Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

@dianne53, were you able to speak with a nurse about your symptoms?

I havent had any of that kind of side effects. Have them checked out, and its ok if it's nothing serious, just for your peace of mind you owe it to yourself to rule out the bad stuff.

Hi Dianne,
I moved your message to this discussion about the side effects of anastrozole, so you can meet others who have taken or are taking this drug. I encourage to read through the past messages. Since posting your first message, have you been in touch with your oncologist about the pains in the right side of your chest, shortness of breath and difficulty lifting your arm?

Mayo Clinic lists chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm pain among the common and less common side effects http://mayocl.in/2m5bKo9 However, like @cautiousoptimism, I would recommend telling your doctor or symptom management nurse about these side effects, and pointing out that they happened a year apart. There may be other things going on.

@wandering @grandma41 @berit @coquimti @cindylb @starrlight did any of you have these side effects?

I have been on this med now for, 3 years. Some days it is so very hard to move,however I find that if I can start out slow moving, it can feel better. Then after a rest the pain and stiffness come back 2 fold. My oncologist told me that it was not likely to be the meds effects on my muscles, just in my joint pain...does anyone have the soreness in soft tissue?

Have you tried "The Stick"? You can order online from Amazon $28. It's a therapeutic massage stick for tissue pain (calves, thighs, quads, neck etc.). I got one from my PT and it's a huge help.

Hello @sueseeque! Welcome to Connect!

Have you considered massage or a foam roller? I wonder if that would help the soreness?

I noticed that on this list of side effects http://mayocl.in/2m5bKo9 pain was listed as a "less common" side effect. @dianne53, @cautiousoptimism and @starrlight- have any of you experienced joint pain with the medication?

@sueseeque, what other side effects are you experiencing?

Hi there. I recently had a mastectomy for Estrogen and progesterone positive receptor breast cancer. No chemo or radiation. I am unsure if those factor into the side effects of the anastrozole therapy. My main concern was joint pain. I am very active and did not want the drug to take that from me. A friend suggested I take the drug closer to bedtime or in the evening after my workout and daytime activities. I have to say, it has made a difference for me. The one thing that has REALLY helped me is that I now stretch my legs and hands. Every day without fail. Nothing fancy. There are a lot of great tutorials online. If you live near a yoga studio try restorative yoga. Longer stretching postures, seated or laying down. Not sure about hair loss. I was expecting chemotherapy, so frankly any hair I have is a bonus! Best of luck and God Bless to all of you!

Welcome Denise. So glad that you shared your tip for when to take the medication and how it helped you with joint pain. How long will you be taking anastrozole? Have you experienced any other side effects?

I am one my second WEEK of Arimidex, after lumpectomy, node dissection and 32 radiation treatments. I did not have chemo, although it was a close call due to certain aspects of the breast cancer, but my oncologist let me make the decision....SO ~ I am going to finish Arimidex no matter what! So far so good, just insomnia. I am 67 years old and experienced arthritis pain years before the cancer, so I don't know if I am immune to joint pain or not! So far everything has been manageable; I feel empowered when I take that little pill every morning and I hope for continuing compatibility with that little white pill. I know 2 weeks is not a long time, but so far I'm in for the long run!

I was on Arimidex for 3 years until my tumor marker shot up. The oncologist was surprised I was on it for such a long time but I was. I was switched to a monthly shot of Faslodex and my tumor marker is 53 which is great. I too have trouble sleeping and the oncologist put me on a 3mg dosage of Melatonin (over the counter). That has helped me a great deal. Keep a positive attitude and keep up the good fight.