Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

I had no chemo and am just now completing my 5 years of letrozole. I’m T2bN0M0, 9 mm IDC, ER + HER2- , Quadrantectomy plus 30 days radiation.

Letrozole did cause bone loss, for me cognitive function decline, and some arthalgias but none of the above discouraged me from completing the 5 years.

I know with those that have chemo they do or can provide brief breaks to lessen the side effects. I’m curious, how did you do a half dose letrozole?
1 pill every other day or split the pill? I know splitting is NOT recommended but I did it for the first 3 months and then the whole pill for the remaining 4.9 years.

I’m 65 now so perhaps why my side effects are tolerable.

Good luck to you.

Good luck with that nasty Anastozole! It’ll be 5 years that I’ve had to be on it this August. Can’t wait to go off it, although my Dr said new information shows it’s best to stay on it for 7 to 10 years! It’s cause severe osteoporosis, affected my teeth beyond! Gave me blood clots to where I have to be on blood thinners for life! Also made my hair keep falling out & wrinkles!!!

I have been on Anastrozole since May 2022. My problem now is my hair. It hasn’t gotten any thinner but in the last month it has gone wild! It is now very curly in the back above my collar but everywhere else it’s just coarse and wild. I take biotin-maybe too much? I was thinking perhaps it’s the lack of estrogen? I know I’m whining but it just feels like one more thing to deal with. Any others have this happen? Thanks for listening.

I was started on Arimidex in September 2019 and it started out ok but then I started having continuous UTI’s.
I talked to my oncologist about it and he made me look stupid when he said it had nothing to do with the medication.
I thought I would stop it to see if the UTI’s stopped and they did so I haven’t taken it for about 3 years.
If my cancer returns then it returns.
I started on Femara at first in July 2019 and I ached all over so my oncologist switched it to Arimidex.
I hope and pray you do well while taking it.

Thank you for your encouraging words❤️

@perplexed see if you can have a Breast Cancer Index test. It is now included in the guidelines for docs. It is done at 5 years and tells you risk of recurrence in years 6-10 and also a yes or no answer on whether there is benefit to extended hormonal therapy.

I took Arimidex for 12 years. Yes, 12 years! It caused osteoporosis, and eventually I had three exercise-related fractures. It also caused me to feel "creaky," like I was the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. HOWEVER....I'm now 13+ years out from my diagnosis and I will say, in hindsight, it gave me peace of mind that I was doing all I could to prevent a recurrence. That's not nothing.

@jayne1959 Thank you for sharing. My experience w/ Anastrozole is similar. I stopped taking after having taken it for 2 1/2 years When I stopped taking due to couldn’t hardly get in and out of the car, due to hip and joints pain and overall foggy & depressed feeling. My oncologist also told me “it doesn’t have anything to do with medication “. One oncologist said they ‘take it for granted ‘ that’s it was working. He is no longer my oncologist.
It took about 6-8 months for me to feel like my self again. I have been off Anastrozole for 10 months now snd feel wonderful. I’m getting checked with alternating mammograms & MRIs every 6 months. We must be proactive in our health and do what is right for us & finding a doctor that works with us as a team. Blessings & I’m happy you are doing better.

My hair and my facial skin are both very dry. My hair is almost beyond control, wild and wanting to stand out in the back and straight on top. Before Anastrozole my hair was naturally curly and easy to manage.

Windyshores, great! Thanks for this suggestion. You would think that after 5 years they would automatically give that test along with an option for a MRI or CT scan to check for cancer.