This has been so helpful to read chats and experiences. I was diagnosed at 69 and did 5 years on anastrazole. I am 1 month off the medication. I asked a lot of questions over those 5 years and learned a lot if this helps anyone. Yes symptoms can occur at any point and that is why my oncologist would ask at every appointment if any new side effects appeared. It is because this medication has somewhat of a cumulative effect. The longer you block estrogen the more it can impact you. I had initial muscles cramps but they went away. I think largely because I pushed myself to exercise and strength training. I had joint stiffness but thought it was from lifting weights. Now that I am off anastrazole for 1 month the stiffness is reduced. But I am far from full recovery. My most serious side effect was lack of sleep no matter what sleep aids I tried. I am slowly sleeping better but still have a lot of fatigue. I have a higher creatinine on the drug and while I maintained my weight ok for 4.5 years the last 5 months I gained weight despite a good diet, exercise and barely eating candy. The metabolic impact is frustrating and makes no sense to me.
I am told now that it can take 3-9 months for your body to recover. So I am trying to be grateful research and these meds have improved survival rates so significantly and that i am alive. I think in general not enough information is given about how women recover from hormone blocker. I could have prepared better mentally.