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[Cooking_nut]

Hello Everyone,

I have just joined the community and look forward to meeting everyone and participating. I was diagnosed with HER 2+ breast cancer last year and had a lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation.

I am currently taking anastrozole, have tried letrozole, and tamoxifen. Am having a really hard time with joint pain, fatigue and some depression (which I already had before the breast cancer). I walk for 2+ miles 3 times per week but I still feel tired and fatigued with terrible knee pain. NSAIDS do not help and I am taking glucosamine and chondroitin, and calcium and D3.

Any suggestions for anything else I can do to help alleviate some of this pain?

Many thanks!

[weathervane]

Hi , sorry to hear you are experiencing pain , i hope you are well otherwise.

I have been taking Anastrozole for 18 months, in the last 2 I’ve started getting pain in my muscles and in joints, particularly my knees. I spoke to the oncologist and he wants me to stay on it for another few months and he will then review it . I also have Sjögren’s which causes pain and inflammation, i had my inflammation levels checked and they had not gone up so don’t think thats the cause.

The doctor recommended increasing dose of anti inflammatories, Etoricaxib, and it has taken the edge off a bit , but night time pain is still effecting my sleep. I also sleep with a pillow either behind or between my knees which i couldn’t do without.

This is may not be of any help, but i do know how you feel. Hopefully someone will come up with more ideas, take care !

[Cooking_nut in reply to weathervane]

Thank you, Weathervane! I will try the pillow between my knees and ask my doctor about Extoricaxib.

[weathervane in reply to Cooking_nut]

The Etoricaxib is easier on stomach, i can tolerate it better than naproxen. Hope you find something that works 😊

[Mintygreen]

Hi Cooking_nut. I've been Letrazole since July 2021 and at first I was having multiple dreams/nightmares just in a single night. That has eased with time and is a little known side effect. I take Cal C tablets (8 a day) as Letrazole can weaken the bones. I already had osteoarthritis and osteopena and had a total knee replacement in 2020.

I ache and feel tired alot just like you but I put that down to my age. Who knows! I'm coming up for 70 in November. I'm due for another bone density scan in a couple of years. Have you had one?

I find little and often exercise is better. I couldn't imagine walking the distance you do. Swimming is good also.

I'm not allowed to take NSAIDs because they upset my stomach ((having had bowel cancer in 2019 and half my bowel removed).

What has your doctor recommended?

I take Amitriptyline at night which helps me sleep just a small dose. And have used the pillow in-between my knees and legs which relieves the pain in my hip and knee.

Hope this has been helpful.

[Moppet65]

Hello Cooking nutSorry to hear you are suffering with pain. I've been taking Letrozole since February 2022 after removal of tumour in my right breast which was discovered very quickly and I only had to have one lymph node removed. Then had radiotherapy course followed by physio.

I find I am really tired and get very low a lot, I have only just got back to going for walks and do have aches in my legs (though I am hoping this is just being unfit! ). I am taking calcium with vitamin D tablets and vitamin C. I also need to take macrogel every morning as the Letrozole gives me constipation and I have had surgery in the past for intestinal adhesions and some of my intestine was removed so I really dread having the pain of that again which was much worse than any pain I am having so far with Letrozole. Have also had a full hysterectomy!

I did have a lot of pain in my right shoulder which has now eased off but have quite severe pain in my left shoulder and surrounding area so will be having a scan and x-ray later this month. Sometimes I feel that my eyesight is a bit hazy (possible Letrozole effect) so opthalmology appointment April. Next oncology appointment in July and he has already given me prescriptions for a bone density scan, mammography and scan, and blood test . I will wait to see the results of these tests and chat with oncologist before taking any other action or treatment, just persevere for now and try to keep mind and body occupied without dwelling too much on "what next"!

All this may be of some interest, although I don't have any particular suggestions.

Just hope you're symptoms ease and you can keep reasonably positive.

[Cockerpoomum]

So sorry to hear about your pain.

I have been on Leterozol for 4 years now. At first I had all sorts of weird pains but I stuck with it and now tolerate it well. If your pain is specifically in your knees it might not be to do with your breast cancer treatment.

I had back and hip pain and slept with a pillow under my knees if on my back or between my knees if on my side. Eventually I was diagnosed with OA and had a hip replacement in November.

When I found Naproxen stopped helping I did try co-codamol before activity and that helped a lot, but you have to be careful with it as it is addictive.