Anastrozole and Hair Loss: What Users Say

• Uke...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2019

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "Finished my 5 years of therapy on May 6th and was counting down the last 6 months leading up to that date! I would sweat so bad while on it, very intolerant of heat. Now that I am off it, I feel pretty warm sometimes but the sweat doesn't drip like it used to, thank goodness! I have been getting a little more sleep since stopping it (was only sleeping at the most, 4 hours at a time, while on the anastrozole). I am noticing much less hair loss in the shower, I don't get the odd, slight queasy feeling in the mornings anymore, and my general mood has improved - at least, I think so!"

• Gra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 14, 2019

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I am 60 and have been on Arimidex going on 4 years now for stage 2 invasive lobular breast cancer. Initially, I experienced trigger finger, but that went away after a few months. I have also experienced slight weight gain (5 lbs), insomnia, and hot flashes regularly. I exercise every day to keep my bones strong, and luckily I have no joint or bone pain. I just noticed recently thinning hair after 4 years on this. My doctor says they recommend another 5 years after next year, so it will be 10 years total. I think for me the worst side effect is the hot flashes, but it’s okay! I’m still here! :)"

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

Anastrozole 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

Anastrozole 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."

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

Anastrozole 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."

• Mon...
• January 6, 2020

For Breast Cancer "I had stage I lobular breast cancer, with clear lymph nodes. I chose a skin-sparing mastectomy and no radiation or chemo. I will complete my five years of anastrozole treatment in two months. I am 67 years old, and I have to say, I did not have all those side effects as many women in this site have had. I did lose a lot of hair (but Rogaine has helped a lot). I am tired often but still have a lot of energy once I get up. The medicine has affected my bones, since before I started taking it, I had osteopenia. Although this medicine is very hard on your bones and joints, I have never thought of stopping taking it. Maybe because I never had hot flashes or insomnia, I have been able to tolerate it and I personally don't think it's so horrible. I highly recommend sticking with the treatment. Five years go by pretty quick."

• oma...
• August 10, 2015

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "Fine initially but within 2 weeks, severe ankle pain, insomnia, hot flashes and severe sweating. Thinning hair just after it all grew back beautifully. Difficult eye prescription, moody, tingling nerve pain in right thigh, tired and now have a hiatal hernia. Lack of interest in sex, which still has not returned. I just wonder what the long-term effects could be. This medication was one I loved to hate. But my cancer is gone and it has been 6 years that I am cancer-free."

• fre...
• June 16, 2009

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "Initially, I tolerated the drug well. About 4 months into treatment, I had a lot of problems: dizziness, disorientation, joint and muscle pain, and stomach upset. Also, my hair started to thin, and nails cracked due to dryness. Within a week of stopping the drug, I was feeling better. One month out and I was very well."

• Anonymous
• October 15, 2012

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I've been on Arimidex for 4 years and 1 month, prior to which I took Tamoxifen for 5 months. During the first year, I developed a frozen shoulder, which my oncologist said could be due to the Arimidex. I experienced extreme joint stiffness, which gradually subsided after 9-12 months. I had intense hot flashes, which are now lessening. Other side effects include insomnia, vision issues (detached retina - but am also very myopic), pronounced facial aging, dry skin (I am 57 years old), and thinning hair. Additionally, I also experienced depression and mood swings starting 3 months after starting Arimidex. I did not take medication for it, but I have noticed that it has gradually lessened over the last 1 1/2 years."

• lin...
• March 26, 2011

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "Have been on Arimidex for 7 years as my oncologist says that the trial period has only been up to 5 years and she wants me to continue as extra insurance. The only side effect that I have noticed beginning about a year ago is hair thinning, and it is starting to bother me. Three of my friends who had started taking Arimidex the same time I did and who had other oncologists, were taken off the drug after 5 years. They had noticed hair thinning during the time they were taking the drug and it has reversed since they stopped usage."

• Hob...
• August 10, 2017

Anastrozole 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!"

• Tri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 24, 2012

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I have been on Arimidex for 4 years 4 months. I have had the hot flashes, vision issues, bone density weakening, joint pain and stiffness, depression, mood changes, insomnia, back and bone pain, thinning nails (of already thin nails), weakness in hands and now, my hair is breaking off and drying out. My doctor wants me to hold on until the end of the 5 years. Not sure I can."

• ann...
• May 30, 2013

Anastrozole 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."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 9, 2020

For Breast Cancer "I wish I could sue AstraZeneca. Three years after finishing that drug, my hair remains so thin I could pass as a 90-year-old. I've been in a depressed daze since. It trashed my joints, and I lost my gallbladder and spent a small fortune on physical therapy for the frozen shoulder. And guess what? I threw the drugs in the trash, and no more frozen shoulder."

• Los...
• April 7, 2015

For Breast Cancer "Began anastrozole regimen Jan. 2015 and by Mar. could no longer tolerate due to muscle pain, bone pain, pain in right foot, numbness in hands, feet, legs, and arms, severe back pain, swelling of hands and feet, shortness of breath, extreme hot flashes, hair breakage, joint pain, and weight gain. The side effects became debilitating. I could barely walk. I will be requesting a change in the medication."

• Hob...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 7, 2018

For Breast Cancer "I had a partial mastectomy, nineteen rounds of radiation from April till the end of September. I am just over three years on anastrozole. Last year I woke up and the pain in my knees and legs was so sudden and severe, I could barely walk. I'm still losing my hair, am itchy, two teeth broke, weight gain, especially around my middle, where I never gained weight. Sore joints, hands, neck, back. I started feeling a little better and began practicing yoga again. This was helping until my head went completely spacey. The foggy brain and groping for words, I was getting used to, but this is a spacey head. When you lie down, you grab for something to hold on to... loss of sleep also. A lot of doctors just ignore some of these symptoms, but go on any site regarding this and so many women are experiencing these symptoms. Anyone else going through this?"

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2019

For Breast Cancer "I recently started taking Anastrozole a month ago. I had invasive ductal carcinoma (stage 1) and had surgery to remove the tumor in August of this year and then went through 16 treatments of radiation therapy. Within 2 weeks of taking Anastrozole, I noticed a considerable amount of hair loss (thinning). Besides the thinning of my hair, it also caused dryness and coarse, more brittle hair. I've also experienced slightly more stiffness in my joints, although I just turned 55, and I suppose with my age, it can also be contributing more. I hope that the medication works out and I don't have to switch to another medication. My oncologist has asked that I take the medicine for 5 years. Wish me luck! I hope others on this site are able to find a solution that works for them."

• BJa...
• April 17, 2015

For Breast Cancer "Coming up on my 5-year anniversary, so anastrozole evidently works. However, after my last bone density test, I find that my bones have thinned significantly, and now I have osteoporosis. I have had other side effects like hot flashes, insomnia, joint pain, weight gain, thinning nails, and hair, but I didn't attribute anything other than hot flashes to the anastrozole. To prevent cancer, I can live with most of those, but if I had known how fast my bones were thinning, I don't know if I would have stayed with it."

• To ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 1, 2017

For Breast Cancer "I am reading about all of these side effects. I just finished my five years, and it's not necessary for me to continue on with it. I suppose some of my achy feelings and stuff came from this drug, but I take a few others, so I'm not sure. I haven't had any side effects, no hair loss or thinning like many others that I've read about. One woman I met shortly after I got breast cancer said she did not take the drug as was recommended, and not long after, her breast cancer turned into lung cancer, now it's inoperable, so she urged people to take the drug. Thank you, I hope your drug makes me live longer to be with my granddaughters."

• To ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 1, 2017

For Breast Cancer "I am reading about all of these side effects. I just finished my five years, and it's not necessary for me to continue on with it. I suppose some of my achy feelings and stuff came from this drug, but I take a few others, so I'm not sure. I haven't had any side effects, no hair loss or thinning like many others that I've read about. One woman I met shortly after I got breast cancer said she did not take the drug as was recommended, and not long after, her breast cancer turned into lung cancer, now it's inoperable, so she urged people to take the drug. Thank you, I hope your drug makes me live longer to be with my granddaughters."

• ema...
• August 1, 2013

For Breast Cancer "I have been taking Anastrozole for 1 and a half years now for breast cancer. I have been having problems with my hands, stiffness of legs, shortness of breath, insomnia, thinning hair, weight gain, and really bad hot flashes. I am going to ask my doctor about my chances of recurring breast cancer if I stop taking this or try something else."

• Mer...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 17, 2015

For Breast Cancer "I started anastrozole one year ago. At first, I didn't notice any side effects. Now, for the past three or four months, I've experienced a gradual increase in pain in my joints. My hip joints, knees, and hands give me a lot of pain. I also have stiff hands when I wake up each morning, trigger fingers, and thumb, it gradually gets better as the day goes on. Other side effects I have experienced are hair thinning, anxiety, insomnia, thinning nails, chronic diarrhea, thinning of the lower walls of my vagina causing a bladder prolapse, and dry mouth. I have stopped taking the product and called my oncologist. He suggested Aromasin, but after reading about the side effects of that, it seems like I am going from the frying pan into the fire."

• Dr ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 27, 2017

For Breast Cancer "I have been taking anastrozole for 2 years, 2 months following a double mastectomy, chemo, and radiation. I had trigger thumb surgeries on both thumbs the first year. I am a dentist, so not being able to bend my thumbs is not an option. My hair is very thin. My knees are so sore I can hardly walk when I first get up. Getting down on my knees is excruciating! I am an active person, but I move like a 90-year-old woman. I am thankful to be alive and thankful that this medication is available. However, if anyone knows how to help the knee pain, please share."

• Yol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2016

For Breast Cancer "Diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in Aug 2014 and had 6 months of chemo and 6 weeks of radiotherapy. Have been taking anastrozole for approximately 17 months and have noticed I get very tired, sore joints, and thinning hair. Has anyone else experienced hair loss?"

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 11, 2019

For Breast Cancer "Had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) with lumpectomy and 3 weeks of radiation. I was not too concerned about aromatase medication since all treatment had been problem-free. I took anastrozole 1 mg for 10 weeks. After 5 doses, developed severe diarrhea-10-15 times per day. After 4 weeks, insomnia and bone pain started, then hair loss. Really wondering if I am over treating this condition. Discontinued anastrozole about three weeks ago, and all symptoms subsided. Just started on examestane-hope this is a better alternative."