Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

What did you change to?<br />

It made my joints hurt so bad and the hot flashes (which will go with all of the estrogen blockers) that I finally changed to letrozole.  The hot flashes are horrible, but taking 800 mg of magnesium has helped.  I do have what they call trigger finger with the letrozole which is a normal side effect.  The meds seem to make your body feel like a flu system at times.  I'd go off of it if I weren't so afraid of getting the cancer back.
 

I believe most of the meds have these side effects, some are not as bad as others, but the side effects are enough to drive you nuts.  The hot flashes are absolutely horrible.  I never went through anything like this when I went through menopause.   
 

Hi I hope everyone is doing well. I was taking anastrosole and having severe muscle pain and feared hair loss. I am now taking letrozole and so far no problems. I've been on it for three weeks so hoping for the best.

Hi Tina, it's been awhile now, how is the letrozole treating you? I'm still on anastrozole, but the muscle pain is getting me down and my thick hair is splitting and thinning. I see my onc in July and may pursue a change. I don't want to exchange one set of SE's for worse ones! However, I do feel fortunate that there is a drug available that may slow down/avoid a recurrence

Good question @cautiousoptimism! Each of the aromatase inhibitors (AI) has the same treatment goal, but each has its own set of side effects. I thought you'd appreciate this comparative chart of all the hormonal therapies for breast cancer. It might help your discussion with your oncologist. The first three drugs are aromatase inhibitors: Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole), Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane) and Femara (chemical name: letrozole). See this link on breastcancer.org http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/comp_chart

It would be great to get a first hand experience from @tinalove. Tina how are you doing on letrozole compared to anastrozole?

Thank you! Very helpful to see all the drugs side by side. I'm sticking with arimidex for now. My new trial is the Fosamax I've recently started because of the bone thinning SE's of arimedex. I've had severe thigh pain, my doc at Mayo checked for clots and bone issues, but all were negative. The pain went away after 24 hours, but scared me. I've read so many horror stories about that drug affecting the body adversely. Has anyone used it with minimal effects? I was told to come back in if it occurs again.

I have taken Femara and then Arimidex for 4.5 years. Side effects include bone aches and pains, bone deterioration and hair thinning. You need to have regular bone density scans and consider taking Calcium/Vitamin D supplement to counter bone deterioration. Oncologists seem more concerned about preventing cancer returning and less so about the side effects. My bone pain became so debilitating I have come off the drugs 6 months earlier than anticipated. In just three weeks bone pain has eased, I'm waiting to see if my hair thickens up again.

One has to be vigilant that the drugs one is taking are not posing another threat to one's health and well being in the longer term.

Welcome @susanao1. Great to add another experience to this discussion.
You are right that each person has to take into their particular circumstances when weighing the pros and cons of treatment against the side effects and quality of life. Age and general health are also factors to be considered.
We look forward to getting to know a bit more about you.

@cautiousoptimism @tinalove @grandma41 @luladavis @leemiller @maureenkarras will you join me in welcoming Susan?

Welcome Susan! First of all, we are very lucky to have drugs to take to try to address the recurrences. Second of all, they come with a price! I took anastrozole for about a year, lost some hair, gained weight, big joint and muscle pain, insomnia, and dry skin. I figured i gave it a good fight, and asked to try something else. I was put on letrozole three weeks ago. I've had big time hot flashes, achy hands, additional acid reflux. BUT no aches and pains so far. I plan to continue for a time. There is another drug to try after this, if need be. The point is, there are choices so that our quality of life can be the best possible while we're on this unsettling cancer journey. Hope your SE's are few, Susan!