I would appreciate some information regarding the most common side-effects and precautions for post menopausal women taking Arimidex to treat early stages of breast cancer. I have heard that severe joint pain is one of the most common side effect of this drug and would like to know something about the others. Also, is there any other medicine that might be effective for treating early-stage breast cancer without causing this severe pain ?
Thanks!
Hi - Please read our aromatase inhibitor FAQS; they should tell you everything you'd like to know about this class of drugs, which includes Arimidex. For more detailed information, check out the National Institutes of Health's Arimidex page in PubMed. Is it the best treatment for postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer? Yes. Is it the only treatment? No; tamoxifen was the gold standard for 30 years or more, and that comes without the joint pain (though it does have other side effects). Also, not every woman gets joint pain from Arimidex. I just finished 5 years of Arimidex, and only for the final month did I experience bothersome joint pain. So, you might want to give it a try before deciding you'd like to avoid it. Good luck - PJH
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