Anastrozole experience: Any tips for managing side effects?

It just clicked that you’re saying every 2nd day versus every other day!

I really appreciate you all who have taken the time to post about anastrozole. I wish I would have done more research before taking it, literally, I think the side effects were given to me in a nonchalant way. I’m thinking Dr should have given a list of side effects and how to handle them if they happen. I am currently off anastrozole, but will be discussing another drug -IN PERSON- with doctor. I have also been referred to an integrated medicine doctor( appointment mid October)… I do believe exercise,stretching etc is very essential.

Same difference here in uk 🤷‍♀️

I am on the cusp of my 73rd birthday. I have been on Anastrozole for 18 mos. and had mild and manageable side effects of joint stiffness and night flashing. Walking and Yoga have really mitigated the joint issues … enough that I rarely medicate with Tylenol nor Advil.

I had concerns about Bone density and also had a DEXA prior to starting and again at one year to monitor : spine : normal and no change, Hips: both had mild osteopenia and one hip increased .1 and one hip decreased .1…. I call that no change. Endocrinologist will retest at year 2 and if similar will monitor me every 2 years.

Had cardiology visit to evaluate a slightly elevated LDL cholesterol ( which was already above ideal) but rather than introducing another medication he had me do a Calcium Score ( scan) and it was ZERO! So no need for intervention.

I have a weight bearing lifestyle that includes walking, hiking, yoga, skiing etc. and I this is my antidote. I realize that I am very lucky to have relatively mild reactivity to Anastrozole and I hope you do also. I keep my eye on the prize … reducing the odds of recurrence.

I too have seen so much negativity regarding AI meds and I’m sure there are some for whom the effect is devastating.

I hope you can manage reasonable comfort with the AI and if not there are two others to try. The fact that it’s a daily dose is very helpful because you can stop anytime. Half life of Anastrozole is 50 hours… so within a few days it’s completely out of your system.

Good luck to you and to all of us on this unwanted journey. 🌸

Same with me. I’m 58 and in anastrozole it’s been 1 year. I just started with the hot flashes seems to be manageable to me as well. Have some joint pain I started drinking green tea at 3. -4 cups a day and that seems to help me. I work in an office sitting so I try and get up and move as much as I can. I do sleep better. I take mine at night after dinner because of the slight headaches and sleepy.

Tumeric seems to help too but check with your oncologist first. I’m trying to understand why some oncologists are ok with it and some opposed.

Swimming has helped me enormously. I’ve just come out of pool after swimming for 1 hour 25 mins and that’s with no stopping. X

The only side I had was thinning of my hair. Diahrea was the most annoying one. Otherwise weight gain and internal hot flashes. Finished five years. Thrilled I stuck with it. Dude effects with any med. does a good job to keep cancer away. They say it keeps fighting several years after stopping. Good luck. Try to stay positive goes fast

I am 77 and consider myself incredibly fortunate that my only side effects with a astrodome is thinning hair and facial hair growing. I had a mastectomy but the tumor size was less than 1cm. I have not had chemotherapy or radiation and I wonder why the anastrozole is necessary.

Love auto correct that should be anastrozole and not astrodome.lol