I took Anastrozole for 14 months following a lumpectomy and radiation for Stage 1 lobular breast cancer. The side effects didn't really start until 1 year in. At that point, I started to experience depression, weight gain, vaginal dryness, and worst of all, pain in my fingers and hips. After 14 months, I told my oncologist that I had decided to go off of it. She offered to prescribe an anti depressant, but I refused. It's been 8 months since I quit taking it, but I feel soo much better now. I have a friend with the same type of cancer, and she also started to experience unbearable symptoms starting at about one year. She had severe swelling in one of her arms and her vision also suffered from pressure on her eyeballs. She has also quit taking it. I am anxious every time I go in for a follow-up, but I know that I would worry even if I were taking the med as it doesn't guarantee that the cancer won't recurr. It just reduces the risk by about 50%. I hope my experience helps you with your future decisions. Hugs.