What happens if i stop arimidex




















Both of these drugs belong to a class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. Specifically, these drugs are used to treat the following types of breast cancer:. Arimidex is used off-label for this purpose. Arimidex and letrozole both contain a type of drug called an aromatase inhibitor. Therefore, these medications can cause very similar side effects. These lists contain examples of mild side effects that can occur with Arimidex, with letrozole, or with both drugs when taken individually.

These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Arimidex, with letrozole, or with both drugs when taken individually.

These drugs can be used for adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer and as treatment of advanced breast cancer. One clinical study found Arimidex and letrozole to be similarly effective for adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer. In addition, the American Cancer Society considers these drugs to be similarly effective for treating both early and advanced breast cancer.

The survival rates after using certain hormone therapies for early breast cancer were looked at in one review of breast cancer studies. If you have questions about survival rates for people taking Arimidex, talk with your doctor. And keep in mind that results of Arimidex treatment may vary from person to person. How long Arimidex stays in your system can vary from person to person. But most of the drug is usually removed from your body within about 10 days. While in your body, Arimidex works to lower your estrogen level.

This is the period of time until your body starts to gradually begin making estrogen again. If you had side effects related to low estrogen, such as hot flashes, these should start to lessen as your estrogen level increases. Withdrawal symptoms are side effects that can happen when you stop taking a drug that your body is relying upon.

They can discuss with you the risks and benefits of doing so. Your estrogen level may stay this low for up to 6 days after you stop taking Arimidex. And some women can develop osteoporosis from this. With osteoporosis, you have thin, weak bones. You also have an increased risk of breaking a bone with Arimidex treatment. But one study found that after stopping Arimidex, the risk of breaking a bone was no longer increased.

They can discuss with you the risks and benefits of using this drug. And this drug is less likely to prevent breast cancer recurrence if your cancer is estrogen receptor-negative ER—. One clinical study looked at Arimidex as adjuvant treatment for breast cancer in women who were postmenopausal.

In this study, breast cancer did come back in some people. It came back either in the same breast, in the other breast, or in another part of their body. Over this 5-year study, breast cancer came back in Breast cancer develops when cells in your breast start to grow and multiply make more cells more quickly than usual.

With most breast cancers, the abnormal cells are encouraged to grow by the hormone estrogen. If your breast cancer is stimulated by hormones, such as estrogen, certain tests will show that the cancer cells have receptors attachment sites for those hormones.

Arimidex works by stopping inhibiting the action of an enzyme called aromatase. Enzymes are certain proteins that help chemical reactions to happen inside your body. The aromatase enzyme makes estrogen out of steroid hormones in your body, such as testosterone. Aromatase is found in various tissues, including your brain, fat, and skin. Before menopause, estrogen is mainly produced by your ovaries. And just a small amount is made by the aromatase enzyme.

But after menopause, your ovaries stop producing estrogen. At that point, the aromatase enzyme is the main way that your body makes estrogen. And in men, estrogen is also mainly produced by the aromatase enzyme. By stopping aromatase from working, Arimidex lowers the amount of estrogen in your body. This helps to stop estrogen from encouraging breast cancer to grow and spread.

Arimidex will start working soon after you begin taking it. Your doctor may order different kinds of tests during your treatment to check and see if the drug is working for you. However, if you have certain side effects of Arimidex, drinking alcohol could worsen them. These side effects include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and tiredness. Drinking alcohol is also known to raise your risk of developing breast cancer. They can give you advice on much alcohol is safe for you to drink.

Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe.

Below are lists of medications that can interact with Arimidex. These lists do not contain all the drugs that may interact with Arimidex.

Before taking Arimidex, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. But taking tamoxifen with Arimidex can lower the amount of Arimidex in your body.

This can make Arimidex less effective for you. Taking Arimidex with drugs that contain estrogen could make Arimidex less effective for you. If you have questions about using medications that contain estrogen with Arimidex, talk with your doctor.

However, you should still check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any of these products while taking Arimidex. These supplements are used by some women to reduce menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes.

This interaction is possible because these supplements contain phytoestrogens , which are weak estrogen-like substances found in certain plants. Talk with your doctor to find out if there are any foods you should avoid during Arimidex treatment.

The side effects of taking too much Arimidex might include an increase in some of the typical side effects of the drug. However, in some clinical studies Arimidex was given at a dosage of 10 mg daily, which is higher than the recommended dosage.

However, do not use more Arimidex than your doctor recommends. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool.

But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. You can take your Arimidex dose at any time of the day. But try to stick with the same time each day. Aromatase inhibitors may cause muscle and joint aches and pains. A study reports on the results of several different studies looking at how often side effects made women stop taking hormonal therapy. The study also looked at how stopping hormonal therapy affected the women's risk of dying.

The researchers found that side effects are causing a large number of women to stop taking hormonal therapy early instead of taking it as prescribed for 5 years. These women have a higher risk of recurrence and a higher risk of dying from breast cancer. It's likely that other factors besides side effects play a role in the risky decision to stop hormonal therapy early.

Some women may need to put everything related to cancer behind them after initial diagnosis and treatment. Lingering depression also may play a role.

For other women, the cost of hormonal therapy may be a reason. Some women just may not understand the importance of adjuvant hormonal therapy or don't have good communication with their doctors.

Pathology reports indicated that I am cancer free. I currently take anastrozole, which I was told will lessen my chance of recurrence by 7 percent. However, the side effects I'm experiencing, including thinning hair and an increased risk of osteoporosis, don't seem worth it. Are there other things I should consider? When considering whether to have additional treatment adjuvant therapy following successful cancer treatment, weighing the pros and cons, including possible side effects, is a sensible approach.

Anastrozole is often used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women and, as in your case, it may be recommended to help decrease the risk of breast cancer returning. In some women, anastrozole can cause the side effects you mention — as well as joint aches — but those side effects are uncommon.

If you prefer not to take anastrozole, you have other options. The decision to walk away from taking aromatase inhibitors is a choice many women are now making. No longer do they blindly follow the advice of doctors to take medication for the next five to 10 years that may or may not prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. Women are choosing to make informed decisions. Their health care responsibility has shifted from the shoulders of their medical team into their own capable hands as women are discovering they have a right to choose.

Standard adjuvant therapies after a breast cancer diagnosis often include one or more of the following: chemotherapy, radiation treatments, surgery or long-term medications such as SERMS selective estrogen receptor modulators. According to an article posted by Breastcancer. Tamoxifen is the first choice for premenopausal women while aromatase inhibitors are used primarily for postmenopausal women; however, in cases where postmenopausal women cannot tolerate aromatase inhibitors, Tamoxifen may provide an alternative option.

Tamoxifen may help reduce the risk of new cancer growth, shrink tumors, help prevent bone loss and lower cholesterol levels. But even with all of its benefits, Tamoxifen does come with side effects.

Some side effects are mild while others are more severe. Common side effects include: hot flashes, fatigue, changes in mood, depression and night sweats. Some of the more serious side effects of Tamoxifen include blood clots, stroke, endometrial cancer and memory loss.

Aromatase inhibitors AIs , like arimidex, aromasin and femara, are also used to help fight cancer cell regrowth. These drugs work to block cell receptors like estrogen and progesterone in breast cancers that are hormone receptor positive. Aromatase inhibitors have similar side effects to those of Tamoxifen but also affect bone health.

Women taking AIs are periodically asked to take a bone density test to rule out physical problems such as osteopenia or osteoporosis. With a high risk of unwanted side effects, many women are opting out of taking the recommended anti-hormonal therapies recommended by their oncologists. Instead of taking oral medications, these women are choosing to manage their own health through preventative measures such as weight loss, diet, and exercise.

Along with these choices, some women choose to add natural supplements to their health care regimen. These decisions are made carefully and are often weighed with the help of family members.



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