Arimidex and Bone Pain: What Users Say

• Pol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 17, 2019

For Breast Cancer "I was diagnosed stage 1b lumpectomy, 4 weeks of radiation, then Arimidex. Well, the side effects are too much for me. The bone pain was excruciating, it woke me up at night. Fatigue, headache, nausea, foggy brain. I do yoga and walk 3 days a week. I have decided to go a natural path. Do the research for yourself before you make your own decisions. I just want a good quality of life back! I wish you all well."

• JoJ...
• April 4, 2019

For Breast Cancer "I lasted 5 weeks on Arimidex for my breast cancer. I stopped taking it because of the side effects. I’ve been off it 5 weeks while I research & decide what to do before discussing with my oncologist. I’m 58 years old & had no significant medical history. I have occasional neck pain, a physically active job, from which I am retired. This drug caused extreme joint & bone pain. Before surgery, I was flipping tires & doing box jumps at the gym. This drug made me feel too bad to go for a walk. Other side effects included all-over itching, dry hair, dry skin, dry eyes, insomnia, nightmares, nausea. The pharmacist told me the only side effect would be dizziness, which I did not have. I didn’t research further. I was so happy the radiation was done & thought taking a pill would be no big deal. I’d experienced hot flashes and night flashes for years, so those were not new. When I googled the drug, I found many women had the same side effects. The bone density issue is alarming."

• Ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2019

For Breast Cancer "I’m finally off Arimidex. Every time I mentioned one of the many side effects I was experiencing, my oncologist said it's not from the drug. Read the flyer that comes with it. I’m hoping my joints and bones will stop hurting, that I won’t sweat through my insomnia, and that my hair will come back. What a miserable 5 years."

• Lea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 26, 2014

For Breast Cancer "I took it for 5 years and 2 months. I cannot say if the changes were from chemo or from Arimidex. Changes in taste and smell persist. Frontal headache, blurred vision, cough, calcium loss - osteopenia. Stiff joints, long bone pain, sciatica pain of right leg, fatigue, wicked insomnia, hot flushes & flashes. Neuropathy in hands and feet, especially balls of feet and very sensitive tips of toes. Very dry skin, aged face, hair is very thin and breaking easily. Never got back full eyebrows, very SAD! I loved my eyebrows."

• WV ...
• April 10, 2014

For Breast Cancer "I've been on Arimidex for 10 weeks. Although I had arthritis prior to taking Arimidex, my joint discomfort has increased substantially and now I find that my joints (especially my hands and hips) are swollen and always painful. My fingernails have thinned and continually split and tear off, often below the quick (ouch!). I'm also disheartened to notice that my eyebrows and eyelashes, which had just grown back after my last chemo session, have started to either break or fall out again. Bone and muscle pain are always with me now."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 24, 2016

For Breast Cancer "I'm on year 12! Large weight gain. Horrid bone pain...especially bottom long bones in legs and right arm. Neuropathy. Weak hands as far as gripping. Getting up and moving after sitting awhile is not fun. Headaches. Walk the floors at night, because being up on my legs makes the pain a little better. I was stage 3c, ER+, scared to death to come off it. I'm 45 and want to stick around, but wish I didn't feel so crappy."

• Hob...
• August 10, 2017

For Breast Cancer "The first year of taking anastrozole, I experienced hair loss, weight gain even though I was having difficulty keeping food down. It wasn't really nausea, it was more like a reaction. Itchy skin, foggy head, aches and pains. During the second year, I found one morning that I could barely walk, severe knee pain, sore legs, sore bones...this is still the case, but I started gradually to start a yoga routine, which helps some days. It doesn't erase the pain, but seems to make it more manageable. It's like a different set of side effects every few months. I will stick with it, as much as I don't want to. The surgery and radiation are two things I never want to deal with again. Good luck to all of you, keep strong!"

• sis...
• June 19, 2013

For Breast Cancer "Took tamoxifen for 9 months. Extreme bruising. Switched to Arimidex. After 4 weeks, extreme pain in hand. Next, severe headaches. Each month brought increased pain in thumbs, hand, feet, long leg bones. Joints hurt, wrists weaken every month. After 10 months, I became depressed and had insomnia. Finally, I had enough and stopped. Within 2 weeks, long bone pain went away. I still have some knee pain, trigger finger, and wrist weakness and it's been 3 months. Doctor is switching to Aromasin next month."

• key...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2016

For Breast Cancer "6 months into taking this drug, I had to stop. Side effects: painful weakness in both hands, hurts to grip, trigger thumbs - bad when waking up in the morning. Took medicine in the morning. Dizzy, nausea, headache, heartburn, discomfort in the center of chest. Exhausted midday, bone pain. Lost sex drive. 62 years old. Since stopping 2 weeks ago - hoping hands and sex drive return, other problems have stopped. Feeling more normal, weakness and pain in hands still bad."

• ann...
• May 30, 2013

For Breast Cancer "Been taking Arimidex for nearly 6 years now. Side effects for me are joint & bone pain, weird feeling in my chest that wakes me up. Weight gain, hair thinning & occasional hot flushes. I take calcium tabs and alendronic acid for my bones. Apart from that I'm grateful to be alive."

• Gra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 20, 2016

For Breast Cancer "Diagnosed in June 2016, Stage 2 Grade 2 IDC Breast cancer. In August 2016, lumpectomy, sentinel node biopsy, and 30 radiation treatments were done. I have only been on Arimidex for 2 weeks. I am experiencing severe bone pain in my legs and hips. My knees are the worst. Also, some nausea and loss of appetite. I didn't expect the side effects to start within the first 2 weeks of taking Arimidex. I hope that the longer I'm on Arimidex, the side effects will get better."

• Rho...
• December 15, 2022

For Breast Cancer "Arimidex gave me severe bone and joint pain, so much so that I could hardly walk. I stopped taking it weeks ago and now am on prednisone to stop arthritis (bone pain) from it. The prednisone is helping decrease pain and stiffness, but it is not completely gone yet. This pill is so strong, or at least for me, was not worth taking."

• Gra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 10, 2023

For Breast Cancer "I’m 70 years of age and have been taking Arimidex for 7 months. I have had upper joint, wrist, and bone pain, and my Raynaud's disorder intensified to the point I sleep little, and now sleep wearing thick gloves and socks. I had a partial bilateral mastectomy for stage 1 E/P positive. I am able to work out now, but my upper joint pain is intense. I had Covid lasting about four weeks, only to get Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), therefore, being on steroids twice, which I think helped my joint pain. Not sure what’s next, but take care of everyone and be good to yourself."

• Lul...
• September 18, 2022

For Breast Cancer "I have been on it for almost 3 years now. I also need infusions for osteopenia. I'm an avid runner and have continued with my routine. It's more difficult to get out of bed due to poor sleep, fatigue, and knee pain. I force myself to keep up my routine and have managed to still run 50k races on a regular basis. It's worst in the mornings, but you need to get your body moving. I know the low estrogen is causing a lot of side effects also, but at my age (57), that was bound to happen anyway. To me, fatigue and bone pain are minor compared to the cancer returning. I know so many women that stopped taking it or never took it, and their cancer returned around the 10-year mark. What if you stop the meds early and your cancer returns? (granted, it can still return if you take the meds)"

• rod...
• February 25, 2008

For Breast Cancer "Debilitating joint and bone pain forced me off this medication. Had to be treated as if the pain was rheumatoid arthritis. Very severe. I have read many other stories similar to mine."

• alb...
• January 29, 2011

For Breast Cancer "Bone pain, faster pulse rate, hot flashes. Don't know if I can continue taking this for 5 years."