Arimidex and side effects

[anna414]

Hello everyone. I have finished all my chemo (4 rounds of a/c and 4 rounds of taxol) I had 40 rounds of radiation and was started on Arimedex in January. I had little problem with side effects accept for dry mouth and some arthritic aches & pains.
However now I am having some severe arthritic like pain in most of my joints. My right shoulder and left knee are the worst (my non affected side. My breast cancer was left side).
I know that bone and arthritic like pain are normal while on Arimidex therapy. But I'm worried. My daughter read some where that it can take 6 months to a year for this go away. I use to VERY active but since my radiation ended I feel kinda lost. I want to be "me" again and this pain doesn't exactly help.
My question is: Is this normal and how long does it take to go away?

[PIPEFITTER]

HI ANNA , FIRST CONGRATS!!!!!  YOU DID IT!!! I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL I'M NOT ON THE SAME AS YOU I TAKE TOMAXAFIN. THE BONE PAIN IN MY LEGS ARE TERRIBLE THERE ARE DAYS I CAN'T EVEN LIFT MY LEFT LEG TO GO UP THE STAIRS (FALLEN UP STAIRS PLENTY OF TIMES) AND MY BREAST CANCER WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE BUT YES THESE SYMPTOMS CAN LAST  A FEW MON. OR YEARS I HAVE NEUROPATHY STILL IN MY HANDS AND FEET (TOES) AND I STOPPED MY CHEMO OCT OF 06 IT IS TOUGH ,MY HAIR IS JUST  STARTING TO COME BACK, GAINED SO MUCH WEIGHT.  IT IS NOT EASY ROAD BUT, WE ARE HERE.. I DO TAKE PAIN MEDS. FOR IT AND JUST TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME AND GO SLOW, STILL GET TIRED TOO!!! I'M 49 AND I FEEL 100 (LOL)   SO DON'T GET DOWN I GUESS THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS RECOVERY... GOD BLESS AND GOOD LUCK  

[Twocapes]

Aches and pains are very common side effects with Arimidex.  Mine can be awful and debilitating.  Spent two days at Disney/Epcot recently and almost gave in for a wheelchair (no, it doesn't get you to the front of the lines!! LOL).  I am also on Vytorin for cholesterol and a common side effect with that drug is guess what???  Aches and pains - so I have a double whammy.  I take Advil which helps a little but what keeps me going is that I do not want a recurrence and my tumor was VERY estrogen positive (98%) so I picture the Arimidex like little "Pac Men" running through my body eating up the estrogen which my tumor fed on!!  Good Luck - the worst is over and now I am actually having "bad hair days" but enjoying them.