FEMARA
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Femara Sisters - I am so glad to have found you - i was diagnosed with breast cancer April 17 and not long after started taking Femara - 61 years old and have never felt like this. muscle ache and pain - joint ache, fatigue - extreme fatigue, lack of interest in most everythng.. foggy brain, can't remember the simplest things at times - at times like that I just let it go and know I'll remeber later. I notice hair loss yesterday while coloring my hair - saw too much pink scalp and not as much thick hair as a few months ago. I am scheduled for lumpectomy Nov 3 to be followed by 6 1/2 wks of radiation. It will be good to have this behind me but 5 years on Femara - Oh My Goodness - i am definitely not looking forward to that. Taking Femara and thyroid pills on an empty stomach - discovered that means not with tea, not with juice - only with water - other fluids start the digestive process in the stomach - vitamins and supplements need to be taken with food - that's my problem - don't often remember to take the calcium, glucosamine, vit D, with meals - How did you guys get into this routine. I thought all my muscle aches, joint aches etc were just a form of feeling sorry for myself - I'm glad to have confirmed "it's not just me".
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MarineMom Hang in there I have been on femara for 11months and i had the aches also but i tried everything to help ache, pain med helped a little my m.dr told me to take 2-500mg tylenol He said i can take it 3x a day but i only take 1xday you would not believe how much better i feel have small pain but nothing like i use to have.I take my femara at breakfast but my thyroid i take 1 hr before breakfast. i think you can take femara with food
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Mary5454 - Wow your vitamin D level is great- mine have been stuck at 37- Im hoping I get up to 50 next time they test me!
Kristy
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I've been taking Femara now for the past 3 months. I take mine when I go to bed at night as I don't get up the same time every day!
In the beginning, the hot flashes were unbearable, but they have now subsided. I mostly get them now at night when I'm sleeping. I'm always HOT! I do have some achy joints, but seems to go away once I start moving around. Sex drive has totally DISAPPEARED!! If all I have to do is increase my level of Vit. D., then I'll try that. Right now I'm taking 1000 as per my onc., but after reading here, I think I should have it increased!0 -
I have been on Femara for a month now and the joint pain is really bad some days. I take vitamin D, Zinc and calcium. That is what the doctor told me to take, is there anything else that will help? My hair is slowly coming back, hope to not have any more loss. I appreciate so much the people who have been there and done this also.
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Hello, this is my first time posting but I had to reply to the thinning of your hair. I started taking biotin for this and it really seems to be helping, Also, this is my second round with cancer--the first was in Aug 94-radical mastectomy with several lymph nodes removed--then chemo. -my eyebrows in all these years had never fully come back it, but the biotin has changed this! Was diagnosed in apr this year with cancer under my arm, same side as the cancer in 94; but totally unrelated to it. onc put me on femara soon after my surgery, Aside from not being able to sleep at night, my side effects haven't been really bad, I take MSM (have taken it for app 5 years-it is for cartilage and joints), also take vit D, I also had a blood clot (caused by my cancer) in the artery in my left neck-Have been taking blood thinner shots in my stomach for 3 months. I have an appt in the morning for a sonogram to see if this is working. I am so glad I found you girls--it is so nice to read about women who are in the same boat as me!!
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Welcome gauleyeagle!
Kristy
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Hi there. Can't believe I'm back to posting on breastcancer.org, I haven't been on since I finished with chemo. I have radiation behind me now,I finished on Oct. 20 but I'm wondering what's going on with my body and I'm wondering if it's the Femara. I've been on it now for 4 months. I've noticed strange aches and pains in my shoulders one day, in my knees another but now I'm wondering about why things that never really got to me are making me an emotional wreck. Has anyone heard about an emotional factor with Femara?
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Suzmarks - absolutely emotions are affected by Femara - it's keeping your body from producing estrogen. I'm on Prozac 40 mg to help with the waves of emotions. Bone/joint pain is another side effect. I was on Arimidex before Femara and it actually had worse side effects. I'm hoping in time - the side effects will diminish. Best of luck in your journey
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Give it some time ...... I've now been on Femara for just over a year. Do I my hands ache, do I walk like a little old lady after I get up in the morning or after sitting for a peiord of time ... YEPPERS.
Personally, I have noticed that those aches and pains have definitely diminshed with time. At about 4 months of taking Femara, I started with massage therapy, then added accupuncture and even tried to switch to Arimidex. Bottom line, changing meds was not helping so back to Femara it was. Did accupucture help (I'm a bit skeptical, but I tried). What has finally help is just time. By the time I had been on Femara for about 8 months, I noticed that some of those aches and pains had subsided, along with the emotional rollercoaster rides. Sometimes I think much of my issues had to with the chemo induced menopause vice a natural progression to menopause.
I guess I'm just hoping for others that time will help ease some of the very annoying issues of our new norm. Now I'm by no means feeling great ... but as I told my onc yesterday .... this is very doable !!!!
I take my pill on a M/T stomach first thing in the morning.
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wblibrary-thanks for your feedback. I never thought of the Femara when I was wondering why things that didn't get to me in my high stress job were now bringing me to tears. Hard to believe this little yellow pill that I mindlessly pop into my mouth turns out to be such a trouble maker. Guess it's time for me to do some figuring out how to turn things around. With the chemo I just took things as they came with the knowledge it would be temporary. Femara is just too long a treatment to use that approach.
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Gauleyeagle-how did your sonogram go?
Carol-glad to hear things seem to calm down after being on Femara after awhile.
Also wondering if I should be taking Femara at the same time I take calcium & Vit D and flaxseed. Any thoughts?
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Thought I'd post this as a reminder of the list of side effects from Femara .
Side effects of Femara
Because Femara lowers the amount of estrogen in the body, less estrogen reaches bone cells, which can lead to bone thinning and weakening and a higher-than-average risk of broken bones. This side effect can be very troubling for some women. If you have osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend that you take tamoxifen rather than Femara because of this possible side effect.
Other common side effects of Femara are:
- bone and joint pain
- fatigue
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- higher cholesterol
- hot flashes
- weight gain
- nausea
- vomiting
Joint pain from taking Femara can be troubling. But a 2008 British study suggests that women who experienced joint pain while taking hormonal therapy medicine were less likely to have the breast cancer come back (recur). Knowing that this side effect might indicate a reduced risk of the cancer coming back may help some women stick with treatment despite the side effects.
Some women may have other side effects while taking Femara:
- swelling of hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- loss of appetite
- constipation
- diarrhea
- difficulty sleeping
- vaginal bleeding
- breast pain
- fever
- cough
- dry skin
- rash
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Suemarks, I as well take Vit D3 (1000mg) , Calcium with Vit D (500mg) and Magnesium. Just had a blood draw yesterday to check my Vit D levels. My onc also had me get a baseline bone density test last year. He said we'd check again at the two year point.
I don't know if your menopause was chemo induced ... but if it was I truly believe it does take time for our bodies to try and re-regulate themselves and adding that tiny yellow pill magnifies the process. Hope you'll be as lucky as myself to find some relief with nothing more than time.
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Interesting about SE's listed in American packets vs Canadian -- ours lists hair thinning too, and I can (unfortunately) vouch for it as a possible/probable SE.
Like Golfer, I've been on Femara for over a year and the SE's have diminished. Still "ouches" when I first get out of bed, but a hot shower takes care of that. I've really only had lingering on/off aches in my hands and wrists. I do take Omega 3 and found that my other aches and pains really eased up within a couple of weeks after starting that. Going to the gym and walking every day has also helped a lot.
Linda
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I'll ditto Linda's comment about being active ... best medicine there is !!!!!
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HI Ladies
I haven't been on for a couple of weeks but thought I'd take a browze and see how everyone is doing.
I have just switched to Arimidex from Femara due to aches and pains. Only taken it for a few days so judgment is out right now. I do notice it upsets my stomach after a couple of hours or so but so far so good. I do hope this takes away the aches, although I already notice the hot flashes are coming thicker and faster. I guess it takes our bodies a little time to adjust. My onc said when you were not already in the change and you take away all estrogen then your body doesn't like it but she said my chances of recurrence rise by 50% if I don't take anything and that's too big a risk so I'll try the Arimidex instead. Anyone else tried the change? How was it for you? I don't seem to see anything really regarding arimidex on this website, maybe that's a good sign?!!
Well I guess I'll take another look.
Best wishes to all, Gaynor
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Gaynorl - sorry to say that I switched from Arimidex to Femara because Arimidex had worse side effects for me. The aches and pains were much worse with Arimidex - along with the depression. I'm happier on Femara. My onc told me you just have to find the right one for you with the fewer side effects. There is a discussion board on Arimidex - check it out - you will find it very enlightening. Good luck
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Suzmarks: Iwon't have the results of sonogram until Wed of this week; but my onc's nurse told me not to worry, because if it was bad, I would have been told to see the dr immediately. I did have an appt with my onc the same day and everything was good. He said my bloodwork was perfect. So this makes me feel good. I wanted to mention the cost of the femara. In WV, thanks to our Governor Joe Manchin getting a bill passed, every female who is diagnosed with breast or breast-related csancer or cervical cancer, automatically is eligible for a medicaid card and this pays 100% on everything except medications and then the most I have had to pay is $3 even for the femara and the fragmin (daily shots in stomach for blood clot). The fragmin is $1800 per month.
Best of luck to everyone and I will remember all in my prayers
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So sorry for all the achiness and such! I have been on Femara for almost 3 yrs now and unfortunately I have had many of the side effects; BUT it has been working as the cancer has not progressed!!
Someone had posted several pages back about having to have ovaries removed in order to take AIs... there is another option in dealing w/ovaries. I have been on Lupron which shuts off ovaries, making me post menopausal and able to take AIs. For many women this is a temporary situational menopause which would reverse itself once the Lupron is stopped. I wish more oncs were aware of this option, just another choice in a few choice world.
Hoping all are well and as pain/ache free as possible
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Has anyone developed a rash on Femara? I've been on for almost 2 months now, a few aches and pains but suddenly I've developed a rash on my chest and abdomen..not sure if its related or not.
Thanks
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i have been on femara since May 09 and have suffered through the hot flashes, achy feet and weight gain. now, out of the blue, my hands have started to feel stiff and my wrists hurt. it started in the left hand and has now moved to the right hand as well. just wondering if the side effects all come at once or do they change with time, since the hot flashes have improved.
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Cathy 123 - no rash here - I've never seen that in the list of side effects - could be an allergic reaction? I'd call your doctor
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Just learned the proper terms for all our aches and pains are Arthralgia & Myalgia - that means your bones & your muscles ache! We aren't dreaming - it's real pain.
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Luke: My experience (started Femara Sept 08) is that the achiness and pain can move around. It has been centered on my hands and wrists for several months, and over that period of time I've also developed mild trigger finger -- first in the middle fingers of both hands, and more recently in the index fingers. And other than feeling stiff and a bit sore all over in the morning, the rest of my joints seem to be okay. I do go to the gym at least 3x week and walk a good distance on other days, as well as doing gardening and other stuff. Exercise seems to be very beneficial. I also noticed that Omega 3 seems to have helped a great deal. Others swear by glucosamine & chondroitin, but that didn't work for me. Now, if I could only find some hand/wrist exercises - sigh -! I am a pianist but find that playing for any length of time just makes my hands ache more
.But, I can put up with it if it keeps me NED. Good luck to you!
Linda
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Hello,
I'm beginning Femara on Monday. My last rads is tomorrow (YEAH) & the onc wants me on this stuff next! I'm reluctant but the recurrence % that drops by taking an AI is too big to ignore.
I'll pop in here & there. Glad you are here.
Joni
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Joni, God bless YOUR day. Forget reluctant; my onc said (paraphrasing here) "Take the Femara or die prematurely from cancer". We have to learn to manage the symptoms..just like a diabetic has to manage the symptoms of his/her medication. Suzanne, you've had cancer and gone to war. Now you are back...emotional 'unreliability' is surely to be expected. Dare I say 'post traumatic stress disorder'??? XXXX
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I will deal with the femara REGARDLESS of the side effects if it keeps me here just one more day. My mind just goes crazy whenever I have pain today that I didn't have yesterday. My pharmacist recommended Motril or Advil 3 tablets every 6 hours to see if that helps. I'm sure the wind, rain & cold is not helping either.
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i'm happy to report that 4 months after beginning Femara that i've certainly learned how to deal with the pain.. i know that it goes away quickly, once i get moving, that the first movements of the morning are worse. i'm not inhibited in any way and am grateful the light pain pills that get me going in the morning. i take vitamin D and fishoil.. perhaps that helps. (i'll do a 2 week, no supplement test and report back).
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My side effects on Femara were almost immediate...I have some arthritis symptoms in both ankles, right knee and hip. My onc says it'll go away eventually.
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