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After breast cancer: 12 years out, questions about recurrence
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Jul 1, 2022 | Replies (79)Comment receiving replies
I had virtually no side effects from an aromatase inhibitor and neither did my friends. Please don't assume side effects will happen. This is the downside of forums and med reviews: people tend to post more when they have side effects. I miss my Femara! I felt safe on it.
As for a "natural way" to lower estrogen. People need to understand that any side effects from the aromatase inhibitors are FROM estrogen deprivation. If there WERE a way to lower estrogen to that extent naturally, you would have the same side effects!!
What was your estrogen score? What was your Oncotype score? These are also relevant to your decision.
Replies to "I had virtually no side effects from an aromatase inhibitor and neither did my friends. Please..."
There are two different things going on: the effects of the medicine in terms of what it does in the body to result in estrogen depletion and, secondly, the effects of estrogen depletion.
I haven't seen any studies that attribute all of the side effects of the aromatase inhibitors strictly to their result (the blockage of estrogen production) and none to how they work to achieve that. I guess we can't look at cases where women had hysterectomies, in comparison, as they don't result in zero estrogen production but it would be interesting to identify if an estrogen-less state has significant side effects beyond what is already known.
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When you say you and friends had no side effects from aromatase inhibitors do you mean that none of you experienced bone loss? My understanding is that bone loss is a given. I’d be happy if my understanding is wrong. Please elaborate.