FEMARA
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I was told by my chemo doc at Sloan Kettering the newest recearch says 10 yrs! I'm 72 this week so I may be taking it for the rest of my hopefully cancer free life. Love, Jean
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Well Happy Birthday to you Jean!!!!! And hopefully even further than 10 years down the road you will be taking it.
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I'm definitely on the small side both in height and BMI. I have no SE or problems with the regular dose of Femara. I would really advise anyone who is starting Femara to at least give it a try before deciding that you'll need to change the dosage, etc. Many women have absolutely NO problems (or none that can't be easily tolerated) and, who knows - you could be among them.
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Sloane Ketteringtold me 10 years to start, but be prepared for 20. I was diagnosed at 44.
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I'm afraid my bones wouldn't withstand 20 years! I had a 12% decline in bone density after 2 years on letrozole.....started with a normal reading prior to taking.
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Jacee are you getting zometa infusions
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No I'm not. I haven't had a bone density scan done in three years. I see my Onc in June so I'm sure he will order one. Then we will go from there.
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Thanks for posting the link, jacee. Pretty interesting.
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OMG School Counselor. 10 maybe 20 - eek
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I joke with my bs about doing 'Ten to life' on Femara. Frankly, as long as it works for me, I'm fine taking it. I may not feel that way in five years but for now I am extremely grateful for it.
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Hopeful...10 to life.....lol!
Jean, happy birthday!
I'm had a few difficult times but I don't like the alternative....I'm sticking to this as long as I can
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I agree! Cancer returning is not an option. I can take Femara over the other two AIs hands down. Robin
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I'm hobbling, too. Already had arthritis and I'm 66 now. But now that I've been on Femara a while, my joint pain has gotten MUCH worse. I think I read somewhere that it's one of the better ones to tolerate? But I know some don't think so. It beats the alternative to not taking it, I'm sure. I am really sorry that the younger women have to take it at all. I can't imagine. I never had problems getting out of the car before like I do now. It's the twisting around while trying to get my legs out! Then when I finally do get out, I can't walk. It's embarrassing!
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Kitty and others. I too have badstiffness. When I get up I can hardly stand straight. Once I get moving it's easier but definitely not fun. I'm 72 and had some stiffness before but this is definitely worse. I hope to get back to exercise soon and hoping that will help. Just fished rads last Friday and am still very tired and sore. Love, Jean
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Boy! The stiffness is something else, especially getting out of the car and making those first steps. It is sooooo embarrassing. One of my most embarrassing moments was when I was at the drug store and telescoped down to get something off the bottom shelf and couldn't get back up without one of the clerks helping me!!! Ack!!!! At least when I get out of bed in the morning, I can hobble around going "Ow, Ow, Ow" for the first few steps and no one but my husband sees it.
MsP
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My first week was uneventful. I had stiffness w tamoxifen too, so hopefully it won't be any worse. I hobble for a bit in the mornings too. I think I may be sleeping better. So far so good!
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Hi. I'm new to femara and was having excruciating pain on aromasin. I switched and was still in terrible pain. My MO sent me to a rheumatologist and he gave me lidocaine patches, Voltaren gel and etodolac pills and the pain is virtually gone. I am amazed!!! I hope this helps someone. I am46 diagnosed at 44 and had never experienced pain that incapacitated me so.
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Sounds like we're all in the same boat, yeah, I can believe it about not getting back up! I'm thinking if I don't get this pain under control, I'm going to be looking like the Haunchback of Notre Dame, permanently. Sorry about my spelling. Just too lazy to look it up right now. I have never heard of those, SC. Will be doing a google search. I agree, I've never known joint pain this bad.
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I have been on 1/2 a Femara for a few days and am ready to move it up a notch tomorrow. I am not free of side effects but it is tolerable. For me, ramping up can help. If I end up taking 1/2 it will be because I have no choice- noone should choose a lower dose if they can take the full one!
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I think I'm going to start on a half dose too and work my way up from there....I hadn't thought of that
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I did succeed in getting onto a full dose. I cannot believe this worked. I could not have imagined taking a whole pill when I started this. The 1/4 was hard enough. I do think maybe our bodies adjust: maybe the first drop in estrogen had an impact and now it is more level-???
I am afraid there are women (like me) who decide they cannot take AI's either because the generic has fillers they reacted to, or because the initial full dose is too much. Luckily, due to health issues in the family, I had an inkling that ramping up might work. Hope it does for you. These don't feel like optional meds- that's the thing.
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Hi ladies,
I'm another young one (38) who will be starting Lupron and Femara, I think this week. I am scared of the joint pain and bone loss. I failed on Tamoxifen so I have no problems switching but just worried about my bones esp since i already have bone mets. I will work on getting back to exercising and vitamin supplements and hope that helps. My estradiol level was taken and seems really high. I was hoping I was already in menopause bc I hadn't been getting my periods, but no such luck.
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I am taking femera and have severe bone pain and stiffness ... Thank you for mentionIng the options you had. I'm going to ask about them to find a better solution.💞is the name for letrozole ...femera or is that the brand name as I have responded negativly to other medication that are generic do to the slighltly different combination of ingredients.
I am also premenopausal so doing Lipton injection to shut down my ovaries. Seeing gyn for ovary removal soon though. Any recommendations ? cause oxycodin does nothing for the pain
Thank you ... This breast cancer.org has been my lifeline because I'm all alone in this.
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Femara is the brand name - letrozole is the generic. When I started on Femara it was not yet available as a generic.
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Hi all- I started letrozole a week ago, but I was already having pain and stiffness all over (especially in hands and feet) as a side effect from chemopause and then an oophorectomy (I had no idea menopause commonly causes "menopausal arthritis"). It's only been a week, but my hands are now swelling/retaining fluid? to the point they throb and I can't wear any rings. Is anyone also having this? Any suggestions on getting the swelling to subside? I'm only 44 and feel 900. I was in terrific shape a year ago, and now I hobble around at best. I'm so very miserable and scared things are going to only get worse.
SchoolCounselor- I have lidocaine patches and Voltaren gel too. How do you use them? Also, aren't you worried about being on a strong anti-inflammatory? My onc is sending me to a rhuematologist next week as well, so I'm trying to go in armed with info.
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hi all!
I read often but don't post much..hope all my triple 3s are doing well
texas -your post caught my eye. I have been on tam for 3+ years - about a year after I finished chemo I got my period back so my MO started zoladex shots to shut down my ovaries. I was on this combo until about a month ago when she decided to switch me to Femara after the SOFT results were released. I felt just as horrible as you are feeling and yes I did have the swelling in my hands and feet and the horrible joint/bone pain not to mention bad vertigo. I know this is a SE of femara for me b/c ive been in menopause for awhile now. I stopped Femara and gave myself a week break and went back on Tam. I just couldn't tolerate it. Maybe if I had given it more time but I could barely get myself going to get to work
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Texas94, it never ceases to amaze me how different we all are! I am fine on Femara so far. It was the Arimidex and Aromasin that gave me the arthritis and 900 year old body! It just proves that one size or pill doesn't fit all.
It is scarey to think after ILC and BMX that I could face a recurrence. 😞 I pray not. I hope you fibd a way to stay on sonething.
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Texas. I use the lidocaine patches at night and the Voltaren during the day. The ability to walk for me is so important I was in a lot of pain. My tests came back from the rheumatologist as unremarkable so my hope is while I'm in PT strengthening my joints, the pain will lessen and I will reduce my dependence on them. I go back to the rheumatologist is a month, so I'll see what he says as well.
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Snowgirl and Texas, after staring Femara I had terrible swelling and joint pain in my right hand but I persisted and it settled....eventually. I hope it does for you too. (((Hugs)))
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Just an update. After ramping up from 1/4 (4 days), to 1/2 (ditto) to 3/4 to a whole pill, I am now on my 5th day of a whole dose of (brand name) Femara. My hot flashes have improved. My neurological sensations (burning, prickly, and electric buzzing) that overwhelmed me with the first doses have gone. Anxiety (not exactly anxiety, a feeling of being revved) and insomnia have calmed down too.
In case any of my initial reactions were allergy-related or even immune system-related, I did take Claritin 12 hour in the morning and a children's chewable Benadryl (1/2 adult dose) at night, which helped with sleep too. (I am sensitive to meds: a whole adult Benadryl is too much for me!)
I hope this helps someone else.
The musculoskeletal side effects may take longer to kick in, so I don't expect to necessarily continue to feel this good, but I was so afraid I would not be able to treat my cancer, and this does encourage.
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