Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole
I completed all treatments for breast cancer but now I am supposed to take hormone blocker, named anastrozole. im concerned about the side effects. Has anyone here taken it and did anyone have hair loss?
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Thanks for sharing about your next steps. I am interested to hear more about your experience. Denise
Hi All- I am taking anastrozole and doing ok. I have a question that I haven’t seen here- does this drug affect your type of sleep? I don’t mean insomnia. When I sleep or nap since taking this drug it is much harder to wake up. It is more like a very slow rising back to consciousness, like floating back. Even after I get up it takes a while for the fog to go away. It is weird and I am thankful to be able to ask you about this. Is it just me?
@dmgweiss- Good morning! No, so far, that is ONE side effect I haven't had with Anastrozole.
@dmgweiss That is actually one side effect I have not enjoyed.
I am glad for that- maybe it is just me. It is a marked change.
@dmgweiss I only took for 3 weeks but the second time I tried it, the fog was heavy. I woke up slow and the fog stayed with most mornings.....
Good luck!
Thank you! Maybe it is a SE.
@dmgweiss
I, too, have experienced sleep changes like yours. I am conflicted as to the cause, however. An after-effect of chemo? Cutting back on caffeine? New supplements? My whole person is physiologically different from the one I knew pre-BC....
I also am suppose to start taking the same hormone blocker anastrozole and am concerned about the side effects as well. I researched natural ways and am definitely interested in them. Although I don’t know of anyone who has declined doctors recommendation and tried them. I would like feedback from anyone who has. The simple ones I am incorporating already. Such as specific foods, vitamins , such as magnesium, zinc, B6 and grape seed extract. The one I haven’t started is natural progestin cream. It is suppose to decrease estrogen as anastrozole would. Please any feedback would be appreciated.
@gails
I would recommend that you discuss this with your oncologist before taking any supplements, and especially something which contains progestin (progesterone). Do you know your Progesterone Receptor status? I would imagine that it would be an important part of the discussion.
As to being concerned about the side effects of anastrozole before starting it, you might want to wait and see how you react to it. Not everyone has side effects from it; some side effects are quite manageable; some even go away after a year or so, as your body adjusts to it. Keep the faith, and always keep your oncologist in the ongoing, multi-year dialogue!