Hi Mog,

I am sorry to hear about the side-effects that you've had with Letrozole. I started out with Tamoxifen 12 years ago, following a lumpectomy. A year later I discovered another primary cancer in the same breast and discovered that, despite the side-effects, I had not responded to the treatment. I then had a double mastectomy and changed to Letrozole. I found that my emotional state improved with this, but the joint pain throughout my body was more severe, to the extent that I had to have both knees replaced. Despite many side-effects, I took this for 6½ years.

Most of these drugs have their side-effects, although some seem to be worse than others.. Some people get no problems at all, so it is certainly worth trying. I do hope that Anastrozole works out for you. Please keep in touch and let us know. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Moggymad62

I had a hellish time on tamoxifen and was delighted to move onto anastrozole. The only side effect on anastrozole has been hot flushes but these have been reduced via 'sertraline' an antidepressant that GP prescribed.  You don't have you put up with side effects, there is medication available to manage them. 

Hi Jolamine. Thanks for your response. I'm so sorry to hear your story and hope that things are OK with you now. I took my first anastrozole last Tuesday and it has been miraculous in that my joint pain just vanished by Friday! I don't quite believe it and am not going to get my hopes up as I know it may return but for now at least  can crochet again - and get the top off the milk! I'm struggling now with a nasty stomach virus, it seems as fast as I solve one problem another one comes to take its place but I guess that's life. Love and hugs, Mog

Hi Magpiemaggie, thanks for replying to my post. Since I made the switch from letrozole to anastrozole just 6 days ago my joint pain has miraculously disappeared. Whether this is permanent or not remains to be seen but for now I am pain free. Did you notice improvements as quickly? I'd love to know if it's possible for it to have worked so fast and it's not just a temporary lessening of my wrist pain that may have happened anyway. I guess time will tell. I am also just starting on venlafaxine to help with the hot flushes and night sweats which have definately not been affected by the switch and are as bad as ever. Hoping the new anti depressant will help, just need to give it time as I have to increase the dose gradually. Hope you are OK, love and hugs, Mog

Hi Mog,

I am delighted to hear that you have noticed such a difference already - let's hope that it stays as good as it is. I am sorry to hear about your stomach virus and hope that this settles soon. I took Venlafaxine and it did help with the drenching night sweats - didn't stop them unfortunately, but reduced them. I still take it, as the night sweats have never gone away, even though it is now almost 5 years since I stopped treatment. I hope that this works for you too.

Kind regards,
jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine, thanx for your message. I think I may have been a little hasty in my reation that the switch had improved things as much as I initially thought. The joint pain has definately improved but I have had a couple of instances of spasms on my hand, like cramp but all my fingers go rigid. It's scarey. Also I am having a nightmare on the venlafaxine and am seriously thinking of stopping it. I just don't feel right in myself and I've also discovered that my tummy virus is actually the venlafaxine too. If it's not one thing, it's another. Cancer, the gift that keeps on giving! How did you manage 5 years of this? It's a bit worrying to hear that the side effects are still with you so long after your treatment ended. I had hoped that this misery would finally end in 4 and a half years from now but maybe not. Sorry to be such a misery, I've had a bad day and as I said I'm just not myself. Take care and thank you for being there, warm regards, Mog xx

Hi Mog,

You really need to give yourself about a month on Venlafaxine before it starts to work - also never try to stop it dead. If you are going to stop it, you need to reduce the dosage gradually, even if you are on the lowest does. If you don't do this, you will find the withdrawal effects horrendous. Your doctor can help you to reduce this sensibly. Have you been given anything to protect your tummy from your medication? I take Omeprazole, which lines the stomach and this makes a big difference.

We all have bad days and I am here for the bad and the good, so feel free to vent as much as you want - we've all done it ourselves. I am sorry to hear that your change in medication has not been as effective as you originally thought, but again, it can take a few weeks to take full effect, so give yourself time.

Taking Lerozole for six and a half years was no fun, but the benefit is that I am still here 12 years after diagnosis, so I consider the side-effects to have been well worthwhile.

Here's hoping that things improve for you soon. Don't forget that we are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine! Nice to hear from you again. Spoke to my GP today and we have decided that I stop the venlafaxine. I'd rather have the flushes and night sweats than what that drug was doing to me. Also I have been struggling with other symptoms from the lack of my old meds. I'm back the mirtazapine and hope things settle soon. I am going to get my oncologist to do the NHS predict for me as I'm really not sure that the damage the lack of oestrogen is doing to my body and the misery it's causing me is worth it for just a one or two percent increase in my chance of reoccurrence of cancer. The reason I'm not sure it's worth it is what it's doing to my hands. I've had several sudden cramps in my hand with my index finger triggering. So far I've been able to coax it back to normal but I'm worried that the next time the trigger finger will be stuck. Cancer has taken so much away from me and if it takes my ability to do any craft at all (already had to give up some of my finer crafting) my life will not be worth living. I guess I have to decide but I will try and give the anastrozole the full 3 months to see if things improve. I've just spent the day clearing out my big, walk in hall cupboard to give it a long overdue new coat of paint. I don't think it's ever been done in 50 years since the property was built! This is the first step in getting my craft room sorted out and decorated. It's very cluttered and the plan is for lots of stuff to move to the hall cupboard. I am not going to all this effort to not be able to craft! At least doing this project is taking my mind off my woes for a while. What are you up to this long weekend? I hope its something nicer than decorating a cupboard! Whatever it is I hope you have a good weekend. Happy Easter! Kindest regards, Mog

Hi Mog,

A Very Happy Easter to you too. I hope that you haven't spent all day working on your hall cupboard. This is a slightly warmer day than we have had for a while, so I have spent it in getting the garden prepared for the summer bedding plants. I also potted on a lot of Petunia seeds. I do find jobs like this quite fiddley now, as my hands are quite arthritic and the joints are quite stiff and swollen, but I'll keep going for as long as I can.

I'm glad to hear that you have spoken to your GP and have decided to stop the Venlafaxine and have gone back on to the Mirtazapine and hope that things are beginning to settle down for you. It is a good idea to have a  NHS Predict test to determine what benefit you'll get from treatment.

I hope that your cupboard is now looking pristine and ready to store a lot of your crafting stuff. I have just retired and have lots of jobs like this to keep me busy for quite some time. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine. Good to hear from you again. I have been working hard on my cupboard for the last 3 days. It took a whole day just to empty it sorting things out as I went. 4 bags to the tip and 2 to the charity shop so a lot less to go back in and space for some crafting stuff. The painting has been hard work and my hand has been very painful but I'm determined to finish the job. I had a tattoo done a few days ago to mark a year of cancer treatment. I already have my favourite American singer's signature song "Fear Nothing" in his own handwriting tattooed on my upper arm and this time went for a Bruce Springsteen song, "No Surrender" on my foot. I am also planning an anklet of forget me nots for 2 very dear friends that I lost a few years ago. I was going to get it then but covid struck and then cancer. Do you have any tattoos? Never thought I'd get one, but then I did!! You mentioned potting some seeds, are you a keen gardener? I do a little bit in the communal gardens where I live, just a little patch but I enjoy looking after it. My tummy is taking a long time to recover from the venlafaxine but I am glad to have stopped it as it clearly didn't agree with me and I was only taking a quarter of the dose my oncologist said I needed to be on. Still waiting to re-start my mirtazapine as the prescription was only done on Thursday and Easter has gotten in the way but hopefully I will get it delivered on Tuesday. I've rambled on enough so I will stop now, wishing you all the best, kind regards, Mog