FEMARA
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Hello Ladies,
I am new tothis thread. I have been on letrazole for less than a week. I finished chemo on August 6th and my hair is very slowly returning (more on the sides/back - less on top).
I have read a bit about hair loss on this drug....I wonder if people could let me know of their experiences.
Thank-yoi
51yrs - UK lady.
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I have been on Femara a little over two months. I first experienced side effects around 3.5 to 4 weeks. Mostly hot flashes, joint pain and more recently hair loss.
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Wintersocks, I've been on femara since January and have experienced no hair loss, only joint pain and hot flashes.
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isolie & auntienance,wintersocks ... I have been on Femara for 81 days, so far no hair loss, "warm flushes but not as many now, still quite emotional but not as bad as a month ago. There is hope for all of us.
I still have moments of "sadness" & just want to cry, not sure if that is the Femara or my overall reaction to the cancer.
hugs to all of you.
Isabelle
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The vita e and taking at night seems to help the hotflashes. I take glucosomine chondrontin w/ MSM for aches and pains, and try to exercise which seems to help. If I don't take them I am pretty miserable with pain and fatigue and general discomfort. Mentally, femara is hard as I cannot handle things as well as I used to. i'm much more irritable and inpatient and my general tolerance and ability to enjoy is quite limited. Other than that, what a great drug. Still can't believe through all the research and time spent, not only is there no cure, this is the best most gentle and effective thing they got for women to put in their bodies daily. I know they've come a long way and the AIs were a breakthrough, but there is so much further we must go to gently and effectively treat and conquer bc.
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I have been taking 2.5 mg letrozole since Jan. I do experience some side effects (joint pain, swelling, some foggy memory). In consideration though it is difficutl to outweigh the benefits. I have tumour shrinkage and some memory/foggy stuff I think can be a result of knowing this cloud is over me. 15 years ago I had chemo and radiation. for me the benefits and side stuff totally outweighs radiation. That's just me but keep positive and take care and be well. K
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Does anyone have intense leg or hip pain w/ femara? Seems it's happening more and more. Not sure what to do. Anyone got any pointers?
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I've been on this pill since Nov '09 & have not experienced hair loss as a side effect (knock on wood)
Joint pain off & on; I did a self-imposed sabbatical last Nov, until Jan 1 '12, about 6 weeks worth. Since I've gone back on my aches & pains are less & the ones that I do have I don't necessarily attribute to Femara. I recently started taking Glucosamine w/Chon....whatever that is for some hip pain...so far I still have the hip pain (intermittent) but I'm hopeful.
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lightandwind....I have pretty severe rt hip pain. My Dr ordered an X-ray, all was normal. Then an MRI...still, all normal! Thankful, but doesn't explain the pain. I can only attribute it to the letrozole. Just taking naproxen and tramadol for pain as needed. Some days are worse than others. I do take 5000 iu of Vitamin D3, calcium, magnesium, glucosamine and chondroitin. I have been on Femara for 2 1/2 years, and have a 13 percent decrease in my bone density....not sure I can go another 2 years. And I only take a half pill a day! Good luck as you figure out the best way to navigate this drug....we are all so different.
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Jacee!!!!!
I haven't had a bone density since my intial one in '09, but I'm having one this coming Wed. I'm going to be curious to see result.
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Wintersocks the hair loss is n
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Oops I hit the wrong button above as I'm on my iPhone.
Wintersocks the hair loss is not total like chemo but a thinning. Some people maintain a good amount although not as thick as it used to be and then there is me......lol......I have hair like a babies, soft, fine and not a lot of it but enough that I can maintain a very short hair style.
I take my pill at night and have the aches and pains in the joints but I am also riddled with osteo arthritis which accounts more for that.
Some SE's come and go and most of them are because your body is adjusting to that little pill and a lot to do with the lessening estrogen in your system.
Hoping you don't have too much trouble with it. Good luck.
Love n hugs. Chrissy0 -
Hello, Wintersocks...welcome to this thread. I'm also new to letrozole...been on it a week now. No input to the hair loss. My eyebrows and lashes are coming in. Must be a good sign!! My hair has thinned drastically from Xeloda, so I don't need to lose any more.
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I've been on letrozole 5 months, so far no hair thinning or loss.
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Hello Ladies,
Thanks for such a warm welcome!
Jsolie: did you have chemo first? How severe is the hair loss?
Isabelle2: sorry to hear you are sad, I too share those feelings and I am trying to adjust, but I am finding it all so hard. I am only 3 weeks on from MX, before that chemo.
Chrissy: my hair is too like a babies!, just coming in after chemo. There is more on the sides /back than on top. it is too depressing to look at it.
forestdwell: we can compare notes as 2 newbies!. I have just taken my 7th Let. So far I seem to have little s/e - save for a reduction in appetite - but this may just be an imagining!
Rain and more rain in the UK at the moment. It feels like Autumn is gaining - but is my favorite time of year.
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Eph - good luck with the dexa scan.
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thanks for the good wishes gg. I'm operating under the assumption all is well! (fingers crossed)
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Eph...hugs back at cha!! Hoping you get great results from the dexa!
Just had 6 month appt with Onc. He said Femara wouldn't be the cause of my rt hip pain...thinks it was an injury from exercise. He said if Femara is the cause of pain, it will be bilateral...won't just affect one hip and not the other. Thoughts???
Makes sense to me, I suppose.0 -
Wintersocks: I'm having an increase in appetite...LOL. Got to watch those portion sizes, then I can snack a bit more often. I don't want to gain weight. With the temperatures finally cooling off a bit I'm outside walking a lot more too. Love those walks in the woods when it's misting or lightly raining.
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Anyone getting hip and shoulder cramps with arm, hand and finger numbness while sleeping?
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Ginger48 I have numbness while sleeping.I also had to have shot cortisone in my wrist toward my thumb it was aching all the time.It doing alot better.0
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I had arm, hand, and finger numbness at night and sometimes during the day for the first few months but now at six months out it has stopped, thankfully. I haven't had hip or shoulder cramps but I have gotten leg cramps at night sometimes.
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I have been on it for 9 months. Get stiff after being still for longer than 20 minutes.
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Ginger, same here.
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No rash here, sorry. I've not heard of that. Have you shown it to your doc?
I get stiff from sitting but it only takes me a minute to get going again.0 -
Me too Chrissy but takes longer when I first get up in the morning. Fingers take a few hours to fully function again.
That being said; I am still grateful for this drug.0 -
Ginger I'm not sure if the stiffness is from the Femara, arthritis or just plain getting old.........lol. The stiff fingers is something new for me but again once I get them moving they are just fine. I hadn't thought that maybe it was a SE I just put it down to the fact that when I sleep I rarely move.........I've even woken with a start to catch my DH watching me. When I asked him what he was doing he said, ' just making sure you were breathing as you are so still'. Guess I gave him a bit of a scare........lol
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