Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Welcome Denise. So glad that you shared your tip for when to take the medication and how it helped you with joint pain. How long will you be taking anastrozole? Have you experienced any other side effects?

Hi there. I recently had a mastectomy for Estrogen and progesterone positive receptor breast cancer. No chemo or radiation. I am unsure if those factor into the side effects of the anastrozole therapy. My main concern was joint pain. I am very active and did not want the drug to take that from me. A friend suggested I take the drug closer to bedtime or in the evening after my workout and daytime activities. I have to say, it has made a difference for me. The one thing that has REALLY helped me is that I now stretch my legs and hands. Every day without fail. Nothing fancy. There are a lot of great tutorials online. If you live near a yoga studio try restorative yoga. Longer stretching postures, seated or laying down. Not sure about hair loss. I was expecting chemotherapy, so frankly any hair I have is a bonus! Best of luck and God Bless to all of you!

Hello @sueseeque! Welcome to Connect!

Have you considered massage or a foam roller? I wonder if that would help the soreness?

I noticed that on this list of side effects http://mayocl.in/2m5bKo9 pain was listed as a "less common" side effect. @dianne53, @cautiousoptimism and @starrlight- have any of you experienced joint pain with the medication?

@sueseeque, what other side effects are you experiencing?

Have you tried "The Stick"? You can order online from Amazon $28. It's a therapeutic massage stick for tissue pain (calves, thighs, quads, neck etc.). I got one from my PT and it's a huge help.

I have been on this med now for, 3 years. Some days it is so very hard to move,however I find that if I can start out slow moving, it can feel better. Then after a rest the pain and stiffness come back 2 fold. My oncologist told me that it was not likely to be the meds effects on my muscles, just in my joint pain...does anyone have the soreness in soft tissue?

Hi Dianne,
I moved your message to this discussion about the side effects of anastrozole, so you can meet others who have taken or are taking this drug. I encourage to read through the past messages. Since posting your first message, have you been in touch with your oncologist about the pains in the right side of your chest, shortness of breath and difficulty lifting your arm?

Mayo Clinic lists chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm pain among the common and less common side effects http://mayocl.in/2m5bKo9 However, like @cautiousoptimism, I would recommend telling your doctor or symptom management nurse about these side effects, and pointing out that they happened a year apart. There may be other things going on.

@wandering @grandma41 @berit @coquimti @cindylb @starrlight did any of you have these side effects?

I havent had any of that kind of side effects. Have them checked out, and its ok if it's nothing serious, just for your peace of mind you owe it to yourself to rule out the bad stuff.

@dianne53, were you able to speak with a nurse about your symptoms?

<br><br><br><br><br><br>Thank-you for your response, I was <br>thinking that it may be a side effect of the anastrozole because this is the <br>second time this has happened and when I went to the hospital a year ago they <br>found nothing wrong with me and sent me home<br><br>

Hello @dianne53. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for posting to our Community.

I'm concerned about the symptoms you are experiencing and want to urge you to call your local emergency nurses line and talk with someone today. Those symptoms don't sound like something to mess around with.

On Mayo Clinic Connect, we are a group of members that post and share experiences and are not at all to give medical advice. We always suggest you seek professional medical advice from a Medical Doctor.

Please check back with us and let us know how you are.