1. < Breast Cancer

Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Posted by tinalove @tinalove, Jan 31, 2016

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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dmgweiss | @dmgweiss | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @sparklegram "Good morning everyone. I have been on anastrozole for a year and a half. I've had..." + (show)
@sparklegram

Good morning everyone. I have been on anastrozole for a year and a half. I've had all the symptoms mentioned by everyone in this group, including me. I finally emailed my Oncologist this week to ask if going off the drug for 6 weeks just as a test would put me at risk for a recurrence of cancer. I want to see if my pain is entirely caused by the Anastrozole, or if some of the pain is caused bu age! She said it would not put me at risk, so starting Monday July 15th, off I go! If I feel remarkably better, then I'll consider changing drugs. I'm a little nervous about that because of what I've read here. Most of the other drug choices seem to have considerable side effects, too. I'll keep you posted about the results of my 6 week hiatus. I love this site. It is truly a comfort zone!

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Thanks for sharing about your next steps. I am interested to hear more about your experience. Denise

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dmgweiss | @dmgweiss | Jul 11, 2019

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?

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4 replies
sparklegram | @sparklegram | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @dmgweiss "Hi All- I am taking anastrozole and doing ok. I have a question that I haven’t..." + (show)
@dmgweiss

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?

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@dmgweiss- Good morning! No, so far, that is ONE side effect I haven't had with Anastrozole.

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1 reply
trixie1313 | @trixie1313 | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @dmgweiss "Hi All- I am taking anastrozole and doing ok. I have a question that I haven’t..." + (show)
@dmgweiss

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?

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@dmgweiss That is actually one side effect I have not enjoyed.

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dmgweiss | @dmgweiss | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @sparklegram "@dmgweiss- Good morning! No, so far, that is ONE side effect I haven't had with Anastrozole." + (show)
@sparklegram

@dmgweiss- Good morning! No, so far, that is ONE side effect I haven't had with Anastrozole.

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I am glad for that- maybe it is just me. It is a marked change.

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gwinter | @gwinter | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @dmgweiss "Hi All- I am taking anastrozole and doing ok. I have a question that I haven’t..." + (show)
@dmgweiss

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?

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@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!

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dmgweiss | @dmgweiss | Jul 11, 2019

Thank you! Maybe it is a SE.

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elizm | @elizm | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @dmgweiss "Hi All- I am taking anastrozole and doing ok. I have a question that I haven’t..." + (show)
@dmgweiss

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?

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@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....

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gails | @gails | Jul 17, 2019

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.

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1 reply
elizm | @elizm | Jul 17, 2019
In reply to @gails "I also am suppose to start taking the same hormone blocker anastrozole and am concerned about..." + (show)
@gails

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.

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@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!

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