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Anastrozole...has anyone had an increase in glucose or cholesterol

Posted by sandyjr @sandyjr, Jul 22, 2019

Since I started taking anastrozole....June 2018....my glucose and cholesterol readings seem to be increasing...enough for me to be concerned as I do not want to be put on any more medicine...especially for these issues. Has anyone had this problem? I always get copies of my test reports so that I will know what is happening and so that I will not be blindsided at a Dr appointment. Most of the complaints about anastrozole have been about physical discomfort...what about changes in blood tests?

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justwhenuthink | @justwhenuthink | 1 day ago
In reply to @jardinera25 "I was on Anastrozole for only a month & my BP (already on 2 BP pills)..." + (show)
@jardinera25

I was on Anastrozole for only a month & my BP (already on 2 BP pills) was climbing fast. So the Doc said, let's switch to Letrozole. My BP still inched up slowly over the next 3 months, which made me worry. Then I began to have big night BP spikes up to 180/ & 190/ some nights; I started a 3rd BP drug. By the 4th month it was happening every night. After a trip to the ER again, I told my Doc I was going off the Letrozole. So now I have developed "labile hypertension," which annoys me. The Doc switched me to a different type of hormone therapy called Fulvestrant, which works differently, a "hormone antagonist," delivered as a shot in your bum. Hoping for shrinkage of the tumor. She wants me to add a pill to that called Verzenio, but I'm hoping to wait until fall to add that....I told her I want to enjoy my summer and gardening and not feel too exhausted. So there are 2nd level options if the Aromatase inhibitors don't work for a person.
Wishing you the best in your decisions.

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Hi

Hope you are doing OK....
I am on letrozole too, to shrink a 6cm tumour .....what size was yours and how long before u notice a change in size?

Kindest regards and best wishes Barbara

REPLY
jardinera25 | @jardinera25 | 1 day ago

Hi, Barbara, I was on Anastrozole & then Letrozole since last September.....well, for 4 months before my blood pressure really went wacky & I developed Labile hypertension. I quit the pills, & the Doc one month later put me on Fulvestrant shots, another type of hormone blocker that seems to impact hypertension less. So just had my 3rd month of shots last week. I did get little "twinges," like pokes within my chest wall right where the tumor was. I'm thinking this was the shrinking going on, though Doc can't say it was for sure. So that's about 8-9 months of some kind of hormone blocker. Initially my tumor was 9cm long, and now it's 3cm, seen on a breast MRI. Not sure which med had the best effect.
Best wishes for a reduction for you too!
Patty

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