1. < Breast Cancer

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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ellenveragilmor | @ellenveragilmor | Dec 8, 2018

My hair is hardly growing in on the top of my head i think i might stop taking it ,it’s been 5 months it has made my arthritis worse i have a bone heal injury that’s having problems healing

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1 reply
cindylb | @cindylb | Dec 6, 2018
In reply to @ellenveragilmor "I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did..." + (show)
@ellenveragilmor

I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did 6 months of chemo and 20 of radiation i am presently on anastrazol my hair on top of my head is really thin sides and back growing great i called my doctor i never had thin thin hair and don’t want to keep thin thin hair so my question is should i ask my doctor to give me a break for a month i had beautiful hair

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I wanted to add something to you about the hair thinning/loss. I was fortunate (no chemo, radiation) so I was surprised when I started losing so much hair. I thought maybe it was stress (and perhaps that made all of this happen much quicker) but......I really mourned the loss of my hair for about a year. It's hard to have changes like this to your appearance when you've already fought the cancer battle or are continuing to do so. I actually mourned the loss of my hair more than the loss of my breasts (had a bilateral mastectomy). I just wanted to say.....it's no small thing to have these changes on top of the stress of cancer, the treatments, the unknowns. Seems pretty unfair and frustrating. I was already in menopause for a few years when I was diagnosed but the real changes and aging started just after the cancer diagnosis.....hair thinning, wrinkles, the loss of my waistline. I do my best with what I have left (ha ha) but I'm pretty much relying on my winning personality now.......Hugs to you.

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cindylb | @cindylb | Dec 6, 2018
In reply to @ellenveragilmor "I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did..." + (show)
@ellenveragilmor

I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did 6 months of chemo and 20 of radiation i am presently on anastrazol my hair on top of my head is really thin sides and back growing great i called my doctor i never had thin thin hair and don’t want to keep thin thin hair so my question is should i ask my doctor to give me a break for a month i had beautiful hair

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Oh shucks..........the hair 'thing'. I had SO MUCH HAIR, that was my main complaint my whole life.....then menopause hit and cancer and now I have thin, dull, so nothing hair. It's tough to lose a nice asset like that. I am not using the AI drugs (can't) and my hair decided to take a nose dive anyway. I'm not sure if holding off on the drugs would be a good idea for your overall health (your doctor can tell you more) but the lack of hormones causes the hair loss and changes no matter what. You can use the over the counter hair products that 're grow' hair. My doctors said they were safe if well tolerated and they do make a bit of a difference, but you have to keep using them. I wish I had happier news on the hair front. I continue to try new things to get more luxurious hair myself. I have seen some improvement with body building type shampoos and conditioners.

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elizm | @elizm | Dec 6, 2018
In reply to @ellenveragilmor "I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did..." + (show)
@ellenveragilmor

I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did 6 months of chemo and 20 of radiation i am presently on anastrazol my hair on top of my head is really thin sides and back growing great i called my doctor i never had thin thin hair and don’t want to keep thin thin hair so my question is should i ask my doctor to give me a break for a month i had beautiful hair

Jump to this post

@ellenveragilmor
Yes, always ask your doctor for his advice. IMHO, stopping anastrozole for a month will not help the thinning hair on top of your head, and there is no way to tell if the reason is the anastrozole or an aging issue. I take 20,000 mcg of Biotin each day and the hair on top has not recover. Perhaps ask the doctor if using Rogaine will help?

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ellenveragilmor | @ellenveragilmor | Dec 6, 2018
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @wandering, please meet @berit. She just joined the Breast Cancer group." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Hi @wandering, please meet @berit. She just joined the Breast Cancer group.

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I am a bladder cancer and er positive breast cancer survivor in one year. I did 6 months of chemo and 20 of radiation i am presently on anastrazol my hair on top of my head is really thin sides and back growing great i called my doctor i never had thin thin hair and don’t want to keep thin thin hair so my question is should i ask my doctor to give me a break for a month i had beautiful hair

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3 replies
elizm | @elizm | Dec 5, 2018
In reply to @lisastewart7180 "does anyone have joint pain fron astinzole" + (show)
@lisastewart7180

does anyone have joint pain fron astinzole

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@lisastewart7180
Welcome to the group. Yes, likely we all have joint pain from anastrozole... even me who takes only half a pill. Because of the extensive nerve damage I acquired with chemo, it took me a while to increase my exercise routine, but I think that was the key... exercise. I'm now up to 4-5 hours a week. It helps me sleep, it quiets the arthralgia from the anastrozole, and it keeps the weight off (weight gain is another side effect of anastrozole). As NSAIDs (Aleve, Ibuprofin, acetaminophen, etc.) are anticholinergic, they aren't the answer for more than a day, now and then. Wishing you the best!

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Moderator
Justin McClanahan, Moderator | @JustinMcClanahan | Dec 5, 2018
In reply to @lisastewart7180 "does anyone have joint pain fron astinzole" + (show)
@lisastewart7180

does anyone have joint pain fron astinzole

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Hello @lisastewart7180, welcome to Connect. You may notice I combined your post with an existing discussion titled "Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole." I did this so the members discussing the side-effects of anastrozole would see your message and have a chance to share their experiences with joint pain and how they manage it. It may also be worth your time to clicking on VIEW & REPLY if you are replying by email so that you can read through some of the posts members have shared in the past.

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lisastewart7180 | @lisastewart7180 | Dec 5, 2018

does anyone have joint pain fron astinzole

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4 replies
Glori | @elvandi | Nov 14, 2018
In reply to @cindylb "Hello and Hugs........ I have read all these posts with great interest. I am about to..." + (show)
@cindylb

Hello and Hugs........
I have read all these posts with great interest. I am about to go to my 6 month checkup again (3 years now) since my mastectomies and each time I begin to worry. I worry because we all have to make so many choices and I hope I made the right ones but it's hard to know. The problem is seems is that cancer treatment is evolving (at least it's moving forward) and doctors will disagree and no two cancer patients are alike, not really. Some women tolerate the AI's and some do not (I couldn't....horrible depression, pain and they all caused my immune system to 'attack' me and I ended up with Shingles, Mono and various other unsavory side effects). So I have opted not to use them. I do get hormone tests (but that was with my previous insurance and doctors) not sure how going back to my Kaiser doctors will go. They weren't keen on the hormone tests but if needed I will get them myself elsewhere. I have no hormones to speak of....very low Estrogen and Progesterone, so I'm holding out hope that's what is actually causing my cancer. I am 'low risk' and grateful that I could skip radiation and chemo.
In addition, my husband has a cancer of unknown primary (CUP they call it). He has cancer, Stage 4, but the doctors don't know what kind of cancer it is. That's a thing.....who knew. We are on our third oncologist for him and second radiation oncologist. We've gotten a second opinion from a highly reputable hospital, the best in our area. Talk about fighting through nonsense. It's been a truly horrible experience. Because they can't identify the cancer they can't move forward with treatment (other than huge doses of chemo of all types that will kill him) so...........we're using marijuana, with their blessing and his tumor has actually gotten smaller and the lymph node activity has pulled back. But will that last?
What I now know is this.........doctors don't always know what to do. They can't know how a specific patient will react to treatments and they do their best (whatever that is at any given time). I sometimes wish I didn't question so much or feel the need to research and make all the decisions, but that is who I am. I do think that being an oncologist must be extremely hard because there are so many variables and unknowns. Always advocate for yourself. Change doctors if the ones you have aren't listening to you or if you don't feel comfortable and never apologize for expecting the best care you can get. And never let them dismiss you or what you're experiencing. I think doctors and nurses can become hardened to their patients (perhaps they must) but this is YOUR experience and you should trust how you feel.
While in the hospital we were in a consultation for my husband with an internist who had not seen my husband but of course had his chart. We were explaining his symptoms, meds, etc. and the doctor asked if I was a nurse. I thought they were confused and didn't understand I was his wife and they said they knew I was his wife, they just wondered if I was a nurse. I was amused..........I've spent so much time on my cancer, his cancer, (my sisters and step father's cancer) and various other caregiving tasks.........I now 'play a doctor on TV'.......ha ha. Hugs and Good Wishes to all.......

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Get answers directly from the drug companies on all side effects, etc.

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elizm | @elizm | Nov 11, 2018
In reply to @71234567 "Anastrozole.. nurses deny side effects. My hair is falling out significantly. Emotional depression. Now taking nutrizac...." + (show)
@71234567

Anastrozole.. nurses deny side effects. My hair is falling out significantly. Emotional depression. Now taking nutrizac. Nurses and doc do not seem to know if that is ok. I am not impressed with lack of knowledge or care.

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@71234567 You might want to direct your nurses to the Mayo Clinic website where something like 82 side effects are noted: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/anastrozole-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20061868

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