Exemestane and heart palpations?

I've been on Exemestane for about 6 month now and the only problem I've had is weight gain. No heart palpitations.........

nyscof,

I recently started exemestane and I have felt like I was having heart palpitations too and I also have terrible headaches. I don't really know what side effects are OK and what side effects are dangerous.
The decision to take this medication is so difficult but after my first breast cancer 4 years ago I decided not to take the aromatase inhibitor and then 4 years later I got another primary breast cancer in my other breast. So, I now feel forced to take it.

I sympathize with what you are going through.

katrina123

I have been taking an Anastrozole since thanks. I have not had heart palpitations but everything else. Joint pain, exhaustion headaches diarrhea, can’t sleep and now I have a trigger thumb. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next. I’m on a two week break from the pill and then I see my oncologist next week and we are going to discuss other options. She mentioned the drug you’re on how is your joint pain and Other side effects.

Ask to switch to a different AI.

bjohnson,
I haven't been taking Exemestane for very long so I want to see if time will lesson the side effects. I had headaches and joint pain prior to taking this drug so I am trying to determine how much worse it is with this drug. My issue is that I take pravastatin and I infuse immunoglobulin daily and they also can cause headache and joint pain.

This drug is so important that I am going to try to tolerate it. I don't want to have a 3rd primary breast cancer. We will see what happens.

Could I ask you how long you have taken Anastrozole?

My oncologist did say that often patients who have trouble with Anastrozole do just fine with Exemestane. So, I think it might be worth a try.

Sorry that you are going through this too.

Katrina123

Since Thanksgiving! Instead of getting better it’s getting worse. Mostly in my hands and shoulders now. Thanks

I used to be on a different drug. I think it was anastrozole but I did experience joint pains. My doctor told me to start taking glucosame/chondroitin (which also has turmeric & MSM) which I did and the pains disappeared. However, at the same time she changed me to exemestane. But I'm continuing the glucosame/chondroitin because it can't hurt. Exemestane is supposed to suppress estrogen and put one into menopause (either your first or second). So the symptoms of menopause do include heart palpations. But now they want me to go get my heart checked.

I to took the Ai inhibitors and had all the uncommon side effects. Took all Three of them. With no hope in taking them. I took myself off of all of them due to the side effects. What has so frustrating is my doctor did not tell me that it was a form of chemotherapy in pill form. There is a 33% chance my cancer may come back. You see I have the ATM CANCER GENE. THAT causes my cancer. So taking this medicine will not stop my cancer from coming back. So I wish you all luck do your research, call the FDA and tell them your side effects. Because the doctor won't Yolanda J.

it would be nice if we knew the exact minimum dosage that was still effective, maybe once or twice a week would work instead of everyday

I think I was on Anastrozole for about 10 months then asked to be switched to something else. That's when they put me on Exemestane............which is ok, but I'm gaining weight and don't like it!!