Anastrozole Foods to Avoid: 7 Things to Avoid or Watch
Quick answer
Are there foods to avoid when taking anastrozole? The label names no food and says Arimidex can be taken with or without food. A clinician handout names alcohol, estrogen products and some supplements.
This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
Key takeaways
- The Arimidex label names no food to avoid and says it can be taken with or without food.
- The label says estrogen-containing therapies should not be used with Arimidex.
- A handout from oncology clinicians says alcohol should be avoided or limited on aromatase inhibitors.
- The same handout lists supplements that may cause problems in concentrated doses such as supplement form, and says they are not normally harmful in food eaten as part of a regular diet.
- Tell your provider about every medicine, vitamin and herbal supplement you take.
The list at a glance
| # | Food, drink or supplement | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Estrogen-containing products | Avoid: The label says estrogen-containing therapies should not be used with Arimidex. | FDA drug label and NIH |
| 2 | Alcohol | Limit: The handout says alcohol should be avoided or limited on aromatase inhibitors. | NIH |
| 3 | Isoflavone, red clover, kudzu and flaxseed supplements | Ask first: The handout lists these; ask your provider before taking them in supplement form. | NIH |
| 4 | Black cohosh, dong quai and chasteberry | Ask first: The handout lists these; talk with your provider if you take any of them. | NIH |
| 5 | St. John's wort and turmeric (curcumin) supplements | Ask first: The handout lists both; ask your provider before taking them as supplements. | NIH |
| 6 | High-protein (whey) supplements | Ask first: The handout lists high protein supplements; ask your provider about them. | NIH |
| 7 | Vitamins and herbal supplements in general | Ask first: The label says to tell your provider about all vitamins and herbal supplements. | FDA drug label and NIH |
Many people search for foods to avoid when taking anastrozole (Arimidex) The FDA-approved label on DailyMed names no food or drink to avoid, so this list also draws on a patient handout written by oncology clinicians, and it says which source each item comes from.
The handout was published in the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology. It has one part for tamoxifen and one for aromatase inhibitors, the class anastrozole belongs to. Only the aromatase inhibitor part is used here. It is a general handout for the class, not a study of anastrozole alone, so read each point as that handout’s wording and not as a rule from the label.
What foods should you avoid with anastrozole?
The label names none. Its food wording is that Arimidex can be taken with or without food. The label does name one group of products to keep away from Arimidex, estrogen-containing therapies. The handout adds alcohol, and a list of herbs, supplements and other products that may cause problems in concentrated doses.
How this list was made: every item is named by the label or by the handout, each shows its own quote, and a hedge such as may became ask first. Nothing was added by us. For medicines whose labels do name foods, see foods to avoid while taking cyclosporine and foods to avoid on disulfiram.
1. Estrogen-containing products
If you take anastrozole (Arimidex), can you use estrogen-containing products as well? The FDA label says estrogen-containing therapies should not be used with Arimidex, because they may diminish its pharmacological action. This is a medicine point rather than a food, but it is the one avoid instruction in the label. Ask your prescriber about any estrogen product you use.
The label’s drug interactions section says: “Estrogen-containing therapies should not be used with ARIMIDEX as they may diminish its pharmacological action.”
The handout points the same way without using the word avoid. It says: “Discuss all estrogen products with your health-care provider.” It also names “estradiol derivatives” next to estrogen products. Neither sentence lists brands or product types, so your prescriber or pharmacist has to say what counts for you.
2. Alcohol
Does alcohol matter while you take anastrozole? A handout from oncology clinicians says alcohol should be avoided or limited while taking aromatase inhibitors, the class that includes anastrozole. It gives no amount, and the Arimidex label does not name alcohol as something to avoid.
The handout says: “Alcohol should be avoided or limited while taking aromatase inhibitors, as alcohol consumption may decrease the efficacy of this medication.”
The words are avoided or limited, so the verdict here is limit and no stronger. The sentence names no drink type and no number of drinks, and it says may, not will. How that applies to you is a question for your prescriber.
3. Isoflavone, red clover, kudzu and flaxseed supplements
Should you take plant estrogen products, red clover, kudzu or flaxseed supplements with anastrozole? The handout’s list of products that can affect cancer treatment includes isoflavones, which it also calls plant estrogens, along with red clover, kudzu and flaxseed. It ties the concern to supplement form. Ask your provider before taking any of them.
The handout writes the first of these as “Isoflavones/Plant estrogens”. It then explains the whole list: “The products listed below may cause problems with breast cancer or breast cancer treatment when taken in concentrated doses such as supplement form.”
It is just as clear about food. It says “These products are not normally harmful if they are found in the food that you eat as part of your regular diet.” So this item is about supplements, not about the foods in a normal diet, and the handout gives no amounts.
4. Black cohosh, dong quai and chasteberry
Can black cohosh, dong quai or chasteberry be taken with anastrozole? The handout lists all three, naming black or blue cohosh, among herbs and supplements that may cause problems with breast cancer treatment. It asks you to talk with your provider if you take any. The Arimidex label does not name them.
In the handout the names sit one after another in a single list: “Black/Blue cohosh Chasteberry Chamomile Dandelion Diindolylmethane (DIM) Dong quai”. The handout then says: “Talk with your provider or health-care team if you are taking any of these products.”
Nothing in the quoted sentences says how likely a problem is, or how much of any herb matters. The sentence about concentrated doses such as supplement form covers this item too, and the handout’s wording stays at may cause problems.
5. St. John’s wort and turmeric (curcumin) supplements
Are turmeric supplements OK on anastrozole? The handout lists turmeric, also written curcumin, and St. John’s wort among products that can impact the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Its caution is about supplement form. Ask your provider before taking either one.
The handout opens its supplement section with: “Some herbs, supplements, and other products can impact the effectiveness of your cancer treatment.” Its list includes “St. John’s wort” and “Turmeric/Curcumin”.
Food is treated differently. The handout says these products are “not normally harmful if they are found in the food that you eat as part of your regular diet”. Cooking with turmeric is therefore not what the handout’s caution is about, and it says nothing more on the point.
6. High-protein (whey) supplements
What about high-protein or whey supplements while taking anastrozole? The handout’s list includes “High protein supplements”, with whey written in brackets beside it. It places the list under a warning about concentrated doses such as supplement form. The Arimidex label does not mention protein supplements, so ask your provider.
The handout says the products on its list “may cause problems with breast cancer or breast cancer treatment” when taken that way.
The entry names supplements only. It does not name protein in meals, and it gives no reason for this particular product or any amount. It is one line on a long list, and the handout does not rank the entries by risk.
7. Vitamins and herbal supplements in general
Do you need to tell anyone about vitamins and herbal supplements when you take anastrozole? Yes, according to the Arimidex patient information in the label, which tells you to inform your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including vitamins and herbal supplements. It names no vitamin to avoid.
The label says: “Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.”
This is a disclosure instruction, not a ban, so the verdict is ask first. The handout makes the same request for its own list: “Talk with your provider or health-care team if you are taking any of these products.” Neither sentence says a vitamin is a problem.
Is anastrozole taken with food?
The label says Arimidex can be taken with or without food, so a meal is not required and not forbidden by that sentence. The patient information repeats the same words.
The clinical pharmacology section adds a measurement, not an instruction: “The mean C max of anastrozole decreased by 16% and the median T max was delayed from 2 to 5 hours when anastrozole was administered 30 minutes after food.” The label’s food instruction remains with or without food. If your prescriber gave you a schedule, follow that one.
Can you have grapefruit with anastrozole?
The Arimidex label names no grapefruit. The handout has a grapefruit warning, but it names a different aromatase inhibitor. It says to “Avoid grapefruit juice and particularly the specific class of Seville” oranges, “as they can interfere with the efficacy of exemestane.” That sentence is not about anastrozole.
The handout’s separate list of products that may cause problems in concentrated doses does include grapefruit juice. The wording is the same as for the supplements above, may cause problems, and it gives no amount of juice. A prescriber or pharmacist can say whether it matters for you.
Does no food to avoid mean nothing matters with anastrozole?
No. The label names no food to avoid, but your other medicines, health conditions and your own prescriber’s instructions can still change what is right for you.
The quoted sentences say nothing about those. One heading in the handout reads “Medications to Avoid or Use With Caution While Taking Anastrozole or Letrozole”, which shows that other medicines are a separate topic this page does not cover.
What should you ask your prescriber or pharmacist about anastrozole?
A prescriber or pharmacist can see your full medicine list and health history. Questions worth bringing:
- Do I use any estrogen product, and does it matter with anastrozole?
- Does the advice about alcohol apply to me, and what does limited mean in my case?
- I take a supplement or herb. Is it on the handout’s list?
- Is there anything in my instructions that differs from the general label?
Read the sources yourself
The full label is on DailyMed, the National Library of Medicine’s label database: ARIMIDEX (ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) prescribing information. The handout is on PubMed Central: Precautions for Patients Taking Tamoxifen or Aromatase Inhibitors. Both have sections this page does not use. For more pages on what to avoid, browse Diet and Nutrition or read about HER2-positive breast cancer foods to avoid and foods to avoid with polymyalgia rheumatica.
Frequently asked questions
What foods should you avoid when taking anastrozole?
The Arimidex label names no food to avoid. A handout from oncology clinicians names alcohol to avoid or limit and lists supplements that may cause problems in concentrated doses. It says these are not normally harmful in food eaten as part of a regular diet.
Is anastrozole taken with food?
The label says Arimidex can be taken with or without food. Its clinical pharmacology section also reports that, when anastrozole was given 30 minutes after food, the mean C max decreased by 16% and the median T max was delayed from 2 to 5 hours. It draws no instruction from that.
Anastrozole and alcohol: what does the handout say?
A handout from oncology clinicians says alcohol should be avoided or limited while taking aromatase inhibitors, as alcohol consumption may decrease the efficacy of the medication. It gives no amount. The Arimidex label does not name alcohol as something to avoid, so ask your prescriber.
Anastrozole and grapefruit: is grapefruit a problem?
The handout's grapefruit warning names exemestane, a different aromatase inhibitor, not anastrozole. Its separate list of products that may cause problems in concentrated doses, such as supplement form, includes grapefruit juice. The Arimidex label names no grapefruit. Ask your prescriber.
Can supplements affect anastrozole?
The handout says some herbs, supplements and other products can impact the effectiveness of cancer treatment, and lists many. It says to talk with your provider if you take any of them. The Arimidex label says to tell your provider about all vitamins and herbal supplements.
