Anastrozole, 1 mg tabs

jeanap

Just wondering how others are reacting to this drug. I am not reacting very well to it. How long until I can expect my body to adjust to it.

Holeinone

jeanap,

Million dollar question. There are threads here that address this, check them out if you do not get the info here. I have been taking it for almost 2 years now. Hate it, but my risk of mets is very high.

After time it becomes your normal. I would have to go off it now, to tell what is Arimidex side effects & what is my age ( 60 ).

I get it mailed to me from a pharmacy. It's the original Arimidex. When I first started the drug, I was nervous about the med from India, they have fillers & less regulation.

Some of the ladies also take Claritin, especially in the beginning, to help with bone pain.

muska

Hi Jeanap, I would say give your body at least 5 - 6 months to adjust. I have miminal side effects now, had slightly more aches at the beginning. Have been on generic anastrozole (from India) for almost two years, only feel some pain in my feet the first few moments after getting up in the morning. This goes away after a few steps. Other side effects are the "natural" result of hormonal deprivation, i.e. dryer skin and scalp. Some vaginal dryness but maybe it would be the same as a result of menopause anyway (I was brought into menopause by chemo.)

I do not take any supplements apart from Vit D3 but I exercise and stretch more than I did before the diagnosis.

Editing to add that all drugs imported in the US go through rigorous inspection process. Generic vs Brand Name

MEG2

jeanap ~ I switched from tamoxifen to Arimidex about 6 months ago. Had no SE's with tamoxifen so it was hard to switch. My SE's started slow and have since gotten worse, I am hoping that they start to even out in the next few weeks otherwise will be asking my MO about switching. Of course everyone is different; I have minimal bone pain/aches, mostly in my fingers and toes and sometimes in my feet or hands but nothing to really complain about. The 2 side effects that are most bothersome to me are dry mouth, especially annoying at night. I use Biotene and have a humidifier in my room to help but it does wake me up and causes a bit of a cough. Vaginal dryness has been a real issue as well, tissues are red and itchy most of the time, my hope is each day to avoid the burning that can come along with it. Docs have suggested many over the counter remedies but nothing much helped and some seemed to hinder, recently prescribed a steroid that provides some relief. All in all though I will take AI to prevent recurrence. Best wishes to you

stepmic

I have been taking Arimidex for almost 3 1/2 years now. I thought I wasn't really affected a lot by it but recently I seem to be having issues that are listed as side effects. I am having restless nights and also have vaginal dryness. I have bought some Replens (over the counter) to help with the dryness and it does seem to help a bit. However, worst of all, I am having a lot of joint and muscle pain in my knee and left leg a lot of the time. I really didn't think it was related to the Arimidex but now realize that it could be. I have been to a physio and have some stretches and strength building exercises. I do yoga three times a week but find that I can't walk for a long time at all. I am going to try acupuncture next. It is really frustrating to have limitations on such things as walking due to the pain.

I was reading through a bit of the SE thread for Arimidex but it is so long that I thought I would reply to this thread and your question Jeanap.