Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

I have just started to take Anastrozole after having lumpectomy & radiation for stage 2 ER+ breast cancer with clear lymph nodes.
I also have thalassemia minor & gilberts syndrom.
I’m quite anxious about taking Anastrozole as I’m not sure this is safe for me considering my health situation.

Hello - I was diagnosed with Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (posted a follow-up on the other thread, but see it must have gotten lost in cyber land). I had a stereotactic biopsy and then a surgical biopsy. The pathology came back clear for DCIS. In fact, there were no ADH cells present either which meant those cells were removed during the stereotactic procedure and left me shaking my head over the stress and recovery from the surgery.

So now I am 59 and faced with taking Anastrozole to try and prevent cancer. Due to family history and the ADH, I fall into the high risk category with >30% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. I won’t take Tomoxifen because I have a family history of stroke. I’m left with Anastrozole as an option but I already have degenerative discs, arthritis, (controlled) hypertension and occasional abnormal liver enzymes. I DON’T WANT TO TAKE THIS DRUG. I’m supposed to start taking it tonight but then realized my oncologist never took a baseline blood for the liver enzymes so I will hold off until I speak w/ her (it’s in her clinical notes but a fairly big over sight if you ask me).I have a 30 day supply and try very hard to just look at this as a “trial”, but it is scary. I don’t have cancer but I have to fill my body with a drug that perhaps will prevent (only) an estrogen fed future cancer, but then maybe I’m taking this all for nothing because I could fall in the percentage of people who never develop cancer (my mother didn’t, but my sister, material aunt and cousin did).

I’m angry. My husband is scared that I won’t feel well. I’m scared that if I don’t take the medication I will regret it. I’m scared that if I do take the medication I will regret it. And though I asked a couple of times, my doctor won’t check my estrogen levels either. I am somewhat bothered by the fact that the FDA has approved the use of this drug to treat cancer, but has not done so for the use of a CPA (chemoprevention agent) for high risk women. I know that, with the support of clinical studies, doctors use drugs for off-label purposes, but it bothers me. Anyway, now I know I am rambling...I just feel that it is all a big crap shoot.

Best wishes to all of you that are dealing with so much...there are some days I feel so overwhelmed by it all it takes my breath away.

cindylb - did the oncologist suggest tamoxifen? I was taking aromasin every other day, but my oncologist said there are no studies to validate taking it every other day and put me on tamoxifen every day.

I have been taking anastrazole for almost 5 years. I think my hair is thinner, but I’m not sure if that was the result of the hair loss from chemo, the fact that I have thin hair to begin with, and I’m older, or the Anastrozole. The bigger issue I’m having with the anastrozole is an almost total inability to lose weight. I don’t think I’ve gained any or if I have, I haven’t gained much, but any attempt to lose weight almost always fails. When I talked to the chemo doctor about it and explained that I was getting , for a 71-year-old woman, an extremely high amount of consistent exercise, was following a sensible diet, and still could not lose anything. His response was it is the Anastrozole. For some reason it causes fat cells to settle in adipose tissue rather than be burned off by activity.

On Anastrozole I have mild and manageable joint stiffness (mostly in hips) that I could mitigate with walking and yoga stretching. I also have mild night sweats sometimes and mild insomnia sometimes. After one year these symptoms increased dramatically… after two months I decided to check everything I was taking in such as food and supplements etc. it turned out my pharmacy changed the manufacturer for anastrazole and my newly dramatic side effects coincided with this change. I found a pharmacy that could order the original manufacturer, and began looking into the brand name. Now that I’m back on the original my side effects receded back to mild/manageable.

So… when there is a change in your response to a med check any changes in generic manufacturing. Generic us not regulated in the same way as brand meds and they can fluctuate in main ingredient as much as 20% ( I’m told by a company rep) in either direction. Also they have different fillers. It would be nice if this were more tightly regulated.

Brand is always better but OMG $1700.00/mo vs $25.00/mo at CVS!

Thank you, very helpful! I am looking at the odds percentages of recurrence versus the side effects of anastrozole. I hope and pray that I make the right decision.!

Yes, I have heard the difficulty losing weight about anastrozole. Also, I have thin hair to begin with and I am 72 years old and have heard about the thinning hair but my bigger issue is osteoporosis. since I already have osteopenia.