ANASTROZOLE

Hi Kay56 welcome to the forum.

You have identified yourself that it is a million dollar question and sadly  no one has the answer with any certainty. The pain you are experiencing is one that most of us can relate to with Letrozole and if you trawl back through some of the posts on here the forum is littered with complaints about Letrozole and Bone Pain. There is even some suggestion that the brand of Letrozole that you get can make a huge difference. Have you been getting the same brands all the time or has this changed. If so this could be the culprit.

Some who have changed to Anastrozole have noted some marked improvement where others have said that it was as bad as Letrozole so it is  a bit of a dilemma. There is nothing to be lost by trying the  Anastrozole and this may suit you better.

Please do let us know what you decide to do and if you do notice any change as all this info is so useful for others on here as well.

Sending some huge big hugs your way for now.xxx

Hi Kay56 

I was on letrozole for 18 months. It put me in a wheelchair, my legs and feet were so painful I just could not walk. Within 2 weeks of stopping the letrozole the pain had eased and I was able to walk again . I have been on anastrozole now for 4 years. I still get some joint pain, but mainly in the evenings when I have been sitting for some time. I think it is the same as letrozole, you need to find the brand that suits you best and stick with it. For me it’s Teva. 

Hi

I've not had Letrozole, but always on Anastrozole.  I was on Accord originally and been perfectly fine, but then sourcing them became impossible.  Since then I have been on Teva with no ill effects as has been mentioned so maybe worth asking for that brand to start off with and see how you get on as 2 of us on this thread seem to be ok on it.

Best wishes,

Hi , sorry you’ve had such problems with letrozole. Like lesleyhelen I have only ever had anastrozole, which I’ve been taking for 18 months. I get some joint pain, mainly in my feet, but not severe and it certainly doesn’t stop me doing lots of walking. If anything, I think walking helps, they’re usually achy at the beginning of a walk rather than at the end. Hot flushes seem to come with all the oestrogen busters but I had a course of ear acupuncture at a Maggie’s centre which helped a lot. My main issue is fatigue which I continue to struggle with. Mental more than physical. The more I read, the more it seems to be associated with the reduction in oestrogen so I don’t think different brands would be likely to make a difference in my case. I’ve had teva, accord and one other (can’t remember the name, sun something?) and haven’t really noticed any differences. But some people definitely seem to be affected by some brands more than others, possibly to do with the fillers used? 
But I’ve never really wanted to consider stopping as I want any extra chance of keeping the beast at bay! 
Good luck with the change, and do bear in mind that lots of people get on fine with minimal side effects, but probably don’t post here. HFxx

Thank you all for your support, much appreciated. I have in fact noticed a difference already since stopping the Letrozole 2 weeks ago, my knees are not as bad so it just goes to show that it is the drug that is causing the pain. It has been recommended by my doctor to start the Anastrozole in a couple of weeks but I have asked for a telephone appointment for Tuesday just to talk to her about the side effects especially to do with heart problems. I have had hypertension for a number of years and do take medication for that but I also have an aneurysm which is being monitored annually, I recently read something about Anastrozole can cause heart problems especially in women over 50, I'm 57.. Rather than worry I've arranged to speak to my doctor about this.

As HF mentioned, a lot of people have minimal side effects and probably don't post on here- I think it would be good to hear some positive stories too.

Hope everyone is keeping well, I've really missed engaging with people at the cancer centre as everything has been and is still closed.

Kay xx