FEMARA
Comments
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Tonlee,
I remember reading on this site somewhere that there is a controversy whether or not tamox is okay for HER2+. I've seen it more than once on this site.
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I have read that too weety - I talked to my onc PA about it and she didn't seem concerned. She did say that the letrozole has about a 20% advantage over tamoxifen - I am not sure exactly what that means....only that perhaps the letrozole may be slightly more effective at preventing recurrence than tamoxifen.0
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Miami,I took the free bottle with 14 pills of Arimidex from the dr and about a wk into it,i got shortness of breath and my mouth swoll up and my tongue and I got sores in my mouth and the sores on the corners of my mouth started spreading to my face. I called the MO and told the nurse I stopped the pills cause of that. She says "Just get Biotin at Walmart". Hmmm,what about the shortness of breath and swollen tongue did she not understand!? i am so scared I go back to the MO on Wed and afraid they will yell at me for stopping the hell pill. I had a whole slew of side effects after 1 wk so Istopped all drugs & vitamins for a wk then I started the Arimi again and again the mouth sores returned. So I took the rest of the bottle. Been off it since April 1st but still have severely chapped lips and high bld prz for which my gen phys has been treating me. Wonder if I can switch to Femara will it be better? He said on first visit,all pre menopause girls get Tamox and all you gals past menopause get Armi..hmm never heard of the other drugs and he is an MO?!!
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Hi everyone, I was having terrible joint pain on femara especially knees and feet. I started walking 30 minutes a day. Not really fast; about 3 mph. I have noticed a huge improvement so I am going to keep at it.
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I don't think the tamox and HER2+ combination had anything to do with whether an AI or Tamox was more effective. I think it had more to do with tamox affecting the way that HER2+ receptors acted. I wish I knew where I had seen it. I will look more tonight and see if I can find it on here. Meanwhile, maybe someone else might know more????
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Ginger48, I am so glad you found that walking is helping with the SEs.
That was my plan---and I decided to stay on and try to eat better and walk frequently.
Well, I am at the end of my semester at work and there is no time for walking or eating right....but in 2 weeks, I will start. I expect to feel better and stronger.
Anybody else find this helps?
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Joan- great plan! I am finding myself sneaking more walking in my day. Parking my car in the furthest spot, taking stairs instead of elevator, etc. It is like my brain knows my body is feeling better and is sending me messages to "move". I would never have predicted I would feel this way but I am going with it. I am still creaky after sitting a while but it goes away so much more quickly.
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Joan - Exercise helps a lot. I think now I feel the best when I do some kind of exercise everyday.0
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Joan, yes, I make it a point to walk a minimum of 45 minutes every day. Walking the dogs or for errands is extra on top of that base. First of all it helps my mental state. It is relaxing and refrshing to walk. But it also gets rid of stiffness and achy joints.
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Joan and Ginger - I walk every morning for at least a mile. I've also started doing some yard work again - which is unfortunately EXHAUSTING - but I fell much better the next day. As far as the arthritis goes - my knees and back and one joint in my finger all hurt much more than they used to. I can't walk as fast - which is totally frustrating, but hasn't stopped me from walking - it just takes longer to get anywhere. I've also found that stretching helps the muscle pain quite a bit.
weety and tonlee - I also read that 2.5 years tamoxifen and 2.5 years femara was a good solution. Unfortunately, I only lasted about 6-8 months on tamoxifen as my body simply wouldn't cooperate - it hated tamoxifen. I'm doing much better on letrozole/femara.
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Hi all, I am on the drug Femara and have been since 2009 when I had my second bout with cancer and had a mastectomy. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis before then and the rheumatologist started me on Fosamax and glucosamine chondroitin, in addition to the calcium supplements I was taking. I didn't realize until recently that the joint pain in my hands which included a trigger thumb was caused by the Femara. My new nurse practitioner told me this. I decided to experiment a little and started taking the glucosomine chondroitin with MSM and that really helped my joint pain in my hands. I can now open jars and my pill bottles earier, as well. I noticed I also developed a bad cough about that time, also. Any suggestions on how to get rid of that?
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I just started taking my femera at night yesterday. From what I've read here that seems to help a little. Does it cause any difficulties with sleeping? My dog got me up during the night & had a difficult time falling asleep. I was very restless & achy. Maybe it was just one of those nights....I seem to have them since being put on lupron & femera, although that is better than it was in the beginning.
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tenaj, I had a hard time sleeping at first when I started femara, but now I sleep okay. Maybe I've gotten more used to the hot flashes.
Hopefully you will get used to it too. If I'm having a rough night, a meltaway melatonin helps, or a benadryl.The joint aches are the worst. I feel like I have the flu all the time. I am trying to move more, but it doesn't seem to help. I even tried taking naproxen every day, but it didn't help either. I know I need to be on it, but I think I'm going to ask my onc to switch me to one of the other ones. I've only been on femara four months though. I feel like a failure! grr.
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I was taking my aromasin in the evening but found I had trouble sleeping and had lots of joint pain keeping me awake. I switched to taking it after lunch. Seems to work better. Able to sleep at night and joints don't keep me awake. You might try it and see if it is a better time for you. Good luck.
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Most of my joint pains subsided at around 9 months.
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Good to hear on the 9 months, I'm going into my 9 month. I slept better last night, which is a good sign. I hope to feel a difference in the joint pain during the day. I did start supplements about 3 months ago & that has helped also. Exercise also helps, I'm good as long as I'm moving. My stiffness comes after sitting & then getting up.
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Hello to all . . .
I am new to this particular discussion board. I had a lumpectomy in late December and started Herceptin in March. I also started radiation in March and just finished last Friday. Before starting the radiation I read a couple of the discussions and it seemed that everyone had such horrible reactions so much so that I was very nervous about starting. Because my RO explained that I would have the treatments in a prone position because of my size and the beams would not touch my heart, lungs or ribs, I went ahead and did it. I had little effects, some redness but nothing bad and no fatigue at all.
Now the MO wants me to start Femara so I've been reading about it and am nervous again. All I have read was about the bad side effects. Is there anyone out there that hasn't been bothered by the joint aches and pains and the hot flashes? What scares me the most is the loss of bone. My bones are really good and I'm not sure I want to endanger them.
I realize that if I start having any of these side effects and decide that I don't want to continue that it is my decision, but it would be nice to hear that others didn't have the problems that so many write about. Once I wrote on one of the radiation boards that I really didn't have the problems I was reading about, others chimed in to say they didn't have problems either.
Thanks for "listening: . . .
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I would bet that there are others without side effects but they are out living their lives instead of on these boards for support.
I started Letrozole a little over 4 months ago. In the last week, I am having less joint pain and muscle aches. I don't know if it is because I am walking more or my body is just adjusting to the med but I am going to keep on walking! I am still creaky when I sit for a while but it is definitely going away sooner.
Good luck with your decision.
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I have been on the Letrozole since Nov. 21, 2011. Most side effects I have noticed are, hot flashes (more than when I went through menopause), some insomnia, some achiness, and some spells of feeling 'blue' and weeping. All are getting better now though. I figure these SEs are minor compared to what could be....
Vickie
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Well, I talked to my MO today and I'm switching. She said that I might have better luck with a different one. She had told me from the beginning that this was a fluid process and that we weren't locked in to one particular drug, that it wasn't one size fits all. So, I called her today when I could barely get down the stairs this morning. I'm taking a week off to let the letrozole clear out and then am starting aromasin. Hopefully it will be a better fit. She did say we could try an arthritis drug like celebrex if the joint pains didn't get better. So that might be an option in the future.
I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks!
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StephN, Don't forget you can experiment with the time you take it too. I first took at night because so many said it was better , then I switched to after lunch and it seems to be better for me. So try different times but give each a few weeks so you can really tell what works for you.
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Seamstome: I began Femara a year ago May 6, switched to the generic 3 months later and have been on various brands of the generic ever since. I take my dose at night because my only SE initially had been sleep problems. I've been sleeping much better now, although about once a week I take an ativan to guarantee a really good nite's sleep. This is usually after a day that I have either been immersed in a book all day or have something worrying me.
I am a very active person and have high energy. An oil painter, I am also in charge of a plein air painting group. In additon to joining them to paint on a different location I've arranged every Friday, I also paint at home several mornings a week and manage their blog. I've organized and exhibited in art shows, and am presently working on an art calendar and a book of local art for our art museum.
I do have some joint aches and pains, but none are serious and since I'll be 69 in another month, I attribute mine to age. I also sail, and since my husband has knee probems, I'm the one who has to do all the moving around, pulling, winding, tugging, and tucking when we go sailing.
I haven't had any noticeable weight gain..in fact, I lost some weight for a bit there and had some stomach problems that I'd begun to be concerned about. However, after putting myself on the 14 day prilosec regimen, everything normalized in that area. I don't eat junk food but aside from reading labels to make sure I'm not eating any nasty stuff, I eat whatever I want... and still haven't gained weight.
Although I was diagnosed with osteopoenia about 10 years ago, my last bone density test, done in December, didn't indicate any concernable increase in bone loss. I do take 1200mg Calcium plus D3 every day with meals but don't exercise regularly.
Each of us is different and those of us who are doing "ok" with the femara or one of its generics usually don't post here. We are "out there", we do exist. and I hope my "story" gives you some hope that you can lead a fairly normal life while on this pill.
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Thanks for the encouragement for walking. I just know it will help....
Right now I have more good days than bad. I am tired; have some warming (flashes) but nothing unbearable. We will see in the 90% humidity how that works this summer....
tenaj, I always feel tired in the evening. When I try to go to bed, I lie awake a long time. Mainly it is due to allergies and anxiety. But when I am not working and do not have to get up at 6 am, I will take a Zaleplon pill for sleep. It is very mild and does not really have bad side effects. It helps me go to sleep but doesn't keep me asleep too long.
I am feeling better over time, with less depression.
Nite all....be well!Joan
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Thanks, Ginger! I appreciate hearing from you, too!
Ptdreamers, that's a very good suggestion to take it at different times of day. I've been taking it at night and I am sleeping fine, but maybe after lunch would work better. Thanks for the tip
I really don't know what I'd do without you BCO girls!!
Steph
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Day 3 taking femera at night & so far so good. Actually it's been 2 days since I took Motrin so it looks like it's working. I've been sleeping well too! Thanks ladies for the suggestion.
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gardengumby, take care of cinnamon, some uncleaar report for its effect to MCF-7 breast cancer:
http://foodforbreastcancer.com/news/cinnamon-and-breast-cancer%3A-the-picture-is-unclear
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Joetmn - thanks for the link. I've been avoiding cassia and taking true cinnamon - but it's important to note the difference!
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Trigger finger surgery -- for both the right ring finger and right thumb -- scheduled for May 17. Thank you, Femara.
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Hello,
I'm new to this forum, and I've been taking Femara for a year. I should say I was taking the generic for 11 months, but I'm unsure which company made it. got it from Express Scripts, and it was pink. I had joint pain, some slurred speech, and hot flashes, but I handled it with supplements and activity. I started to take Femara by Novaris about a month ago (My Onc gave me free samples). The pills are yellow. I had a Lat Flap done on March 16th, and developed MRSA. I am close to finishing 20 days of twice daily Zyvox infusions. My joint pain, numbness, and concentration have worsened. After reading the posts here, I'm wondering if the change in AI's is the culprit? I've been blaming the Zyvox for the change in my joint pain. My activity level has dropped because the Zyvox nauseates me, but maybe it's the Femara? I'm going to call my Onc on Monday, and ask for a RX for the pink one and see if that makes a difference. Maybe I need the dyes! I've tried to piece together the posts on the difference between generics and brand names and the different reactions.
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