FEMARA
Comments
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Christenee77 - you are very funny and obviously aren't letting it get you down!
Could it be a fungal nail infection?0 -
sometimes residuals from chemo cause nail trouble but it doesn't appear you had to worry about chemo. I haven't heard about that particular SE before, but really who knows--these drugs are still "new" in the scheme of things.
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I have been dealing with a funky nail thing for a while. Originally my gp said it was sorioses under the nail and there was nothing to do about it. My sister in law visited a few weeks ago and said she had the same thing and that it was a fungal thing. I am now treating with anti fungal drops. I am not sure if it is working yet as I just started treating it and it takes a while to work...Ill keep you posted.
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hello
my big toenail is still weird post - chemo (August 1012) kind of like a normal nail with one growing behind it! Like a double nail. I think it is resulting from chemo.
I met a woman today that I had not seen for a while who promptly told me: " You have put weight on" - Who would say that???
Prior to bc I was very slim, How do I know if it is Femara or me being a greedy guts??
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Wintersocks I would say its possibly about 50/50 on what is the culprit for your weight gain.......I think most of us have suffered this side effect, I know I have but I've also found that getting rid of the gluten does help.
Love n hugs. Chrissy0 -
Hi Chrissie,
Thanks for that but as a diagnosed Coeliac I do not eat gluten (It makes me very sick). I am thinking of cutting out dairy too.
Did you manage to shed the excess weight? It is making me tired just thinking about it!
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If you took Taxol-nail is probably related to that not Femara. All of my toe nails eventually fell off. My big ones lifted in sheets with what was sort of a new nail underneath. The smaller nails had grainy type nail under and fell off completely. My fingernails has lines across that bent and eventually broke at that area. The "new" area is still weak and soft. But my MO and oncology nurses relate to Taxol. Or one of the sisters
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Wintersocks I have over the last two months lost just over a stone but I still have many more to go. I cut the gluten (not coeliacs but sensitive to it), dairy and sugar. Sounds harsh but it's amazing what you can eat and it means no pre prepared or processed foods.......I really enjoy my raw veg (I have a combination of steamed and raw) and I make sure I have avocado and coconut milk or coconut cream each day. Yes I know they are high in fat but they are good fats.
I've also heard that the smart diet (fasting with no more than 500calories for two days a week) has wored well for some as well. I may even give that a try and see what happens. I've got nine weeks before my DDs wedding and I really do want to loose a bit more before then.
Love n hugs. Chrissy0 -
Socks, you can definitely get rid of the extra pounds if you are willing to reorganize what you eat.
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Go on Momine,i have gained weight too and thatnis not good.....i need to lose a stone and a half now.......21lbs
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Momine,
I know I do!, it is hard being a Coeliac I can't face more dietary manipulation.....But if you have any tips!! what did you do?
Lily55, Maybe we should try to lose it together!
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Lost on taxotere. Now have regained and more--which I did not need on femara. Maybe surgery will help. Not a good weight loss plan though. Am not sure why gaining. It is summer and I am eating peaches and watermelon and wonderful cherries. Still gaining.
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OK, basically I aim to get 10 hours of exercise a week. Most of that is simply walking, but 3 times a week I do some weights and stuff. I also do 15 minutes of yoga exercises most days.
Then I aim to keep carbs to about 150 grams a day and have most of it be high-fibre carbs. I do not find this very difficult. It simply means no sweets, no sweetened drinks, no white bread, no white pasta and no white rice. Instead I eat oats, wholegrain bread, sweet potato, quinoa, beans, lentils, brown rice etc.
I cut out most red meat. I do not go crazy, but where before I might have eaten red meat 2-3 times a week, now it is more like 1-2 times a month.
I try to eat fish 2-3 a week, usually sardines or salmon, and usually either grilled or steamed.
I aim for minimum 7 half-cup servings of fruit and veggie a day. Realistically that translates to an awful lot of salad of various kinds.
I realize this will not work for everyone, but I saw fairly dramatic results quite quickly, and after losing about 25 lbs, I have kept the weight off for more than a year at this point, in spite of being on femara.
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For whoever asked about the toe nail problem. I never had chemo, but since starting letrozole my toe nails have gotten very weird. three of them have basically folded in half, pinching my flesh in a little bitty toenail vise. I spoke to a podiatrist about it, but that was a waste of time and money. She told me not to wear tight shoes - which is a laugh because all I wear are either birkenstocks or keens - definitely not tight. I have always hated having my toes pinched. Anyway, I don't want to have my toenails removed (her other solution), so have taken to trimming them often in hopes that something will change eventually - I've another 3.5 years on letrozole, so i figure it'll get worse before it gets better.
In regard to the weight issue - I've definitely gained weight since starting femara/letrozole. I haven't been exercising hardly at all because we've been spending every available second house hunting (which we finally have found one). I'm retiring in November and will start my new life then - one which includes exercise and eliminates sugar - my last hold out (I already dropped grains and most dairy).
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My nails became very weak on letrozole, i am now on Aromasin, hope its different
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I have been on letrozole for about 6 weeks and, after holding a steady 122 for the past 10+ years through two back surgeries and all the cancer crap, I am now at 130. Nothing is different, in fact, I have upped my workouts to try and combat the weight gain. My diet is good with lots of low fat protein, whole grains, fruit and veggies.
I maintained my weight easily for 1-1/2 years of tamoxifen and am really NOT happy to be ballooning up like this. I am very active.....have done 4 1/2 marathons so far this year and am signed up for my first ultra run in Feb. I work in the fitness industry and carrying excess poundage is not a good advertisement for my services.
I just finished a long reconstruction process and had been looking forward to feeling at home in my body again......now this. Grrrrr!
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For all the crappy things femara has done to me, weight gain isn't in the list. I'm loosing weight, unfortunately I'm also loosing hair, by the hands full.
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Gramwe - hang in there. At the beginning, my hair fell out in handfuls also. It is now thicker than ever. I am just a few months ahead of you on starting the Femara.
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You are losing hair from Femara? Many of your signatures do not list other chemos. I was so hoping not to lose my hair for the 4th time!
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Susan,
I too have a lot of thinning in my hair in the 20 months I have been on Letrozole (generic Femara). I think that is partly because of the reduction of the Estrogen hormone in our systems.
Vickie
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I, on the other hand, lost all my hair with chemo, and now 3 yrs & 8 months of Femara (Letrozole) have just as much hair as before. My hair has always been very thick & lots of it (knock on wood)
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Susan, my hair thinned for the first year and a half but I didn't lose all.......now another year down the track it has returned almost to what it was before all this started.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Susan.....ditto for me....I have been on L for one year and 4 months and lost handfuls
like you at the beginning. In the last couple of months it has started to return quite nicely. I have been taking Biotin daily, which was recommended by many of the gals here. It might be worth a shot.0 -
Not to be a damper on the good hair stories.... but I've been on it a year and 9 months now. I've lost about 30% of my hair. So far, there's no sign of it returning. But... I don't think I'm losing at quite the rate I was. I also take biotin - which has certainly helped my nails, and I believe has helped my hair - just hasn't brung anything back (yet, I hope).
If you've got to have a good hair story, I did get my hair cut this weekend, and it curls like it never used to. So, in my sixties I've got a brand new "look" that I like.
Now if I could only lose about 40 pounds.....0 -
That's interesting as I'm in my sixties too and my hair has become very curly....new hairstyle for me too.....lol
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Well, hells bells, as my dad used to say. As a nurse (but never for adults) should have thought of the thinning hair of lack of estrogen. For those of you that do not list any chemo other than Femara, this means you were able to do without cytoxon, adriamycin, taxol, taxotere, etc? I lost my hair x3 during those times. I now have about 1-1/2" that has not grown since March. Thin-can see my scalp. Used to have very thick hair-as a child and young adult-had it thinned. Curly on the sides-sticks up straight on the top-like a Mohawk.
Leaving land of alien landings to drive to Albuquerque for second mastectomy. Should be going to some upper coastal area with hot and cold running maid service and cabana boys. Just saying.
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Susan - I had no chemo nor rads. Had 2 compromised lymph nodes - the docs said I didn't need radiation because I was having a full mastectomy and for only 2 nodes it wasn't necessary. Then had my oncotype and scored a 14, so the MO said I didn't need chemo. They started me on tamoxifen, but we didn't get along at all, so they moved me to letrozole November of 2011.
You are getting a 2nd mastectomy? Is that due to a new DX or for safety sake?
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OMG! I have had Letrozole sitting on my counter for a week and just cannot force myself to start taking it. Finished internal rads 5 weeks ago and the fear of horrible side affects is tormenting me day and night. I fear not taking it will allow BC to return but I already have trouble with weight, joint pain and cholesterol. I pray that I make the right choice but the fear is preventing me from rational thinking. Hair loss I can live with but the horrific joint and bone pain terrifies me. I don't want to be chair bound from pain that I can prevent by not taking this drug. Oh what to do. I know my fear may be irrational but I cannot get past it. Every night I tell myself tomorrow will be the day but it isn't. Is it best to take it morning or evening? Thank you for listening as I'm sure many of you struggled with this decision and understand my anxiety.
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Sbab, the joint pain is rarely "horrific." It happens, but it is really not common.
In my case, my knees and hips feel creaky and a bit sore when I get up from extended sitting. If I remember to get up and stretch a bit every 30 minutes, that helps a great deal.
Also, the joints in my feet tend to ache on and off, which can be extremely annoying, but is not horrific all the same. I find that the more I move, the less I ache.
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Hi, I started taking femara after 9 months of taxol. I am feeling physically like a very old lady and have lost some hair, a side effect which I did not expect. I am hoping to return teaching in 2 weeks but am worried I will not be up to it. Femara ladies please tell me if any of you are working on this treatment, I really am not ready yet to give up my job. Also, is it possible to lose weight on it? I put on about 26 pounds on taxol through steroids and wa s really wanting to get my body into shape.
Thanks in advance
Sam0
