Anastrozole vs Tamoxifen for hormones
Short answer: For hormones, more users report improvement with Tamoxifen — 98% of 49 reports, versus 12% of 8 for Anastrozole.
Anastrozole has 94 meta-analyses and 312 randomized trials on PubMed; Tamoxifen has 479 and 1,597.
Based on 52 reports about Anastrozole and 298 about Tamoxifen. Not medical advice.
| Anastrozole Medication | Tamoxifen Medication | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 24%helped13 reports · few reports | 64%helped75 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly negative | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 94 / 312 | 479 / 1,597 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 12% (8) | 98% (49) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | — | 57% (7) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | — | 100% (5) |
| Common side effects | headache, body aches, erectile dysfunction, fatigue | fatigue, depression, low libido, headache |
| Typical dose reported | Not listed | Not listed |
Using an aromatase inhibitor rather than tamoxifen in premenopausal women receiving ovarian suppression reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Longer follow-up is needed to assess any impact on breast cancer mortality.
Lancet Oncol, 2022 ↗“My E2 went up a fuzz last run and anastrazole twice weekly fixed that.”
5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen safely reduces 15-year risks of breast cancer recurrence and death. ER status was the only recorded factor importantly predictive of the proportional reductions. Hence, the absolute risk reductions produced by tamoxifen depend on the absolute breast cancer risks (after any chemotherapy) without tamoxifen.
Lancet, 2011 ↗“Dosage 5 mg starting at week 2. I upped the dose to 10 mg mid cycle due to slightly feeling suppressed.”
Related comparisons
Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate