My regular readers will have to forgive me. I’m getting double-whammied here. A few months ago, the onc changed by BC meds, to the very last Aromatasse Inhibitor drug available to me under the 5-year-reduce-recurrence-risk-plan they generally put women on after surgery and toxification/radiation, whether it works or not. I’m not doing well on the Femara, at all, and if I didn’t know better I’d say I was descending into a huge black hole of depression.
Except I do know better.
The irritability, the not feeling rested even after a deep sleep, the severe lack of motivation, and the mental fuzziness came on after starting the femara. Onc thought it would subside as my hormones “calmed” down after going off and then starting meds. It’s not.
The whole bc treatments really just sucks. I know that I’m in for a fight on what to do next when Onc calls back. Obviously, I cannot continue this for the remaining 5 months of the 5-year plan, but after 4.5 years, I know that the big C will still be thrown in my face as a reason to continue. You know, you don’t want the CANCER to return, no matter how shitty you feel.
Jesus H. Christ. The whole culture pharmaceuticals have created of benefits outweigh the risks is bullshit. Plain and simple. I cannot believe how many people, regardless of gender, fall into this line of bull. As a patient, it is particularly hard to combat when it is the doctor that has bought into this culture. Seriously, how can one even suggest that a side effect of depression is better than cancer recurrence? These are two seperate and very serious problems, but in this case, one is being created by the meds meant to stop the other.
So, when are the pharmaceuticals going to create a drug that combats cancer without the serious side-effects? Probably never.
Now, couple that with the horrible effects of summer allergies. Right now the grass pollen count and mold spore counts are terribly high, and debilitating. The pressure from the sinuses push upwards onto the bottom of my eyes is literally closing my eyes from the bottom up. Can’t do a damn thing if your eyes are closing on you. Not to mention this is complicating the mental fuzziness.
I’ve done well on the loratadine in the past, but now, I swear it feels like the generic form of Claritin is nothing more than a fucking plecibo. It isn’t doing a damn thing to help relieve the effects of the pollen.
So, you all will have to forgive me. Posting will be light until this gets straightened out.
I’ll try to pitch in more. Since my “nest” has emptied, I have been ridiculous without a schedule of activities surrounding kids, ‘er young adults. I just sort of float as if hit by temporary attention deficit disorder, leaving a vast array of unfinished projects in my wake.
Feel better.
I had a lot of bone/joint pain with Arimidex and am doing better on Aromasin so maybe you could switch drugs? If you only have five months to go, and I don’t think the calendar has a magic date I’d say get off the drugs and take care of yourself because your health is all about your immune system and that can’t be good if you feel so lousy. Good luck.
Thanks Sunny, I appreciate it.
Ann, I had the same problem with Arimidex. I was then on Aromasin for 3.5 years, until I developed osteo-arthritis in my fingers and osteopenia of the spine. Femara was/is the last drug to try. I’m still waiting to hear from the onc, which probably won’t be until tomorrow. I really haven’t been on the drugs for the full 5 years, even minus the 5 months left to go. There is about 6 months of stopping to clear my system before starting again. I’d prefer to go off the drugs at this point, but we will see.
Take care of yourself, and don’t put yourself on any sort of deadline. We’ll miss your posts, but we’ll just be that much more eager for you when you finally come back