/2/11 posting. I went on generic Arimidex in late October, 2010 and stopped in early March, 2011 because of the many side effects that were affecting my life. I feel back to normal now after 4 months off the drug. PLEASE REPORT YOUR SIDE EFFECTS TO THE FDA BY CALLING 1-800-FDA-1088. If side effects aren't reported, they have no idea how many people are having negative reactions. FDA told me when I reported mine that they review all reports, then report any previously unreported side effects to the drug manufacturers. However, if side effects are reported by patients directly to the manufacturer, they are bound by law to send that information to the FDA. Having our voices heard by telling our stories is the only way to let the drug companies and the FDA know that we are having problems with their products. | When my doctor brushed off my reports of side effects, I asked one of my other doctors whom I respect for a referral to another oncologist. I appreciated the new doctor's attitude, and when I told him about my side effects, he agreed, that there are people who simply cannot tolerate these medicines, but it's uncertain as to why that is. He has laid out a course of action to determine which way is best for me to proceed (possibly Tamoxifen). In the past few years, I have decided that I am no longer going to stay with any doctor that does not follow through or seems disinterested in my concerns. I am seldom ever sick, but obviously breast cancer is something that needs close monitoring. I want a doctor who is my advocate, is willing to listen to my experiences with treatment. I have researched countries that have a better health care track record than the US (UK and Canada, for instance) and learned that both countries have had side effect reporting systems in place for nearly 50 years, prompted by the thalidomide tragedy. The UK has the Yellow Card System, with cards in pharmacies, doctor's offices and other medical sites where people can fill out the card and then submit it to the UK's equivalent to the FDA. Canada has a user-friendly form to fill out and both country's websites are easy to navigate and are very informative. If we can be pro-active and insist on being respected rather than ignored, it may encourage others to do the same. | F | 66 | 4 months 1 mg 1X day | 5/19/2011 | 1 | BC Stage 1 | Extreme shooting pain down my entire left leg- and I feel like I am 90! Can't work out- wake up at night in extreme pain! ASKED MY ONCOLOGIST- HE SUGGESTED GOING OF IT FOR A WEEK BUT SAID HE'D NEVER HEARD OF THIS DRUG CAUSING PAIN LIKE THIS..... | F | 50 | 10 days 30mg 1X day | 5/19/2011 | 1 | Breast cancer stage 2b | hideous! Weight gain, hair loss and bone pain nearly unbearable. Like all other comments here- one year may be possible but 5? I am 60. Do I want to live like I am 90 for 4 more precious years? I don't know what to do really. | F | 60 | 1 years 50mg 1X day | 5/18/2011 | 2 | Invasive lobular bc/ stage 1 | Joint pain, frequent headaches, constipation. (Not sure if the constipation is a side effect, but it seemed to start soon after I started the anastrazole. As for the headaches, the oncologist said it's possible as estrogen affects the vascular system) | The first few months were fine, but I'm now having increase in joint pain. Never had pain in my knees and elbows before till now. Sitting for 15 minutes causes the kind of stiffness you feel when you've been sitting in a car for 4 hours. I'm hoping it doesn't get much worse than this because it's pushing my tolerance limits. I really do feel much, much older than my chronological age. | F | 60 | 8 months 1X day | 5/8/2011 | 1 | Breast Cancer stage 2 | Still have stiff and painful joints although I have been off for 2 months now. The problem did not get worse and in fact improved, but did not clear by any means. Now I have to see a specialist. I will not be starting any new medication for the cancer for a few months. I sleep well now, am not moody or irritable and the headaches have gone. I still have the weight, but I have not gained one ounce more. | This is an absolutely disgusting medication with severe side effects for certain women. Many of these side effects get significantly worse as time goes on, and do not go away when you go off the drug. I only regret staying on as long as I did [6 months], and tolerating the pain until it became almost debilitating. I am only hoping the damage to my joints is not permanent and will continue to improve. I am on an exercise program and I watch my diet carefully. Quality of life is more important than quantity. I also believe that the side effects became worse after I was on the generic product. | F | 63 | 1 mg /day 1X day | 5/4/2011 Patient History | 1 | Breast cancer stage 2 | F | 49 | 15 months same as yo 1X day | 4/27/2011 Patient History | 3 | STAGE 3 INVASIVE LOBULAR/NODES | WITHIN FIRST MONTH CONSTANT HAND/FINGER JOINT PAIN, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH - DAILY FATIGUE, SEVERE KNEE AND HIP PAIN MOSTLY AFTER WAKING OR SITTING FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. UNABLE TO SQUAT AND RISE WITHOUT HOLDING ONTO SOMETHING - LEG PAIN IN THE NIGHT WAKES ME - FEEL LIKE I AM 100 YRS OLD - I'M ONLY 51! NO RELIEF FROM TYLENOL. | DIAG 1/2010-CHEMO, BILATERAL MASTECTOMY/LYMPH NODES UNDER ARM AND IN CHEST, RADIATION, THEN BEGAN ARIMIDEX TREATMENT - DON'T SEE MY ONC UNTIL JUNE - READ MANY REVIEWS AND TOLD HER WHEN I BEGAN TAKING ARIMIDEX THAT IF I GAINED ONE LB (WHICH WAS THE MOST COMMON SIDE AFFECT), I WAS COMING OFF IT. HAVEN'T GAINED ANY WEIGHT (SO FAR!) BUT MAKING UP FOR IT NOW IN JOINT AND BONE PAIN AND FATIGUE! | F | 51 | 6 months 1MG 1X day | 4/26/2011 | 3 | Stage 1 BC | Hair thinning, nails splitting, fuzzy brain, difficulty concentrating, trigger finger, insomnia. Now I have a localized head pain (not headache) but do not know yet if this is the cause. | The rating system for this drug is somewhat confusing. If I am protected from recurring BC long after five years, then, of course, I would rate this a 5. If I were rating it on side effects, however, I would have to rate it a 3. After only ten months, there is no way to rate it for "effectiveness." | F | 67 | 10 months 1 mg 1X day | 4/25/2011 | 3 | Breast Cancer ER+ | This is an update to a comment I posted in 4/22/09. I am still taking arimidex (am going into 5th year, hopefully my last) Am experiencing much the same side effects, they really haven't got a whole lot worse in the last two years. I would say the body aches and pains and lack of energy still the worst. | I did try going off this drug for 4 months in 2010, but there was no improvement in how I felt????? Maybe it will just take longer for me than others??? I have decided to stay on it for as long as doctors recommend. Even though it is hard to deal with these side effects, I am alive!! I admit, there definitely were times that I have just wanted to throw these pills in the trash, but then I read the research and the results this drug is having and I just look at it as one more part of treatment that I need to get thru. I quess none of us will ever know for sure whether this drug has really helped us, but thank goodness we have the option of using it. | F | 55 | 4 years 1 1X day | 4/23/2011 | 1 | Early Stage Breast Cancer | Extreme joint pain throughout my body, in ability to walk, muscle aches, hot flashes, night sweats, inability to sleep, ultimately I had itching all over | This drug is the Devil's Elixir. I was unable to continue it due to the severe side effects. I made a decision that if this was how the drug made me feel, I would rather have a shorter life and quality time. A month ago I never would have believed that there were worse things than cancer. Now I know... cancer drugs. I wonder about the long term effects this drug will have on a person. | F | 51 | 30 days 1MG 1X day | 4/20/2011 |