Reviewer: Desert Rat, 75 or over Female on Treatment for 2 to less than 5 years (Patient)

Comment:
I have been using for 4-1/2 years after refusing chemotherapy. I have been been experiencing many of the side effects others have mentioned. Anemia, joint pain, weight gain, hard stomach, swelling. My Dr. has said we will evaluate discontinuing at five years soon as there are not many statistics on people my age. 88 years old. I would like to get rid of these side effects.

Comment:
I have been using for 4-1/2 years after refusing chemotherapy. I have been been experiencing many of the side effects others have mentioned. Anemia, joint pain, weight gain, hard stomach, swelling. My Dr. has said we will evaluate discontinuing at five years soon as there are not many statistics on people my age. 88 years old. I would like to get rid of these side effects.
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Reviewer: 65-74 on Treatment for 2 to less than 5 years (Patient)

Comment:
I was treated for Stage I Ductal Carcinoma at age 65 with lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation. Then began Anastrozole just over 3 years go. At first I had hot flashes but they have mostly subsided. My biggest problems are extreme pain in my feet and one hip. I was totally pain free before starting this drug. I walked fast (uphill) 2 miles every day. Now I can't walk far and have to walk ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I was treated for Stage I Ductal Carcinoma at age 65 with lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation. Then began Anastrozole just over 3 years go. At first I had hot flashes but they have mostly subsided. My biggest problems are extreme pain in my feet and one hip. I was totally pain free before starting this drug. I walked fast (uphill) 2 miles every day. Now I can't walk far and have to walk slowly. I have right hip pain that makes it hard to sleep sometimes. I take an over the counter sleeping pill every night which helps. After about 2 years I started to feel anxiety and depression and have resorted to occasionally taking a low dose Xanax. Weight gain is another problem. I had maintained a nice weight for over 10 years prior to taking this drug. Now I've gained almost 10 pounds. I don't know if my problems are all from this drug, but the doctor tells me I should continue taking it 2 more years.
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Reviewer: Cissy, 55-64 on Treatment for 6 months to less than 1 year (Patient)

Comment:
Stage 1 aggressive cancer. I've been on this med for 9 months following lumpectomy, 7 weeks of radiation and 2-1/2 months of chemo. Side effects from this med are joint/muscle pains, insomnia and fatigue. As long as there's no cancer, I'm going to manage these side effects.

Comment:
Stage 1 aggressive cancer. I've been on this med for 9 months following lumpectomy, 7 weeks of radiation and 2-1/2 months of chemo. Side effects from this med are joint/muscle pains, insomnia and fatigue. As long as there's no cancer, I'm going to manage these side effects.
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Reviewer: DeejNTexas, 55-64 on Treatment for 1 to less than 2 years (Patient)

Comment:
I was diagnosed in December 2013 with stage zero DCIS. Had a lumpectomy followed by one week of partial breast radiation. Started anastrozole a month later. I took it for a full year, UT could no longer deal with the side effects. The main problem was that I had joint pain and there were many days that my body felt like it was made out of lead. There would be days that it felt like my body was so ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I was diagnosed in December 2013 with stage zero DCIS. Had a lumpectomy followed by one week of partial breast radiation. Started anastrozole a month later. I took it for a full year, UT could no longer deal with the side effects. The main problem was that I had joint pain and there were many days that my body felt like it was made out of lead. There would be days that it felt like my body was so heavy that I could hardly get out of bed. I had some loss of bone density as well. Oncologist wanted me to take a shot for my bones which I declined due to the side effects. My side effects were: hot flashes, extremely decreased libido, night sweats, joint pain, no energy. It was terrible being on this drug. Switched to Tamoxifen and I seem to tolerate it better. It has side effects as well, especially horrible hot flashes, but I have done much better on it.
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Reviewer: cjwatson, 65-74 Female (Patient)

Comment:
I have taken this medication for 5 years after Stage 2 breast cancer and mastectomy. The side effects of extreme hot flashes and dizziness were enough to justify an earlier retirement at 63 from being a preschool teacher. I chose this treatment as well as surgery and radiation but refused chemotherapy due to it made me extremely ill. I think the effectiveness and relative lesser degree of side e ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I have taken this medication for 5 years after Stage 2 breast cancer and mastectomy. The side effects of extreme hot flashes and dizziness were enough to justify an earlier retirement at 63 from being a preschool teacher. I chose this treatment as well as surgery and radiation but refused chemotherapy due to it made me extremely ill. I think the effectiveness and relative lesser degree of side effects makes it a very good choice.
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