Anastrozole and osteoporosis

Worked out with a trainer 2000—2011. Started HRT in 2003. Diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2005. Broke two bones in my feet on a leg press in the gym in 2005.

In 2021, I was diagnosed with ER+ BC. Had lumpectomy, radiation, and lympnodectomy and started anastrozole in 2021. Since 2021, I’ve had a compression fracture in my spine, a decompression fracture in my spine, a broken rib getting a breast MRI, and a broken humerus in two places from a fall this year. My shoulder still hurts, and I am unable to drive my car. My hair is thinning; my nails are terrible with chipping and breaking. In 2021, I had a knee replacement and in 2023, I had a hip replacement. I recently started collagen peptides one and MSM. I passed on bone building shots. I also take strontium citrate. I wish you the best with your decision.

For those of us seniors who develop BC the decision to take Anastrozole is very difficult. I just started in June.
The first few weeks were fine. Now having diarrhea every day...and joint pain. My last DEXA Scan in 2023 was normal. My breast oncologist ordered another scan in September, I will be on this drug for 3 months then.
I am trying to be proactive as I can. Walking, squats, back exercises, hand weights, climbing stairs, diet high in calcium, maybe a personal trainer, and, of course, supplements. However, I am a heart patient also (ischemic disease) and coronary artery disease. A big risk factor in taking this drug, it can induce a heart attack or stroke, yet my cardiologist gave the go ahead to take Anastrozole. And calcium supplements not recommended in a woman with heart disease. Between a rock and a hard place.
sharon35981, your experiences with this drug horrific!
darlenef, I hear you loud and clear! What kind of testing did you have stating a 22% chance of BC in your lifetime? To my knowledge & maybe wrong, tamoxifen is for pre-menopausal women(??)
My story is long but I had a bilateral mastectomy with 1 positive lymph node. Oncotype testing revealed chemo would be ineffective for me and since I lost both breasts (both had cancer) radiation not needed also.
Only Anastrozole was recommended. I hope you get lots of good answers to your question, darlenef, which can help you with your decision. My breast surgeon told me that 25% of women stop the Anastrozole before the 5 year plan. All the very best...with a really tough decision.

briarrose,

I think the 22% was a combination of my being diagnosed with atypical ductal hyperplasia and having 2 aunts and a cousin on my mother’s side who had breast cancer. Because of these factors, I’m considered high-risk.

Oh, that’s just horrible! I hope the Reclast infusions I’ve been getting yearly will protect me from a fracture if I decide to take anastrozole. .

Hi there - I'm 58 yrs old and learned that I had osteoporosis after the DEXA scan I had just prior to starting Anastrozole. My DEXA scores, especially for my spine, stink - ugh. I was very surprised. I've never had a fracture or any signs of osteoporosis.
I've now been taking Anastrozole for 10 months. For me, the side effects have been tolerable (dry skin, hot flashes, sore joints - in my case, knees). I go to acupuncture which helps my hot flashes. To combat both sore joints and osteoporosis, I walk 2-5 miles per day and a good clip. I also take Ibanronate (Boniva) once per month for my bones. Due to the size of my tumor and the spread into a couple of lymph nodes, I'm considered "high-risk for recurrence" so taking an aromatase inhibitor is imporant to me (perhaps not as important for folks who are not high-risk). Time will tell what impact the Anastrozole has on my osteoporosis, but I'm doing my best with walking and weight lifting, good diet, and Ibandronate to prevent further damage.

(I'm also taking Verzenio, a protein inhibitor, since I'm high risk . . . the side effects of Verzenio are another story - big time diarrhea . . . But I only need to take that for 2 years so I'm just dealing with that. . . )

i was also worried with anastrozole as have osteoporosis but latest scan showed only 1 % decrease in spine after 2.5 yrs of the med and no decrease in hips
chatgpt told me that is good as usually as my age one can lose 1% per yr

Have you been taking any drugs to prevent bone loss? I’ve read some studies that say Reclast injections every 6 months while on anastrozole will not only prevent bone loss but will actually improve bone density. I plan to discuss this with my oncologist next week.

no i refused drugs, really dont want any side effects. Declined AI for first 2 yrs but now take as had local recurrence.

Why don’t the doctors discuss these options with us? Patients shouldn’t be the ones to find out about things that can help us.

So I am 65 and was diagnosed with stage 2 idc 2 years ago.
Just before my diagnosis I had broken my wrist and then 6 weeks later my patella .
I had dxa scan which showed a collapsed vertebra in my back and showed osteopenia.
I am currently taking an AI
Why? I don’t want recurrence as that will possibly mean more surgery and / or chemo and / or radiotherapy depending on where the recurrence is .a recurrence could also be terminal depending on where it is .
Also because I’m oestrogen receptor positive I have a risk of recurrence over the next 20 years . This risk is lowered by aromatase inhibitors which I will take for 5 years but continues to work even when I’ve completed my 5 years .
As regards my bones I take calcium and vitamin D and alendronic acid .
I have consulted with an osteoporosis expert who was happy with my treatment and will be reassessed this Dec after my dxa scan ( 2 years on Letrozole )
Side effects are mostly muscle and tendon problems but I have a fabulous physio who helps and also walk, golf and do reformer Pilates
My younger sister was diagnosed with bc at 50 and got recurrence in her spine 7 years later while on tamoxifen.
The experts tell me Letrozole reduces my risk of recurrence and I will do everything I can within my power to try and stop recurrence .
I will say they oncologists are generally not experts on osteoporosis ( they are cancer experts) hence I sought advice from an osteoporosis expert
Good luck with making your decision x