1. About Anastrozole
Anastrozole is a kind of hormone treatment. It works by reducing the estrogen hormones in your body.
It is mainly mandatory for women who have gone throughMenopauseand have a kind of cancer called hormone -dependent breast cancer. It can sometimes also be used:
- To prevent breast cancer if you have a high risk and have passed the menopause
- treatBreast cancer in men
- Treatment of breast cancer in younger women before menopause
- As fertility treatment if you havePCO-Syndrom
Most people who take anastrozole first operated on, radiation therapy or sometimes chemotherapy to treat their breast cancer.
Anastrozole is only available for prescription. It comes as tablets.
2. Key facts
- Usually, take anastrozole once a day. Try to take it every day at the same time, as this makes it easier to remember.
- Treatment with Anastrozol usually takes up to 5 years. It is important to complete your course of treatment.
- Frequent side effects can be the symptoms of menopause and are called flushes, sleep disorders, fatigue and low mood.
- Side effects usually improve after a few months because your body gets used to the medication.
- Your doctor monitors your blood pressure, cholesterol and your bone density during your treatment.
3. Who cannot and cannot take anastrozole
Anastrozole is not suitable for some people.Tell your doctor before starting this medicine when you:
- have had an allergic reaction to Anastrozole or other medication in the past
- Still have periods
- Are pregnant, try to get pregnant or breastfeed
- have severe kidney or liver diseases
- Mim was said that they had fragile or brittle bones (Osteoporosis)
4. How and when you take anastrozole
Swallow the tablet with a drink with a drink. Do not crush or chew.
You can take anastrozole with or without food.
dosage
Anastrozole is 1 mg of tablets. The usual dose is 1 tablet, which was recorded once a day.
Try to take your anastrozole every day at the same time.This makes it easier to remember. You can choose a time that fits your daily routine
What if I forget to take it?
If you forget to take your medication, just skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the normal time.
Do not take a double dose to compensate for a forgotten. If you often forget can, it can help to set an alarm to remind you..
What if I take too much?
If you take too many anastrozole tablets, you can get symptoms such as sick, vomiting or diarrhea.
Urgent advice:Now contact 111 to get advice if:
- They take too many tablets and feel uncomfortable
Call 111 or go to111.nhs.uk
5. Side effects
Like all medication, anastrozole can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
Anastrozole can influence your blood pressure, cholesterol and bone density. This will carefully monitor this and can recommend additional treatment if necessary.
frequent side effects
The symptoms of menopause usually improve in the first months of taking anastrozole.
These frequent side effects occur in more than 1 out of 100 people.
- Hot flushes and sweat
- Dry or itchy vagina and genitals, bleeding out of her vagina
- difficult sleep
- I feel very tired
- Feeling or sick, loss of appetite
- mild pain in your muscles and bones
- deaf or tingling
- Changes to your skin, including a mild rash
- Hair loss or thin hair
- Low mood or depression
Talk to your doctor or a pharmacist if these side effects disturb or do not disappear:
Serious side effects
Serious side effects are rare and occur in less than 1 out of 100 people.
Tell a doctor if:
- Your muscles feel weak or the joints or tendons in the ankles, legs, shoulders or arms weak, painful or swollen
- Your skin or the white of your eyes will be yellow - this can be a sign of liver problems
- Your eyesight is blurred
- They feel thirsty and pee a lot, feel sick and have lost their appetite.You may need a blood test to check your calcium level
- You will receive red or purple spots (if you have light skin) or dark stains (if you have darker skin), painful joints, stomach pain or pain in your side (under your ribs), lower back or around your genitals - these can be omitted fromHenoch-Schönlein Purpura(HSP), a disease that affects its blood vessels
Immediate measures required:Call 999 or go to A&E if:
- You have sudden weakness or a loss of emotion in part of your body
- Your face falls on one side
- You have difficulty speaking
- You have very sudden and severe chest pain
Face traps and difficulties speaking can be signs of a stroke, and sudden severe chest pain can be a sign of a heart attack.
Serious allergic reaction
In rare cases it is possible to have a serious allergic reaction (Anaphylaxis) Aastrool.
Immediate measures required:Call 999 or now go to A&E if:
- You will receive a rash, the itchy, red, swollen, blasty or peeling skin
- You gas
- You get tight in your chest or in your throat
- You have difficulty breathing or talking
- Her mouth, face, her lips, her tongue or neck swell
You could have a serious allergic reaction and possibly need immediate treatment in the hospital.
These are not all the side effects of Anastrozol. A full list can be found in the leaflet in your medication package.
Information:
You can report any suspected side effect with the Yellow Card Safety scheme.
6. How to deal with the side effects of Anastrozole
MenopauseSymptoms such as hot flushes, sleep disorders, fatigue and low mood usually improve in the first months of taking anastrozole, but if they are serious or take longer than a few months, speak to your doctor or breast cancer nurse.
What to do:
- Hot flushes and sweat- Try to cut sharp food, caffeine, smoking and alcohol. It can help keep the room cool and use a fan. Try to spray your face with cold water or sip a cold drink.
- Dry or itchy vagina, bleeding out of her vagina- Ask your doctor or breast cancer nurse to recommend a vaginal moisture cream for the treatment of irritation or dryness.Also talk to your doctor if these symptoms first appear more than a few weeks after taking anastrozole.
- difficult sleep- Avoid caffeine (tea, coffee, cola and chocolate) in the afternoon and evening. Keep your bedroom dark and calm and try to go to bed every day at a fixed time.To look, look at your cell phone or to use other electronic devices (such as tablets) at least 1 hour before going to bed.
- I feel very tired- Gentle movement and healthy food can help you feel less tired. Try to go to bed every day and get up at a fixed time. Do not drive, ride a bike or operate machines if you take you when you takeFeel very tired of Anastrozole. This will usually improve when your body gets used to the medicine. Talk to your doctor if it doesn't get better.
- Feeling or sick, loss of appetite- It could help to take anastrozole after eating. Select foods that you normally enjoy, but avoid eating rich or spicy. Try to eat minor meals, but more often, if you are sick, you have small, frequentWater snakes to avoid themDehydration. Spect with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or worsen.
- mild pain in your muscles or bones- ask a pharmacist to recommend a suitable pain reliever. If the pain takes longer than a week, ask your doctor for advice. If you have a sudden pain attack in a joint, ask a doctor urgently.
- deaf or tingling- Stop taking the medication and ask your doctor for advice
- Changes to your skin, including a mild rash- it can help take oneAntihistaminesYou can buy them in a pharmacy without a prescription.
- Hair lossOr thin hair - some people find that your hair gets thinner when you take anastrozole. This is usually mild. Ask your breast cancer nurse for advice if you disturb this.
- Low mood or depression- It is difficult to know whether this can be attributed to the medicine or the reaction to menopause or cancer is diagnosed. Talk to your doctor or specialist nurse. You can recommend therapies such as cognitive therapy and mindfulness or antidepressants.
7. Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Anastrozole is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding, since it affects hormone levels in you and your baby. And there is not enough information available to say whether it is safe.
Talk to your doctor immediately if you have a chance that you are pregnant.
Not urgent advice:Tell your doctor if you:
- try to get pregnant
- pregnant
- Breastfeed
8. Prevention measures with other medication
There are very few medication that influence the way anastrozole works in the body.
However, do not take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or other drugs that alleviate the symptoms of menopause. This can contain ingredients that resemble the hormone estrogen and can prevent the work of Anastrozole from being treated in the treatment of your cancer.
Mix anastrozole with vegetable remedies and nutritional supplements
Do not take vegetable remedies or nutritional supplements for menopausal symptoms while taking anastrozole. This can prevent anastrozole as it should.
There is very little information about taking other vegetable remedies and additions together with Anastrozole.
Important:Medical security
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you take other medication, including herbal medication, vitamins or nutritional supplements.
9. Frequent questions about Anastrozole
How does Anastrozole work?
Anastrozole belongs to a group of medication that is referred to as aromata seeds.
Aroma -inhibitor drugs are used to treat certain types of breast cancer, with the cancer cells need estrogen (a hormone) to grow.
After the menopause, their ovaries stop producing estrogen.
Aromata seeds reduce the amount of aromatase in your body, and this in turn stops your body that produces estrogen. This helps prevent cancer cells from growing because they no longer have anything to eat.
What are the advantages of taking anastrozole?
Anastrozole helps to prevent her breast cancer from coming back after the treatment of cancer.
If you take this medicine for 5 years, you have a better chance of being alive 15 years after the first diagnosis of your breast cancer.
Your specialist can explain the advantages and risks of taking anastrozole.
You can also calculate how well anastrozole will probably work for you. This happens by comparing your details with those of more than 20,000 other people treated with breast cancer.
The exact advantages and how well it will probably work for you depends on a combination of different things.
This varies for every person and includes factors like their age when breast cancer was found, how it was found and whether they had chemotherapy or not.
How long does it take to work?
Anastrozole immediately begins to reduce the amount of estrogen in your body, but it takes several weeks or months for the medication to work completely.
During this time you will probably have menopause, as your body gets used to less estrogen. This symptoms gradually improve when your body adapts to the medicine.
How long will I take?
Most people who take anastrozole first operated on, radiation therapy or sometimes chemotherapy to treat their breast cancer.
In this case, surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy is the first (primary) treatment and anastrozole an additional (adjuvant) therapy. The adjuvant therapy helps to withdraw cancer.
Most people will have an adjuvant therapy for 5 years, but merchantly recommends your doctor to continue it. During this time you may only receive anastrozole or tamoxifen (a medication that can also be used to treat breast cancer) for a few years, for a few years,Followed by Anastrozole for the remaining time.
Anastrozole is sometimes used to treat cancer if they cannot be operated on or to reduce cancer before the operation if you cannot have chemotherapy. In this case your specialist will tell you how long you have to take the medication.
Is it safe for a long time to take a long time?
Anastrozole is generally certain in the long term, your special team will carefully monitor your health.
This is because Anastrozol reduces the estrogen levels that your body needs for strong and healthy bones. If you take anastrozole for a long time, your bones can become weaker (Osteoporosis) and more to break.
You will have bone density scans before you start treatment for 1 or 2 years and again after your treatment has been completed.
Your doctor can recommend a kind of medicine that is referred to as a bisphosphonate to reduce the bone damage.
Anastrozole can also increase your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Can I stop taking it?
If you want to stop for some reason, your doctor can discuss alternatives to treat your breast cancer or to prevent return.
Sometimes people have a short break from Anastrozole. This can help if they get side effects such as joint pain. However, they only take a break from your medication if you have discussed you with your doctor first and agree with it.
Important
Don't stop taking anastrozole without first talking to your doctor.
Are there any other drugs like Anastrozole?
Medicines like Tamoxifen,letrozoleAnd exems work similar to Anastrozole. This medication reduces their estrogen levels and can cause similar side effects.
However, medication affects people in different ways. If you disrupt anastrozole side effects, speak to your doctor. You can recommend one of these other medication instead.
Can I drink alcohol with it?
There is no evidence that drinking alcohol causes problems when taking anastrozole.
Some people who take anastrozole can get hot flushes or redness if they drink alcohol. In this case, avoiding alcohol can help.
Are there food or drinks that I have to avoid?
Most people can eat and drink normally if they take anastrozole.
Some people think that Anastrozole influences their appetite.
If you lose your appetite, try to make sure you have a balanced diet by eating smaller meals and more often.
If you feel hungry and give you a lot of weight, ask your doctor or a specialist nurse to refer you to a nutritionist.
Will it affect my contraception or fertility?
Anastrozole is generally only given to you if you have passed the menopause.
However, some people find that they have periods again after taking anastrozole.
Anastrozole is not recommended during pregnancy.
Can I ride or ride a bike?
Some people feel extremely tired when they take anastrozole.
If you feel tired or dizzy or get blurred views, do not drive, drive or use tools or machines until you feel good again.