Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Posted by tinalove @tinalove, Jan 31, 2016

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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Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 13, 2019

A number of people have mentioned biotin, also known as vitamin B7, to help promote hair growth. Recently, I came across these articles:
- Biotin, marketed for hair and nails, could skew some medical test results, researchers warn https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/biotin-can-interfere-with-lab-tests-study-says-1.5051992
- The FDA Warns that Biotin May Interfere with Lab Tests: FDA Safety Communication https://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/safety/alertsandnotices/ucm586505.htm

Here are some key points from the first article:
"It is known that biotin supplements can interfere with lab tests, resulting in false positive and false negative results on a wide range of clinically important tests."
"Health agencies, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health (https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-Consumer/), say there isn't enough evidence to support the claims that biotin improves hair, nails and skin, and that more research is required before it should be recommended for that purpose."

@elizm, did your doctor tell you about biotin possibly interfering with lab tests?

francine6829 | @francine6829 | Mar 13, 2019

I have been on Femura for 5 weeks and have not seen any hair thinning yet, but perhaps its too early. I did not have chemo, only surgery and radiation.

elizm | @elizm | Mar 13, 2019

In reply to @francine6829 "Was the biotin helpful?" + (show)

@francine6829
Yes, I think it has been helpful for both my hair and nails (all grew back, thick and glossy) and I haven't noticed much thinning in the meantime. AIs are hard on skin, however, and I haven't found something to help that, yet.

elizm | @elizm | Mar 13, 2019

In reply to @francine6829 "Thanks for the response. I wondered if the hair loss was due to Femura." + (show)

@ francine6829
Femara is one of the aromatase inhibitors. (I take anastrozole, for example.) One of the side effects of all of the AIs is hair thinning due to the reduction of circulating estrogen from an AI. Taking Biotin daily helps. Just stop taking the Biotin a few days before any thyroid blood tests as it affects the test assay.

francine6829 | @francine6829 | Mar 13, 2019

Was the biotin helpful?

elizm | @elizm | Mar 13, 2019

In reply to @francine6829 "Which drug or treatment caused your hair loss?" + (show)

@francine6829
I began losing my hair about a week or so following my first chemo infusion (paclitaxel aka taxol). Chemo lasted about three months, after which my oncologist suggested 50mg/day of Biotin to regrow my hair, fingernails, and toenails (yes, even my nails had gone toxic and lifted).

francine6829 | @francine6829 | Mar 13, 2019

Thanks for the response. I wondered if the hair loss was due to Femura.

Laurie, Volunteer Mentor | @roch | Mar 13, 2019

I lost my hair after 2nd treatment of chemo (Adriamycin / cyclophosphamide)

Laurie

francine6829 | @francine6829 | Mar 13, 2019

In reply to @grandma41 "I took that drug, it made my knees and joints hurt so bad that I could..." + (show)

Which drug or treatment caused your hair loss?

gwinter | @gwinter | Mar 7, 2019

In reply to @kathyomaha55 "No - but I see my surgeon in May, I'll discuss it with her. My next..." + (show)

@kathyomaha55 you r so much like me! My DX score was 19 so did 20 radiation treatments. I started perimenopause at 40 and it was horrendous! Hot flashes were awful especially while teaching not just at night.
Good luck on all your appts! I had robotic hysterectomy / oopherectomy only been 4 weeks kinda takes the air out of you for a bit.