Formulary
Anastrozole: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Anastrozole clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Anastrozole: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Anastrozole clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Adjuvant treatment of oestrogen-receptor-positive early invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women,Adjuvant treatment of oestrogen-receptor-positive early invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women following 2-3 years of tamoxifen therapy,Oestrogen-receptor-positive advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women**
- **Adult** (By Mouth): 1 mg once daily.
**Breast cancer [chemoprevention in postmenopausal women at moderate to high risk] (initiated by a specialist)**
- **Adult** (By Mouth): 1 mg once daily for 5 years.
Cautions
Susceptibility to osteoporosis
Contraindications
Not for premenopausal women
Side effects
Common or very common Alopecia; appetite decreased; arthritis; asthenia; bone pain; carpal tunnel syndrome; depression; diarrhoea; drowsiness; headache; hot flush; hypercholesterolaemia; hypersensitivity; joint disorders; myalgia; nausea; osteoporosis; sensation abnormal; skin reactions; taste altered; vaginal haemorrhage; vomiting; vulvovaginal dryness Uncommon Hepatitis; hypercalcaemia; trigger finger Rare or very rare Angioedema; Stevens-Johnson syndrome; vasculitis
Interactions
**Severe interactions:**
- Clinical studies with antipyrine and warfarin showed that anastrozole at a 1 mg dose did not significantly inhibit the metabolism of antipyrine and R- and S-warfarin indicating the co-administration...
- A review of the clinical trial safety database did not reveal evidence of clinically significant interaction in patients treated with Anastrozole who also received other commonly prescribed...
**Other interactions (4):**
- Anastrozole inhibits CYPs 1A2, 2C8/9 and 3A4 in vitro.
- The enzymes mediating metabolism of anastrozole have not been identified.
- Cimetidine, a weak, unspecific inhibitor of CYP enzymes, did not affect the plasma concentrations of anastrozole.
- Co-administration of tamoxifen or estrogen-containing therapies with Anastrozole should be avoided as this may diminish its pharmacological action (see section 4.4 and 5.1).
Pregnancy
Avoid.
Breast feeding
Avoid.
Hepatic impairment
Manufacturer advises use with caution in moderate-to-severe impairment.
Renal impairment
Caution if eGFR less than 30 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 (limited information available). M See Prescribing in renal impairment .
Medicinal forms
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
Inside MedNext for this topic
- 411 MedNext-authored chapters
- 80,000+ MCQ bank
- 15 study modes
- Growing visual cheat sheets
Study modes
- Notes
- MCQ
- Audio
- Video
- Visual
- 3D Anatomy
- Trace
- Flashcards
- Mnemonics
- Image Bank
- Clinical
- Microscopy
- Audio QBank
- Cadaver
- Book Match
Continue reading
Subject HubPharmacology Hub
All pharmacology resources in one place.
Drug SchedulesIndian Drug Schedules
Schedule H, H1, X and G classifications.
FormularyBrowse all drugs
Search 1,850+ drug profiles.
Study Anastrozole in the MedNext app
Challenge yourself with targeted pharmacology MCQs on this drug class. Every explanation links back to the chapter that teaches the concept.
Start drug challengeExplore the full formulary

