Hi
I am taking Anastrozole (2 months in) and had a base line bone scan which showed I had osteopenia in lower spine. Not a surprise as I had a bone scan about 15yrs ago and was told the same so started HRT then. I have now started Adcal (Calcium & Vit D) but have heard that this is not best treatment and that I should have bisphosphates but I am a little reluctant as i have read that there are many side effects one of which is acid reflux, which I suffer from already.
Anyone else had any experience on Adcal and did it help?
Many thanks
Hi @Susan.dorothy Thank you for your post. - I’m sure one of our Forum members will be in touch soon.
In the meantime, you can get in touch with our Nurses in the Ask Our Nurses area of the Forum and they can respond to you online.
Best wishes,
Shareena
Hi Susan
I have been taking Adcal since I started chemo in late 2018 (when I remember). After I’d finished chemo and radiotherapy, I was scheduled for a 6-monthly Zometa infusion (biphosphonates). I get side effects that no one’s even imagined but the only side effect I got from the zometa is a few days of flu-like fatigue. If you’re having the infusion and are prone to acid reflux, you only need to tell your oncologist or nurse and they will prescribe something preventative like Lansoprazole or ask your GP to prescribe it.
Now I have secondary breast cancer, my oncologist has cancelled my last infusion on the basis that it’s done its job (no bc in my bones) and my body has taken enough battering. I somehow feel disappointed that I haven’t quite finished the course (3 years).
Your oncology team will have thought carefully about which treatment would suit you best. Don’t let uninformed people make you question that treatment regimen as it’s very closely tailored to your specific needs. I would suggest you ring your breast care nurse and ask about the zometa infusion and why you haven’t been offered this treatment - but if you fear having it, why bother? It might also be wise not to seek out these uninformed sources (Google?). Trust your team and let them treat you the way that’s best suited to your specific symptoms.
Does Adcal help? Presumably yes or they wouldn’t keep prescribing it. Does Zometa help? Yes. I’ve had osteopoenia for years and, despite the secondary breast cancer, there is no evidence of bc in my bones. I suspect that’s down to one treatment or the other. I was fortunate to have both treatments but that may be because my primary breast cancer was complex and advanced so they threw everything at it.
I hope that helps and hope you find an answer to your dilemma xx