I was dx August 2017 with 8mm IDC, HER2+ and estrogen+8. No node involvement. Had a WLE with clear margins and as lump was below a cm I escaped chemo and just had 15 fractions radiotherapy. Started Anastrazole September 2017. I had a break of just under 5 weeks just over a year ago on BC nurses suggestion due to side effects and then restarted.
I am also on drugs for a heart arrhythmia and the Anastrazole tablet is so very similar in look and packaging. I have Accord and Teva of both. This evening I realised I had been taking double my arrhythmia drug and NO Anastrazole for about 5 days! To make matters worse I did the same thing about 8 weeks ago for a few days.
Part of me is relived to know this may be why my arrhythmia hasn’t felt so good for a few days but I am also worried I may have upset my Anastrazole protection. I know we can have Anastrazole holidays and I’m fine about the first one but I am concerned about what I may have done with the last two faux pas being only weeks apart. I feel such an idiot and angry with myself.
Any thoughts would be welcome.
Hi Francis, I’m not a medical professional but I really don’t think missing a few days will matter. I’ve been on anastrozole in the past and now on tamoxifen. You could call the nurses on here tomorrow to get a definite answer but I think the protection stays in our system for longer than that. I’m glad you are not too worried about the double of your other tablets. Hope you can sort out a way to avoid this happening, it’s so easily done when we have lots of pills, maybe colour coded boxes or something! Take care, xx
It’s hard work keeping track, isn’t it! I now take 8 tablets at bedtime and I’ve checked and they each do their work during the period of sleep. The fact that anastrozole causes me insomnia is irrelevant lol.
First from what my oncologist has said, you are right and breaks from anastrozole don’t cause significant problems. It’s when you opt to stop taking it completely that you affect your cancer risks. However, you are causing yourself significant worry, as well as doubling your heart drug which can’t be good, so why not invest in a pill organiser? You can get a simple daily/week one or you can get them colour coded and divided into times of the day. That means a bit of time setting it up on Monday and then you can be sure the right pills have been taken. I’ve got to the point where I have to resign myself to this as so many look alike and I can be clumsy in the evening (peripheral neuropathy) and drop the little beggars. I’ve still got 3 to find somewhere under the bed!
If you are worried about a 5 day break so soon after a longer break, ring your breast care nurse. She’ll be able to check against your record but they aren’t like some drugs where you have to be careful weaning yourself off under supervision. All the best xx
Thank you bluebell and Jaybro. The attythmia drug isn’t a problem as I’m on lowest dose and can actually take a couple more a day if needs be but they don’t agree with me and I don’t need to anyway.
I do have a tablet organiser would you believe and even labelled them. I even put the 2 tablets a compartment apart to stop me getting confused. Where the confusion came was I changed brands due to side effects and the packaging was almost identical. Don’t know how I confused the names! It was only this evening I noticed the mistake.
I will call helpline and/or my BC nurse tomorrow.
Thank you once again.