Anastrazole help please.

Hi kumihimo, very interested in your post as I’m on Anastrozole too, I’m just at the one and a quarter years mark though. I’ve found fatigue to be the most debilitating side effect. Strangely the best thing for me seems to be walking, which also helps the joint pains in my feet and has become something of an addiction! Sorry your symptoms seem to be getting worse rather than better, since taking the break. I don’t know about the particular situation of stopping the drug, but I’ve been having ear acupuncture for the hot flushes, and after the first session they got much worse- then began to improve a bit. So maybe this is similar? I’m careful about googling but have done quite a lot re effects of Anastrozole (and AIs in general) and realise that the effects can be so much more than I had thought at the start. I have some links saved on my laptop which I’ll try to pass on (am on my phone atm). Makes interesting reading and has helped explain some of what I feel I’ve been going through  this past year. Your comment about weepiness also struck a cord as I seemed to start bursting into tears in situations where I never would have before, after being on it for a year. Ive put it down to stress and anxiety but maybe the lack of oestrogen is a factor? Who knows, it could really drive you crazy.....

Sorry I’ve not really been much help regarding your situation, am sure others will pop in who are further down the line or who have had breaks and can share their experience. I’m tagging (hope you don’t mind) as I think you took a break from letrozole? 

Love and hugs, HFxx

Hi 

No don't mind at all. Yes I took a break. Recently posted about coming off altogether. It was destroying quality of life. Two percent wasn't worth it. So check your percentages. The oestrogen does have an effect on mood, hence menopause, and pmt. 

As always talk to BC nurse

Hi kumihimo

I'm on Anastrozole and have been on Accord brand from the start.  I've been fine on this brand....Unfortunately, I think I've now found the very last Accord brand tablets going in my area!  I've managed to get the last 21 tablets from a pharmacy supplied by Alliance (where Accord told me they were distributing and couldn't say when they would be distributing to other pharmacies).  Today, at another Alliance supplied pharmacy, they told me they were out of stock when they tried to order - grrr.  I've been on Accord for nearly 3 years now with very little in the way of side effects.

So, the other 7 tablets they gave me are Sun Pharma.  I'm going to just try different generic brands to see about side effects as I go and work my way through this list (We will be able to get the £1.94 ones and less price to the NHS I'm sure ,and as soon as I find one that doesn't cause me side effects (I was given one brand once upon a time which totally floored me!), then I'll just make sure I keep going to that pharmacy.

It's worth trying all brands that you can as looking at the ingredients of sun pharma and accord, there is a very slight difference. Annoyingly I can't remember the name of the brand that was horrendous that I tried.

Although I have heard other people suggest it takes 3 - 4 weeks before the side effects kick in from a particular tablet - it literally was only 1 - 2 days with this other one I took.  I re-tried it after going back on accord for a couple of weeks and exactly the same thing happened, so I know it wasn't my imagination.

Worth having a go and seeing if any of the different brand have a more positive effect on you.

Best wishes,

Thanks Happy Feet. Oh for sure Anastrazole is a mood swinger, anxiety, crying etc. It makes me so cross and then more upset when I know it isn’t the real me. When I looked at list of side effects I could tick 80% of them. In some ways it was reassuring and not that this 67 year old who thinks she is 37 but with a body of 97 at the moment, losing her marbles. Keep telling myself I’m halfway now and will keep going. I can put up with a lot of things as then I can hopefully do something about it to help. It’s the not knowing that throws me.

Take care

Hugs

Frances xxx

Thanks Silverberg. Yes I do talk to BC nurse. I asked about percentages last time but she says there is now way knowing or working out? To be honest I can cope most of the time but every so often it gets to me. I think I could put up with joint pain, mood swings and almost anything. It’s the feeling of being quite unwell before a flush and under the weather at other times that is the worse. 

Hugs

Frances xxx

Thanks Lesley. For some reason I do keep a tally of what brand I am given. Think it was when I found out about fillers etc. For yonks I had Actavis which I now believe is Accord. Don’t know if fillers changed when Actavis bought out Accord. Recently though I’ve been given Teva. Apart from one script of Mylan 18months ago that’s all I’ve had. I read on here somewhere about your first script from hospital pharmacy’s usually giving the better brand? When I checked back my first lot was Accord and it was still branded as Accord. My local pharmacy is looking for some Accord for me now. I’m not sure of other brands to try but will certainly do that. Out of interest the other day I made a spread sheet of the Anastrazole I’ve had and another drug I have for atrial fibrillation. Actavis and Accord had exactly the same fillers in same quantities. TEVA were different and in different quantities. Also found the same for the other drug so I’ve requested Accord for that as well to try.

I guess I have to be thankful that I went a year before any side effects.....and I am.

Hugs

Frances xxx

So who's kidding who? Your BC nurse or mine? I was given 17% for tamoxifen last time 13 years ago. Maybe we should both go back for second opinions. 

Has anyone else had percentages quoted.?

Or is it the get it wrong and they will sue society?

I can't remember being quoted percentages, but at the time I was still battling to come to terms with it all and so I didn't quite take things in. I can remember my Surgeon telling me he has patients on Femara/Letrozole who are elderly and wouldn't be able to tolerate an operation to remove the tumour and so they are on the Aromatase Inhibitors only and do very well.  I am seeing him on Monday I may ask about percentages. 

You can check percentages here: breast.predict.nhs.uk/tool

Hi Londonmumof2,

Thank you for suggesting Predict Tool, I used it and my benefit of Hormone Therapy was 2% at 5 years and 5% at 10 years, not a lot for all the anger and hot temper it causes in me!  But I will keep going! 

Bisphosphonates not much better figures 1% at 5 years and 2% at 10 years, my Oncologist was so full of the benefits of taking this, again are the risks of bone problems in the jaw and femur worth it, who knows, but if I stopped taking it I would be worried also, no win situation really. 

I hope your eye is improving. Best Wishes.