Anastrazole and anxiety

These AI drugs are tough on a lot of people, me included. It is always some new and different side effect popping up. My PCP just put me on Sertraline for anxiety. Yes, crying, irritability, frustrations, impatience galore! Sure hope this helps. Am on a very low dose and will evaluate in 4 weeks to increase at that time. Exemestane is the replacement I got when Anastrazole caused trigger fingers. I have joint pain and stiffness, and now have foot pain. Fatigue and insomnia frequently. I am 85 and not happy but fearful to stop the drug since my cancer was aggressive for my age. I already was handling dry eye syndrome and now that is worse and I have blurred vision for reading and computer work. I saw the N.P. in oncologists office and she was wonderful. So understanding. Said anxiety is so common when dealing with cancer and treatments. I know that I am not alone and that is proven by the comments here. I will do a drug rest of 2 weeks later this month. I wish there was a better way than AI drugs, but I guess we are a large group of people who will have to rely on them until something better come along. I hope research is ongoing.

Yes floaters and blurred vision and runny nose. oh my! I take 2/3 the dose of miralax and metamucil every night. I add a little calms powder( magnesium) and green powder to get some nutrients. This works. Without it you too could suffer from diverticulitis...fever chills infection= antibiotics. My physician says miralax will do no harm.
I have to remember to drink lots of water, he suggests 60 oz min and 90 preferable! I add gatorade powder to the water every other day as miralax draws water out of your body into the colon to help move things along. Magnesium does the same thing. Best, S

@georgemc867 OMG, I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. I just started Anastrazole a few months ago, & am noticing the cumulative effects. My eyesight has always been poor, & now the floaters have taken over, along with blurriness. How has your sight changed? I'm doing colonics for the constipation, but still can't keep ahead of it. If you go to every other day please note your progress; I am also 74 & slight, & have wondered about this.

Anastrazole and anxiety.

I did fine on this drug for about a month. Was a little teary. And the 2 month mark things started going sideways. Full panic mode, paranoia, the ugly cry for absolutely NO reason. My son and daughter (adults) were basically doing suicide watch. I was traveling for work and called my care team. They advised to try to rest to relieve the suicide thoughts. They got me in as soon as I got back. I walked into the appointment crying (loudly). My oncologist told me to stop the medication and am now on Letrozole. Side effects have been okay on the new drug. I was also prescribed Verenzio which caused me to vomit all medication. I am on a break from that for a few weeks and then will figure out the next steps. Verenzio is a very expensive medication, $8,400 per month. My care team has been fantastic and shows concern for my physical and mental health. I hope your team can help you find a solution that will work for you! Blessings, Corey

@georgemc867
Please see my recent post - sorry was meant to be in your ‘reply ‘ box.

Hi - Oh dear I am sorry for your struggles with this medication. Sadly I too can ‘tick off ‘ all of the issues you list!, including the gastric issues. I am keen to look further at the idea of varying the dosage schedule and discuss this with oncology team. I have taken a two month break back in mid 2024 ( mobility became so bad I could barely walk!) and then resumed. I find it frustrating that when you think you have reached a place where you can manage on this drug, another side effect pops up! In my case bad hand pain but only after nearly two years in. I find it useful to know the experiences of others who take these drugs. At least it reassures us that we are not alone in this or going quietly mad! Thank you for sharing.

I have been taking Anastrazole for 18 months. Lordy, the issues I have encountered with it! During the first 4 months I began to have irregular heart beats and my GP told me to STOP it for a few weeks. I then restarted it and that side effect has disappeared. Next I began attracting bees...and had 13 stings over 3 incidents resulting in hospital visits and lots of prednisone. Bees have basically ignored me my whole life! That with the Anastrazole caused serious constipation and that caused infectious diverticulitis, twice, needing broad spectrum antibiotics. Next I caught a upper respiratory that would not go away and since I am 74 with asthma, I was put on another antibiotic for precaution due to so many pneumonia cases.

Then I began to have bothersome reflux from the Anastrazole resulting in inflammation in my chest and hoarseness. After clearing my through too many times from the congestion, i have damaged my vocal cords on one side and may have to have PT or surgery to correct as it affects breathing. So now I am on Prilosec and Pepcid to manage the reflux. I read that Anastrazole can thin tissue and so the sphincter at the top of my stomach is not working well.
Anastrazole requires me to take Fosamax and that little jewel excerbates my stomach acid.
And I already had osteoporisis and now my bones are thinning in just 18 months.

I also now have leaky bladder and urgent needs to pee at times. And I have back aches, burning, tush bone aches and muscle cramps and feel jittery all the time. Sleep is not great, I get cranky, which is not my nature, fatigue...the list goes on. Issues with my eyesight.
Again, none of these have been issues prior to chemo, radiation, immunotherapy and now this magic pill.

I am taking another 3-4 week holiday now to see if these symptoms will subside. AI says 3-4 weeks will remedy some of these issues and 6-8 will definitely resolve most of the others, if they are from Anastrazole. I had none of these issues prior to taking the meds. I have been told by my oncologist to switch to Tamoxifen but it can thicken the uterine wall and mine is already that way due to hormones my Mom took during pregnancy. I had a lot of issues with endometriosis. So Tamoxifen can cause uterine cancer, as it cranks up the hormones in your female organs while slowing down the estrogen in the breast. My GP prefers me not to take tamoxifen.

AI suggests that I stop for a holiday, take Tamoxifen for 6 months =1 year, then try Anastrazole again and keep this up over the rest of the 3.6 years hoping to avoid such heavy loads of the meds and stopping many of the issues.
Many countries suggest taking Anastrazole for 2 years or every other day as the half life is about 50 hours. I am a smaller body type and really wonder if the 1mg may be just a bit too much for me. I also saw on a predict site and on AI that after all of the treatments I have taken, this magic pill might only give protect me another 1-2%. It is hard to know what is best to do. I think alternating and taking holidays may be a way for many of us to keep taking this drug.

I didn’t realize how much of this journey is emotional until I was on it. The physical is hard enough. I have gotten back into reading a book: A Course in Miracles. I also attend Zoom meetings about this book on Tuesday nights at 6:30 Arizona time. Anyone can attend. They also meet at 1 o’clock on Wednesdays. In addition to this, I also listen to YouTube podcasts: ACIM Keith. I would be happy to give you the link to the Zoom meetings if you would like. Just let me know. This isn’t for everyone. Seeing a psychologist isn’t for me, either. What could they possibly say that would help? Sending love and hugs.

I too am becoming increasingly concerned about things I was not told about Anastrozole!!
How many more of us are in this situation?
It is no small wonder this treatment has the drop out rate it has!

@jhendrixson you sound amazing. Hang in there - honestly believe we are on the eve of a cancer cure - have never been closer.