Joint Pain

For a few months now, I've been experiencing slight hip pain. I also noticed that I'd wake up with pain in my finger joints. A couple of months ago, the pain in my hips got a lot worse. I'd have trouble getting out of bed. Going downstairs, I'd have to do it two-footed. However, the pain would go away after a few minutes of movement.

I felt like I was 80 years old. I thought for sure I had arthritis. Then I found an article saying that up to 50% of women on aromatase inhibitors (AI) experience joint pain. They can also experience muscle pain. Several months ago, possibly around the time I started taking AI, I noticed I had difficulty getting up from a crouched position. It's not clear to me whether it's due to pain or weakness in my thigh muscles.

About a week ago, the joint pain started easing up a bit. I can get up from bed almost like a normal person and don't have to walk two-footed down the stairs anymore. But it still hurts climbing into bed and getting in and out of my car. For the first couple of minutes afterward, I walk funny. Getting up from a crouched position, like when putting on my shoes, is still difficult. And sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, my left hip hurts when I move my legs.

According to the article I read, the pain goes away for most women by 18 months. I'm only 8 months into my AI therapy, and I'm supposed to take the pill (anastrozole) for five years.