arimidex and depression

[susan]

I cannot describe the level of depression, fatigue, and complete personality change since I began my arimidex. As someone else stated, antidepressants, barely scratch the surface, I want to walk over to the nearest garbage can and throw away ALL my medications! Can someone tell me the difference between 3 years, 5 years, 10 years on this stuff? I am 2 and a half years out, and I'm not sure I can take much more of this. I wish all my sisters in this fight the very best!

[Jenny Chicago IL]

I had stage 1 treated with lumpectomy, chemo and rad and then tamoxifen. Then had precancerous changes to ovaries and uterous and total hysterectomy and ovaries out also and no more tamoxifen. I already have depression and painful arthritis. SO for a month I give Arimidex a fair trial, trying my best to stay positive, and I am a tough, positive person. But this one beat me, I am in so much more joint pain and SOOO depressed. I kept a journal, talked with my MD and have just about maxxed on antidepressants. So I have to stop the Arimidex.
Now what I want to know is, at Stage 1, estrogen receptor positive, but nodes negative, with all I had done AND no ovaries, is the long term % really worth all these drugs? I will wait and see more on real statistics.

[Ruth]

I have been on Arimidex for 2 1/2 months now and about a month ago I began noticing muscle aches in my arms and legs-not the joints like you would think. It feels like very bad aches, not pain. Has anyone noticed this and has it subsided? I had stage 1 breast cancer and no problems with the lymph nodes. I am 70 years of age and have always been very active but now in the morning I'm really going strong and till noon or mid-afternoon the aches are back-big time.

[Carol]

JAIME wrote:

HAS ANYONE NOTED BEING MORE DEPRESSED, AGGITATED AND "WEEPY" ON ARIMIDEX? IVE BEEN ON IT FOR ABOUT
ONE YEAR. THANKS FOR ANY INPUT.

I've also been on Arimidex for a year after a year of Femara.(I had to get off Femara because of intense joint pain.) I have joint pain and stiffness, depression, and I've gained 20 lb. since being on it. I'm going to ask my oncologist to put me on a different aromatase inhibitor during my next appointment.

[Johno]

Yes I took Tamoxifen for 18 months then transferred to Arimidex. I am due to go off it next month. It has been a horrible ride for me. I too suffered from very painful sex. Nobody seems to want to know about it. I went to a lovely gyno and he suggested that I use a product called Aci-Gel and to take inner health plus. This has helped very much. The Aci-gel introduces natural acids back into the vagina.I have to say I feel that Arimidex has poisoned me from the inside out. My life has been shit and I realy dont know how I am still with my husband. I got my cancer at the age of 43. I am now 48. Good luck and take care. If it keeps the cancer away yhou cannot take the risk of not taking it.You will hate yourself if you go off it and the cancer returns. Oh yes I have suffered all the side effects and they suck!! God Bless you.

Janis wrote:

I've been on Arimidex for two months after 3 years of Tamoxifin, from which I had no side effects. Now I have sudden onset of arthritis in my hands, joint pain everywhere, fatigue, mild anxiety. However, worse than any of that, is painful sex. So uncomfortable, that I most often avoid it, and never initiate it, because there is also no libido. Doctors don't have any answers for me. Have any of you experienced this? I'm too young to give up sex!