FEMARA
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Chrisrenee....what a wonderful colleague you have....I think that's pretty rare these days.
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Hi,
I've got back and neck muscle spasms that started about a week after I started femara. Had the timing not coincided I think I might have been a bit more hysterical as the back and neck pain can be considerable. It is definitely muscular, hurts with certain movements. My wonderful GP told me that back pain that moves around and gets better is not the kind you worry about.
For those of you taking magnesium, does it make you constipated? Or could it be the Femara? Is this the SE flavor of the week, constipation? I'm doing all the right things, dietwise, to solve this. Any other suggestions?
Trying to stay positive. (Linda, nice story about your Dad.) My attitude is simple. Unless an SE is life threatening, I'm going to stay married to Femara. My onc says that its my best weapon vs BC (especially potent for ILC.) Though QOL is important, I'd rather try to learn to live w SE's than die of BC.
BC still terrifies me beyond almost any other eventuality. Think I've got PTSD from that initial shocking end to what was supposed to be a routine mammogram. I am doing everything I can to keep the disease at bay. Eating well, (organic; no pesticides, no hormones in food, low sugar, whole grain, lots of fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, legumes) exercising an hour a day, at least thinking about lowering stress (HAH!)
Best wishes, Ladies, Shari
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Hi Scottie,
My ER was +100% therefore I was set on Femara, my terrible pains began two months after, mostly at night, I was awaken from pains along hip, spine, ribs - have to go up and to move – exercise to ease it. I’ll post you as PM the article about!
Greetings and Best wishes
Usha
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Usha....thank you very much....my pain is also along the spine and ribs.....I never had issues before starting on Letrozole....It's quite debilitating and very frustrating. Thank you again.
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Shari, I have been having probs with constipation since I started femara, and the magnesium is what will help you with that! I don't know if the femara is the problem because at the same time I started xgeva and calcium. It seems that eating the right things just doesn't seem to help and the mag really does. I take 500 mg. Also I learned on youtube how to massage my abdomen where the large intestine is and that helps too. Magnesium is really good for us.
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Oh and also Probiotics! Just started those a week ago and I have pooping big anacondas every day.
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Femara can and does constipate some people but the biggest offender is calcium. Magnesium taken is large enough quantities is very good for removing the cork and getting things back on a normal footing. Magnesium is also good as it works in conjunction with your Vit D to deposit the calcium circulating in your blood stream into the bones where it belongs rather than be excreted through your kidneys and thus causing kidney stones. All the vitamins that we take as supplements work together with our bodies to help us feel the best we possible can.
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I too have very little side effects - but only taking this drug since Sept 2012. I too would not want others to be scared of taking it.
perhaps I am lucky? No 'positive thinking' though.
It's just the way it is.
For that I am thankful.
I have every sympathy for those not as fortunate,
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HLB...cracking up over the anaconda poops. What a visual! Thanks for the laugh!
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Ditto on the probiotics and magnesium.
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Dear HLB,
Thanks for the visual. Had a good laugh! Anacondas! Something to aspire to.
I think you may want to look into whether or not calcium is causing the constipation, as ChrissyB says. Pre Femara, when I was on Tamoxifen, I started to take calcium as advised by practically everyone. Major traffic jams! Things unclogged as soon as I stopped the calcium. My onc team is big on trying to get vitamins as naturally as possible, i.e., through food. Healthier and more effective in many ways. Except for vitamin D (not as simple for a variety of reasons) I've been able to do this. I also didn't want to eat too many dairy products and found that there are many other good sources of calcium.
http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dairyfreebasics/tp/CalciumFoods.htm
Recent blood tests showed a normal level of calcium and better than average bone density. So hope this is helpful.
Next project is to try to bring up my magnesium level through diet. Havn't been as successful with this in the last blood test. Was on the low end so am supplementing. For the curious, here are foods that are rich in magnesium.
Black beans
Broccoli
Halibut
Peanuts
Oysters
Scallop
Soy milk
Spinach
Tofu
Whole grains
Whole wheat breadSorry if this should be on the natural site. A bit new at this. Thanks for everything,
Shari
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Thanks Shari, yes I do believe its mostly if not all caused by the calcium. I have to take it because of being on Xgeva. I started with 1200 and cut it in half to 600 which really helped, and the mag and probiotics help even more. The xgeva takes the calciun from the blood and puts it into the bones, so we have to replace the blood calcium due to the risk of hypocalcemia. I have also been using magnesium chloride that comes in a spray bottle, spraying it under my arms. It works better than any deoderant!
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HLB, Have you tried calcium citrate? Calcium carbonate binds me up but the calcium citrate doesn't. I have osteoporsis and have to take calcium. Hope it helps.
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HLB- I also take Calcium Citrate Vitamin D combo. I have not had any issue with any "back up" issues. I'm just as regular as a baby. I only take 1 pill rather than 2, just becuase I was always "backed up". I don't need any of that. Plus you might want to look into eating more berries (strawberries and blueberries) they are very high in fiber and will help with the constipation issue. I learned that the hard way at work, never connected the berries with fiber with the "uh oh" face.
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Have been reading about the issues with calcium, femara, other drugs, constipation. Yes, letrozole can cause constipation (although for some unknown reason, SOME get diarrhea!). Magnesium oxide 400 mg (250 mg calcium content) has been investigated in relation to reduction of hot flashes, and it will also help with the constipation issue.
I have not taken it yet, but have been considering it. But my GI system seems to be unstable right now, some days working overtime, other days not working, but have only been on letrozole for about 10 days, so I don't think that has been enough time to see just what SEs I will have, and also probably not enough time to know if it is working. Here's hoping it works, here's hoping the SEs don't get much worse.
How many of you are taking letrozole along with Zometa? How about with fulvestrant (Faslodex)? How is the combination working for you? What about more or less SEs with the combination??? Thanks.0 -
I have been on Femera for a month and I have extreme pain in both thumbs! anyone else have this?
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Thanks for tips girls. I will get the citrate now that I know better. The drs instructions were 600 calcium per day so I'm going to do that and no more. The pills I have right now are 600 so I can't split them. With the magnesium and probiotics I think the problem has been solved! I do eat berries in my smoothie every day. When the problem was happening it seemed like nothing I ate would help; berries, veggies, nuts, fruit, chia seeds. I even would throw a bunch of prunes in the smoothie. I'm pretty strict with the diet and I figured I might not be getting enough oily foods to make things slippery? I plan on getting some omega supplements because of that. Anyway, so far I'm very pleased with the probiotics. I'm pretty weird about constipation and have recently went off the deep end doing all kinds of comical things, scared to death I would have to go the ER or even worse have surgery. I read medical records every day at work. I think I'm a little bit hypochondriac.
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jittersmom, I had pain in my thumbs when I first taking femara but after 6 months or so it had mostly gone away. I find that drinking a big glass of water with femara helped the pain.
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I had to get c shot in both thumbs. It really helped also had get shot in my heel.
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Nanna, how do they give you the shot? that sounds scary.
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Ladies....I want to thank you for all your help re my back issues. I have increased
my Mg to 600mg and my Vit D3 to 6000IU and today my back is so much better. It's the first day in awhile where I have been relatively pain free. I also bought a Mg spray which I will use as a deodorant as well rather than my Baking Soda to get some more Mg into my body. Perhaps it's true what they say that Mg is becoming the little "miracle pill" ....
this came from the folks at my health food store. The spray can be massaged into areas
that are aching also. Thank you again everybody. I will keep you posted should things change.0 -
He just put shot down from my thumb about 1 inch from wrist. After 2 days pain free
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You were awake? I think I will take the pain, thanks!
They would have to strap me down or something.0 -
HLB - letrozole can cause constipation - it did for me. Taking curcumin (turmeric) resolved the problem for me. Also cinnamon can cause constipation.
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Scottie, that's great news about the pain subsiding with the increase of your Mg and Vit D.......they sure do a whole lot of good! Here's hoping you continue to be almost pain free.
My thumbs were a little stiff for a while but I don't have any problems with them now. I have so few things because of the Femara that I have to stop and think......lol.
Hoping all are having a good day!
Love n Gus. Chrissy0 -
Thanks Chrissyb.....it just felt sooo good today at work....a lot to be said for QOL😅
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