FEMARA
Comments
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almost one month, so far, so good...
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vicks1960, lassie11 and chrissyb: thanks for the sanity check!!! Just curious if your MO's agreed that the SE's are cyclical and can come and go?
Love n hugs back at ya.... Diane
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Dventi my doc says that yes, in his experience many of his patients have had the same cyclical SE and even though a lot of what is reported to him is not written up by the manufacturer his opinion is based on his own experience.
For me the vertigo has come and gone a few times......when it comes I just take it easy until it goes again. My DH always laughs at me and says I've been tippling again........lol......which is quite funny as I rarely even have one glass of wine let alone enough to make me not be able to walk a straight line.
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Question: I was informed that the supplement tumeric/curcumin should not be taken with Femara due to drug interaction. Anyone else aware of this?
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Never heard of that and I use turmeric in some concoctions (I don't really use recipes).
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peacestrength I take Tumeric/Curcumin on a regular basis as an anti inflammatory. My doc know this and has never said anything about an adverse reaction between it and Femara. Where did you get the information? I would be interested in checking it out.
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My naturopathic stated not to take it. I'm seeing her today and ask what source she referred to. I'll post after my appt today.
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Thanks.
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Peace, yes, please report back, because I have never come across this info either.
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I have been doing some research and have found nothing listing Femara only Tamoxifen.......I'll keep looking.
Femara and Cucumin are being used together in the treatment of endometrial cancer.
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chrissyb: funny about the tippling!! thanks again for your support
peacestreng: Im very interested in hearing about any interactions between femara and curcumin.. I am taking both.
Thanks!!!
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count me in! i use turmeric in my food, and also as a supplement to hold down inflammation. onc knows. it is so yum, with ghee, on sweet potatoes, or yams!
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Ladies,
I'm a turmeric-taker too! My onc approves so very interested in any research that may contra-indicate. I have a rule that everything I take needs to be killing cancer! Peacestrength, thanks for bringing this up and helping us better understand the situation.
MsP
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Hi Ladies,
Just thought I would check in and see what's been happening here as I have not visited for quite some time. Hope everyone is doing well. I stopped taking Femara/Letrozole last October and I am happy to report I feel a whole lot better without it, it took a while to really feel a difference but all is good now. Since I stopped the treatment I seem to be able to move on a little better, I guess not having to take that little pill every morning means it's no longer forefront in my mind. In the early days it was very hard to ever imagine having a day go by without thinking about "C" but now at almost 6 years I am starting to realize I do have days where I just do not think about it all ....... hope this is a good sign. Take care everyone, thank you for being there when I needed help or re-assurance. I recommend this website to every new breast cancer sufferer I am introduced to, you ladies are an amazing bunch. Gaynor
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Monty, congratulations! It is so nice to hear from someone on the other side and that you are feeling better. I had my 3 month check up last week and I was able to tell my onc that there are more and more days when I don't think about cancer and that I am working "back" to my new life. Just love your note and thanks for posting.
MsP
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My naturopathic stated that one of the sources she uses is a NP reference cancer book (sorry I don't have the name yet because I was receiving a treatment but will get it) that grades Curcumin as a "C" in supplement treatment for bc and it should not be taken with cyclophosphate, anastrozole, exemestane, letrozole, or erlotinib, or therapeutic doses of warfarin.
I keep seeing women on bco taking Curcumin and Femara and wondered why I was encouraged not to. She states that eating it in food form is fine but in supplement form may cause a contradiction with Femara. Since I was pushing for a more sound reason today, we will continue this discussion when I see her next. She practiced at a cancer center and has access to other NP's for feedback. I'll be checking with my out of state NP as well.
I guess I'll stick with my tumeric tea and juicing tumeric until I get to the bottom of taking the supplement.
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Monty - Thank you for you wonderful post!
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hellooo, Letrozole Sistahs!
I am in a five year clinical trial for both Anastrozole and Letrozole. (I was on Anastrozole for a year and then switched to Letrozole in October 2013).
I see my Oncology Nurse/Clinical Researcher and my MO every 3 months until I am off the drug. I answers a series of questionnaires, then go pee in a cup to prove I actually am taking the drug and not lying about it. Apparently many women just stop taking the AI and never let their MO know about it.
Anyway, since the questions have been pretty much the same since August 2012 (rate your SEs, etc) that would indicate to me that certain SEs can go away, and new ones can appear at any time.
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i am another curcumin/turmeric taker. My NP put me on it knowing I was taking both letrozole and (at the time) warfarin. The worry with warfarin is that they are both blood thinners, but as long as you are consistent with what you are ingesting it's OK. I'm (like others) anxious to hear the reasoning with letrozole.
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peace, thanks. Although it really makes me wonder what that NP cancer book is based on.
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I had my 3 month follow up appointment with my oncologist. I've been on Letrozole since Jan. 1/14 and my side effects are few and very manageable. My ONC suspects the residual joint pains are left over from the Taxotere. He suggested that once the 5 yrs are complete on Letrozole he would suggest an additional 5+ years. Other than that I am being discharged to my family doctor now. Feeling a bit lost right now.
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Hi Cdvee, oh yes that lost feeling.......... If you think about it, you have spent months with high stress, being dx then surgery, chemo and rads followed by hormonals and dealing with any and all SE of each......it's been a very busy time.......then all of a sudden you are basically set loose!
A lot of the old doubts and uncertainties beging to return even though right now you know that you are good to go and everything is as it should be, it's still hard..........you feel a little like a fish out of water, just floundering. Those feeling are all very normal and as the days pass you will begin to feel on top of the world for that freedom.
I'm so glad that your SE are minimal and easily handled it makes your life so much better. Keep coming back here whenever you need to feel connected or just to chat........we all get it.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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thanks Chrissy. I've often visited this site, read what others were saying, but figured I'd get by on my own. I was definitely wrong.
Take care, Dawn
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@chrissyb -still cant believe that after 5 months on Femara and NO SE's that I am now experiencing SE's....just seems so strange to me...I would think the SE's would happen on the onset! .Know you said after 2 years you developed SE's,
Took a Water Aerobic class this am and did real well did not feel any vertigo at all!! Just scared that the intermittent vertigo is something else.. Guess its time to see the MO... and I know what will be his next course of action -- pbly MRI.
My acupuncturist believes it has to do with circulation and wants me to exercise more.
Hoping it all just goes away real real soonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!
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Hi everybody.....I have not been on for awhile but thought I would update you on my Letrozole journey.
I have been on it now for two years .....the first year was doable with some hair loss, nausea and lack of energy. The first half of the second year was almost free of S/E then muscle, joint and bone pain kicked in. My GP gave me anti-inflammatory meds, coupled with Tylenol for arthritis and a rub in cream for muscle pain. My x-rays showed normal wear and tear to my knees along with some arthritis. The meds helped somewhat but not enough. I am at the point now where it is difficult to bend. During the first year I did have very bad back pain which I attributed to the L also and so someone suggested massage sessions. After about two months of these sessions my back pain disappeared, so the plan now is to try the same for my legs. I have had one session and I will keep you posted if I get another "miracle".....lol I have to admit that for those six months of being S/E free I was feeling pretty smug .....I guess that's what I get for that!!!!!!
BTW ....I am not attributing any if this to the fact that I am almost 67....lol
Have a great weekend everybody.
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I just found thus site. This is my 2nd day on Femara and don't have any side effects yet. I'm not even getting the hot flashes that I was getting before. My oncologist told me whatever side effects I was going to get from Femara would appear the first week on it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I remain as I am now. I hate hot flashes! No joint pain yet, either. I hope I'm not speaking you soon. LOL
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That is interesting, Deb. My MO never mentioned that SE's would hit first week. I would think it would take longer to get into your system and do its thing. I have been taking it for over a month now, and no SE's so far. But I still think it is too early to tell and as we see in this thread, some of the ladies are getting SE's many months or even years after taking it. And welcome to the site, Deb. Keep us posted as you go along. It helps me to know what everyone's reaction is to this drug.
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Thanks BigD........I'm still learning how to maneuver through this site. Is there a way to get am email when someone posts here?
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Hey Deb, I am still learning too, believe me. If you scroll to the top of this thread, you can "Add to my Favorite Topics", then whenever someone posts in this thread, you will see it on the right side under My Favorite Topics. As to whether you can tell when a particular person posts something, I honestly do not know. I have not received an email notifications either and do not know if you can set that up.
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I actually figured it out because I just got an email with your post on it. I went to my profile and there is a place where you can turn on email notification. It worked! So I just took my 3rd pill - I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I was diagnosed with BC just this past October. Had a lumpectomy and radiation (34 treatments). We waited till we returned from a cruise to start the Femara. Oncologist didn't want me to have a bad reaction and be out in the middle of the ocean! Mine was caught early on a routine mammogram and was a Stage One tumor. It's amazing how many women I have since talked to have had it, too.
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