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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Nov 21 7:48am | Replies (1935)Comment receiving replies
Three years ago I had surgery for bilateral breast cancer (estrogen related in only one breast) had a full course of radiation, then was put on anastrozole. Within days of taking anastrozole, my oxygen level fell to 77 while my heart rate was over 105 and climbing. In the ER doctors were trying to find out if I had a blood clot in my lungs, a heart attack or an embolism. In a few hours everything returned to normal. I suspected that it was an event triggered by the anastrozole & I called the cancer center where I'd been treated to ask if my symptoms were a common side effect to anastrozole. I was told highly unlikely. I stayed off the drug for two weeks before attempting to take the drug again. The same thing happened, After the second time, however, the pulmonary effects didn't reverse and I had to go on oxygen 24/7. At the time I lived at an elevation of 7200 feet and my doctor advised me to move below 5000 feet. Instead I moved to sea level and can now breathe without a machine. I turned down advice to take an alternative anti-estrogen drug.
Replies to "Three years ago I had surgery for bilateral breast cancer (estrogen related in only one breast)..."
Radiation to the left breast has possible heart-lung damage. However, you can opt for Proton Radiation, which does not hit the areas of heart-lung. It pin points only the cancer area . Something to look into and check out Jacksonville, Fl. for Proton Radiation Institute.
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Wow... remarkable story! I had some form of heart-lung "event" while on chemo and herceptin which also was never diagnosed. As my tumor had been on the left side, I chose not to have radiation as I didn't like what I was reading about the possible heart-lung damage one could incur on the left side. I also chose to wait several weeks before going on anastrozole as I noted on the Mayo Clinic website that it had no less than 82 (!) side effects. I have experienced perhaps 25 or so from time to time over 7 months (nothing life-threatening) which I have attributed to it... but who knows? The oncologist's office doesn't say one way or the other and my other doctors aren't that familiar with it. Each of us has her own individual chemistry and there is no way to predict how we're going to tolerate a med. Stay strong!