Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Thank you so much for your post. I don't mean to scare people, but I guess I probably do but I honestly don't mean too. I guess my experience was not what I was thinking it would be. I am 55 and was thinking I would breeze thru this, and it didn't work like that for me. I go this next Friday to my oncologist so prayers he recommends one I can take. I wish everyone who has ever been thru this horrible disease the best and thank you for your kind words.

Hope you can try a different manufacturer or even brand name. I am struggling with Evenity which others sail through. It isn't that I don't understand, believe me. And I
lost bone on Femara (doc did not want to prescribe Reclast due to afib).

But in the context of cancer, it is sometimes hard to see people scared off by posts online from even trying AI's, so I just post for balance. I did not deny the suffering and said I respect your experiences. I just hope people will at least try.

Good luck with your treatment and I hope things improve whether you try another one or go off entirely.

With all respect to those you know that had no problems, those of us, including myself have had horrible side effects. I was not the same person, joints hurt all the time, no sleep etc.
I am off Anastrozole for two weeks and then we will try another one..... I wish everyone the best but some have a hard journey with AI's.

@vkroger what was your ER score from pathology, and your PR score?

These meds reduce estradiol below detectable levels, by eliminating estradiol produced in the adrenals.

The drug insert for Femara (letrozole) states that a 20% dose achieves that undetectable level. However I am not sure what difference the dose makes and would love to see studies. To me, either estradiol/aromatase is suppressed or it isn't. Even with a 20% dose, if effective, we would have the same symptoms since the symptoms are from estrogen deprivation, right?

That said, try switching manufacturers or switching to a different AI. I ended up taking brand name Femara though at the end I found one generic I could tolerate.

I took Accord brand for five years very few side effects except diahrea but I have a bad stomach before some hair loss otherwise got through it

I took Accord brand name throughout my five years. Dry few side effects some loss of hair trouble with dishes but the. That has always been a problem. Otherwise found it to be totally bearable

absolutely!!! I had 3 months on anastrozole. I started my next 90 days on it again with a renewal of my prescription. The side effects made me quit after two weeks. What happened with the second batch?? I think it's the manufacturing. I found a lot of different manufacturers on line. I've said this before, but it's worth repeating for new people to this site. I think it depends of the manufacturer.

My oncologist wants me to take Anastrazole as my Onco score was 21. I am post menopausal. I had my Estradiol E2 blood level tested and it is less than 5 (LabCorp doesn’t go lower than a 5 for testing this). That’s low for a post menopausal woman. Please help me understand why I should take the same dose as a woman whose E2 level may be 10 or 15 or 20. Why are we all given the same 1mg dose when our E2 levels may be all different? It seems to me that some of us are getting too much medication, some aren’t getting enough medication while a portion of us may be getting just enough. Could this standardization of dosing be causing the bad effects some women get?

@denisesjourney123 with all respect to those who have suffered, I would just say, anecdotally, that most of the women who took aromatase inhibitors that I know did not have big problems. I would add, protect your bones if your DEXA shows osteoporosis.

I have to start it in a week. I’m dreading it!