The amount of active ingredient in both drugs is 1 mg per tablet, so there is no particular difference in taking one or the other. However, drugs are sometimes given on favorable terms to prescription patients in the clinic. Therefore, often women take the drug that they can get for free, because their cost is very high, and must be taken for years.
If one drug was not available in the pharmacy, and the woman should continue taking it, then you can replace it with an analogue, since they practically do not differ from each other. The only difference is the appearance of side effects.
Medications are very serious, so if a woman has doubts about the level of hormones, then a certain diagnosis should be made to confirm the diagnosis and the level of hormones in the blood serum.
When cancer is detected, people are forced to take very serious medications. However, most of them have been tested by many studies and help to combat various types of tumors quite effectively. Such funds include Arimidex and Anastrozole. The drugs are somewhat similar to each other, but also have differences.
Arimidex
The medicine is available in the form of tablets. It contains the active substance anastrozole in an amount of 1 mg per tablet. In addition, there are auxiliary substances: water, magnesium stearate, lactose, povidone, sodium carboxymethylene starch.
Indications for use of the product:
- Early stage breast cancer.
- Breast cancer in menopause.
- Hormone-positive breast cancer during menopause.
- Postmenopausal breast cancer.
- For the treatment of early stage breast cancer after treatment with Tamoxifen.
The drug should not be taken in the following conditions:
- Childhood.
- The period of pregnancy and natural feeding.
- Severe kidney and liver disease.
- Sensitivity to substances.
- While taking Tamoxifen and drugs that contain estrogen.
With extreme caution, the medicine is prescribed for diseases of the joints, as well as for lactose intolerance.
Many patients report the appearance of unpleasant side effects. Among them, the most common:
- Bone pains.
- Sensation of flushing of face.
- Feeling hot.
- Constant drowsiness and fatigue.
- Dizziness, headache.
- Stiff feeling in joints.
- Dry mucous membranes.
- Bleeding after drug withdrawal.
- Allergic reactions.
- Hair loss and general deterioration of their condition.
- Decrease in bone density.
- Osteoporosis.
Side effects such as urticaria, Quincke’s edema, and hepatitis are rare enough.
The drug is absorbed almost instantly. The highest concentration is observed approximately 2 hours after ingestion. If you miss a pill, take it as soon as possible. They drink them regardless of the meal. The dosage is determined by the attending physician. Usually in a standard situation, you need to take the medicine once a day. In this case, the course of treatment lasts for years. On average, about 5 years or more.
The cost of the medicine depends on the place of its purchase. The average is about 1,500 rubles.
Anastrozole
The drug is sold in pharmacies in the form of tablets. It has been introduced to the market since 1995. Its effectiveness against tumor proliferation is confirmed by a host of studies. The composition contains the active substance anastrozole, as well as auxiliary components cellulose, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, sodium carboxymethyl starch and lactose.
The medicine is produced by different manufacturers in different countries. In Russia, there is also a manufacturer that produces this tool. It is located in St. Petersburg. It is easy enough to find the medicine of this manufacturer in Russian pharmacies.
Indications for use of the drug are breast cancer during menopause.
Contraindications are:
- Premenopause.
- During pregnancy and natural feeding.
- Childhood.
- Severe liver and kidney disease.
- Treatment with Tamoxifen and estrogen medications.
- Sensitivity to components.
Many people report the appearance of unpleasant side effects. They most often include:
- Disruption of the stomach.
- Violations of the stool.
- Dry mucous membranes.
- Sensation of flushing of face.
- Sensation of sweating and heat.
- Fatigue and drowsiness.
- Pain in the head, dizziness.
- Allergic reactions.
The tool has the desired effect in women during menopause. In this case, with special care, regardless of the age of the woman, the drug is prescribed to those who suffer from heart diseases, pathologies in the work of the kidneys and lactose intolerance.
The medicine is sold in pharmacies by prescription. Its approximate cost is about 1,500 rubles per package.
What are the drugs like?
To eliminate breast cancer in women, doctors prescribe drugs that contain the active substance anastrozole. These drugs include both of these drugs. They are similar in composition and both are used precisely during menopause.
They are both taken at certain times, usually in the morning. In the best way, the medicine is absorbed into the blood if consumed on an empty stomach. Absorption occurs approximately two hours after ingestion. The elimination time of both drugs is about 72 hours. The number of receptions is determined by the doctor, the dosage is also regulated by a specialist. Both drugs are consumed for a very long time – up to 5 years or more.
Contraindications are similar, as are the side effects that occur.
Comparison and differences
Drugs belong to the same group. They are effective for treating breast tumors in women during menopause. There are practically no differences between them, except for the name. However, the Russian manufacturer offers the drug at a lower cost than, for example, an analogue made in the UK or in the USA.
