Anastrozole and side affects

Hi

I’m taking Letrazole which is the same type of drug 

The first 3 weeks were horrible….. so many hot flushes , joint aches and insomnia.

My oncologist referred me for acupuncture at the hospital for the hot flushes and fatigue and after 6 sessions I was taught to put the needles in my feet as maintenance. I’ll go to the hospital every 2to 3 months for a top up.

5 months after starting the drug I feel better and only get 1 hot flush a day and no night sweats. I take mine last thing at night and I’ve been sleeping better.

My legs still feel heavy some days but I walk 4 to 5 miles every morning with my dogs and I feel better once I get going.

My oncologist said the first 6 months are the worst so stick with it if you can. Some people on this forum say that taking an antihistamine helps with the joints but I’ve not tried it myself 

taje care

Hi I have been on anastrazole since June, for me I find taking last thing at night best. As long as I then get to sleep it's ok. If I don't before the pain starts then I am up all night as I cannot take painkillers between 12 midnight and 6 am because of another drug I have to take at 6am! I get hot flushes, I purchased a chilli blanket to help with this, it goes under the sheet and will reduce the temperature or put it higher if I am cold. Bit expensive but worth it, as I have this drug for 10 years apparently.

At first I thought I had it all sorted but recently I have started with pins and needles and numbness in my feet, legs, and arms, this was a shock and it wiped me out yesterday. I was in bed all day even with pain killers it was so painful. However I think I may have caused this, I was so busy at work all week, I ended up doing 3 x 14 hour days and 2 x 10 hour days so I was really tired out, something I have not done since getting cancer.

I hope that this was the cause and it's not another side effect that is going to happen often a word of warning, don't be as daft as I was this week and put your own health second it's just not worth it.

Accept that you are a NEW you not the old you back, it's what I am now trying to do. It's so easy to slip back to how you were and very soul destroying when you find you can't do it.

I am trying to live with anastrazole although I could ask to change to another drug. But I figure that I would have to start again with different side effects.

I am sort of hoping that my body will give in soon and get used to anastrozole.

I did get short headaches but they seem to have stopped now.

It seems like some of the side effects flare up for a week or two then stop and then maybe revisit later. If I was organised I would keep a diary and analyse when to see if there is a pattern. My gut feeling is if I do too much, get too tired push myself too much I suffer more. So I really think, putting yourself first, not trying to do everything, and listen to your body is very good advice. My biggest problem appears to be sticking to it!!!

This forum is great as we all understand what we are all going thru.

I hope this helps you a little. Perhaps you can learn from my mistakes and take it easy on yourself.

Helen

Xxx

Has anyone out there questioned not taking the hormone reduction drugs? I am being pressurised into taking them but things I have read are making me doubt their ability to actually help reduce our chances of recurrence 

Hi , I’ve been on Anastrozole for nearly 3 years and have accepted the fatigue and aches and pains. I don’t love it and wish I was one of the folk who pop these pills with no side effects but am too scared about recurrence to stop taking them. The hot flushes were definitely reduced by ear acupuncture which I had at a Maggie’s centre (self referred a year after diagnosis) so they’re not bad. The fatigue meant I really struggled going back to work but luckily I was able to retire a few years earlier than planned. And I seem to get away with mild aches and pains which don’t stop me from walking, which is my new passion. I haven’t found that the side effects lessen over time, more that I’ve adjusted my life to cope with them. And I’m grateful for getting to 3 years with ‘no evidence of disease’. Fingers crossed that this continues! I know that I could ask to switch to another but have stuck with the devil that I know. 
Hi , there have been posts here from folk who’ve declined the hormone zappers but I can’t remember when, you could try a search or start a new thread with that question in the title? And I’ve just read a post by  (thibk I got that right) re recurrence after having finished 5 years of Anastrozole.Worth a read but I can’t remember the title of the thread, sorry! 
Love to all, HFxx

Hi

This spreadsheet I compiled a long while ago may be of some help.

Initially I was given Accord and was fine on Anastrozole.  Then one day they hadn't got any Accord and I was given Consilient.  Take a look at the difference in the coatings from Accord to Consillient. Within a day of taking the Consillient I was beset with problems, having never had ANY on Accord.  I had some Accord in stock (as I always had a couple of week's worth before ordering my next prescription) and the problems went away.  I tested Consillient again later - same thing happened, so I know 100% it is something in the coating difference that caused me issues.  

When they couldn't get Accord for a few months (shortly after Brexit), I asked for Teva as it was similar to Accord and again, perfectly fine.

I've been on Anastrozole Accord /Teva for 4 1/2 years now without issue, so for anyone thinking on not taking them, firstly I would say -  try them (as I nearly didn't because of all the horror stories I had read about side effects) and secondly, ask your doctor for a different brand.  These are only a few of the brands that I researched which are the same cost to the NHS and that a pharmacy should be able to get hold of.  My doctor put on the prescription slip "Accord Brand Only" so if they ever have any issues getting it, the pharmacy have to speak to me before just handing over whatever brand they have in stock.

I can't upload a file of Xcel, so I've had to copy and paste - so just scroll along to see the full list.

Hope this helps,

Best Wishes, Lesley