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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / January 2004Arimidex, Contact Info?
The 866 phone number given at their web-site doesn't work. I sent an email, to which they've not responded. [Right now, I have an inner-ear swelling & inflammation from the recent bronchitis/pneumonia stuff, plus the medicines are making me groggy. It's also cold & damp inside the house, which ain't helping. Now that I'm not coughing & blowing my nose so much, I can go hang out at the library or grocery store some, & I'm about to do that, after I see about the dogs & cats.] I'd like to contact the makers of Arimidex, in a way to which they'll respond, preferably a phone number that works. Yesterday, I spoke with my oncologist, & my adverse reactions to Arimidex are the usual ones, but it's only supposed to affect a small percentage of people this way. The onc wanted me to keep taking the estrogen-blocking meds, but I can't due to the severe adverse reactions & side effects they caused, which kept getting worse. Since the oncs have no other treatments to offer, they keep overly-pushing the estrogen-blocking meds, until the patients (like me) get too sick, give up & walk away. I'm willing to have testing done on me, to determine why Arimidex (Femara & Aromasin) affected me so badly, ... & my oncologist is willing to do this testing, ... IF the makers of Arimidex will ask for it to be done. So far, I can't get any response from them. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions PS I think that the docs are being strongly discouraged, from reporting the adverse effects that drugs have, & the harm they do. Hi Su, sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. I was wondering what kind of test would indicate why you are having difficulties with Arimidex? I just had a thought. You have written that you have many hypersensitivities to different medications. You also wrote that your house is cold and damp. My memories from Texas are that it is a very humid environment with a high propensity for mold growth. Have you ever been tested for mold allergy? I am asking that based on an experience I had when I was 18. I visited my grandfather's old farm house in South New Jersy where I stayed for at least a week one summer. In addition to normal humiditiy it also rained then--in the heat of the summer. I don't know if I had a mold allergy before but sure developed one at the time. I wound up having bad sinus problems as a result which lingered for about 2 months after I got back to California. I recall being okay during the day but having a problem whenever I lay down. I had a bad sinus infection which was treatable with antibiotics. Since that time, I can immediately tell a mold by the smell and/or taste. In regard to the latter, I can tell if a food is moldy before most others can. The same is true for external environments (i.e. rooms). Now, I don't know that much about allergies--other than the few things for which I do have a reaction. I don't live in a humid area and don't have to contend with a mold problem. However, I think I've read that some who have hypersensitive reactions have worse reactions if they are in an environment that is problematic to them. My thoughts in your case are that you might be more sensitive to medications if you are allergic to something such as mold and are living in an environment where that is an on-going problem. If that is the case you might be more comfortable in an area with a more desert-like climate. Again, I don't know if that is any problem for you but was a thought that crossed my mind when you wrote that your house was cold and damp. Also there are special devices that help remove the dampness from room environments. I think they are available through companies that sell allergy-related products. Have you ever seen a rheumatologist or allergist to rule out anything related to your hypersensitive reactions? > Also there are special devices that help remove the dampness from room > environments. I think they are available through companies that sell > allergy-related products. Have you ever seen a rheumatologist or allergist to > rule out anything related to your hypersensitive reactions? They are called dehumidifiers and cost about $50-80 US. Also, try to clean moldy areas with bleach water once per week, like the tracks of windows. When condensation slides down a window it collects in the window tracks and often grows mold. If your mattress is moldy, get a new one, or get an allergenic mattris cover. It zips up tight and keeps allergens in. Also look into a HEPA filter for your furnace/AC. It will help get out dust and mold particles. There are also allergenic pillow cases. Put one of these on your old pillow, then put on your pillow case. If your walls or basement are moldy, get them fixed. This usually involves replacing the drywall/wallboard/gypsum board. And SCRUBBING any 2x4's with bleach water. Some 2x4's may need replacing depending how moldy they are. Surface mold can be scrubbed off, but if it penetrates too deeply in the wood, be cautious and replace it. - Bleach water: 1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 cup water - Stuff growing outside I don't know what kind of house you live in. Do you have wood shingles? Wood shakes? Vinyl siding? Stucco siding? Is there anything growing on it? Can it be scrubbed by hand with bleach water? Can it be power washed? Be sure to take care of external mold. What about your attic or crawlspace? Are any bathroom vents venting into these spaces? If you don't know, find out right away. Your mold problem may be centered in one of these places. Bathroom vents should vent outside, not to an attic. Find out if there is a mold problem in your attic or crawlspace. If so, is scrubbing with bleach water an alternative? What can you do to prevent moisture in these spaces? If your crawlspace includes a dirt/sand floor, you may want to cover the dirt with plastic sheets, and seal them so no moisture gets to the crawlspace. Good luck. I'm allergic to mold too.  SignatureSay no to fixed width tables. They look terrible in all browsers. Forgot to mention, mold may not be visible outside interior walls. A 1-2" hole may have to be drilled (for visual inspection) in lower places in the wall where mold is smelled or suspected. SignatureSay no to fixed width tables. They look terrible in all browsers. Hi Kaye, Yes, I saw an allergist in early 2002. The drainage seems to be from the injuries & assaults, & the damage these have caused. I've been around molds for all my life, Many molds. At the farm, things rotted: leaves, dead animals, etc. No allergies. Mostly I'm just allergic to the synthetic-type drugs which the docs push, like antidepressants, pain killers, estrogen-blockers, etc. I'm now living in a wooden house, where I've lived since about 1992. It's up off the ground. However, for right now, my most pressing need is to just survive all this hellishly awful & life-threatening stuff, ... not research molds. --------- While I'm so sick & weak, I'm sleeping on Mom's couch, ... which means I'm taking a lot more abuse than usual from her, & am in more danger. It also means that I'm in a warmer environment while I'm trying to sleep, & am getting to take a warm bath every day. Mom cuts the heat off at night, so her house gets cold, & there's only a thin display-type quilt to cover with, but I'm doing OK. I'm taking extra socks, & also wearing a sweater over my t-shirt, while I sleep. And I'm wearing a paper face-mask-thing, to help keep my breath warm & moist. Mom (a control freak) gets upset & angry, when I bring things into her house, so I can't bring in more covers. It's very difficult to be around an abuser, & not get badly "burned". It's also exhausting. Mom will get angry when she runs out of some food (such as bread), & won't calm down, ... & she'll be furious if I anticipate this & bring some, ... but she'll eat it. ??? She's not pleaseable. And she's very aggressive & illogical. ------------ As soon as Mom's awake, things get very dangerous, so I leave & go home, where it's cold & damp for now. As soon as I learn some more skills & get some strength back, I'll try to fix some things at my house, & to clean up some more. I'm feeding the animals, then going to stores/etc where it's warm & hanging out there, until I'm in better health. This got kinda difficult around Christmas & New Years, because things were closed, ... but the weather was mostly warm then, so it was OK. ---------- If I keep working & trying very hard, then things will get better for me. I'm very disappointed in the doctors & in their medical treatments (esp. Arimidex), which have now wasted so much time, & which did Not deliver good results. It's difficult to trust in someone, & to spend a lot of time, effort, & money on something (like cancer care), ... only to keep being betrayed & getting knocked down, down, down, & further harmed. It does hurt. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions PS The inner-ear trouble is awful. Today, I was at the library, checking Hotmail email accounts & researching diet. Alkaline foods & such. And hormones. Su wrote: << While I'm so sick & weak, I'm sleeping on Mom's couch, ... which means I'm taking a lot more abuse than usual from her, & am in more danger.>> Glad to hear that you are physically more comfortable but sorry to hear of the emotional impact that has. Although emotional abuse of any kind can be quite upsetting, perhaps your mom is also experiencing some dementia due to age. If that is the case you might want to take a few steps backwards and see it from a different perspective--as an older person who can no longer control their emotions. Most who are emotionally abusive also were emotionally abused themselves. Most of the generation that your mom is likely in did not have the benefit of counseling or therapy. That is quite 'foreign' to them. What's important is that you not personally react. either inwardly or outwardly. I know it is hard to 'laugh' off but if you come from the position that the abuser is not in an emotionally healthy place, it is easier to be around and has less of an impact. << Mom (a control freak) gets upset & angry, when I bring things into her house, so I can't bring in more covers. >> Perhaps you can discuss the situation with her beforehand. Let her know that you have not been warm enough. Bring in a few different ones that are acceptable to you and ask her which one she thinks would be best. That might work since she is still 'in control.' << she'll be furious if I anticipate this & bring some, ... but she'll eat it. ??? She's not pleaseable. And she's very aggressive & illogical. >> You are describing someone who appears to have at the least an age-related dementia. Again, you need to come from a different approach. I was recently reading an article about Alzheimers. It offered some good practical advice. I don't know if your mother has any signs of this, but often older persons have had personality changes due to mild strokes. The recommendations were to think and respond to the individual with the understanding that would be appropriate for a four-year old child, both in terms of basic skills (at least initially) as well as emotionally. Hi Kaye, Mom has always been evil. She's sadistic & cruel, & enjoys it. She gets "high" from it. It's her drug of choice. Mom says that she was spoiled from birth, always got her way, learned to use & con people early on, etc. Mom also says, that she hates, loathes, & despises other people, ... doesn't want them to have anything at all (not even a smile or peaceful moment), & wants everything for herself. Mom = Bad to the bone. Always & forever. Satan's child. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions PS The "Good Christian Woman" Syndrome When meeting people, Mom has always described herself as being "just a good Christian woman", ... which is one reason why I named a syndrome after her. Mom attends a large church, where many of the women share her bad mindset & morals, & they get "high" from conning & harming others together. [Group Evil] This seems to be very common here: Narcissistic & antisocial moral disorders. It's also common on newsgroups. http://www.fda.gov/cder/aers/default.htm To report adverse reaction you would like additional information regarding AstraZeneca's products, please contact the Information Center at AstraZeneca in the U.S. at 1-800-236-9933, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, excluding holidays, or use the form below to submit your questions or comments. > Hi Kaye, > [quoted text clipped - 69 lines] > Today, I was at the library, checking Hotmail email accounts & > researching diet. Alkaline foods & such. And hormones. Perhaps this is to obviuos and answer have you spoken to your pharmacist ? they are truely the experts when it comes to adverse reactions. I guess the choice is - take the estorgen blocker or risk having the cancer come back. I don't even have this option since my tumor was not estrogen sensitive. Also have you reported the adverse reaction to the FDA - they are the ones that track this. Alex > The 866 phone number given at their web-site doesn't work. I sent an > email, to which they've not responded. [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > PS I think that the docs are being strongly discouraged, from reporting > the adverse effects that drugs have, & the harm they do. |
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