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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Nov 21 7:48am | Replies (1935)Comment receiving replies
Dear Eliz
I am 78 and a long while postmenopausal and taking Tamoxyfen
now for a year without any noticeable side effects. I had a cancer removed from my right breast last year and a single Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT)
My present Oncologist is 65 years old and was the top Professor of the Main Hospital and retired. He consults today in a private clinic.
He is the one who changed my medication to Tamoxifen 20 mg a day and explained to me that in my case Tamoxifen will have the least side effets as compared to all other recent inhibitors.
I have been taking Tamoxifen for a year now and feel good without any side effects.
I only miss my Female Estrogen which the Tamoxyfen inhibits which gave me a lot of energy and pep.
Maybe Tamoxifen is not meant for all breast cancers but am shocked as to the side effects of anastrazole
Thank you
Celia Brianphilip
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@brianphilip and @elizm, side effects are tricky. Everyone reacts differently. You're quite right @brianphilip when you said that Tamoxifen will have the least side effects *in your case*. Because he is your doctor, he has your full medical record and history and is able to knowledgeably make that assessment. And it seems he was correct as you are luckily experiencing few to no side effects.
@elizm is also right. For many women, AIs offer fewer side effects than tamoxifen, but some of the side effects that women do experience from AIs are really difficult, causing some to change to a different AI or to stop altogether.
The most important thing to remember is to discuss side effects with your cancer care team. There may be alternatives, like switching to or from tamoxifen or changing the AI or, depending on your risk factor, reducing the length of time of treatment. Or, yet again, there may be help in managing the side effects.