Young women with breast cancer who are on Arimidex?? | Breast Cancer

Hi,I did the following:

Young women with breast cancer who are on Arimidex??I was on Zoladex and Arimidex (an aromatase inhibitor) for two years due to my cancer being hormone receptor positive and HER2neu-positive.

Unfortunately I experienced a total change of character. I became severely depressed and even aggressive. At first I thought I wasn?t dealing well with my cancer diagnosis so I had counseling, but it turned out that I was actually handling things very well, considering the circumstances.

I talked this over with my oncologist and am now on an Arimidex break (I am still taking Zoladex shots). And I noticed the change immediately. Not only do I feel much more stable mentally, but the horrible bone and muscle aches are over as well. But now I?m freaked out because I feel unprotected?

Has anyone else who is pre-menopausal had problems with Arimidex or an aromatase inhibitor as well? How did you deal with this?

Please bear in mind that due to my bc being HER2neu+++ I am not able to switch to Tamoxifen.
Yes, I have been on Herceptin for a year.

In my country you don?t get given Tamoxifen with a tumour that is HER2neu+++ as research has shown that it?s likely to have no effect on those kind of tumours. So even pre-menopausal women like myself take Arimidex. It?s either an aromatase inhibitor or nothing for those tumours.
The Zoladex-shots are supposed to make you ?post-menopausal? (hormone levels are extremely low).
Sorry, I meant that tamoxifen MIGHT not have an effect?

-Elke M
I wish I could answer you. I never heard anyone that is not post menopause getting aromatase inhibitors. Tamoxifen is all I know for pre menopause.

-Robert H
I think most oncologists would agree that the jury is still out on being able to use tamoxifen in young women with Her-2-neu positive, hormone-positive breast cancer. There are theoretical risks about tamoxifen actually increasing the likelihood of disease recurrence or spread, but studies examining this risk are only underway and their results are likely years away.

All of the aromatase inhibitors are associated with increased arthralgias and myalgias to some degree. Perhaps your symptoms may be lessened by switching to exemestane (a steroidal AI). Of course, with the zoladex eliminating your ovarian estrogen production, and the AI eliminating your peripheral estrogen production, your relative levels of testosterone actually increase (because the estrogen has decreased). This gives you the double whammy of post-menopausal symptoms with increased virilization, and all that that implies.

There are a number of over-the-counter remedies for your symptoms, including black cohosh, phytoestrogens and the like. I would caution you to talk with your oncologist before trying these methods to help with your symptoms. Of course, I think you should talk with your oncologist about the necessity for being on this combination therapy as well?

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