User Reviews for Anastrozole (Arimidex)

The end of the year I stop taking Anastrozole after 5 years of treatment. Had bad hot flashes that required me to twice take a 2 week breather off the drug and then start again. Bone pain is a recent side effect, especially in my right hip. Never thought that might be a side effect of the drug. Good luck to all who take this.

I took this medicine by astra zeneca every day for the first 14 months, the side effects, were too much , my knees were stiff, the hot flashes were severe besides the hot weather is unbearable, I had brain fog and forgot when did I take my tablets, so I discussed with my oncologist and started to take the tablets every other day, since I am having my check ups regularly every 3 months and had chemotherapy, radiation after surgery. I feel better now.

Almost 1 yrs on this med and the joints pain are real. It is what bothers the most. It is making my day difficult. Hot flashes are my second complain, however joints pain is the primary concern. Exercising and stretching help a lot as well as massage and hot bath with Epsom salt Dr. Teals. I am eating very healthy diet (organic and not GMO) and I noticed that process sugar make side effects worse. DCIS patient state zero.

I ceased taking Anastrozole after just 7 weeks. I couldn't walk properly as my right hip felt like it was going to collapse. My balance was severely impacted (and still is), I was fearful of falling over as I felt like my right hip would shatter. I was just 52 not 102, when this occurred and attended gym sessions regularly. Additionally weight gain, sleep problems, eye sight problems and control of bladder and bowel function was more than enough to contend with and significant hair loss. I ... am amazed at some claims by women who believe Anastrozole provides a level of protection above 6 - 8%. The advice I was given documented less than 10% protection of Estrogen driven cancer recurring, which is not good enough given the serious problems this hormone blocker causes. I am also disturbed by the poor level if understanding of my oncologist as to how all the above caused me anxiety in addition to having had breast cancer. The only time I felt my issues were acknowledged with this drug was when I reported my mental state had severely deteriorated. Read More Read Less

For me - Horrible drug. Side effects including bone/joint pain, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain. Been on 2.5 yrs. Impacting quality of life - not worth trade off. Ready to quit. Looking at alternative meds.

I have had a lot of side effects, but I have 3 months left of my five years. I have almost quit many times the muscle aches, my left arm muscles aches, legs swelling, tiredness everything hurts, no sleep, pro-lapse. But I don’t want breast cancer, so I am suffering through it. Doctors don’t seem to care about side affects.

This is my 15th month on Anastrozole. I am thankful for this forum which has convinced me that I am not crazy! These side effects are real (and appear to be getting worse). Muscle pain, bone pain, tendon pain, dizziness, ringing in my ears, irritated gums, and occasional all-over pain to the point I am in tears. I can only think of those women who will go through and have gone through so much worse than I. I can do this! I told myself I could do a year. Done. Now I’m telling myself th... e same story for each year. Read More Read Less

I had invasive ductal carsonoma. Early stage 1. No lymph nodes involved. 2 months after starting anastrozole, I stopped. The side effects were too much and my quality of life was not worth the side effects. I found myself asking " where is me? I want me back!" The list of side effects was too long... Always tired and fatigued, feelings of being overwhelmed, mood swings, frustration, aches in my arms, legs, bottoms of my feet, balance issues, it was all too much. I've been off anastrozole for 2 ... weeks now and I am back to the me I like now! I will be back in touch with my doctors after the holiday to advise them ( they had recommended me to stop the pills for 2 weeks) of my decision to stop the anastrozole. Read More Read Less

64 years old, finishing up on 2 years, I do not believe I will make it to 5. I have a low immune system, excessively tired, though never sleep, if I sleep for 3 hours it’s a good night. I move like I am 90 years old and my oncologist turns a deaf ear. I went to see a psychiatrist for treatment of insomnia and depression, after trying 3 drugs Cymbalta is giving me some pain relief, but I still do not sleep. If is also supposed to help with depression, so for 30 mg hasn’t kicked in. A back pa... in specialist has recently diagnosed me with fibromyalgia ( I think this is a major side effect of this drug )is going to start me on warm water therapy next week, followed by nerve ablation. Etodolac 500 mg helps with the pain. Anastrozole is truly crippling both mentally and physically. Read More Read Less

Too many bad side effects. First on this then tamoxifen then Anastrazole again. The first round of Anastrazole was fine for 2 months. But osteo diagnosis switched to Tamoxifen. Chest pains and other side effects back to Anastrazole. Vaginal bleeding extreme fatigue were the worst. Also have a lump on right side of neck by throat. I was stage one 2cm low onco score. I found this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK447120/ that shows I don’t even need this. I won’t go into all side effects... but it’s over 60% listed. I’m not going back to these medicines but using diet and intermittent fasting. Read More Read Less

I am a 70-year old woman diagnosed with right breast cancer October 2021. My tumor size was 2.1 cm, and I had a lumpectomy in December 2022, followed by 24 sessions of radiation. My final Her2-CEP17 ratio was 1.12, meaning HER2 negative. I started on Anastrozole March 1 2022. Initially, I had no problems, except for a few hot flashes and some joint/muscle pain. Within 5 months, I had gained 10 pounds, but, more troubling, I had developed an itchy rash under both breasts and my left armpit. I c... ould deal with this! I used calamine lotion and hydrocortisone for the rash and tried to exercise more and eat right. However, within the last month, I developed a series of bladder infections that would not go away! I found myself running to the bathroom every 5 minutes with burning pain and chills. Then came the diarrhea! I finally put 2 and 2 together and came up with Anastrozole! I threw that medication away April 6 2023 and am now slowly starting to feel better. I see my oncologist May 4th, and I plan to tell her that I don't want any more AI drugs. I'm 70 years old and would prefer 5 to 7 years with a good quality of life than 15 years feeling lousy every day. Of course, it's every woman's decision to continue or discontinue this medication. It wasn't worth it for me! Just do your research! Prayers for all of you strong women out there! Read More Read Less

Have only been taking for 1 month. Shoulder, hip and knees really hurt, but working through. Have developed hives 4 or 5 times a week, sometimes from one end of me to the other. Will be contacting doctor next week.

I’ve taken this medication since June 28, 2022 for Stage I breast cancer. The only side effect I know of right now is that my finger nails and toenails are flaking off at the ends. The nail beds have whitish areas/lines and are definitely softer. I’m treating with Sally Hanson Complete Care 7 in 1 nail treatment containing Biotin and Vitamin E. It’s too early to see an effect but this polish may be addressing the problems that are there, or not.

I have been on this for 4 years. I have had no side affects (maybe hot flashes at beginning) but nothing I can't handle for the benefit. Next May will be 5 years and I will be off. My oncologist had my breast tissue sent to a lab to see if I would benefit from being on it longer and it was determined I would not.

I took Anastrozole for 46 days. So many painful joints and muscles. Stopped taking it, and would like to know how long it takes to get out of my system. It will soon be 2 months since stopping, but still hurt all over. My doctor said some patients have said it takes a long time. She ordered Tamoxifen, but I have not started taking it because I still hurt. I did not want to take another while this was still in my system. The printout for Tamoxifen said that it takes 2-3 months for that to ... get out of your system. I got that information from my pharmacist. Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, how long did it take to feel better? Read More Read Less

I have been taking this medication for the past five years. Cancer doctor told me that I have a 25% chance that the breast cancer will come back. Yesterday the doctor told me I have to take the medication again for another two years. Side effects are real. I deal with them. When I see my grandchildren smile, it makes it all worth it.

I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Her-2 positive breast cancer, February 2020. I went through the drill like most of the ladies — a chemotherapy cocktail and estrogen blocker. Then surgery to remove the lump from my left breast and left sentinel nodes, then radiation. My oncologist continued with the weekly estrogen blocker treatment until February 2021, when they realized the medicine affected my heart's efficiency. Immediately, all treatment was halted and I was given a script for Anastrozole to b... e taken daily. Honestly, I cannot directly attribute any side effects to Anastrozole. I have always had migraines, serious depression, anxiety and sleep issues. I haven't seen any skin issues. When I was being treated with the IV version of Anastrozole, I had severe stomach bloating that would finally subside before my next treatment. Really bad joint, muscle aches and pains, like others in my ankles, knees and hips. I am really not hot on taking Anastrozole for four and a half more years, mainly because I take nine other pills a day but I'll continue moving on daily. Read More Read Less

Two years ago I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and had both ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Once I finished 6 rounds of chemo I was started on anastrozole. Initially I only really noticed that my hot flashes were getting worse and I was having problems with insomnia. Around the 9 month mark, I began to notice a sharp decline in memory and cognitive ability, fatigue, bone and joint pain, bone thinking, bloating, stomach issues, easy bruising, anemia, and worsening of my peripheral... neuropathy (initially caused by chemo). After discussing this with my oncologist we tried switching to a different medication called exemestane, but the side effects were dramatically worse, so I switched back. The medication has been successful so far in preventing recurrence, however, the side effects are progressively getting worse. It is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on school and work, and I often can barely hold a conversation due to constant brain fog. Read More Read Less

Been on Anastrazole for 8 months and developed a skin rash on my lower leg. Seen dermatology, had tests no one knew what it was. It resembled folliculitis. Stopped taking it and the rash is clearing up.

I have been on anastrozole for 6 months and I have only had hot flashes. I have been working out every other day just like I used to. I feel a little more stiff in the morning but I canâ??t really complain. I am 46 with stage 1 breast cancer. I also take a zoladex shot once a month to stop my ovaries from working. I wanted to write this because I was very scared of the side effects but Iâ??m glad I started it.