Come join others currently navigating treatment in our weekly Zoom Meetup! Register here: Tuesdays, 1pm ET.

Dry Skin: Anastrozole (Arimidex) Side Effect?

Have you experienced dry skin issue while taking Arimidex? How did you handle it?
My skin has been dry this winter, especially my face and feet. It appears to improve with oils/vaseline etc. Just wondering if it has to do with Arimidex?

Comments

  • ann5631
    ann5631 Posts: 25

    I have not experienced dry skin skin with it , but definitely a dry mouth. I feel like I am drinking lots of water. While going through chemo, I did switch my moisturizer and body lotions to more natural brands with less ingredients in them. It took some trials to find ones I really liked. But it did make a huge difference in the dryness of my skin.

  • salamandra
    salamandra Posts: 763

    I feel like my skin did get more dry after I started OS/AI. I'm taking oral phytoceramides and hyaluronic acid supplements to help. I think it helping but it's hard for me to say for sure because of how quickly I started on them. Other than that, yeah, baby oil all over after I shower and liberal use of strong moisturizes - I like the Cerave ointment, Dove dermaseries balm, Gold Bond with urea, and and I use albolene for my face wash.

  • waves2stars
    waves2stars Posts: 158

    Not on an AI, but tamoxifen, and the dry skin is pretty bad. I limit exfoliating my skin, wash only with Dove hydration boost body wash, and apply Lubriderm Advanced Hydration to my arms and neck or dry spots. I used almond oil straight out of the shower to help trap the moisture, but I ended up being sensitive to it. Osea has a body oil that works great, but it’s kind of expensive when not on sale, so consider giving jojoba oil a try. I hate to use the chemical laden moisturizers, but coconut oil did not cut it at all.

  • hn
    hn Posts: 36

    Thanks all ❤️🙏🏻 wish you all good health.

  • jhl
    jhl Posts: 176

    I've been on AIs for five years and I've experienced very dry skin. Like others above, I use Cerave, Lubriderm and Caress sensitive skin soap. I have also experienced very dry eyes and recent sensitivity to lubricating tears. I drink lots of water and try to avoid touching my eyes.

  • hn
    hn Posts: 36
    edited February 13

    So I also reached out to my doctor for the dry skin issue and if they recommend anything. They told me if it is cracked/painful, I may choose to change back to tamoxifen for a break, and added that tamoxifen has a small chance of blood clots or uterus cancer and is not quite as good a breast cancer drug.

    If Tamoxifen is not that efficient, wondering why is it prescribed?

  • maggie15
    maggie15 Posts: 1,563

    Hi @hn, AIs reduce the risk of recurrence by 50% while tamoxifen does the same by 40%. The two drugs work differently. AIs reduce the amount of estrogen produced by fat in the body while tamoxifen binds to the estrogen receptors on the cancer cells so that estrogen has nowhere to attach. When someone is premenopausal AIs won't work unless the ovaries are suppressed because they produce estrogen. For those who don't opt for ovarian suppression tamoxifen is the only option.

    In addition to working differently AIs and tamoxifen have different side effects. If someone has a medical condition that would be made worse by AIs they may be able to take tamoxifen and vice versa. Some people tolerate the side effects of one better than the other. While AIs are statistically more effective tamoxifen is pretty good. When I was in school I preferred a grade of 100% on a test but 90% was decent in my opinion.

    Which type of HT you take depends on your circumstances and any side effects you happen to develop. Some people switch from one to the other as things change. Whichever one you decide to take you are statistically reducing your risk of recurrence.

  • hn
    hn Posts: 36

    @maggie15 thanks for the explanation. Very helpful.