| Chan's daughter told us that her mother's loss of | | | | side effects. But for the last two to three 3 years |
| blood was due to the bleeding from her guts. The | | | | I've experienced severe pain in my neck and back, |
| doctor in the private hospital told the family that | | | | specifically in the thorax region. It is truly debilitating |
| nothing much could be done since the cancer had | | | | at times. My doctor told me it was degenerative |
| spread. Chan is a worrying-type of person and | | | | arthritis. But as I read your and other women's |
| suffered from the following:o She has pains if she | | | | remarks who are on this treatment, I have to |
| walks for some distance.o She is not able to sleep | | | | wonder if it is the Arimidex. |
| when she feels "heaty".o When she is asleep, she | | | | Patient 6 wrote: I just started taking this drug in |
| observes that her stomach moves and churns.o Her | | | | June. At fist I was fine but recently I've been having |
| stools are black in colour. | | | | pains. I wake up several times at night with pains in |
| In December 2006 (about a year after taking | | | | my arms and fingers. |
| Arimidex), Chan suffered a sudden onset of pains | | | | Patient 7 wrote: I have been on this medication for |
| throughout her body besides having shortness of | | | | seven months. I too have much joint pain -- pain |
| breast. Then, her guts bled leading to severe loss of | | | | during the night that wakes me up! I am wondering if |
| blood. Are these problems related to the intake of | | | | it is worth all this pain -- there is no guarantee that in |
| Arimidex? | | | | five years the breast cancer will not return! |
| Among the many documented side effects of | | | | Patient 8 wrote: I have been taking Arimidex for two |
| Arimidex are: hot flushes, mood disturbances, | | | | years also. I feel bone pain, my hands hurt, my |
| depression, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, muscle and | | | | headaches have gotten worse, I am depressed, and |
| bone pain, shortness of breath or coughing, fractures | | | | my appetite is just not there any more. I wake up |
| due to reduction of bone density, thromboembolic | | | | three hours after I go to bed. I feel tired and drained |
| events, rash, swelling or water retention, loss of | | | | the rest of the day. My doctor thinks I am a |
| appetite, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, vaginal | | | | hypochondriac. But these symptoms are real. My |
| bleeding and gastrointestinal disorder. | | | | cousin had been taking this for four years and her |
| In spite of the above the medical researchers | | | | intestine got infected from all the medicine. It started |
| concluded that the use of Arimidex is "well tolerated". | | | | to eat away at it. She died two months after the |
| To get an insight of what patients suffer, go to the | | | | removal of her intestine. Have you heard any thing |
| message board of cancercompass (link below). | | | | about that? |
| Patient 1 wrote: I have been on Arimidex for almost | | | | The comments of these patients and the case |
| two years now. Firstly I had hardly any side effects | | | | presented by Chan are real. These are not fantasies |
| and slowly but surely they seem to be building up, | | | | of the patients' mind. The side effects suffered by |
| some days far worse than the next. The main side | | | | Chan are similarly felt by other patients. Chan had |
| effects which I am experiencing now are aching | | | | bleeding from her guts. Reading the comment of |
| bones and joints, mainly while trying to sleep at night. | | | | Patient 8, who wrote that her cousin who took the |
| Also tiredness and seem to want to just go to bed | | | | drug for four years, ended with an "eaten away" gut, |
| to rest from as early as 8 p.m. -- this is sad as I | | | | one cannot help thinking if Arimidex is causing similar |
| always went to bed late before my breast cancer. | | | | problem to Chan's gut. |
| Patient 2 wrote: I have been on Arimidex for three | | | | It is most distressful to see the CT scan of Chan's |
| and a half years. I too, did not notice anything in the | | | | liver. The metastasis is so extensive and widespread |
| beginning but am now beginning to wonder. I always | | | | covering her entire liver. Over the decades looking at |
| seemed to have trouble standing for longer periods | | | | liver images, I cannot help feeling that the scan |
| of time -- seemed to always want to sit down | | | | images of Chan's liver is rare indeed. |
| instead. Last summer (August) I had trouble walking | | | | The question that begs an answer: "Why is the liver |
| for any amount of time over 20 minutes. In February | | | | metastasis so extensive?" Only a year ago (April |
| of this year I had a major back trouble with sciatica. | | | | 2006) Chan's liver was said to be free of metastasis. |
| It was very, very bad. My Radiation Oncologist | | | | Why does this happen so suddenly and so soon? It is |
| mentioned that maybe it was a side effect of the | | | | understandable if there are only one or a few |
| Arimidex. I also wake up four to five times every | | | | metastatic spots in her liver but to have numerous |
| night. | | | | nodules at once is beyond comprehension. One is |
| Patient 3 wrote: I began taking Arimidex in late June | | | | tempted to ask if this metastasis could be related to |
| and from the beginning had a constant headache, | | | | the treatment rather than the cancer itself. |
| very slight so I didn't worry too much. Then the | | | | The case of Chan further reinforces my resolve to |
| bone pain started and got worse very quickly. My | | | | say this to cancer patients: Cure for cancer requires |
| oncologist wanted me to switch to "something else" | | | | a change of diet, lifestyle and full commitment on the |
| right away. | | | | part of patients to take matters into their own |
| Patient 4 wrote: My pains are definitely getting worse | | | | hands. Subjecting themselves to invasive treatments |
| as each month goes by. I wake up feeling 30 years | | | | of modern medicine and taking of the so-called |
| older. I am with pains pretty much all over the bones | | | | "FDA-approved drugs" may not be the only option |
| and joints from the hips down! I get depression too, | | | | for them. Look far and wide - there are other |
| very bad at times. Not sure if this is because I lack | | | | options available in the horizon. My experience shows |
| sleep due to painful nights, feeling sorry for myself or | | | | that for some patients, taking the "alternative, |
| the effects of Arimidex. | | | | holistic" path could prove to be a more humane and |
| Patient 5 wrote: Like you, at first I didn't notice any | | | | effective path for their cancers. |