Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

I wrote here last week that I'm having such leg, hip, and knee pain that my doctor ordered an MRI. It showed a worsening of my stenosis and spinal degeneration. I have an appointment with my spine doctor on the 9th. I'm thinking of trying an experiment (with the consent of my Oncologist) of going off Arimidex for two weeks to see if that might be the culprit. Has anyone here tried that, and if so what were your results?

Yesterday, when my doc took my estrogen levels and saw they were zero AND I complained of bone pain, he has taken me off of Femura for 2 weeks. Doc said sometimes that helps to reset the body. I might ask to try Tamoxifen. Did you have an Mri of your knee? Does your spinal doc think the Arimidex caused the spinal degeneration?

@francine6829 - the MRI was of my lower back. She just prescribed an X-Ray of my hip and femur for today. I just emailed my Oncologist to ask her opinion about an experiment of going off Arimidex for two weeks. I got a rapid response that she is out of the office until the 8th!

Does she believe the Arimidex caused your lower back to deteriorate. Remind me how long you have been on Arimidex?

I've had spinal stenosis for years, but I don't know about the multilevel degeneration, or how long that has been happening. I've been on Arimidex for 14 months. This extreme and very limiting pain is recent.

The oncotype - determines if you need Chemo. I was a 22. I had 21 radiation treatments. The study that came out in June of 2018 determined that women in the "middle range" (I think that was from 15 to 26) - do Not benefit from Chemo for survival rates. They studied like 8,000 women over 10 years. Radiation is from the fact you got a lumpectomy vs a mastectomy. Personally - I was glad the study came out, as my oncologist said she would have given me chemo otherwise. The AI's ARE a form of Chemo though. During Radiation - I got what looked like a sunburn on my skin and my nipple turned dark brown. 🙁

I was thrilled I did not need chemo. Radiation was a non event for me. Its these AIs that are a killer

Me too, Francine. 15 radiation treatments and no chemo. Whew!

Where do you live ? I am in northern Virginia

Good morning everyone. I had a lumpectomy, Chemo, radiation and am 1 month into taking arimidez. I feel a wee bit of aches but the depression is the worst. I cannot seem to get out of this slump. It's all consuming. Has anyone else suffered from depression while taking arimidez?