Thanks for your reply, Kay0987.
My periods and my natural menopause were a breeze, mentally and physically, so in my case not an indicator.
Anastrozole turned me into a 90-year-old wizened, crippled hag. (I’m 63.)
Can you point me to the report you posted, please? I must have missed it.
Thanks.
Hi @MistyK and everyone, like you my actual menopause was a breeze, hardly noticed it. I’m now 66 and have been on letrozole for 6 months. The only side effect I dont have is hot flushes. I have insomnia (only get 5 hours sleep a night), painful back, hips, knees and ankles, vaginal atrophy, stress and urge incontinence, dry, brittle hair that has only grown an inch in 11 months, fluctuating blood pressure…and oncologist told me that people my age rarely have side effects. Hmmm. 10 years of this! Oh dear! I’m sticking with it for now as I have already refused Paclitaxol, and biphosphonates, and have just quit Herceptin after 9 injections. Still hoping letrozole side effects may ease off soon as hanging on to possibility it may shrink my fibroid. I do give my body one day off of letrozole each week as my reward for sticking with it thus far. It makes no difference to the side effects but it helps my mental health to rebel. Love to all from Tulip x
Thanks, Kay0987. I’ll have a read.
Hi Tulip29
Appreciate your contribution 
My mother had a hysterectomy in her early forties for heavy periods and I had left home by the time she got to her fifties so I can’t base anything on my mother’s experience. Especially as she’s 97 now and has dementia so can’t talk about it. I’m quite a lot taller than my mum and I have good teeth not sure what that proves. My mother had great teeth
Seagulls
Great news that Letrozole worked for you.
Wishes for a long and successful journey.
donutF
Thank you. Yes it is powerful and the side effects not good but these can be helped with palliative care 
I wasnt given letrozole first time becausr i was pre menopausal…and i wasnt tryong to prove anything…my post was anecdotal …if thats ok with you
Well perhaps there’s something in that - my Mum took HRT for many years and was eventually made to come off it due to fears about heart attacks etc which ironically they now think we’re over estimated . She suffered with asthma , cardiac autonomic neuropathy and joint pains / problems and osteoporosis all of which became significantly worse not long after coming off HRT . I had problems with heavy and painful periods but my menopause was relatively easy - I never experienced anything like the symptoms I had with Anastrozole which included a frightening thumping heart which accompanied the many hot flushes at first and pain and stiffness which had progressed to every part of me before I stopped taking it , there was also brain fog and hair loss . This despite regular swimming and Yoga as well as walking / a job where I’m on my feet and taking the recommended supplements. It felt like someone had turned my body clock forward a good 10 years and after stopping it there was some improvement in my joints after just 48 hours .My friend also experienced severe joint pains with Letrozole and changed to Exemestane - not symptom free but not as bad as when on Letrozole.
I’m not denying that AI s are a wonderful life saving drug for many and I’m glad that so many people are able to tolerate them but I was annoyed that when I first complained about my symptoms they were initially brushed off or dismissed as minimal. I’m sorry but I do believe that the likelihood of getting severe joint problems is greater than 10% , I also only have anecdotal evidence but many of the women at my support group have mentioned joint pains . I think the companies and the professionals should be more honest and be looking to develop / push for the development of something else .
Hi I just got diagnosed today. I have an appointment with an oncologist so do I just say outright no to AIs / Tamoxifen?
I honestly don’t trust chemo/radiation. I don’t know. I also prefer cancer risk than taking drugs that will messed up my internal organs and physical well being more.
I really need info on what to do with my cancer diagnosis.
I had a birads 5 result and biopsy with marker then my doctor just called me today that I have cancer.
So what do I tell the oncologist tomorrow?
I prefer quality of life than poisoning my entire body too to get rid of a lump. I just got diagnosed with cancer. I just want to know what to ask my oncologist tomorrow.
I think I would just be honest and say I don’t want to poison my body and if there are other natural alternatives.
What’s the point of having a prolonged life if it’s miserable?
Agree with this statement 100000%. I told my husband I would rather spend my money travelling the world than a cancer treatment that would make me feel miserable.
I hope the oncologist will agree with me.
The oncologist will tell you what your % benefit of all the treatments is .
Rads, chemo ( if offered) and hormonal ( tamoxifen or AIs).
It will all be based on a Predict calculator for women who had same type cancer as you .
An oncotype will give you a more personal score and recurrence risk , using your tumour sample .
It’s your decision which treatment you have .
Nobody knows for sure who will get a recurrence.
If you can follow Dr Liz O’Riordan on insta , she says it’s 50%, it either does or it doesn’t and it might still come back in hormone therapy 
.
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis and I appreciate your point of view but you need to let the professionals talk this through with you properly and explain everything to you before you make any decisions . My cancer was very small and early and of a type that does not usually spread - I tried the AI but my surgical team felt my decision to stop it was reasonable for my particular situation . My Oncologist had discharged me by this point and I wasn’t offered chemo but I did have radiotherapy . Whatever I may personally think about AI s they have been a game changer for many and I wouldn’t dismiss anything without a lot of consideration . There are things you can do to help reduce your risk of recurrence but the only thing I have heard of that might be a natural alternative is Iscador which is made from mistletoe and it’s not available on the NHS here . You also need to bear in mind that any “natural” remedies also have side effects - many drugs including some chemo ones have been developed from plants and since having BC I’ve realised that the world of supplements and natural remedies is an absolute minefield .
At the moment you are just trying to get your head around it all and honestly I’m not sure that delving so deep into the forum is the best thing for you right now. I wish you the best of luck for your appointment . Whatever treatment plan you are offered you will be given some time to decide . For a professional but slightly more objective opinion and advice on the right questions to ask at your appointments I would recommend calling the helpline on 0808 800 6000 .
With very best wishes. Xx
Just not so . Predict gave me 8 per cent risk of dying over 10-year period . 83 per cent chance of survival Without radio chemo and AIs it was nearer 60 per cent . They are game changers why do you think mortality has halved in last 30 years ? It isn’t because of green tea
Hi JoanneN
Thank you for adding your voice and experience to the debate. With all good wishes 
Hi and welcome, pneuma.
Echoing JoanneN’s response:
It is such early days for you, I think the main thing is not to make any hasty decisions. It may or may not be that some treatment is required in advance of possible surgery. Don’t jump the gun until you understand more about what you are dealing with. Hopefully you will have some time to gather professional advice and information. Do not turn down anything out of hand. I’m guessing you don’t yet know what they are going to recommend for you. One step at a time, even though the temptation is to panic. The very best of luck for your meeting. I hope you have a kind, sympathetic, reassuring and helpful oncologist.
(NB Susanmanchester is perhaps not the gentlest contributor on this forum and apt to make sweeping statements.)
It concerns me greatly that posts such as this encouraging women not to take hormone blockers do a great deal of harm potentially. They save lives . My late sister didn’t take Tamoxifen and died three years after diagnosis of liver secondary it isn’t something I want happening to anyone else . And for the majority side effects are minimal and quite honestly a price worth paying for many years of extra time. Secondary cancer is incurable certainly nothing gentle there
One reason I stopped as well as side effects was my Dexa scan result - initially I got a letter from my GP just saying that my scan result was normal and that I did not require a change or review of medication. A few days later I got a much more detailed set of results for each bone scan and someone had written across the top in thick black ink - Secondary osteoporosis 10% bone loss "normal " letter . I probably should have asked more questions at the time as I was a bit freaked out by this. My Grandma Mum and Aunt all suffered badly with osteoporosis but they were all on steroids for various auto immune conditions that I have been lucky enough not to get . I had been on Anastrozole for less than 4 months at the time so I don’t know if that could have caused it in that time or if I just had it anyway - I’ve heard it’s common after the menopause. I was surprised that I had been sent two letters - I think my surgeon may have forwarded the detailed one on as he never wanted me to be on AI in the first place . He originally prescribed Tamoxifen , I didn’t know at the time that I was post- menopausal though at 56 there was a good chance that I would be . However I’ve had a retinal vein occlusion and was afraid of the potential ocular side effects so I waited to speak to the Oncologist who also felt it wasn’t suitable for me - and by this time I had been confirmed as post - menopausal.
I’m just wondering if anyone else has had this Dexa scan result of secondary osteoporosis ?