Morning ladies. I would like to know if any of you on Arimidex are putting on weight and how you have been getting on with it. I have nearly completed my first month and struggling to lose any of the 2 stone I put on whilst having chemo. If anything I think I have gone up a couple of pounds :~(! I have still got 8 rads to go and Onc has told me that I can go on diet. Anyone else in same position as desperate to get rid of this excess weight as not very good for health. Also if you are getting any other side effects. I still have a few left over from the chemo but hoping that these will go in time. Thanks ladies. Adi x
'Fraid so. I had chemo/surgery/rads first then went on tamoxifen and put some weight on. After 6 months was swopped to arimidex and have to have zoladex injections to make me menopausal in effect. In the first month I put on a stone and a half!!! I then put another half stone on but levelled out after that. I was 8.5 stone at the start of treatment and am now about 11 stone so my figure has changed completely and I frequently feel like a blob but people who didn’t know me before never realise and think I look quite slim (hahaha) and others who knew me before say I look better for it - including my sister who doesn’t mince her words.
Liz
I don’t think they’ll let me link to another forum - but if you put Topix + weight gain + Arimidex into Google you’ll find 248 pages of people complaining about weight gain on Arimidex! Most women say that the weight is around their midriff.
I have 10 extra lbs stuck firmly to my belly that will not shift. I cannot eat like I used to - in fact if I were eating this much pre-treatment I would be a stick insect. It clearly does something to the metabolism. Good news is that it appears to come off pretty easily once you stop the Arimidex.
Good luck.
Thanks ladies. That means I will have to wait 5 years Msmolly!!! Slimming club here I come…
Good luck Adi!
I have’t gained weight since starting a couple of months ago, but I haven’t been able to shift as much of my chemo weight as I had hoped after nearly 4 months.
When I went through natural menopause about 12 years ago, I put on a stone very quickly without any substantial change in diet or exercise. This came off while I was on HRT and then returned when I stopped. For some women, at least, the drop in hormones seems to provoke weight and fat gain as a way of restoring hormone levels. I hope someone is researching this and will find the mechanism and something to do about it.
In the meantime, I’m trying to walk very briskly for 15-20 minutes a day to get a habit established before we get into colder, wetter weather, and then to build up. Besides needing to lose weight, I want to get my formerly good heart and lung health back.
(I’m having no end of trouble posting due to broadband problems.)
And another. Was ever skinny until recently, about one and half stones heavier than before. Didn’t have chemo, but am also on amityptiline which doesn’t help. Waist is now about 4 inches more than bum - not a good look.
Am going to gym, walking dog, eating fruit and salad till its coming out my ears, but weight won’t budge. Never thought - maybe too much salad??
S
You have my synpathies as I too am gaining weight really fast since starting Arimidex 5 months ago. Now tipping the scales at 12stone 9lbs but oddly enough still able to get into quite a few of my pre- operation/arimidex size 14 clothes. A side effect of Arimidex that I am noticing is heavy perspiration/night sweats and a general feeling of being hot all of the time. I noticed that my armpits smelled really bad when I was having radiotherapy no matter how often I washed, and now when I wake up sweating in the night the same horrible smell is on my nightdress and bedclothes. Does anyone know of an effective antiperspirant that does not contain aluminium chlorohydrate? (BCN told me to avoid any antiperspirants containing this after my surgery).
Crystal Mineral Salts deoderants are good. They aren’t anti-perspirants, so they won’t actually stop you sweating. But the mineral salts neutralise the bacterial whiff - I was very skeptical initially but it does work. I use the rock form which you just dunk under a tap and then rub on. Google thecrystalDOTcom.
Hallo Marie,
As far as the anti-perspirant goes, as I was told to stop using them after surgery, chemo and rads, I’ve thrown mine away. Strangely, daily bathing seems to keep me sweet and I don’t seem to have a problem, even after my keep fit and ballet classes! Maybe I’m just lucky but I was always fastidious about this before. Hadn’t put my weight gain (half a stone to about 9st 4lb)down to my Arimidex. Have been on it for a year now and can’t wait to get back to classes again next month. Have started doing some exercises. Hope I don’t have to wait 4 more years to get it off again. Its all round my tummy and hips.
What I have found with Arimidex is that my skin is much drier and more sensitive. My Oncologist prescribed Diprobase for my body which seems to help with the driness. However, this weekend I got several insect bites on my body - goodness knows how they got to where they did! The worst place was right under my radiated breast. I couldn’t stop the itching for hours, even applying the Eurax prescribed by my GP during chemo, every few hours. Thankfully, it has eased now but I’m not wearing a bra at the moment, it was too uncomfortable. Certainly don’t seem to get any night sweats but do, of course, have the occasional “hot flush” associated with Arimidex. At 72, I thought I had got rid of those.
Balletdancer
Ive been on arimidex for about 4 weeks & I am still putting on weight around my middle, I put on about 1 1/2 stone since dx & its really getting me down now. Not had a problem with sweats, but my skin is really dry, & Im using diprobase cream, my feet are very dry on the bottom, even cracking & bleeding.Will have to start dieting soon:-)