It will take 6 weeks for the side effects/Arimidex to leave my system. Anastrozole (Arimidex®) is a hormonal therapy drug used to treat breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause. In this study, there was no difference in the rates of broken bones between women who took 5 more years of Femara and women who took the placebo. I would love to hear how others ⦠Please let us know how you get on. Try taking your anastrozole tablets with food or at night. I took Tamoxifen after the first 2 years and so had 2 years of Arimidex and 3 years of Tamoxifen. Itâs available as an oral tablet. Not Taking Hormonal Therapy as Prescribed Leads to More Recurrence, Special Report: COVID-19’s Impact on Breast Cancer Care, Talking to Your Family and Friends About Breast Cancer, Fertility and Pregnancy Issues During and After Breast Cancer, Understanding Breast Cancer Risk and How to Lower It, Early-stage: Stage 0 -- DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ), Tamoxifen in pill form (brand names: Nolvadex, Apo-Tamox, Tamofen, Tamone), Preparing for/Undergoing Hormonal Therapy, Hormonal Therapy After Surgery (Adjuvant), “Treatment Adherence and Its Impact on Disease-Free Survival in the Breast International Group 1-98 Trial of Tamoxifen and Letrozole, Alone and in Sequence.”, Tamoxifen (Brand Names: Nolvadex, Soltamox), our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information, by lowering the amount of estrogen in the body, by blocking the action of estrogen on breast cancer cells, 2 years of tamoxifen followed by 3 years of Femara, 2 years of Femara followed by 3 years of tamoxifen, “persistence” is how long the women took the hormonal therapy; all the women were prescribed hormonal therapy for 60 months -- any woman who took hormonal therapy for at least 54 months was considered to have completed the full course of treatment, “compliance” is how consistent the women were in taking the hormonal therapy; the women were given treatment packs every 6 months -- any woman who took at least 80% of the pills during each 6-month period and took no treatment breaks that were 7 days or longer was considered to be compliant with treatment, 1,535 women received 5 years of tamoxifen, 1,541 women received 2 years of tamoxifen followed by 3 years of Femara, 1,527 women received 2 years of Femara followed by 3 years of tamoxifen, 17.5% of women prescribed 5 years of Femara didn’t complete treatment, 17% of women prescribed 5 years of tamoxifen didn’t complete treatment, 21% of women prescribed 2 years of tamoxifen then 3 years of Femara didn’t complete treatment, 20% of women prescribed 2 years of Femara then 3 years of tamoxifen didn’t complete treatment, 4.5% of women prescribed 5 years of Femara weren’t compliant, 5.7% of women prescribed 5 years of tamoxifen weren’t compliant, 5.2% of women prescribed 2 years of tamoxifen then 3 years of Femara weren’t compliant, 5.3% of women prescribed 2 years of Femara then 3 years of tamoxifen weren’t compliant, had been diagnosed with node-negative disease (no cancer cells were found in the lymph nodes), switched from one hormonal therapy to the other. Posted: December 2, 2011; If you would like to reproduce some or all of this content, see Reuse of NCI Information for guidance about copyright and permissions. "If the side effects from letrozole are intolerable, benefits are maintained by switching to tamoxifen rather that stopping hormonal therapy altogether." Side effects caused by hormonal therapy can be very troublesome for many women. Most of the women who stopped taking hormonal therapy early -- about 83% -- said they stopped taking the medicine because of side effects. Votes: +0. In the early 2000s, the aromatase inhibitors: were shown to be more effective at reducing recurrence risk in postmenopausal women and are now used more often than tamoxifen to treat women who’ve gone through menopause. This will be my plan of action and I feel quite comfortable with my decision based on my Cancer. Most of the women who stopped taking hormonal therapy early -- about 83% -- said they stopped taking the medicine because of side effects. Most medications in this group according to my Dr., have similar effects. These women have a higher risk of recurrence and a higher risk of dying from breast cancer. Numbness of my extremities particularly of my toes, can only be described as a constant painful sensation of frostbite. Research has shown that about 25% of women who are prescribed hormonal therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery either don’t start taking the medicine or stop taking it early, in many cases because of side effects. can. The protective effects of Arimidex continue even after you stop taking it, so long as you have been taking it for around five years. Report this post; Reply; judy61. I did not want to take a chance of the IDC returning nor did I want to grow a new one. The Oncologist had assured me that any side effects would go away after three weeks if I stopped taking it. New; Breast cancer forum requires membership for participation - click to join . Overall, 5.1% of the women were not compliant with the hormonal therapy. It’s important to talk to your doctor as soon as you start having any side effects, including hot flashes, joint pain, blood clots, trouble sleeping, fatigue, or difficulty concentrating. Site updates. For more information, visit the Breastcancer.org pages on Staying on Track With Treatment. 3 months ago. The percentages of women who didn’t complete the prescribed course of therapy by treatment type were: Women who stopped taking hormonal therapy early were 35% to 56% more likely to have a recurrence than women who didn’t stop taking the medicine early. There are steps you can take to ease these side effects, including switching to a different type of hormonal therapy. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. After taking anastrozole for the 5 years, do the side effects reverse or are you stuck with them? With approval from my doctor I switched to Arimidex (for 3 weeks) in the hope side effects would be less. 1 Like ; over 6 years ago Raeyye. What's next for the Online Community? Estrogen helps to keep your bones strong. 2 months ago. My advice, think long and hard and research your decision before deciding to not do the traditional treatment route. Together, you can find a solution that is best for you. I was sent home and vowed that I would never take either medication again. I still have the numbness and am being evaluated, to determine whether the nerve damage will be permanent. As for weight loss, that isn't going to happen just because you have stopped taking Arimidex. Anastrozole: You should take it for 5 years at lease. They said my cancer was caused by hormones, so I am trying to avoid foods with growth hormones and to take better care of myself. I too stopped taking Arimidex after five years now have enlarged fatty liver, osteopenia, debilitating fatigue, progressing weakness muscle weakness weight loss poor appetite hearing loss neck and back arthalgias, abnormal high white blood count high monocytes high MCHC and high hgb, UTI's, bladder incontinence, bone spurs, herniations ⦠My Dr. and I agree, I WILL NOT BE TAKING ANY MEDICATION. Chat Has anyone stopped taking letrozole and switched to other aromatase such as Arimidex and Aromasin ??? If you’re a postmenopausal woman who’s been diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer and will be taking hormonal therapy after surgery and other treatments, it’s very important that you take the medicine for as long as it’s prescribed and at the dose at which it is prescribed. Aromatase inhibitors may cause muscle and joint aches and pains. Because my bone pain is still so bad 2 weeks out, I requested an alkaline phosphatate test to see if there is any sign of bone mets (a high reading can signal a problem) I will go back to my oncologist after the 6 week period to see if the bone pain continues and needs further testing. Create a profile for better recommendations. It impaired my ability to walk as I could not feel my toes. I persevered for as long as I could, despite experiencing, every side effect listed as a possibility. The percentages of women who weren’t compliant by treatment type were: Women who weren’t compliant with hormonal therapy were 61% more likely to have a recurrence than women who were compliant.
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