Update - Anastrozole - Hair - Bodily Changes

It has been over two years since I started this journey, and I have now taken Anastrozole (Arimidex), an aromatase inhibitor (AI), for a little over one year. This particular drug is given to post-menopausal women whose cancer feeds off hormones. Many believe that women no longer produce estrogen after they have gone through menopause. This is not true. Our bodies do not produce as much, but we all have an enzyme called aromatase in our fat tissue that converts other hormones in the body into estrogen. The AI blocks the production of estrogen. Pre-menopausal women are given hormone blockers like Tamoxifen which prevents estrogen from binding to cancer cells.

AIs and hormone blockers have side effects ranging from severe to minor; most are somewhere in between. The most common side effects are hot flashes, weakness, joint pain or stiffness, bone pain, osteoporosis, brain fog, edema, sore throat, cough, headache, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, skin rash . . . It is always scary to read what side effects drugs have as they have to put everything that could possibly happen to you. 

Having heard how difficult it has been for women who take this drug I felt lucky to have very minor issues. Friends have told me the side effects begun almost immediately, so I thought I would be okay. It seems they just took a little longer to show up. They crept up slowly - my knees as well as other joints, bones, and muscles are stiff and hurt. I have been taking Claritin for it; yes, the allergy medication. It is thought to block histamine, which can cause inflammation and swelling in the bone marrow, so it is supposed to help the bone pain. I do not know if it helps or not, so I might stop taking it for a while to see if the pain gets worse since I do not like taking medication unless I have to.

The joint pain is worse in the morning and after I have been sitting down. It requires more effort to get up. Stairs are more difficult to climb, but it is worse walking down. I have found that it is easier after a workout where I include lunges and squats even though I cannot get as low as I have in the past. 

I do not get much sleep most nights and am almost always tired. It would be nice to take naps, but my body will unfortunately not let me take them most days. There have been studies that show that taking magnesium in the evening helps you sleep, so rather than taking it in the mornings, I recently started taking it before bed. It will be interesting to see if it helps.

There is some brain fog, but that comes and goes, unlike during the treatments when it was pretty much constant. I do daily Sudoku and other brain puzzles to try to help my brain. There are also migraine type headaches and the occasional night sweat. None of this is pleasant, but it is not more than I can deal with. The only concern is the possibility of the side effects being cumulative and getting worse during the next four years while I am taking the medication. 

One side effect they do not tell you about is weight gain. I had already gained almost 30 pounds going through chemotherapy, and the Anastrozole added to that. I walk a lot, work out, and eat well. I am no longer gaining weight, but it is not coming off either. It is very frustrating, but I am still trying. 

On a happier note, my hair is still growing! It is still curly, but getting heavy because of the length. My hairdresser was kind and showed Craig how to cut my hair when needed during the  18 months we are in Laos. We found hair thinning scissors, so he has thinned my hair once so that it will not be so heavy. The hair on top is not as curly as it was, but I hope all the curl will not go away. As sad as I was that my hair changed so much, it is a lot easier to take care of now. I do not have to use a hair dryer, so getting ready in the morning is so much faster.

My long hair! We were given beautiful sashes by a grateful village after we had renovated their school. 

This is us shopping in our neighborhood wet market. We love going there for meat and produce, and to see all the people. The woman in blue towards the left is me with my hair up in a clip. My hair was so straight and slippery before that a clip never stayed in. It does now!

The surgeon took a chunk out of my breast, and it kept shrinking for a while. This is why I look lopsided. The surgery side is now about half the size. I do not know if the radiation had anything to do with that, or if it is all from the lumpectomy, but it took a while before it stopped shrinking. When we get back to the US I will see if my insurance will pay to make them both the same size. 

Despite the frustrations, life is good. We love being in Laos serving and helping the beautiful people here. There is so much to learn from those who are different from us. I wish everyone would be able to volunteer long term like this. It is good for the heart and soul.