Doing Well on Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs)

Floral, welcome to this thread! I was very fearful of taking an AI. It has its ups and downs, but better to keep "the beast" at bay. SEs for me have been fairly easy to deal with. Please come back & let us know how your surgery goes. Gentle hugs. You can do this!

Welcome, Floral! We're glad you joined us here and are finding these forums to be helpful. We know how hard it is not to focus on the negative, but as you can see here and elsewhere in this community, everyone's experience really is so different. There is absolutely hope!

The Mods

Just want you to know that I have been on Letrozole for about 60 days and I am doing well. Have a bit of stiffness in one hand and am stiff when I get up in the morning, but once I start moving I am fine. I walk about a mile and a half eveyday, do yoga twice a week and I dance around the house to rock and roll music. I am staying positive and feeling good. I, too, was scared but I am taking the bull by the horns. I am 74 and am looking forward to a long life. I only did radiation and that went very well. No burning, just a small rash that cleared up. Good luck, you are in my prayers and think positive.

I have been on anastrozole for six years with no significant side effects. Dry skin is probably my main complaint at this point.

Floral - we live by the "everyone is different" credo. Do I have some issues, yes. Some other women are better than me, some worse. It's all doable until it isn't, then you can switch meds.

A gf was put on Anastrozole, same as me. She asked what my SE were. I told her I didn't want to tell her, to plant anything in her head, just because I have it doesn't mean she will. Also, I believe some of the SE are from loss of estrogen as a whole.

I'll be on the med 2 years on 3/1, with 3 more years to go! Wish I wasn't on it but what's the saying - if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Best wishes to you.

Hi- I have been on femara for 2 years this month and other than a little am knee stiffness am fine-thank goodness as with my risk for recurrence expect to be on it beyond 5 years-the first year I had a trigger finger that resolved and mild hair shedding that has stopped--these meds are our best defense against a recurrence-a 40-50 percent drop in that risk--a recurrence will be far scarier than some mild annoying side effects--really-hope you give it a go--hug from Vermont-Kaylie

I do agree that for many people side effects can be managed and are worth the extra protection. I feel lucky there is something I can do. My Mom died of bc when this option wasn't yet available. Very important to exercise - this was not a problem for me as I enjoy it. If you do not, do your best t find something you like to do that makes you move, well worth it.

I don't post super often anymore but I wanted to come back to this thread and say I am 3+ years on AI's and bounced around on drugs and generics and ended up switching to the brand name of Femara. It was challenging to source (had to go to a local pharmacy, no chains, need to fill in 30 day increments, they won't ship 90, etc) but I've now been on it about six months and my side effects are SO much better. I am not sure these days what ache or pain is from the Femara and what is just normal aging (and sudden menopause) but I am finding this to be totally tolerable, which is good because I am on it for the 10-year stint. But I wanted to share that if anyone is suffering or thinking of giving up, give the brand name a try and give it some time to do its thing.

I'm 2.5 months in on letrozole/femara. Had been quite terrified about side effects but so far they are not bad. Some fatigue, some hot flashes, sore knees, acid reflux, otherwise ok. I walk on the treadmill every day for 45 minutes and go to the gym to do weight bearing exercise every day for about 35-40 minutes. I'm concerned about weight gain and what I'm trying is to put off the first meal of the day until 8 or 9 and stop eating by 5 pm (that also helps with the acid reflux). I take the pill at 8:30 pm.

Lgbert--it'll be interesting to see how others respond. In the meantime, just from reading a lot of other people's posts, what seems to benefit many are exercise, water, and sometimes Claritin. I'm about 15 months in and SEs are not bad at all. I think a little stiffer when I first get out of bed or get up from sitting for a long time, a little fatigue, but really that's it.

Hello, ladies

I have a question: do you start to take Als after you are done with radiation? Or at the same time? And is there a some specific time frame after a surgery (if you don't have chemo) that you must start Als ...if you decide to take them?

thank you!

I started right after radiation too.

I finished radiation in mid July 2018, got oophorectomy two weeks later, started AI two weeks after that. My MO wasnt in a rush either, and he really wanted me to be done with radiation first.

Lgbert - Re: Medical marijuana/CBD - On another topic, there is someone who uses these. Please let me know if you would like more info. I can reach out to her via PM & believe she will be happy to share.

I am just finishing rads in the middle of next week and my MO wants me to wait four weeks before starting anastrozole so side effects of rads are over. My RO said there are a lot of different philosophies about when to start and deferred to her