Anastazole for breast cancer and memory loss?

I tapered off letrozole. I have no idea if tapering vs stopping abruptly makes any difference whatsoever. I believe our bodies adjust to hormonal changes in different ways and hope (expect?) it will stabilize for you and your memory will improve. Did you ask your doc?

I have appt but not till July. It’s really noticeable by my family which scares me more 😞

I had horrible memory loss when I was taking Anastrozole. I couldn’t take any of the medications that lower estrogen. The quality of my life was so poor while taking these drugs that I quit all of them. My husband made fun of me so much for my memory loss that I just quit taking them.

Since starting on letrozole, my mental functioning has declined regarding short-term memory and word finding. I was told by several doctors that estrogen is an important brain food and this is a side effect. Odd that you are experiencing the opposite. Maybe as another comment discussed that stopping cold turkey disrupted your body's previous adjustment? I don't know but hope this resolves for you.

Thank you for sharing your experience while on Anastrozole It makes me feel somewhat reassured that I’m not losing my mind 😵‍💫

Hi. I have been on Anastrozole fir nearly 2 years now. I do find I’m a bit more forgetful but it’s tge pain in my back when I’m walking that’s affecting me tge most. Painkillers are not working and last Saturday I was out on an immediate release morphine tablet. I had a bad reaction to it Sunday morning so
I’m off that now. I’m thinking very strongly of giving up the Anastrozole completely. I’m 71and b4 cancer I used to walk 20-30 kilometres a week. Now I’m luckily to walk to bus stop. Can anyone help please?

Did u have any other symptoms on Anastrozole? Like back pain?

I TOTALLY understand what you are experiencing. I have gone back and forth like a drunken ant and finally made what I call my Sophie’s Choice decision. Anastrozole did not offer me a quality of life that I could move forward with and experience. Prescribers challenged my thinking - I had a hiatus for 2 weeks and I am currently on a 3 month hiatus. Some side effects have ebbed considerably and others such as joint and specifically knees seems more challenging. If I had researched this drug in more detail I believe I would never have taken it. But no one other than the person taking it and experiencing these side effects can possibly realize where we are at this moment - not even myself to begin with. I have now researched how long I should have to deal with side effects once I have stopped taking Anastrozole. It seems that joint and muscle issues can take months. I just worry that while Anastrozole might block estrogen/hormones re Breast Cancer, it’s deprivation of hormones/estrogen in other areas that are deprived of estrogen/hormones aka arthritis in knees, back etc might invite issues. .
I have always been diligent my entire adult life in getting mammos. I of course will continue that diligence. I have an appointment today with a physical therapy group. I have a follow up manmo in September. I will continue to follow all new and exciting efforts to help me keep moving on in the OVERALL both mental and physical way possible. We are women who deserve to carry on through our earned definition of what quality of life means to us. Ever onward!!

Thank u for replying. I have decided today, 7/6/23, to stop taking Anastrozole fir a month to see how my body reacts. I’ve been on it for 18 months and side effects are getting worse not better. I have done a lot of research and exemestane could b the answer. I’m 71 and I’ve no real quality of life with Anastrozole so it will b interesting to see how I will feel. X

I did not tolerate anastrozide well. I switched to exemestane. I feel I can manage life on this AI. I am having my reconstruction next Wednesday so I’m off the drug for 10 days before surgery and 2-3 weeks after surgery to help with the healing process.