Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi i have also just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and because I am on blood thinners I am unable to take anti inflammatory drugs. I’ve never heard of this condition, and all the symptoms I had had been put down to the cancer and my reaction to the drugs like Letrosol that I had been given as they had all caused me major joint pain.  My new drug is Anastrozole which I take with Abemaciclib and so far nothing has changed. My cancer appears to be responding so that is a good and positive thing. Any advice on how to manage the fibromyalgia would be appreciated. Due to my reaction to the cancer drugs I had to cut back on my exercise as I could hardly walk, which for a hill walker has extremely frustrating. Lack of exercise has not helped with gaining weight as it can’t help with my joints. I can last about an hour walking before I just can’t do anymore. I find that part so frustrating and debilitating but at last, after two years I now know why and I’m not going mad. I have a very limited appetite, but sweet things are a killer I was more a savoury person but now I’d kill for chocolate, it’s like a pregnancy craving and I had apples 🍎 for that!! I have upped my swimming and will hopefully restart my canoeing but the prospect of saving myself or my kayak is very slim at the moment😂😂 Try to keep smiling even if this feels like a mad carousel at times, which it does, with an ongoing onslaught of drugs, treatments and conditions and all we want to do is get off because there are times when it just gets too much. It is what it is and the best we can do is try and cope with it and not beat ourselves up when it gets the better of us and we just don’t want to face the world. Someone once said to me when I was not copying too well - ‘stop, breath and refocus and when you’re ready and it doesn’t matter how long that takes, then rejoin the world. All the best to you both. ... View more

Hi Pussy i took that combo for a couple of years, I was diagnosed with secondary Jan 2020. I had a rough time at the beginning as I reacted to everything they tried ie Letrosol and a few of the other hormone tablets. These drugs targeted my joints. So they decided to try me on the fulvestrant and abemaciclib. I had a reaction to the abemaciclib as I developed a rash but this occurred after about a year but by reducing the dosage it has now all settled down. At my appointment in August at the outreach centre I had a major reaction to the fulvestrant where I couldn’t get my breath and my blood pressure shot up. It was decided to try again but at the hospital but to take a prescribed antihistamine prior to treatment but again I had the same reaction. So am now on abemaciclib with another hormone tablet. For nearly two years I had the injection combo and apart from the rash, no other side affects and it was working, keeping it all stable. I have a large backside with plenty of padding, so even the injections were fine, one advantage I guess. I would say, in my experience, the combo worked really well but after two years the body decided it had had enough as I would have gladly carried on. However, this new tablet seems ok but I do again have joint pain with my knees and ankles but two weeks again I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia so it could be that or the hormone tablets or both.  Wishing you all the best,  I used to try and keep reading my book when I had to get my backside out😀   ... View more