Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

@francine6829
I was taken off anastrozole for about 3 weeks now due to a couple of episodes of diverticulitis with excruciating headaches. Actually, headaches began following being placed on the AI. Doctor is now offering Aromosin or Femara...not sure which route to go. Don't want any, but besides first tumor being invasive and second tumor neuroendocrine differential, must be on something. Hoping for no ore headaches on whatever I go on.

My oncologist surgeon did a mammoprint test and the results came back excellent. I am meeting with him next week. Have any of you changed your hormone therapy based on your mammoprint test results? I am am on my second AI (Aromosin) and still have pain. Was on Femura first which caused horrible joint pain.

@colleenyoung Well a phone call is going out first thing in the morning to ask why I haven’t heard anything yet. As far as a second opinion...I don’t think that would be very easy. This doctor comes highly recommended and while there are other oncologists, they are all part of the same breast center, so I’d have to go out of the region. And then there is the surgeon...who works with the oncologist...such a snowball effect. I am hoping to get my care on track because it’s going to be a long haul.

@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?

@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...

Gwinter - pl clarify- are you now on tamoxifen or are you planning to start taking tamoxifen ?