Anstrazole

My oncologist said it takes about 6 months for any side effects to settle but they usually do. I'm on exemestane, which is the 3rd AI, and didn't notice a huge difference on top of the medical menopause I was put on a few months beforehand

I'm a bit stiff when I get up in the morning or after sitting for a while, especially feet, but this wears off really quickly with a few steps and has greatly improved since I first started them.

I get on pretty well with them.

I was also worried about taking hormone tablets for 5 years so I looked up all the 10 out of 10 reviews for them on drugs.com and ignored all the rest. It put me in the right frame of mind for taking them.

I chose to start on one every second day for a month so that my body got used to them, so that may be why I didn't notice a big difference.

Why don't you try them, see how you get on? The alternative is worse in my head, I don't want the cancer to come back.

Thankyou for replying, brilliant idea to start by taking every other day. I will try them, but if I get horrific side effects, the oncologist will try something else.  Apparantly different brands can be a problem too. 

Hi Gingerbreadman

I am on Anastrozole and I like you didn't like taking any new medication, well actually I didn't like taking any medication.  I was the sort of person that if I had a headache didn't even take paracetamol as  I figured it was my body's way of telling me that I needed to change something, not just mask the effects.  Which actually is true as I started getting dizzy spells and I worked out it was when I was doing work on the computer on spreadsheets and I needed glasses.  That aside, I know exactly where you are coming from.  

I had looked at posts on Anastrozole and thought that I was not going to take them given all their horrendous side effects that I had read about. My OH persuaded me, to 'give them a go'. Given that I know having cancer is far worse than the potential side effects of tables, I agreed with him. I think the issue is that the people who are on these tablets or Letrozole etc aren't the ones posting because they are fine and are just not on here.

I will be coming off Anastrozole in August 2022 after 5 years and I won't like not taking them any more! (my 'safety net' will have gone).  I know I'll deal with that when it comes, but don't make any judgements about taking them until you have tried them.

Side effects for me have been mild - my hair, I have noticed has got a lot drier (hair stylist recommended Keratin shampoo and conditioner - made a difference), and just some other mild 'normal' menopausal things.  I had only just gone through the menopause and hadn't suffered any side effects to this that I'd really noticed. (I hadn't really been paying much attention as I'd just lost my Mum and had become Dad's carer).

Yes you are right, different brands do make a difference.  I have been ok on Accord and Teva, but Consilient when I had this brand - oh boy! within a very short space of time I had so many aches and pains.  I tested the brand twice and the same thing happened.  I think for me the Magrocol of 400 vs 300 in the coatings of the ones I'm ok on is the difference which caused me the issues.  You can search the brands that NHS offers and their ingredients on the web and see the difference in the coatings.

I have "Accord or Teva brand only" on my prescription slip from my doctor.  Had to try Teva when the pharmacies couldn't get Accord shortly after Brexit, but they have the same ingredients, so I was happy to give them a go.

Just try as Beatthebreast says the alternative is much worse if the cancer comes back.  And, of course, it might not - but it's the thought that not doing something might put us at risk of it coming back which is the hardest thing to think about.

Kindest Wishes, 

Lesley

Thankyou so much.