FEMARA
Comments
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Peaches,
My hair is really thin right now, I started Letrozole in late March. My hairdresser suggested Biotin which I had taken before but stopped due to not wanting to take so many pills. There is also a possibility it can be hair loss that follows stress, after childbirth some women get thinning hair, major surgery, etc. So it may very well get better. What I also found helpful is I got a cute bob, at least it looks the best it can for now. Hang in there.
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MsPharoah - Just picked up my RX for letrozole and Pharmacist said they switched too. I will let you know about SE's. I am having enough joint/muscle pain on the old RX so sure hope the new one doesn't add to my discomfort. I never thought it might be the fillers. Very interesting. Will let you know after I start the new pills. I'm still on the last week of the old ones.
Peaches12 - my hair thinned a lot (as well as some hair loss from eyebrows) when I first started taking letrozole. Someone suggested taking biotin, which I did, and hair started to thicken again. Eyebrows not so much. I also don't wash my hair every other day but every 4 days. Don't know if this has helped.
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Regarding hair loss. I have been losing my hair due to male pattern baldness that began following a hysterectomy at age 39. Both Aromasin and Femera have accelerated the problem. The basic issue is according to my research, if one has the genetic predisposition to male pattern baldness it is precipitated by loss of estrogen. Obviously the anti hormone drugs strive to eliminate estrogen. Women produce testosterone as well as estrogen. Estrogen tends to counter the effect of testosterone on male pattern baldness, hence when it is reduced or eliminated the testosterone accelerates the loss. In addition female baldness (thinning on the sides back of head) occurs at menopause, or with loss of estrogen. So in short women with certain genetic compositions suffer from hair loss due to absence of estrogen. I have used minoxidil and retin a to counter the effect. Hard to know how effective it has been but I still have hair 30 years later. I do think the treatment has slowed the loss, but that is pretty difficult to know with certainty.
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Here I am two months or so out of taking Letrozole for five years. Of course I hoped for immediate changes - that didn't happen.
Lately I have done things like get out of bed at night, get up from a chair, or walk down the stairs and realize that parts of me that used to hurt don't hurt so much any more. It has been gradual and I still reserve the right to complain although some of it could be boring old age related (I'm officially a senior citizen). It might be that my hair is less thin, or it might be my wishful imagination. Still, there are improvements.
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I had completely mad, out of control thick hair before BC and chemo. My hair is now much thinner on top. Much much thinner. I am thinking this has to be Letrozole. It 's really depressing. I hope it returns. I am just over 2 years on it.
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I've only been on it for 6 months (I didn't have to have Chemo) and I have long blonde curly hair. I notice I get heaps of bits that have fallen out onto my clothes. So it is making my hair fall out. Hopefully my hair will last for another 5 years
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6 years on letrozole............you have to be flexible..........Ok, at first, felt awful.............no way to continue........but your body adjusts..........and your mental attitude,,,,,,,,
In time, it'll be better............you need this so get used to it...............
Ok,after 5 years I still had s/e but it was better than the alternative.............
After 5 years I asked to stay on it for another 5 years...........it's my safety blanket! So I'm here, 6 year's on feeling good and thankful for the NHS in the UK.
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Relieved to learn about hair thinning and texture differences. Ii wondered why my hair is so different and has no body at all.
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LAST FEMARA PILL TONIGHT! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!0 -
Eph3_12 CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Happy for you. I have 2 years to go yet. Let us know if the SEs you have had from time to time are all better..
Enjoy the holidays being 'femera free"!!
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YIPPEE! I will definitely check in!0 -
Yay Joni!!! Congrats for getting to that wonderful 'end of treatment'!!!
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Eph3, you made it!!! Don't forget to check in!
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Congrats to Eph3!
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Congratulations, Eph!!! Please let us know how you feel going forward....0 -
Oh, Eph! I am so happy for you, and not just a little jealous! You made it! Awesome strength of character- to keep going through all side effects! Will you let us know which side effects go away first, or when they ALL go away? I hope whatever ones you had go away IMMEDIATELY!!!
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Wow, that is so great! I hope the side effects are gone with the wind in no time. Stay in touch with us and let us know how is back in the land of hormones
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Way to go Eph! I hoped for changes immediately. That didn't happen - but two months down the road, I think there are real improvements.
Here's hoping yours come soon.
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Congratulations Eph!...I have two more years to go and have been discussing the possibilities of staying on for another 5 yrs. All my s/e have been more or less doable (one of the lucky ones) ...My MO says the jury is still out on L as to whether another 5 years would be beneficial. Will keep you posted
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Hi all. Starting about 3 weeks ago I've begun having very bad dizzy spells. It is now to the point that I don't feel AT ALL comfortable driving a car. For the most part the dizziness comes when I'm moving about, not simply sitting, but sometimes even then (sitting still and dizzy). I have scheduled an appointment with my MO, but the earliest I can get in is towards the end of December. I know that dizziness is a known side-effect, but haven't experienced it before. I was wondering if any of you folks had, as I'd like to compare notes. If what I'm experiencing doesn't match up with others, then I'll probably get myself to my GP prior to the MO visit - but if others have the same type of experience, I'll probably just hold out as I'm heartily sick of doctors.0 -
I'd be checking with your doctor. That sounds like something beyond what Femara usually does. It sure didn't happen to me in five years of the stuff.0 -
Garden - I have the same thing and it comes and goes. Of course, I also have chronic sinus/ear infections and low blood pressure. Anyway, I've had off and on dizzies since I've been on Femara. I get it when I'm sitting and when I'm moving around; and if I change positions quickly. And it's worse than just an ear infection or a low blood pressure deal. My MO says it's a SE from the Femara. I'll see him in January or February and am going to ask him again, but it does seem worse lately. My sinus problems are also worse lately, so I'm thinking that maybe (for me anyway) it's that the Femara is just making it worse rather than being the total cause if that makes sense. I'd get your GP to check your ears and sinuses just in case. And also ask your MO. It's scary and I've had days when I've wondered if I should be driving. But then the dizzy spell passes and I feel ok again.
Let me know what you find out - I'm curious!
Good luck!
Terre
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Garden - I developed dizziness about 8 months into Letrozole but didn't connect it with the drug. It started slowly but within a few weeks I had 2 separate episodes of day long vertigo where I couldn't leave the house or do anything. I googled Letrozole and saw dizziness was an SE so I contacted my MO, he asked me to see an ENT to rule out sinus or inner ear. The guy cleared me afer doing several tests so my MO had me take a one month vacation from Letrozole to see if it was the cause. Sure enough, all symptoms disappeared, along with joint pain I'd been experiencing. But since I had to take an AI, my compromise was to try taking it at night and that definitely reduced the daytime dizziness as well as the morning nausea and sensitivity to perfumes and greasy food smells that were making me nauseous. I still have occasional transient dizziness but very moderate and brief. Taking it at night made a difference so try that tactic.
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Thanks for the info Margo! It makes me feel better about my dizzies. Now that you mention it though....I've switched to taking it at night and my dizzies are worse since I switched. I didn't make the connection until I read your post. Back to morning pills I think and I'll see if that changes things for me.
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Interesting tidbit on the dizziness problem: I was googling 'swollen turbinates' as I have a recurring problem with night time / early morning congestion after lying down and discovered there is a hormone connection. I saw this in several articles; I need to read up some more on this but it certainly added weight to the theory that hormone imbalance can be contributing to sinus problems which in turn leads to dizziness. These hormones, or lack therof, can sure be a pain.
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wow, Margo! That's really good info. It's coming onto spring here in New Zealand and so my hay fever is in full swing. It seems worse this year and that may be partly the Femara. Good to know!
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Gardengumby,
I have had a lot of trouble with vertigo while taking Femara. It started with a terrible week where I just couldn't stand up, even laying down I had couldn't move. I had never experienced this problem before so was sent off to the ENT, however he could not find the cause.
After about 2 months of trying to drag myself off to work, and trying to drive which was terrible, I started to think maybe it was the Femara. I contacted my Oncologist and he said it was a very rare side effect and was open to me going off the drug for a few weeks to see if the problem diminished. I decided to take 6 weeks off Femara, and at the end of the 6 weeks, I was having the odd day where it wasn't as bad, however I was scared to stay off Femara too long, so went back on the Femara. However with every day of again taking the drug, the problem got worse. I decided to then take another longer stint off the drug and took 3 months off. In that time the problem improved to the point I was only having the occasional period where I felt unbalanced, particularly turning quickly or being a passenger in a car.
I went back on Femara and I have had no further major problems, however I do occasionally have an off day, but it is certainly now manageable. My oncologist agreed that it was the Femara and thought that after being on it for 4 years, my body was on overload and toxic and having the longer break helped to stabilise the problem. I am now just about finished 7 years and my doctors would like me to do 10 years, however I now have major bone loss and they are considering me changing to Tamoxifen. I would prefer to stay on Femara, however my body is breaking down from the onslaught.
Ched
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Thank-you all so much for the input. I do take the drug at night - at first I took it in the morning, but was so utterly exhausted that I couldn't cope. The SE's for this stuff have been a real moving target for me. I'll have one thing for awhile and then something else pops up. It's interesting to hear what you all say about the sinus and ears - and I think it would be a good idea for me to get that checked. I just got back from a few weeks in Hawaii, and though the heat and water were wonderful, the condo was quite dusty - so maybe there is a sinus issue going on. We're back home now, so if my allergies have anything to do with this then it should moderate somewhat. Since my ENT has a waiting list about 10 miles long, I'll have a good chance to see if it goes away before I get in to see him.1 year 11 months and 10 days to go.... but who's counting....
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Garden - the SEs are a moving target for me too; really bizarre. I keep neurotically going to the MO and getting scans which turn out to be arthritis (which is good!). My middle finger on my right hand was so sore for a while that it would wake me up at night if I turned over and bumped it. Now it's fine! My left thumb is now beyond painful and the middle finger on my left hand is a bit achy. Go figure! I thought I was over my hot flashes, but they seem to be back from time to time, hence my moving the take the pill time slot around. But..it's keeping me with "no evidence of active mets in the bones", so despite the SEs, I'm happy to have it!
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KiwiCatMom, I have nodal arthritis in my hands and when it was active my joints were very, very painful and sensitive to bumps. The Rheumatologist told me that it is that way when it is active and then it "settles" and it is not painful. He was right so hopefully this pain will pass for you too.
My personal theory is that Femara makes these existing problems "worse" and perhaps doesn't cause them as my Mother had exactly the same knobbly hands!
Great to read that you are doing well (((hugs)))
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