FEMARA
Comments
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I plan on doing that immediately. It wasn't just the fact that she didn't know but that she shot me down twice in a rather snooty tone....thanks ladies! I am looking into the cancer center about a half hour from me which is highly rated.
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I don't like doctors that say you are confused or it's all in your head. I would look for another one if possible. Sounds like it's going to be an ongoing problem with your MO.
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Agree that you should interview other oncs, Artist.
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Thinking positive, it was my regular doctor that diagnosed the thumb issue. After doing research I agree with him. I started Femara in august. When should they be checking my liver enzymes?
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artistatheart...that is just strange and concerning.
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My MO checks liver enzymes every visit. No one has checked my cholesterol which worries me, but I think I may schedule a general physical and ask about having that checked since it was borderline previously
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Take Lysine for mouth sores. 2000 mg./day & I stopped having the Taxotere induced mouthsores.
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Thank you MiriamWilliats!
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Yes Nash it was and I left that appointment feeling very upset. Had a bad day at work to follow so came home a blubbering mess. I thought "My Onc should not be contributing to my stress.....I am going to see how she reacts when I bring in the proof.
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We see the surgeon hopefully only a couple of times. We see the MO for a couple of years. Defiantly need to have someone you have confidence In and can communicate with easily!
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I was told my surgeon would be following me for years, my MO on the other hand didn't do much of anything except meet with me and pass me on - sort of dropped me at his door like a package. But that's ok with me.
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my surgeon has a nurse practioner see you every 6 months to do a chest exam. Once the drains were out he was done.That's about it. I've been seeing MO every 3 months until she is satisfied with how I'm managing the SEa. She encourages me to call if any concern. I travel to Hopkins from PA but it's worth it. When I got diagnosed she said "I will take care of you" and she really has
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My MO is also a professor and she is doing clinical studies, either she doesn't have time for me or she has no use for me. She also has two kids. Wonder if she goes home and cooks? Her husband is an MO to somewhere.
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My MO has 4 kids, 3 of them little triplets.......Hmmmmm
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so sorry you are having this dilemma on top of everything else ;(
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I see my MO (for IBC) and my RO (for IBC and thyroid cancer aka thyca) about every 4 months. They're supposed to alternate, but they seem to be wrestling to see who is "top dog", so to speak. Sometimes awkward, as the MO seems to be more interested in dealing with SEs of the thyca more than the RO does. (Thyca isn't treated with chemo)
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Update ladies.....finishing off my second month with Femara.....(brand name).........can't begin to tell you the difference it has made in my life compared to Letrozole (generic brand) I would say that first and foremost my energy level is one hundred percent improved .......can actually get around and do things now without feeling tired all the time. My joint, muscle and bone pains, plus back pain are almost non existent now. I was popping pills like crazy before and now I take one aleve if necessary.
Wishing everyone all the best for the coming year
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I am wondering if anyone else has developed tachycardia or atrial fibrillation with Femara? I did not have any heart problems at all post-menopause. An echo done by my oncologist in May was normal with very slight valve regurgitation, almost negligible. I started Femara in May 2015. My first episode of atrial fibrillation was in October and I just had another one. I am seeing a cardiologist who says he doesn't know anything about Femara. Now I am expecting my oncologist to say she doesn't know anything about AFib!
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Scottie, I find that very interesting as my Onc disputes the fact that there is even a generic form of Femara, and also disputed that there was a lower dose of Ibrance, but am wondering if a different form of Femara and differnet dosage of ibrance would help with my liver enzyme issue and I could continue on this regiman....Windingshores, one or the other but probably the Letrozole made my heart POUND and the fatigue and shortness of breath was getting pretty bad. My Onc keeps suggesting anxiety to which I say nope, I know shortness of breath when I feel it. You sound pretty lucky in that regard suersis. I hope to find a team that makes me feel a little more confident moving forward. Dee that makes it awkward for you I'm sure when we need all of our energy for other stuff right? Thanks Chloesmom! I'll figure it out (I hope)
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My heart was going 180/minute, blood pressure under 70, with an arrhythmia called Atrial Fibrillation. I had to be rescued on the street by a fire truck, then was taken by ambulance to the ER. This was two months ago. I just had another episode- had been hoping that was a one and only. The MD's would rather me stay on Femara and treat the AFib than go off the cancer meds.
Did you have an EKG?
There IS a generic letrozole of course and I had to go through all kinds of hoops to get the brand name, including trying generics of anastrozole and letrozole first. I have a record of med sensitivities and allergies so my doc went to bat for me. For most people I think generic does the job. I am worried with Medicare coming up for me soon.
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Windingshores,
Seriously, the MO would rather you have unpredictable and intermittent heart episodes than discontinue a med that is wreaking that kind of havoc on your cardio system? I don't understand that at all. What if it escalates to something worse?
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I can't understandd what this report says the risks of halting femara are. I'll copy the problematic part and come back.
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here is the problem part:
Recent work from the authors has demonstrated that women with low adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy had an increased risk of mortality (HR=1.3, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.51, p<0.001), reduced quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and increased medical costs (£5970, 95% CI £4644 to £7372).
Updating this: the "HR" is the hazard ratio. Here's a bit about that:
Each one faces an annual risk of death, whose technical name is their 'hazard'. Therefore a hazard ratio of 1.13 means that, for two people like Mike and Sam who are similar apart from the extra meat, the one with the risk factor – Mike - has a 13% increased annual risk of death over the follow-up period (around 20 years).
This seems to mean that low compliance gives one a 30% increased annual risk of death. But that figure seems to be the product of many different stages of cancer
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A lot of us have had hair loss or thinning with Femara and I am only on it for a year and a half so can't address the effects of going off of it. Eating healthfully, taking Biotin seems to help I think, and I have used various thickening hair products and kept my hair probably a bit shorter than I would have in the past. To me that is worth it to suppress any estrogenic activity but I will say that gaining 20 lbs over the year and a half since I started has been valiantly fought, as that promotes a risk of recurrence as well. Fortunately I stopped gaining after the first year but have yet to lose more than 5 lbs here and there with it returning without much real justification. I am relieved that it is all I gained when I hear some stories.
And in case someone isn't aware, I do eat a 1200 calorie diet using MyFitnessPal and walk at least 5 days a week, sometimes jogging.
My joints make me feel ancient I am not going to lie. But I cannot help but think the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages. Best wishes to all of you.
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My MO told me that if I had too many SEs from Femara, he had a couple of other alternatives to try, so you ladies who are having serious issues might want to check that out. He said "it's not worth torturing yourself over it". Of course, I did have SEs with tamoxifin and arimedex... was on and off both for the first five years post-op. The Femara (or alternative) is for the next five years, apparently.
Like enjoyeverymoment, I have gained about 20 lbs in the six weeks I've been on Femara (but of course, that has also happened when my Synthroid decides not to work so???)
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I was asking if anyone else has any heart effects from Femara. Noone has said my atrial fibrillation is connected to Femara and I cannot find any studies that say there is a connection. That is why I was asking for anecdotal reports.
It was the cardiology nurse practitioner who said they would treat the AFib rather than suggest going off Femara. AFib can cause stroke, and fainting, but it is not life-threatening otherwise and can be managed.
Reclast HAS been linked to atrial fibrillation or worse atrial fibrillation in those who have it, and that is a big issue because I have osteoporosis. The study that linked them was a few years back and there is, of course, some controversy and there is no longer a black box warning.
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Well I did find one article, on anastrozole, by googling aromatase inhibitors rather than Femara
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windingshores, I did have an EKG and it was fine, as well as a negative blood test and lung xray looking for blood clots. Those symptoms have cleared up since I have been off both meds. It will be interesting to see if it starts up again while on Faslodex/ibrance. God, I hope not as it was scary. I'm with Wildflower about continuing the Femara with all that going on with your heart. There are a lot of other Tx to try and see if the AFib clears up.
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I am assuming Ibrance probably caused your symptoms (I am not sure what they were, but it sounds like you had shortness of breath and maybe rapid heart beat and suspicion of or actual clots, which are side effects of Ibrance). Not Femara. I cannot find any link between Femara and AFib though some other cardiac effects over time, related to lipids, are possible.
I am not going off Femara unless a direct link is found and my atrial fib is somehow dangerous. I will put up with it being scary, but as long as I take aspirin (and if worse, Warfarin or Plavix) I will stay on the hormonals.
If a lot of people on this forum reported arrythmias on hormonals, that would be another story. But even you were on another med that can account for symptoms- and your EKG was fine, no AFib.
Thanks for responding and good luck with your treatment choices- and your oncologist!
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Well ladies, after 2.5 years on exemestane (Aromasin) my MO gave me my first script for FEMARA which I will start in January. The side effects from the exemestane just got to be too much to bear, particularly the brain fog and joint pain. I walk like I am 90 instead of 60 which is my real age. ugh...hopefully the letrozole will be kinder to me! Happy Holidays!
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