Completed 5 years of anastrozole. Withdrawal symptoms? Side effects?

All of these comments make my heart ache for each of us who must try to live some kind of quality life, in spite of taking these drugs to help prevent recurrence of breast cancer. How I wish to see the day that better and more tolerable treatments are available to breast cancer survivors!

But on a more positive note, as a 68 year old woman, I’m also grateful for what we do have to help us to live. It’s not long ago that breast cancer killed many more women prior to these nasty drugs were widely available. I’ve been on Anastrozole, Tomoxifin, and have now been on Exemestane for two years. It’s been better than the others, but still causes me challenges.

All of these medications have side effects that can absolutely dreadful!! For me the worst side effect has been some loss of cognitive function. I’ve read numerous articles about how estrogen effects our ability to think clearly. For me any of the symptoms from these drugs are just like going through menopause all over again. But in taking these drugs the symptoms are more pronounced and more bothersome than menopause was : especially knowing that I am taking a drug to save my life, but that the drug is also causing the quality of my life to be less than it could be without it. It sucks!!!

Thank you to all of you here on this message board! It’s a true relief to be able to connect to other women who really ‘get it’! ❤️

I have just completed 5 years taking anastrozole for stage 2b breast cancer. I had surgery, chemo, and radiation in 2017 I then was prescribed anastrozole for 5 years. I also was prescribed an IV infusion of zoldronic acid every 6 months to counter act the calcium loss caused by the anastrozole. Both of these medications have caused side effects like joint pain, terrible hot flashes, hair thinning and loss. Whenever the doctors asked about side effects of these medications I would tell them, but they seemed unconcerned and just brushed it aside.
My oncologist changed 3 times during the last 5 years. My last 2 oncologists I never met because of covid restrictions so we just did phone appointments. The last time I spoke to my second oncologist he mentioned that perhaps I should continue the anastrozole for 10 years. I was a bit upset when he mentioned this, mostly because I was tired of terrible hair and joint pain. This year I was assigned a new oncologist and never having met me she put all of my information into her computer program and quoted me the stats and benefits of taking anastrozole over 5 years. Turns out that the benefits of taking anastrozole over all the other treatments I went through are very minimal, something like a small percentage of increased survival rate over a ten year period. We weighed the benefits over the side effects and decided to stop the medication.
I am 3 three weeks into not taking anastrozole and have been experiencing terrible knee pain. I did not make the association with withdrawal symptoms from my medication until I started researching this and came upon this discussion group. I am praying that these pains will not be long term as I am an active person hitting 70 soon and do not want to be incapacitated the rest of my life.
My new oncologist also told me that my treatment included 6 rounds of zoldronic acid. To date I have received 9 rounds. Zoldronic acid also has side effects like hair loss and joint pain. After my last treatment in December my joints, especially my knees were terribly sore and stiff for 2 weeks after the treatment.
I have decided not to follow through with my next scheduled treatment of zoldronic acid.
It seems like a never ending cycle with prescriptions, one is given and another is given to counteract the side effects of the first one and then another given to counteract the side effects of that one.
Thank you to those of you in this discussion group, without hearing your experiences I may have pursued unnecessary treatment for my knee pain. As it is I shall wait to see if with the withdrawal of the anastrozole it subsides before doing anything more about it.

I have completed anastrosole in 21. I took one dose of Zometa and had the reaction of upper extremities being painful to move and pain when walking. This occurred 2 days after the infusion- I was given steroids and Benadryl, and it cleared in reverse order that the pain occurred- it was bizarre. I don’t plan to take another dose. What other bone meds have been used?

Congratulations on finishing Anastrozole! If you did have side effects from Anastrozole- how long did it take after finishing med for them to go away?

It took a year before I felt myself again. I had atrial tachycardia and had to have an echo which showed thickened septum, multiple bladder infections, and weight gain. All side effects were corrected with meds. The side effects are manageable.

I have completed anastrosole in 21. I took one dose of Zometa and had the reaction of upper extremities being painful to move and pain when walking. This occurred 2 days after the infusion- I was given steroids and Benadryl, and it cleared in reverse order that the pain occurred- it was bizarre. I don’t plan to take another dose. What other bone meds have been used?

Sounds like you are still having SEs?? Is that right. I’ll have to look up arterial tachycardia. Are you still taking meds for the issues. I’ve been 2 1/2 years on Anastrazole. I have terrible hip pain to the point of ‘almost’ not being able to walk without pain. I quit the Anastrazole for 3 months to see if that made a difference. It didn’t make a difference. The pain is worse now than before and in my mind a wonder if 3 months wasn’t enough time ti correct things. It is affecting my knee now. I bought orthotics from a podiatrist thinking that would make a different. I am just in the beginning of this 8 days of wearing but I’m not seeing any change. Probably too early to tell. Appt on 4 May with podiatrist.

I am sorry you are having joint issues, I am hopeful that your team is able to moderate this and keep you on track. Hips and knees always seem to be the first to hurt with people, but when you are dealing with treatments it is an added insult. Have they looked at these joints for arthritis changes?