FEMARA
Comments
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Hi Jean!!!
Haven't seen you in a while! I was on anastrozole and did not do well so starting Femara next week.
Good to see you! You always made me laugh.
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WindingShores - Good to see you again, too! Hope you are doing well. Seems I'm running into some January/February sisters on this thread..
Like I said in an earlier post, I did not do well on anastrozole. I started at 1/4, then 1/2 and that's as far as I got. Itching, burning, peeling scalp, and I literally could not walk. I am only 56 and had to lean on DH to go from room to room. I have scoliosis and lumbar arthritis so I'm sure the AI exacerbates that. I am normally extremely active so living like that won't work for me.
Anxious to see how the letrozole works.
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nanna....congrats to you!!!!!!!!!
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Hi Jilly, we were on the same timetable for diagnosis and surgery and then hormonals (I am still waiting for my Oncotype redo, long story, should be in tomorrow for final chemo decision).
I see you tried the method of ramping up from 1/4 to a whole- worked for me. I also switched though, from anastrozole to letrozole generic and then finally to Femara brand name. Since I had tried two generics, my insurance is covering the Femara. I think it is $25/pill!
The first two were intolerable. With the brand name, the initial doses were tolerable but unpleasant. But I have to say that after a couple of weeks (I think, I forget the time frame) most of my initial reactions to the drug eased up, so I figure it made sense to have a lot of symptoms when the estrogen abruptly dropped (including hot flashes). Even at this early date in my treatment, the hot flashes are a lot better- and I was still having them from normal menopause anyway. The beginning doses made me feel buzzy and anxious but now I feel energetic (repeating myself here).
The one thing I do have is some knee pain but as I wrote before, it is a "clean"pain, not inflammatory, and walking once a day helps a lot.
I really hope this is the case for you and that Femara does it for you without too many side effects. My doc told me of some alternatives but this is the best class of drugs for us so wishing you good luck with it!
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WindingShores- keep us posted about your Oncotype. What in the world happened?
When I failed anastrozole, my MO wrote for Arimidex, which the insurance company promptly denied. Here's hoping they will approve Femara if letrozole fails.
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I f you do generic, I do better on Teva. Not sure why. If you fail letrozole you will have tried two generics, which meets some insurance co. requirements, and your doc can say you are sensitive to meds
Good luck!0 -
Cbaird99, about the high-dose vitamin D. The high-dose pills I have seen are D2, whereas D3 is what our bodies produce for us--or ought to produce. Therefore it made sense to me to take D3, and the onc nurse said that was fine if I didn't mind swallowing more pills. I found some pills with 1000 iu D3 and hardly any fillers--just olive oil, gelatin, and glycerin.
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Evening all,
I take 10,000 iu of Vit. D3. I buy it in bottles of 5000 iu and take 2 a day. been doing this for about 3 years now, to stay in the range where the Drs want it.
Vickie
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I take gummies, that are available in 1000 or 2000 iu's D3. Taking 3000/day got my D levels up to 52, which is actually too high. I'm back down to 1000 for maintenance. I have lupus and cannot go in the sun (I think Femara may increase this problem), so supplements are my only source of D. The sun starts upping your D levels after 10 minutes, I believe.
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Hi Ladies anyone experience intermittent chills and hot flashes while taking femara? Thank you for your input!!
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yes dventi
I do. I am constantly turning on, then off, the air and fans everywhere.
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how many hot flashes a day are you guys having? Do you take Effexor?
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Hello! I haven't been on BCO in a long time and hate to be a bad-weather friend but I need help and advice from some sistahs:
The tops of my feet are killing me! I feel like I broke all my little tarsals! Methinks Femara is the culprit.
Though I have been on it for over a year, I have also been on prednisone for most of that time and am in fact still on the loathsome steroids but as my dose tapers, I am realizing it was probably masking the side effects of my Lupron/letrozole regime.
Any suggestions? I just read about fish oil and plan to ask my doc about it.
Thank you, friends!
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Oh my gosh, Alaska! That's exactly where and how I have my foot pain! Started in my right foot onlu about 1.5 yrs ago, 6 months after I started Tamoxifen. Switched to Femara 1 month ago, and notice it starting on my left top foot now too! I thought it was just a weird after affect of being a runner pre-BC. So what did you read about fish oil?
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So, I started the femara yesterday, so two pills so far. I also had my first 50k Vit D2 yesterday. Today...upset stomach and diarrhea and bad hip pain. I know there is no way I am getting hip pain already...I have arthritis and have been walking/exercising more than normal so I am gonna chalk it up to that. But the diarreah? Has anyone had this from either the femara or with the high does vit d??
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Rose, I'm a runner too -- or used to be! I ran a 5K last weekend and noticed the pain shortly after, so at first I thought it was related to the run, but the run wasn't particularly strenuous and it is literally the TOPS of my feet -- feels like the bones themselves. I'm sorry you're experiencing it but kind of glad to know I am not the only one!
I read about fish oil on BCO:http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/fish-oil...
Interestingly, placebos worked almost as well, but it's possible it's an ingredient IN the placebo (!) ... since I don't know how/where to buy the placebos used, I figure I'll try fish oil
But first must ask my oncologist....
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Rose, I'm a runner too -- or used to be! I ran a 5K last weekend and noticed the pain shortly after, so at first I thought it was related to the run, but the run wasn't particularly strenuous and it is literally the TOPS of my feet -- feels like the bones themselves. I'm sorry you're experiencing it but kind of glad to know I am not the only one!
I read about fish oil on BCO:http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/fish-oil...
Interestingly, placebos worked almost as well, but it's possible it's an ingredient IN the placebo (!) ... since I don't know how/where to buy the placebos used, I figure I'll try fish oil
But first must ask my oncologist....
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dventi - Effexor is an anti depressant proven to reduce hot flashes
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Hi Alaska momma,
I too was having excruciating pain and although I take Tylenol 3 and naproxen that was not doing anything for the pain. I started taking natures made 400mg magnesium and the pain is substantially decreased. I'm also taking Bell brand immune system booster coriolus versicolour ( or turkey tail fungi). I have pain from my bilateral torn rotator cuffs and tendinitis in my left foot according to an ultrasound. So going without pain med because of these not an option but for sure all the bone pain relieved I'm thinking since I went not even wanting to move a muscle to wanting to go for daily walks.
I wonder how I can get vitamin d level checked cause my GP won't order it. He said in Canada they won't do it anymore. So is he telling me the truth? This is the same GP who tells me my medical problems are all in my head. So I'm skeptical considering my diagnosis that I can't have a vitamin d blood level check toknow how much to take. Anyone else in British Columbia have it checked and who ordered the bloodwork?
Thank you for helping wishing everyone a Happy Sunday 💟
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I think 50K may be too much to take. My daughter and I both got sick on that. We got our levels up pretty quickly taking 3K/day. I went form 14 to 52
I would stop the 50K- too potent!0 -
Snowgirl ...here is a Vit D test by mail.
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Does anyone else have calf pain? Not cramps/Charlie horse but achy tight pain? What did you do for it? It started about 5 days ago. I am exercising, taking vit D, B, Mag, Calcium, Potassium, etc. Drinking a good amount of water. Back has started hurting too. Lower pain.
I have been on femara for exactly 2 months. Sleeping stinks too, it feels like not getting good deep sleep. I have been using Benadryl, but thought I should try to stop.
Tired and achy today. Anyone have something that they can recommend that has helped?
Thanks!
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BC, the only thing I've found helpful is gentle stretching like slow paced Taichi or yoga. Core strengthening has helped my back pain too but gentle isometric rather than hard crunches. Slow and steady. Love, Jean
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I hate to ask this but has anyone experienced tinnitus/ringing in the ears on Femara? I had a MRI of my brain 10 days ago and it could be from that. I cannot remember if it started before that though I think it did. If so, any suggestions? I can handle hot flashes and joint pain, both of which have been less than expected, but this is difficult. In fact, that is why I am up at 1am posting here!
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Winding: No tinnitus (yet) for me -- sorry to hear it. Maybe my blog will help distract you and/or put you to sleep: alaskamamaruns.blogspot.com
I haven't written in quite a while, for personal reasons. I'm fine, just back "home" where I want more privacy than blogging affords, plus I now have a political job and wouldn't want to embarrass my boss
Hope the tinnitus goes away, that's brutal.
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I have been on letrozole since 7/2013 and have always taken at night time. I dont sleep well at all. After reading some comments today that some of you ttake it in morning. I would like to try taking it in morning. should i skip a day before changing; since i took it last night
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windingshores, do you sleep with a fan on or anything? I've had tinnitus since before bc and have had to have some kind of background noise at night (like a fan) to be able to sleep.
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pgc, if you want to change, I would just space it out like, next day, take it at noon and then the next day, take it at 7 or 8. I wouldn't skip a day.
MsP
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does anyone else experience terrible back pain along with a nauseous feeling? It has been terrible for the past couple days, today to the point of not functioning well. I am also sleeping very little. I think I saw the clock at every hour last night. I have been on Femara just 9 weeks.
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