The back and muscular pain you mention on Anastrozole is what the A.I. pills will do if you have any family history of arthritis or any damaged joints. I had asked my oncologist prior to starting Anastrozole on 2/1/2022 what the side effects of Anastrozole were, and he had said, in writing (since he never saw me but 2x), "The only side effect of taking Anastrozole is a little bit of stiffness in your hands and fingers when you wake up in the morning, and if you stop taking it, it goes away." This is complete and utter b.x. For some patients (I am one of them) it is a real shit show, because we have either had arthritis in our family history or damaged joints. For me, I had been placed in a clinical trial in 1997 and remained in it until it ran out of funding in 2020. I was selected because I already had bone/joint pain isues MRIs were routinely done on my left knee and X-rays were taken of my hips and knees, to see what happened longtitudinally, over time. Mind you: this study went on for OVER 20 YEARS and yet my Illinois oncologist put me on an A.I., when any of them were going to be bad for my body.
I suffered a blown-out knee and was in a wheelchair for 6 months, plus had to have 32 ml of an anti-inflammatory and 6 ml of Durolane injected in Oak Brook (IL) and was prescribed Tramadol for pain. I still cannot walk well without bracing my damaged left knee. It also damaged my teeth. I have lost 2 teeth to routine cleanings and am in the middle of $10,000 of dental work, including crowns, an implant and the removal of the #4 tooth, which split below the gumline. (And I had dental insurance that kicked in $1,500). My bone density during this period declined from a score of -1.4T in 2017 to -2.2T in May of 2022, which should have been done BEFORE he put me on A.I. pills and suggested radiation. I know these numbers because I am (also) a Type II diabetic and they have explained that my osteopaenia is now almost osteoporosis, which starts about -2.4T. I have received so much conflicting advice that it would make your head swim. Example: 3 days before I was supposed to start 33 radiation sessions at Trinity hospital in Moline, Illinois, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Labs, a noted cancer hospital, said that, if I had had my surgery there, they would not have radiated me at all, I had to make a deicison, which I did with the help of the radiologist who had discovered the tumor. I had been reading about A.I. drugs and it did not ound good for Yours Truly (and, indeed, it was not.) I also tried Tamoxifen and my Texas oncologist got me an oncotype, long requested. It only took 17 months of constant persistence and 3 oncologists to get one, which was 29, meaning that his remark of "You don't need one" was bogus. I didn't have any chemo because the Ilibois oncologist would not order one, despite the fact that they have been "standard of care" since 2013 I'm pretty disgusted by all of this and have lost a lot of trust in the medical establishment. I learned from 3 former employees that this very same doctor had treated their mother. She had b.x. and it returned after many years. She knew something was "off " in her body, but this doctor refused to run the tests to confirm it. Her 3 daughters (who were my students when 12 and grew up to work for me) wanted to take their Mom to the Mayo Clinic, but the Illinois oncologist blocked their access to her tumor. (which is illegal), Among other things, he said, "Why would you want to take her there. I interned there I know everything they know," (!) He also said, "After I talk to you three, I need therapy." To me, he simply would get up and leave. Which is what I eventually did. I got my oncotype 17 months after asking him to please order one to guide treatment. The chemo boat had sailed, but I went through with the radiation because of my reading about the side effects of the pills they want us all to take. I am now 2 years and 2 months past surgery and practicing Eternal Vigilance. When I am in the Midwest, I have to drive 3 hours to be supervised Here in Texas I have a doctor I think does care if I live or die who spent over an hour with me when I first became his patient and has said that (a) I hould never have been put on A.I, pills because of my well-documented bone/joint issues and (b) If I had been his patient I would have had 3 bouts of chemo,