Anastrozole
Diagnosed in July 2025 with Invasive DCIS Stage 1 Grade 0 - 8 mm. Lumpectomy and 3 weeks radiation. No cancer. Oncologist wants me to take Anastrozole for 5 Years. Side effects are keeping me from not taking the drug. Can anyone share experience with this drug?
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Hi @fluffy50 and welcome to our Community. We are sorry for the reasons that bring you here, but we're really glad you've found us. You're sure to find our community a wonderful source of advice, information, encouragement, and support — we're all here for you!
Have you started anastrozole yet or are you anticipating the side effects you may experience? We know starting a new medication — especially that you plan to take for 5 years or more — can be intimidating and scary. And, when it comes with stories from others about bad experiences it can be even more worrisome. However, we want to assure you a few things, before you decide not to move forward with your doctor's recommendation:
- Everyone will have a different experience with hormonal therapy. We hear from some members that they have little to no side effects, some have mild to moderate side effects, and some find that the side effects are just too much and decide to talk to their doctor about other options.
- For those who do experience some side effects, it's important to remember there are ways to help manage the side effects so that you can stay on the medication; complementary therapies like exercise, acupuncture, or medical cannabis can help.
- With the aromatase inhibitors (AIs) like anastrozole, many people who find serious side effects on one medication fair much better by switching to another of the AIs (letrozole or exemestane).
- Many people who take hormonal therapy find that the benefits of reducing their risk of recurrence outweighs the side effects. Read more about what to know about refusing hormonal therapy for breast cancer and its potential impact on your health.
This thread is a good place to learn about others' experiences with anastrozole:
This is also an excellent thread for insight and advice:
We hope this helps. Let us know how else we can assist you as you make your decision.
—The Mods
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I was diagnosed in 2006 and took Arimidex; the primary side-effect I experienced—which was NOT recognized by physicians at that time—was joint pain. I participated in a blind study at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania which was determining if acupuncture with electrical stimulation would have an impact. It absolutely worked for me, and I did discover five years later that I was not in the placebo portion of the trial. My pain did not even return after the treatments stopped.
Good luck!Lisa
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I have been on it for about 2years. The first couple months I had joint pain, but once I got through those first couple months, it disappeared & never returned. The main side effect I’ve had is hot flashes. Some weeks I barely have any hot flashes, other weeks I experience them more frequently.
The main issues I’ve seen mentioned on here are the hot flashes and the joint Pain,
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