Aromatase Inhibitors: Did you decide to go on them or not?

jeannie, thanks for sharing this. I, too, am 66 and wonder what it would be like to forsake the Ibrance and anastrazole. However, with MBC, what are the risks?

@crazydaisy I was on Anastrozole for 6 months it was terrible for me and I had horrible body aches. My doctor had me take a break and switched to Tamoxifen after a while I felt aches again. I have opted to take nothing as I am considered low risk. The doctor told me taking Tamoxifen would cut my risk in half. I have a feeling a lot of women wrestle with this decision I know I do but also know at 66 years old my quality of life is important to me. I was diagnosed April 2018 so far so good.

Jeannie53, I too had many problems with Anastrozole! It was the first medication my doctor had me on following surgery and radiation. I had horrible memory problems from it. There is evidence that cognitive function can indeed be affected by lowering estrogen. This issue is still being researched and I don’t know if the studies are conclusive or not. Many women have trouble with scattered thinking during menopause when our estrogen levels naturally lower. Those of us who need to take drugs following breast cancer to lower our estrogen levels also can have that side effect. My doctor switched me to Tomoxifin from Anastrozole and my cognitive function was much better. Unfortunately I had some sort of allergic reaction to the Tomoxifin and broke out in itching hives all over my body! I was miserable, and needed to take cortisone for several days to clear up the hives. My oncologist gave me a break for about 8 weeks from meds. to restart over again with Exemestane. I’ve been on that for a little over a year and it seems to be much better for me. It’s far from perfect, but I can tolerate it.

Jeannie53, I too had many problems with Anastrozole! It was the first medication my doctor had me on following surgery and radiation. I had horrible memory problems from it. There is evidence that cognitive function can indeed be affected by lowering estrogen. This issue is still being researched and I don’t know if the studies are conclusive or not. Many women have trouble with scattered thinking during menopause when our estrogen levels naturally lower. Those of us who need to take drugs following breast cancer to lower our estrogen levels also can have that side effect. My doctor switched me to Tomoxifin from Anastrozole and my cognitive function was much better. Unfortunately I had some sort of allergic reaction to the Tomoxifin and broke out in itching hives all over my body! I was miserable, and needed to take cortisone for several days to clear up the hives. My oncologist gave me a break for about 8 weeks from meds. to restart over again with Exemestane. I’ve been on that for a little over a year and it seems to be much better for me. It’s far from perfect, but I can tolerate it.

Has anyone with a low risk of cancer coming stopped taking the hormone blocker? Mine is a 19% chance of coming back. This hormone is killing me.

Hi @queenmary25, Many women weigh the pros and cons of taking an aromatase inhibitor like anastrozole against the risk of recurrence. You are not alone with this difficult decision. For that reason, I moved your message to this existing discussion called "Aromatase Inhibitors: Did you decide to go on them or not?" so that you can connect with other members like @mimi99 @cindylb @elvandi @mollyjbrown @buckimom @jeannie53 @lisman1408 @tessfair1 @trixie1313 and others. Click VIEW & REPLY to read a variety of choices women made to discontinue based on low risk, others who switched to a different AI and yet others who found strategies that worked for them to manage the side effects.

Everyone is different of course and the final decision is for you to make with counsel from your oncologist and perhaps your family too.

Queenmary, what type of breast cancer do you have? Have you tried any of the other aromatase inhibitors?

I have a 10 percent chance of recurrence if I did not take them and a 5 percent chance if I did take them. I never started. I figured those were not significant odds. I will just be alert to any changes in my body. Blessings in whatever you decide to do. It is not an easy decision.

Hi @queenmary25, Many women weigh the pros and cons of taking an aromatase inhibitor like anastrozole against the risk of recurrence. You are not alone with this difficult decision. For that reason, I moved your message to this existing discussion called "Aromatase Inhibitors: Did you decide to go on them or not?" so that you can connect with other members like @mimi99 @cindylb @elvandi @mollyjbrown @buckimom @jeannie53 @lisman1408 @tessfair1 @trixie1313 and others. Click VIEW & REPLY to read a variety of choices women made to discontinue based on low risk, others who switched to a different AI and yet others who found strategies that worked for them to manage the side effects.

Everyone is different of course and the final decision is for you to make with counsel from your oncologist and perhaps your family too.

Queenmary, what type of breast cancer do you have? Have you tried any of the other aromatase inhibitors?