Amrimidex vs Letrozole

Hello @jixs stiffness and muscle pain is a known side effect of arimidex (Anastrazole). I am sorry that you are struggling with this.
I did take anastrazole for years, and I found that a walk once a day took all that stiffness away. I have read this same comment from others in this support group.
I honestly think letrozole has a worse set of side effects. With the nausea, and the dizziness or just feeling off balance. This is just one case but I felt like arimidex was at least a side effect I could do something about.
Have you tried anything to make the stiffness better? What helped, what didn’t? Have you talked to your doctor about it?

Thank you for your response. Today my doctor told me to stop taking the meds for 5 days...we need to make my symptoms are not related to my RA. I will say the one side effect of letrozole -fatigue is a huge issue with me...I already fight fatigue with my RA 😔

I was on Letrozole for 9 months before surgery, chemo and radiation. My only issue was hot flashes. After all treatment was completed I went on Anastrazole and eventually began to experience terrible joint pain including crippling knee pain. I have other issues as well which I don't know where to place the blame as I also get Prolia shots, and I believe some of the issues were permanent damage from chemo. Anyway, I switched back to Letrozole over a year ago along with adding collagen supplements, and my knees feel mostly normal again. If you read other threads here on the aromatase inhibitors, I think you'll find everyone reacts differently to these drugs, and the generic drug brand itself can make a difference depending on the fillers used. On a personal note, I don't think 5 days is long enough. I took a 30 day break (my oncologist wanted 2 weeks but came around), and when asked told me when returning to the drug that full efficacy was achieved in 2 weeks. This made me think perhaps it meant that I'd need at least two weeks off before the drug (and it's effects) was out of my system but that's just a guess.

I had to stop taking Letrozole after 4 1/2 months due to extreme joint pain and hot flashes so intense my face would drip sweat like I was doing high intensity exercise.

Hello @christie73
I do sweat like this every day. I have come to believe it is part of my life now. My friend jokingly leave cases of water next to my tack box at the barn in the summer. I can’t imagine having this and intense joint pain.
Did you find a different drug you could tolerate?

@dlmdinia I took Anastrozole for almost 3 years and stopped due to joint pain. It took a good 5-6 months for me to feel myself again & joint pain essential gone.

This is the only one I can have compounded, but I was told there were 3 forms of it. I need to make this decision, so thank you for the good input. God Bless

I have been off the pill for 6 days... slowly seeing my body return to normal. Still have muscle pain in my arm...I'm now sitting here scared...I don't want to go back on the hormone. Asking myself:
Will the cancer come back?
I have the PALB2 gene-so my risk is higher of reoccurrence.
I know it's all a gamble.
I'm scared and sad.
Now that I Kno my body can get cancer...I Kno nothing is off the table.
No clue how to make this choice.
I think I need to sit down with my ONC

@jixs, such a difficult choice: side effects and fear of the cancer coming back. Taking an aromatase inhibitor can offer a sense of security and doing something, although we know there are no guarantees.

Since your side effects are improving without anastrazole, it might be worth talking to your doctor about switching to another aromatase inhibitor to see if the side effects are the same. I agree that sitting down with your oncologist is a good idea to understand the options that are right for YOU and your specific risk profile and quality of life preferences.