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Anyone's joint pain not improve after stopping anastrozole?

Posted by momandrph048 @momandrph048, Sep 16 9:20pm

Has anyone not had their joint pain improve after stopping anastrozole? I toughed it out for 5 years, was looking forward to feeling so much better, but I’ve been off almost a year, and my joints are still killing me most days.. it’s pretty disappointing considering i really expected it to get better after I was done!! Anyone have any insight?

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momandrph048 | @momandrph048 | Sep 21 9:18am
In reply to @megunique "I can tell you that it took a full 8-9 months before I started regulating estrogen..." + (show)
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I can tell you that it took a full 8-9 months before I started regulating estrogen again. Then I was able to start sleeping. Your joint pain is from the lack of estrogen so it could be that it is taking you a little longer to regulate estrogen consistently. I would suggest you can help to lubricate joints a bit by doing some exercises, walking, and even strength training. I think that I avoided some of the joint pain by strength training for all 5 years of the hormone blocker. Hang in there. I do believe it will get better but it is a very hard time. We think once the 5 years of treatment are done everything will be good but it just does not happen that way for most of us.

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@megunique
I actually have been exercising and lifting weights for about the last 6 months, on a pretty regular basis, about 4 times a week on average..
I hope there’s still a chance for it to get better!! Thanks for the suggestions and kind words!

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gerry26 | @gerry26 | Sep 21 9:34am

Just a thought - why is it that so many of us are postmenopausal, have lowered estrogen, but are prone to ER+ breast cancer? Would a total hysterectomy stop estrogen? I would gladly do that instead of years of pain and side effects of AI's.

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egoose55 | @egoose55 | Sep 21 10:04am
In reply to @megunique "I can tell you that it took a full 8-9 months before I started regulating estrogen..." + (show)
Profile picture for megunique @megunique

I can tell you that it took a full 8-9 months before I started regulating estrogen again. Then I was able to start sleeping. Your joint pain is from the lack of estrogen so it could be that it is taking you a little longer to regulate estrogen consistently. I would suggest you can help to lubricate joints a bit by doing some exercises, walking, and even strength training. I think that I avoided some of the joint pain by strength training for all 5 years of the hormone blocker. Hang in there. I do believe it will get better but it is a very hard time. We think once the 5 years of treatment are done everything will be good but it just does not happen that way for most of us.

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@megunique Not being able to sleep sounds awful! The thing that worries me is that at 71, my estrogen level when i get off of AIs will be lower than when i started and it might not be enough to reset how my muscles and joints have been affected. I'll feel a lot better if you tell me you're in your 70s or older!

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sboston1 | @sboston1 | Sep 21 6:27pm
In reply to @momandrph048 "@sboston1 Same here! I had a hysterectomy also, and I had been through all the aromatase..." + (show)
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@sboston1
Same here! I had a hysterectomy also, and I had been through all the aromatase inhibitors, and they were all basically the same for me.. I do have an appointment with my oncologist soon, so I’ll get her take on it..hope things get easier for us!

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@momandrp8h048
Thanks. I have an appt with my Oncologist and we are going to talk about m u options. Good luck to you.

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beyourownadvocate | @beyourownadvocate | Sep 28 8:07am

I felt so much better after I finished my Anastrozole. I also stopped taking all the otc meds to help the Anastrozole work more efficiently.
It was only six months, THEN my GP put me on statins - a whole other kind of joint pain and adventure.

There is no rest for the weary!

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lynnn | @lynnn | Sep 29 10:47am
In reply to @gerry26 "Just a thought - why is it that so many of us are postmenopausal, have lowered..." + (show)
Profile picture for gerry26 @gerry26

Just a thought - why is it that so many of us are postmenopausal, have lowered estrogen, but are prone to ER+ breast cancer? Would a total hysterectomy stop estrogen? I would gladly do that instead of years of pain and side effects of AI's.

Jump to this post

@gerry26 I have the same question. I had a hysterectomy but still taking Anastrozole for one more year. After 7 years. I have a lot of joint pain and wonder if it is connected.

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snr12 | @snr12 | 45 minutes ago

Yes, I have been off it for over 5 months and have issues with nerve and joint pain that I didn't even have when on it (although throughout the 5 years of treatment there was pain on most days). It is quite disconcerting as most doctors think the moment you are off the medication, everything is resolved.

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