Joint & tendon pain on Aromatase inhibitors

[Dragonfly2]

EDIT: I found the article and posted the link in a reply to ladykaterina .

Here’s the link as well:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/282...

Hello ladies! This morning I woke up again wearing my wrist brace to help with an increasing pain in my right wrist tendon. last summer it had started and I had to wait until September before I got the magical pain relieving shot of cortisone. (I also got a shot into my left thumb for a trigger finger). The pain relief was immediate and I had to avoid any strain for several weeks while continuing to wear a brace.

Well, I didn’t because the golf was too good and my pain had been relieved. However, around Christmas my pain returned and my husband blamed my enthusiastic knitting and crocheting. Pooh Pooh …we’ll now it really hurts and I am back to wearing the brace while waiting for another shot next week?

My question is: does anyone have the link to an article about the impact of anastrozole on joints and tendons? I thought I had saved the post…but I wanted to have a conversation with my ONC about changing to letrozole (?) if it makes any difference,.

I know I need to get back into yoga for general health improvement but this joint paint is not touched by OTC meds.

Again, thank you in advance for your help and input…thankfully, the Anastrozole and IBrance are still working after nearly two years so I hope I’m not rocking the boat.

[Dragonfly2]

OH boy…I just found it….🙄. Chemo brain is my excuse.☺️

[LadyKatarina in reply to Dragonfly2]

Could you please share the article with us? Thanks!

[Dragonfly2 in reply to LadyKatarina]

Oh gosh.. I’m such a flake… found it but didn’t share it.. here’s the link to the AIMSS that we all seem to suffer in some form or other. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/265...

When doing further research you can use the acronym AIMSS. It stands for Aromatase inhibitor induced musculoskeletal syndrome. Thank you ladyK for reminding me.

[LadyKatarina in reply to Dragonfly2]

THANKS SO MUCH!! Their research confirms what we all are saying!

[Woodthrush]

I have had joint and back pain on and off on ibrance and letrizole. Helps somewhat that Onc switched me from Xgeva to Zometa.Massage therapy (a clinical trial at Sloan Kettering NYC) has helped with pain overall.

i recently began swim lessons (at 65!) floating in the water, exercising arms and legs in water has been very helpful and relaxing too. Only had 2 classes so far. Hope to get over fear of the deep end.

Restorative yoga poses aid more than yoga workout.

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Woodthrush]

Thank you for reminding me about the importance of yoga! Sigh, there is no easy answer😚

[JGriffin]

I’ve just come off Letrozole to go on Exemestane. Saw my Oncologist yesterday and because of my severe joint pain he felt Letrozole wasn’t for me. It’s very difficult, I guess we just have to keep trying till we find the one that is easier on us.Good luck 🤞

[Dragonfly2 in reply to JGriffin]

Oh, I’m so sorry to hear…I guess there’s no easy answer…but as long as we’re upright and taking nourishment …thank you! 😉

[Contrarielle]

Oh my goodness, tell me about it! All the AIs have the same problem. I had it bad on exemestane, had a nice break for 6 months on faslodex, that failed and now I'm on letrozole with return of stiffness, tight fingers n toes, the works. I force myself to walk up slopes and stairs and I'm going to keep knitting regardless. I've just got to suck it up and hope benefits outweigh side effects 😊

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Contrarielle]

Oh gosh…we can only keep trying! Thank you !

[Garden-Lady]

Dear Dragonfly2 I find that turmeric and ginger help. I make turmeric latte with oat milk (you'll find lots of recipes online) and I add grated, raw turmeric and ginger to fresh fruit smoothies every day. There is a lot of evidence online that it helps joint pain and inflammation.Good luck. Xx

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Garden-Lady]

Thank you for reminding me about the turmeric…I have the supplements and need to just put them into my therapy…and warmer weather will surely help!

[Susan1953]

Hello Dragon Fly, I feel your pain. I am on Ibrance and letrozole since April 2017, celebrating 5 year mark. I began having arthritis in my fingers about 3 years ago. I am a knitter and love to kayak and fish with my husband. My thumbs have been very painful. I had surgery 6 months ago on my left basil joint which is just below the thumb on my wrist. My joint was replaced with a tendon from my wrist. It has been a long recovery with lots of home rehab but worth it. Let me know if you have any questions about my experience with this surgery.

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Susan1953]

Thank you Susan! I guess Im not alone...and the meds can have similar or different effects...Getting old isn't for the faint of heart...Thank you for reaching out!

[Cowgirl1951]

Maybe try soaking your wrist in Epson Salt. I hope you find some relief.

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Cowgirl1951]

Thank you...heat does seem to help on those cold mornings!

[hurricaneheather]

treatment began with Letrozole. it was too much for this body and was switched to Anastrozole. the body did and is doing better, with manageable side effects. yoga helps this body, as does acupuncture and massage. additionally, i take (Homepoathic) Arnicare tablets for arthritis and pain by Boiron. further, there are topicals and supplements that i use. this body has been receiving (the first line of) treatment since Aug 2015.

[Dragonfly2 in reply to hurricaneheather]

Thank you...I'm planning on following some of your suggestions...it's never easy to see yourself getting older...but the alternative is not so good!😇

[LadyKatarina]

I was told by a friend that is a retired rheumatologist that the AI's inflame the synovial membranes, and the membranes (which are similar) around the tendons. I took anastrozole for 8 months--could hardly move due to pain in 8 joints. It took 6 months for the pain to resolve. Then on to fulvestrant injections for two years. Then tried letrozole--managed to get Femara name brand and joint pain was minimal. I did get tendonitis in a foot joint. However, the letrozole caused brain/mind problems--extreme fog, anger issues, paranoia. After a long break I am now trying exemestane. Switch the brands around, try different AI's. Try fulvestrant--lots of options. And of course keep moving--150 min of cardio exercise per week is suggested--and really helps, along with toning and strength exercises. Best to you!

[Dragonfly2 in reply to LadyKatarina]

thank you again...its not a straight path forward for any of us!

[Fifilatour]

Hello! I couldn’t believe how achy and sore Letrozole made me feel. Just bending over to pick something up was difficult. I had switched to Letrozole from Tamoxifen about 18 months before I found out I had MBC last September. The joint aches were really getting me down. Couldn’t even use my arms/wrists to push myself up in bed for example. My hips constantly ached. Some days it was my elbow, then the next my thighs, or my lower back. The pain was real and really getting me down. After about a year on Letrozole, I started Cymbalta (duloxetine)…for mild depression (February 2021 natch) but also because my psychiatrist said it had some use for joint pain. The pain went away in a week (the depression took about four weeks!). I was very surprised my oncology team hadn’t heard of this nor had any of my friends in bc support groups, etc. Not sure why it was so effective for me in getting rid of my considerable and quality-of-life-diminishing joint aches and bone pains…and I’m not exaggerating. It was game changing. Just throwing it out there. Still on Cymbalta though now off the Letrozole. On Ibrance/Fulvestrant/Xgeva instead. My biggest issue now is fatigue and bone mets aches -best helped for me with rest and stretching and exercise, which is still happily not hindered with the kind of pain I had before going on Cymbalta. Who knows how I’d feel if I went off Cymbalta (not in any way planning to test that out!). Btw - I was regularly exercising, lifting weights, stretching, etc. for many years prior to the Letrozole aches I described above. When I started Letrozole and the pain kicked in, I knew it would help to get out of bed and move but I felt so cruddy that it was always a challenge. Knowing this and having the added stress that I “should” be doing something to help myself, piled up in my head for sure and negatively effected my mental health. So it’s all connected. And I found the kindest path for me was to get on an antidepressant to help….who knew it would serve a much bigger purpose in getting rid of the joint and bone pain! That’s my experience for what it’s worth! Best of luck to you with your pain. I hope you find some relief. Xoxoxox Liz

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Fifilatour]

Thank you … you have gone down a long and arduous path to survive this disease … and here I thought letrezole would be an option. Thank you for sharing about cymbalta!

[Fiercefighter13]

Hi there! I don't have an article to refer to for you, but I'm hoping maybe what I have found that reduces my joint pain, might help you as well. I started concentrating on eating Omega-3's. I'm eating fresh wild caught salmon at least twice a week, and started having two tablespoons of organic chia seeds every day. I walk 2 miles a day since a physical therapist told me the best way to get the cushioning fluid to joints is to move them, with gentle walking and swimming, or yoga being good gentle ways to do that. The walking alone was not helping much.....4 weeks ago I could barely get out of a chair if I sat more than 10 minutes. However, after adding the natural Omega-3's to my diet I noticed a huge improvement and barely have any joint pain at all. I can't take Omega's in pill form because it makes me horribly sick to my stomach, but eating them in foods seems to go well all around for me. This is such a hard road we are on, the disease, the medications, it's very punishing to our bodies and minds. I think that since we are all different, we don't all react the same way to things, but with so many in this community, it's wonderful that we can find a variety of solutions and may find more ways to find comfort and help. Take good care, and I hope you find the solution to help your pain!

[Dragonfly2 in reply to Fiercefighter13]

Aww, you’re such a sweet heart for replying with good suggestions and reminders. I’ve promised my daughter that I would eat more seafood and salmon is a favorite. Here in the northeast the winters can be long and hard on aging bones so I need to go all the things you suggest. I too walked a lot but the hands need extra support 🤣thank you! Ps. I edited the original post to include the article which I found after some snooping. Enjoy!