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Anastrozole

brendaS
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I am new to this site so apologies if this topic is old news!  I just wondered  what other people's experiences are of Anastrozole. I have some fairly annoying side effects and wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom to help with these. I have been on the drug about 18 months.  I had heard that Amitriptyline could help with the joint pains, and have been on these for about three months and think they might be helping to take the edge off the pains. 

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    Hi I have only been on these tablets 4 months and side effects are awful in the hot flushes, sweaty skin etc, my worse problem is not being able to lose weight.

    I have a daughter who informs me of other side effects, apparently they only list top 5.

     

    But sadly no words of wisdom

     

  • Offline in reply to yvanova

    Hi yvanova. Thanks for your reply. I know this little tablet is keeping us safe, hopefully, but it is also a bit of a mixed blessing isn't it?  I too have bad sweats at night, and flushes during the day. I have pain in my hips, hands and knees, and have trigger finger on both hands. I have put on a stone and a half over the last 18 months , which is really annoying.  

    I do think the Amitriptyline is helping a bit, so will persevere.  I think the other alternatives to Anastrozole have the same side effects, so not sure whether to try something different.

    i hope your side effects don't get any worse, and that you can stick with it.  Let us know how it goes.

    All the best

    Brenda S.

  • Offline in reply to brendaS

    Hello Brenda, and welcome to the forum.  So sorry to hear of all the rotten side effects of the treatment - I had breast ca many years ago (currently in remission ovarian - I hope!) but after lumpectomy and radiotherapy I had chemo and tamoxifen, so afraid I don't have any advice.  

    Really I just came on to say that I love your photo, you look so lovely and so positive, so keep it up girl!  Hope that cheers you up a bit. 

    Take care, Hazel xx

  • Offline in reply to haze44
    Hi Hazel. Well, your reply really has cheered me up, thank you! I have felt very positive all through my "problem". When the consultant gave me the diagnosis, my husband was close to tears but my response was " Oh, that's a bit of a surprise". I have been very calm and positive and I realise how lucky I am. I'm so sorry you have had to face this **********disease twice, and how lovely of you to reply to my post, just to cheer me up! I have met so many lovely and helpful people over the last 18 months...you being one of them...thank you! I hope you continue to do well. You deserve a break, to put it mildly. X
  • Offline in reply to brendaS

    Hi Brenda & Yvanova,

    Hazel and I chat on other threads here and you're quite right, she is lovely! Fantastic at cheering us all up with great advice, not to mention a wicked sense of humour (hi Hazel !)

    Like you both, I too am on Anastrozole and have the side effects you mention. You may have already tried this of course (my apologies if so) but I found changing brands made a huge difference to how severe the effects were. Initially I was given whichever one was in stock at the time but I noticed after a bit of trial and error that I coped much better on Teva or Accord than I did on any other so I now have a standing order at the chemist to only be given one of these two brands. It can take a while to work out the best one for you personally but as we'll all be taking them for years it's certainly worth giving it a go....?

    Take care of yourselves.

    Sue x

     

     

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    Hi there Brenda I have only just joined the site. I too was prescribed Anastrozole also known as Arimidex. Unfortunately for me I could not tolerate the side effects. I had severe joint pain especially in my legs and feet and sometimes found it extremely painful to even walk so much so that i had a little break down at work and felt I would rather risk the cancer coming back then suffering as I was. However, I went to see my oncologist and he changed my prescription to Letrozole. I still get joint pain but it's now tolerable. Unfortunately the hot flushes come with all the available medications. My sister bought me a hand fan off Amazon for £10 and it is a god send and goes everywhere with me to keep me cool. I was on a drug called Pregabalin which is used for central nervous pain but found that it helped, I just take one at night time.
  • Offline in reply to susu

    Thanks Sue always useful to know.   As it took my GP, 2 years to refer me to Breast Clinic, I'll give her the suggestion to change brands.   She keeps nagging about my weight.

     

    Stay well all

     

  • Offline in reply to susu

    Hello Sue, thanks so much for your comments, I came over all tearful and silly when I read them, but really it could have been me talking about you too!   Look at the helpful advice you have just posted on here, for a start.  Hope you are doing okay yourself?

    Do take care, Hazel xx

  • Offline in reply to brendaS

    Hello Brenda, and thank you too for your comments, which, like Sue's, made me a bit emotional!

    I do hope her suggestion re the meds helps, it must be such a drag to feel like that all the time.  I have never had much of a problem except with the dreaded chemo which made me very, very poorly, but once over I felt okay and have no after effects, touch wood, so when I read of all the problems others encounter with treatments I count myself lucky, really.  

    Take care, Hazel xx

     

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