Prescription Required
Description
What is Arimidex used for?
Breast cancer is made of abnormal cells that have grown uncontrollably. These cells then travel to places in your body where they were not originally formed. Breast cancer usually begins in a small confined area in the glands, which produce milk, which then carry to the nipple. It can grow larger in the breast and spread through channels to nearby lymph nodes or through your bloodstream to other organs.
What does Arimidex do?
Arimidex is a medication used to treat breast cancer in women that are finished with menopause. Some breast cancers can grow faster by the use of a natural hormone called estrogen. The active ingredient in Arimidex, known as Anastrozole, decreases the amount of estrogen the body produces and helps to slow or reverse the growth of these breast cancers.
Directions
This medication is taken by mouth, with or without food. This pills is often taken once daily. Use this medication regularly to gain the most benefit. Do not increase your dose or use this medication more often or for longer than prescribed. Your condition will not improve at a faster rate, and your risk of serious side effects will increase.
Cautions
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to anastrozole or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: heart disease (such as history of heart attack), bone loss (osteoporosis), liver disease, high blood pressure, blood clots.
Anastrozole is used mainly in women after menopause. If you have not gone through menopause, this medication must not be used during pregnancy. It may harm an unborn baby. Discuss the use of reliable forms of birth control (such as latex condoms) while taking this medication and for at least 3 weeks after stopping treatment with your doctor. Products containing estrogen (such as birth control pills) should not be used. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor right away.
Side Effects
Hot flashes, headache, trouble sleeping, dizziness, stomach upset, nausea/vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight gain, tiredness/weakness, increased coughing, or sore throat may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: bone pain, easily broken bones, joint stiffness/pain, muscle pain/stiffness, mental/mood changes (such as depression), numb/tingling skin, swelling hands/ankle/feet, shortness of breath, unusual vaginal discharge/bleeding/burning/itching/odor, pain/redness/swelling of arms or legs, vision changes, signs of liver disease (such as nausea/vomiting that doesn't stop, stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine).
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: chest/jaw/left arm pain, confusion, trouble speaking, weakness on one side of the body
FAQs
What is Arimidex?
Arimidex is an oral tablet available as a prescription medication. It is available in a single strength of 1mg and can be purchased as the brand-name or the generic alternative; each tablet contains anastrozole. This medication is taken by mouth, metabolized in the liver, and excreted through the urine with a half-life of 40-50 hours.
What is Anastrozole?
Anastrozole is the generic name for Arimidex as well as the active ingredient responsible for the therapeutic effects. Anastrozole is an antiestrogen drug; this means it affects the estrogen (a natural hormone mainly produced in the ovaries) in the body. Like many other medications, they are broken down into different types of antiestrogens depending on their mechanism of action. Anastrozole is an aromatase inhibitor. However, anastrozole can also be considered its own district class (as oppose to an antiestrogen) because it does not meet all the definitions of an antiestrogen.
What is Anastrozole used for?
Anastrozole is used for post-menopausal woman diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer; using this medication will help prevent or slow the growth of the cancer. Additionally, anastrozole may be prescribed to patients who are at high risk for breast cancer to help with the prevention of it.
What does Anastrozole do to your body?
Hormone receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is a type of cancer that feeds on estrogen; it needs estrogen to grow. Inside our bodies, we have aromatase enzymes which convert our natural hormones called androgens (produced by the adrenal gland) into estrogens. So how does Arimidex work to slow the growth of the cancer? It works by blocking the aromatase enzyme and preventing it from converting androgens into estrogen; by doing this, it “starves” the cancer and prevents it from growing further.
What are the side effects of Anastrozole?
Side effects of anastrozole may include hot flashes, headache, trouble sleeping, or dizziness. There are other side effects that may occur that are not listed here. Most side effects occur while your body adjusts to the new medication; they should not alarm you. However, if they do persist or become unmanageable, you should speak with your doctor.
How soon do the side effects of Arimidex start?
Side effects will likely begin at different times for each patient as all of our bodies react to medication differently. When it comes to joint pain, most patients have reported it beginning around 6 weeks into treatment.
Foods to avoid when taking Anastrozole?
Certain foods may contradict the medication resulting in a reduction of efficacy. Your health care professional will go over how to take Arimidex when prescribing it to you; this includes certain foods you may need to avoid. These foods could include citrus peel, daidzein and genistein (isoflavones compounds found in soybeans and other legumes), grapefruit (and its juice), soybean paste, as well as these types of oil; corn, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. These following items may not be considered food, but they should still be avoided; alcohol, St. John Wort, hesperidin supplements, and smoking cigarettes.
Where can I buy Arimidex?
We carry both the brand-name and the generic alternative for Arimidex at My Drug Center. Arimidex can be found for an affordable price, as low as $0.55 per tablet, and purchased from the comfort of your own home; all you need is a valid prescription.
How long does Arimidex stay in your system?
Arimidex will stay in the system for up to roughly 250 hours (10.4 days) following your last dose. Most medications remain in the system for about 5 half-lives; Arimidex has a half-life of 40-50 hours.
How long does Arimidex take to work?
The exact amount of time it takes for Arimidex to work will vary between each person. However, you can expect the medication to begin working within the first 24 hours, though you may not feel it right away.
How much does Arimidex lower estrogen?
After starting treatment, it is suggested that there will be an approximately 70% reduction in estrogen after 24 hours; and in 2 weeks time, about 80%. However, since we are all different, this information may not necessarily be accurate for everyone.
How much Arimidex should I take?
Your doctor will let you know how much Arimidex to take when prescribing it to you, as well as when to take Arimidex. It is important to follow your doctor’s directions very carefully. Arimidex should be taken at the same time each day; taken by mouth and swallowed whole. Unless your doctor has directed otherwise, there is no restrictions when it comes to eating a meal with your dose; you may take it with or without food. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, or if it’s been 12+ hours, skip it and continue on as scheduled; do not double up on your next dose to make up for the missed dose. For best results; follow all directions given to you by your doctor on how to use Arimidex.
How much does Arimidex cost?
The cost of this medication may vary depending on where you get your supply from. The average retail price of Arimidex in the United States is roughly four times as much as the cost at My Drug Center. We carry the brand and the generic choice; you can find prices for as low as $34.00 when you buy a supply of 28. To order, all you need is a valid prescription.
Who makes Arimidex?
The brand-name medication, Arimidex, was first made by AstraZeneca; a British multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company. This company also produces other popular name-brand medications such as Symbicort, Seroquel, and Zestril. However, AstraZeneca has since sold the rights to Arimidex in the US to another pharmaceutical company (2017).
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