Anastrozole and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 21, 2019

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I took Arimidex for 6 months. I have been off it for almost a month. My hands ache, and I have trigger finger in both hands. I have joint pain in both my upper and lower extremities. I have had weight gain, and my blood pressure stays high. My doctor changed my prescription to tamoxifen. My side effects from the Arimidex are not going away. I can barely use my hands. My job is very physical and hands-on. I am 57. Too young to retire, and all my backup skills require my hands. This medication is what will kill me, not the cancer."

• 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! :)"

• Ore...
• March 20, 2013

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I have had the hot flashes and the weight gain. Not much of the other side effects so far. Not willing to keep gaining the weight, talked to my oncologist but he says the weight gain is not from the Arimidex. I know better, I have always been very careful with my weight and going on this medication is the only time I have had the weight gain. I stopped it for 5 weeks and lost, went back on the Arimidex and the weight came back. I work out 5 to 7 days a week so I am very active."

• Ind...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 21, 2019

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I have been taking Arimidex for six months. Insomnia is the worst part for me. Some hot flashes and moodiness. Weight gain of ten pounds due to fatigue and pauses in working out. Just recently I upped my walking to 80 minutes a day and cut out all sugar. This has helped me with the insomnia. Some joint discomfort, but not bad. Just trying to figure out what is the best way to help with side effects."

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

Anastrozole 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."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2012

Anastrozole for Breast Cancer "I started taking Arimidex about 4-5 months ago as a breast cancer patient. I'm supposed to take it for 5 years. The side effects I've experienced are insomnia, hot flashes, headaches, weight gain, joint pain, and severe loss of grip in both hands. My hands are stiff in the morning and evening, it's just crazy. Well, even throughout the day. I asked my oncologist about this, and he said it was arthritis, which I do not believe. The onset was too quick. It was about 6 weeks after I started taking the Arimidex then the hand stiffness showed up."

• 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!"

• 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."

• Eeo...
• May 31, 2020

For Breast Cancer "DX: breast cancer (BC) stage 1, lumpectomy with lymph nodes removed followed by radiation. Started anastrozole after radiation. Initially, I had substantial hot flashes and insomnia, but these stopped after 3 weeks. Then joint pain started, increasing so that after 6 months, I could not sit or stand for more than 1/2 hour without being in terrible pain. If I had to squat, my knee joints would freeze, and I could only stand by pulling myself up using my arms. After 1 year, I had gained 20 lbs, and shuffling a mile was all I could do for exercise. The doctor was skeptical that anastrozole was causing the symptoms but suggested going off it for 2 weeks. At the end of those weeks, most of the joint pain had gone! I went back on anastrozole. In 2 months, the joint pain returned, but I was determined to tough it out. I saw the doctor this week, year 2. So thankful for no BC recurrence, but I have gained 20 more lbs. My mood is down. My hands and ankles are swollen like sausages. Simple chores are agony and exhausting. Now switching to tamoxifen..."

• Gra...
• July 18, 2015

For Breast Cancer "I learned from patient reviews that taking magnesium helps mitigate side effects of arimidex. So I began taking magnesium glycinate before I even began the arimidex. I do think it helps. I am also following an anti-cancer diet. No muscle pain, no joint pain, only two very mild hot flashes, no weight gain, no headaches, no constipation, no mood swings. But when I had to take prednisone for 6 days for systemic poison ivy, I had lots of those side effects. If you check the list of magnesium deficiency side effects against arimidex side effects, you will find them very very similar. Been on arimidex 3 months and sticking with it so far."

• 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?"

• Col...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 3, 2016

For Breast Cancer "I have been on Anastrozole for 13 months now. Initially I had some joint pain, but that has subsided. A little weight gain, however, after receiving a walking monitor for Christmas, I have been on a walking program. I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. The result has been a 17-pound weight loss since December. I feel terrific and am full of energy. I will soon have my 64th birthday and am overjoyed that I am cancer-free and am able to manage the medication."

• 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."

• You...
• February 3, 2016

For Breast Cancer "I have atypical ductal hyperplasia. Initially put on Tamoxifen, stopped secondary to multiple side effects, including osteoporosis and poor quality of life. Took a 9-month drug-free vacation before agreeing to take Arimidex (anastrozole). Hot flashes and insomnia have been dependent on what time of the day I take the medicine; worse if taken in the late afternoon/evening. I have had a return of joint/arthritic pain in my hips, lower back, shoulders, and hands. I have fatigue, no libido, and have gained 15 pounds despite being active and eating healthy. Short-term memory is poor, and word recall is frustrating. I know many do well on this medicine, but I am not sure if I will stay on it."

• 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."

• Blu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2021

For Breast Cancer "I've taken anastrozole for just over two years now. I find the fatigue the worst. I’m just always tired no matter how well I sleep or how much I rest. The fatigue is relentless, so much so my whole life has changed. I no longer enjoy the active life I had, and I have gained a lot more weight. Even though I walk every day and try to do weight-bearing exercises, just doing the housework these days or going shopping is enough. The joint and bone pain gets me down too. Some days I can hardly bend down, let alone get up. It gets me down, so add low mood to the list. I've had no support either. I finished my treatment, then was put straight on this drug and feel I've been left to get on with it. If it were not for the fear of the cancer returning, I would quit this horrid drug. Every day is a struggle, and I’m not sure if I can do another three years. I want my life back."

• Rev...
• November 14, 2016

For Breast Cancer "Age 66. I had Stage IIA breast cancer, two tumors in the right breast, hormone receptive. I had a double mastectomy and seven lymph nodes removed (clear, thank God!). I dodged the chemo bullet, but the side effects from the anastrozole are terrible. Brain fog, fatigue, weight gain, severe hot flashes, and now such joint pain and tendonitis of the hamstring that I walk with a limp. Got a cortisone shot ten days ago. Seemed to help some, but the pain came back with a vengeance after a week. I can hardly drive, which is required for my job (hospice chaplain). I have to work. Oncologist advised today that I go off for a week to see if the leg pain improves. If it goes away after not taking it for a week, I'll have difficult decisions to make."

• Lei...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 1, 2018

For Breast Cancer "May 2014 underwent a lumpectomy for stage 1 breast cancer. Clear margins, no lymph node issues. 20 treatments of radiation. Oncologist started letrozole. 3 months of terrible joint pain/difficulty rising. Oncologist then prescribed anastrozole. Vaginal dryness, no sex drive, nose cavity dry, no joint pain. Insomnia. Difficulty losing weight. 10,000 steps daily I lose! Take vitamin D, calcium, and others daily. Slight bone loss last image, oncologist recommended Prolia. Near the end of taking anastrozole - 6 more months to 5 years. After researching this drug, take a lifetime, shot 2 times a year, $1,800.00 a year to insurance or not! Advice from 3 health care specialist friends, going for a second opinion from a doctor that read my bone scan, I followed their strong advice to not take Prolia. Felt the side effects researched/told were very severe, not worth the risk. More spinach, kale, calcium in food, and load-bearing exercise. Hang tough, ladies!"

• Sur...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 8, 2015

For Breast Cancer "I started anastrozole one year ago in June 2014 after a double mastectomy. I did not need chemo or radiation as I caught the cancer early and my Oncotype DX score was very low. The first 3 months I didn't notice any side effects. But then I gained (so far) 10 lbs. and I am very active and work out 5 days a week with weights and cardio (I am 60 yrs. old now). My hips, lower back, especially left side, and knees hurt a lot and my knees feel weak. It makes it very difficult to get up off the floor. Also, both thumb joints hurt all the time. No hair loss or nail issues, but some hot flashes. I wonder if it will get worse - still have 4 years left."

• tir...
• December 28, 2019

For Breast Cancer "Told anastrozole will help prevent cancer from coming back, okay, cool. Instead, I have side effects of being tired, cranky, ouchy, tired, oh look and psoriasis! tired, kind of dumber, but a good shot of whiskey does that too. gained weight, bones weak 1 year down, more to go!! cheers!"

• Gla...
• May 6, 2016

For Breast Cancer "I have been taking this medication for the last 2 months. I am 52 years old. I already had some joint pain from slight arthritis in my lower back, hips, and hands. I now have joint pain and soreness almost everywhere. I cannot seem to lose any weight, which my doctor has advised, and my word loss and short-term memory are not good. I kind of thought this was all in my head, but I see from reading these blogs that this is what can happen. I hope it passes."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 26, 2012

For Breast Cancer "I was on Tamoxifen for 3 years until I had to have a hysterectomy, and then my doctor switched me to Anastrozole. I only have 3 more months to go, and I am marking the days off on my calendar. I have gained 30 pounds, my grip strength is gone. My hands and feet tingle often during the day. My joints hurt all the time. I can't begin to tell you how my lower back feels. If I sit for too long, my joints get stiff, and it's hard for me to get going. I will stick it out."

• Del...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2017

For Breast Cancer "I had grade 3 Huntington ductal carcinoma in 2013 with 30 intense radiation treatments after a partial mastectomy. I've been on tamoxifen since October 2013. Two to two and a half months ago, I started anastrozole, had the bone density test, and now after my third week at a brand new job, I have my very first broken bone of my life. After reading all of these other reviews, I can't help but think that the anastrozole is what is causing this. I have also been having joint swelling and pain in my other hand and just joint pain throughout my legs. Getting out of bed in the morning is more painful. I've also started gaining weight. This is after only being on this for 2 months. This is so hard to believe, but I honestly think I'm going to stop taking this med."

• Spu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 21, 2016

For Breast Cancer "I've been on anastrozole 1 mg, and the only side effect I'm dealing with is weight gain. I can live with that. Also, depression has been getting me down as I've no family or friends, only many acquaintances in the Gold Coast. My heart goes out to all the other cancer sufferers dealing with so many side effects. I had a double mastectomy in September 2015."