I was on Anastrozole for a year before switching to Exemestane due to finger stiffness. The stiffness is getting a lot better but the joint pain doesn't go away. The achiness of the feet is coming back but not so bad. The joint pain does go away after a few minutes of stretching. I'm still doing my regular exercise (running, swimming etc.) I'm taking turmeric but it doesn't seem to help much. I guess we just have to learn to live with ache and pain until we can't tolerate any longer. I'm 62 and feel like 70! Wish you all the best. Hugs.

Yes - it took a few weeks, like maybe 12 weeks - but the horrible joint pain resolved. On exemestane it was at about a 7 all the time, mostly in my hands, shoulders and toes. My Oncologist made me go to an arthritis doctor to verify it was not that causing the pain. It was not arthritis. It calmed down to about a 1 or 0 after 3 months or so. I understand for some people it does not resolve, but I would then ask your doctor to try another drug. I think there are 5 drugs in total that are in the AI category. The younger people (premenopausal) usually get put on tamoxifen. Honestly I can say if the pain had not gotten considerably better - I'd have gone back & asked for something different. I was 62 when I started on the meds. I read that something like 40% of ladies with severe side effects quit taking the drug before the full 5 years. Good luck to you!

I was feeling similarly after a year on Anastrozole. My knees had me almost crippled. I switched to Letrozole and at the same time began taking collagen supplements. It was hard to tell which was responsible for my knees returning to normal until I accidentally bought a biotin supplement which did not include collagen. My knees began to ache, I realized my mistake and got back on the collagen and am almost to the end of my five years of AIs. I have some knee issues, but they are definitely arthritis related. I use collagen capsules for convenience but I've successfully used gummies and powder. I'm 69.

I switched from anastrozile after one month to Letrozole. I took two brands of Letrozole (accord & aurobindo). So far at 5 months been on aurobindo letrozole and very minor joint pain to almost none. Still hot flashes but not to bad. I now get chills where radiation on upper left back where lymph nodes were hit and back peeled bad. I had one sentinel lymph node positive and one negative lymph node. 33 rad treatments just finished Sep 16, 2024. I do get headaches from time to time. Exercise walk every other day. Try to eat more salads. Age 62.