Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

I tried all of Dr's estrogen blockers. asked Dr. to please check estrogen levels, I am 77. Dr. said no. I asked primary care Dr. to check estrogen levels, she did. My estrogen is below the charts I have no estrogen. side affects are not tolerable so I stopped anestrazole. Did have radiation.

It’s discouraging to hear that a drug to help your bones (Fosamax) causes joint pain. I recently started adding vitamin K2 to my daily calcium and D3 to see if that helps keep the osteopenia from progressing. I am 18 months away from my next DEXA scan.

I, too, have noticed a rising cholesterol. I'm on anastrozole for a year now and since I have MBC stopping it is not an option. By the way, it was during my annuals that the cholesterol was checked. My oncologist neither checks it nor is aware of its current level. Do fellow friends here on anastrozole for a while have any tips on how to keep cholesterol levels down?

I am in the same situation with rising LDL and I am thinking of switching to Exemestane. it should not affect blood lipids at all. Do any of you ladies have experience with AI change in order to get blod lipids lowered?

This info is from Mayoclinic.org

All three aromatase inhibitors work the same and reduce the production of estrogen in your body.
...
Medications that stop the body from making estrogen after menopause
Anastrozole (Arimidex). ...
Exemestane (Aromasin). ...
Letrozole (Femara).

I did have the BCI test done and it showed that I had a higher than average chance of reoccurrence. Because I took the letrozole for five years I was so tired of taking it I decided not to continue.
Please explain the difference between letrozole and anastrozole for me as I thought they were both estrogen blockers. I did not mean they were both the same drug but they are both estrogen blockers
P.S. During my five years I tried all three estrogen blockers.. letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane. I took letrozole the longest but all three drugs gave me the same side effects.

@meme5 so sorry to hear about your cancer recurrence. I also took letrozole for 5 years. I had the Breast Cancer Index test at that point that told me there was no benefit to extending it. I originally wanted at least 7 years because I read that was as good as 10.

If you really regret stopping at 5, you could still have the Breast Cancer Index done with your original slides. I am sure you have better things to do right now though.

ps letrozole is not the same drug as anastrazole.....there are different manufacturers for both but they are different medications

Here’s my 2 cents. I took letrozole (same drug as anastrozole just different manufacturer) for five years after double mastectomy and 8 rounds of chemo. I stopped after my five years in 2018. Yes, I had bad side effects, achy joints, bone loss, always tired and also hair thinning. I had enough after 5 years. In 2022 I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the portahypatic area (lymph nodes near the liver but not in it). A laparoscopic surgery to remove 2 lymph nodes and pet scan confirmed that my breast cancer had returned. I am one of the lucky ones. It is not in my bones, brain, lungs or liver as of right now but I will live with metastisis for the rest of my life. I get pet scans every three months and am now back on letrozole which is helping keep the lymph node cancers in check, meaning they are not currently growing.
I wish to God I had kept taking letrozole after five years, which I had been advised to do but I stopped because I was tired of that little pill.
Today, I gladly swallow it every morning without fail and I bless it for doing its job in my body. To date I do not have to take any other drug but I know many others who do.
I pray none of you become metastatic. It is an uncertain, sometimes scary place to be. I am active, walk 35 minutes every day, eat a plant based diet and have excellent weight.
I now love that little pill that I cursed for five years. Perspective is everything.

I have been on anastroloze for 2 months now and have noticed increasing pain in one knee as my other knee is a replacement and it always hurts a lot. I had dexa scan showing worsening osteopenia before starting anti estrogen pills so am taking Fosamax which unfortunately also causes joint pain. Will take for 2 years. My tumor was small, 3 mm, clean lymph nodes so I chose to not do radiation as it has significant side effects which could be long term. So am depending on this little pill to help keep a recurrence from happening.

@anjalima I had bone loss the first year that eased for years 2-5 (not entirely). So if you do a DEXA after one year consider that the same rate of loss may not occur for the following 4 years. Your doc should know!