Crippling drug side effects forced us to abandon our treatment: From statins to breast cancer medication, thousands are giving up on their prescriptions. Here's what to do if you're one of them By Jo Waters Published: 21:01 EDT, 20 May 2024 | Updated: 21:01 EDT, 20 May 2024 e-mail View comments After surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer , Marie Jones was prescribed a daily pill to reduce the chances of the disease returning. But just three weeks into the planned five-year course of treatment, she ditched the tablets.
'I know some people might think I'm mad for not doing everything possible to reduce my risk,' says Marie, 54, a PR consultant, who lives in Belfast , Northern Ireland , with husband Paddy, 56, a decorator, and has three grown-up children. 'But my menopause side-effects came back with a vengeance after I started taking the drug [letrozole]. 'I had terrible night sweats that soaked my pyjamas and bedsheets.
My head was fuzzy with brain fog — I was exhausted at work and a bit of a mess. 'Worst of all I had very painful aching joints all over my body. I couldn't even type on my keyboard without being in agony.
After nearly a month I'd had enough of the pain and hormonal symptoms and stopped taking it.' Marie Jones, 54, was prescribed a daily pill to reduce the chances of her breast cancer returning but she ditched the tablets just three weeks into the five-year course of treatment The decision to stop treatment and take her chances with breast cancer instead .