Anastrozole (Anazol, Arimidex)

Description

Arimidex is a treatment for breast cancer that some bodybuilders take to reduce the side effects of anabolic steroids. The drug lowers estrogen levels in the body.

Bodybuilders who take anabolic steroids to try to increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance can experience a range of symptoms. In some cases, males might start to grow breasts due to an increase in estrogen levels.

Arimidex lowers estrogen levels and can prevent breast growth in males. However, the drug also has side effects of its own.

In this article, we discuss what Arimidex does, why bodybuilders might use it, and the possible side effects.
How it may work for bodybuilding
Arimidex may cause side effects such as joint pain, nausea, and hot flashes.

Arimidex is the brand name for anastrozole. Doctors may prescribe the drug to postmenopausal women with certain types of breast cancer.

Arimidex stops aromatase from working in the body. Aromatase is an enzyme that makes estrogen from steroid hormones, including testosterone. By doing this, it lowers the amount of estrogen in the body.

People who use anabolic steroids for bodybuilding can experience a range of side effects.

These drugs disrupt hormone production in the body and may increase estrogen. Higher levels of estrogen can cause males to develop gynecomastia, which is the enlargement of the breast glands.

By reducing estrogen levels, Arimidex could prevent gynecomastia in males taking anabolic steroids.
Side effects

Arimidex can cause several side effects by disrupting hormone production in the body. For example, lower estrogen levels can lead to the thinning and weakening of bones.

Some other common side effects include:

joint pain
nausea and vomiting
hot flashes
weakness
tiredness

It is possible to have an allergic reactionTrusted Source to Arimidex, which can cause:

swelling around the body
chest pain
blurred vision
rapid heart rate
rashes
breast pain

How should you take Arimidex?

Arimidex comes as a small tablet for oral use only. The tablets are usually 1 milligram in size.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have only approved Arimidex for use in cancer treatment. There are no formal guidelines for its use in bodybuilding.

The FDA guidelines for breast cancer suggest a typical dosage of one tablet per day, but a doctor may prescribe a different dosage, depending on the case.

Taking Arimidex for bodybuilding is not recommended. Many of the side effects of anabolic steroids usually go away after a person stops using them. Estrogen levels should return to normal, and gynecomastia should reduce.
Other uses

The primary use of Arimidex is to treat breast cancer. It may be part of treatment for postmenopausal women with:

Early hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. Arimidex can lower the risk of cancer returning or spreading following surgery.
Advanced or metastatic HR+ or HR-unknown breast cancer. It is not usually possible to treat these cancers using surgery, so doctors may prescribe Arimidex as a first-line treatment.
Advanced or metastatic breast cancer that returns following initial treatment with tamoxifen (Nolvadex). Arimidex is a second-line treatment in these cases.

Sometimes, treatments for other types of cancer, such as ovarian cancer, might include Arimidex. However, the FDA only recommend its use for breast cancer.