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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole
I completed all treatments for breast cancer but now I am supposed to take hormone blocker, named anastrozole. im concerned about the side effects. Has anyone here taken it and did anyone have hair loss?
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@monical, I completely agree with @gwinter when she says to consider a second opinion or push for answers. Is getting a second opinion an option for you?
@francine6829 he crossed off tamoxifen for me because I had blood clots on birth control pills when I was 18. I tried anastrozole and had terrible side effects; so I am now going to try aromasin (sp ) every 3rd day.
Gwinter - pl clarify- are you now on tamoxifen or are you planning to start taking tamoxifen ?
@monical my appt yesterday with a new oncologist, the first thing he said is he doesn't use tamoxifen with only pre menopause women and he called it old school.
My first oncologist asked me right away if I have ever had blood clots or high blood pressure because he was going to give me tamoxifen as soon as I said no he crossed it off.
Please please please either go for second opinion or push for an answer!
Unfortunately, we have had to learn to be self advocates!
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1 Reaction@colleenyoung Hi~ I met with the medical oncologist twice (once before the surgery and then again afterwards). I tried to give her a very full picture of who I was medically because I knew that these medications could potentially impact certain systems. My husband keeps saying that “she really doesn’t know me” and to some extent I agree with him. She really wanted to push the Tomoxifen but I pushed back because of the family history but even her response to that was that I could talk to my cardiologist but she didn’t think it would be a problem. I put my foot down and why would my cardiologist make that call? I don’t want to trade one problem for another! I know the liver info was presented to her because I see it in the clinical notes (patient portal). It wasn’t until I read the drug info sheet that patient should notify doctor if they have certain conditions that I started to worry that there might be an oversight. I don’t have liver disease, but those elevated enzymes continue to be monitored by my gastro/primary. Anyway, I called the oncologist’s office yesterday morning to ask my questions and I’m still waiting for an answer from the doctor - more than 24 hours later I am still waiting...that does not make me happy. So I will wait...and maybe consider a second opinion...I don’t know...
No point in being scared before you have a problem . You may be lucky and not have the same problems . Be mindful but not scared .
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1 ReactionGood question ! Bet there is no study to show the differences .
@samy
No, the noted study does not get into all the fine points which may interest you, but it does indicate that aromatase inhibitors were significantly more effective than tamoxiphen for postmenopausal women, and that recurrence rates differed little by age, stage, grade (body mass index, progesterone receptor status, or HER2 status) in the various therapy groups of the almost 32,000 patients in the study -- important points in which you appeared to be interested.
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1 ReactionWow! This study is really interesting. Summation: Interpretation
Aromatase inhibitors reduce recurrence rates by about 30% (proportionately) compared with tamoxifen while treatments differ, but not thereafter. 5 years of an aromatase inhibitor reduces 10-year breast cancer mortality rates by about 15% compared with 5 years of tamoxifen, hence by about 40% (proportionately) compared with no endocrine treatment.
I would love to see this test with a placebo included in the mix, rather than a simple comparison of two drugs. Also - age specific results. It still doesn’t answer the question of age specific morbidity stats for Stage 1 with radiation OR radiation+AI OR radiation+placebo … THAT is a study that would give answers to me and many others. If anyone finds that study, you will become my new best friend (lucky you).