FEMARA
Comments
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ndgrll, I'm one who has had an increase in cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure while on letrozole. My MO said that some but not all of these symptoms could be related to the letrozole. She switched me to tamoxifen at my last visit. Go back in 3mos. Will recheck cholesterol then.
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if you asked me 2 weeks ago I would have said I need to get off these AI s ASAP!. Today, not too bad. The other side effect I'm de as long with is UTI s. But that is due to a combo of hysterectomy and AIs. I can't tell if part of why I feel crappy is all the antibiotics or what. All we can do is make the best decisions we can with the info we have at the time.
I know I need to really get on a more rigerous exercise program given what I have been reading about BC.
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I’m newbie. Begin radiation tx next week and onco dr wants me to begin aromatase inhib. I’ve advised I’m not in favor based on % vs. SE. I hadseriously messed up hormones/adrenal fatigue 2 yrs ago & it’s taken me 2 yrs to get “normal”. We are supposed to “revisit” the discussion in December. I’m seriously stressed over this decision. The migraines, hair loss, pain, fatigue, skin issues, moods nearly did me in before. Am retiring end if year and want to drive across country. Anxiety over this is nearly as bad as finding out that I had cancer TWICE this year. (colon in Mar, breast in Aug) Thanks for letting me get this out.
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jmhm1, feel free to vent all you want. That's what we are here for. I had multiple cancers found, and I understand the stress. I am taking co q enzyme 10 and glucosamine and I am surprised how much better I feel. Keep asking questions . You have time to make your decisions. Let us know how you are doing
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Thanks 2FUN, appreciate the support.
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Jmhm, FWIW, I stressed a lot about the decision too. I have had a few small side effects, but nothing terrible - certainly nothing as bad as a cancer recurrence. I haven't had any anxiety, moodiness, bone pain, fatigue, or hair loss. No blood pressure changes, elevated glucose, or elevated lipids. I do have some triggering in one of my fingers, but it is manageable. I have hot flashes, but had those before I changed to the AI. They have actually decreased a bit in the past few months, so I am no longer sweating through my bed every night. Yay!
What it boils down to is they affect everyone differently. My view was that my decision is reversible. I felt fine on tamoxifen, so knew I could change back to that if AIs didn't suit me. I decided to give them a whirl, knowing that if things got ugly on AIs, I would simply go back to tamoxifen and call it good. One of the things to keep in mind is that people who aren't having a lot of side effects generally don't hang out here as much. We aren't in need of support because we feel fine. The folks who come here often are generally having a worse time with side effects, so it skews the picture of AIs for newbies to the thread.
Good luck!
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jmhm1, I forgot to mention my SE's were probaBly worse, given one of my cancers was uterine, so out came all of my reproductive organs, and then I now take Femara. Double whammy on estrogen removal. It might not be that bad, and you can always stop taking it.
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hap b, are you staying on femara, or are you going to stop?
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What do y'all do to combat these side effects? Oncologist approved vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements? Certain foods that are also recommended for hormone positive cancer? Specific exercises? I'm especially interested in relief from joint pain and how to naturally keep cholesterol levels good without prescription statins. Although not as common, I'm also concerned with bone loss and high blood pressure. So far, the night sweats and dizziness I experienced when I actually went through menopause 5 years haven't returned, but I've been n it less than a month. I'm experiencing insomnia, but that may be from anxiety dealing with cancer. Thanks for sharing how you handle these and any side effects from Letrozole.
Common side effects Each of these effects happens in more than 1 in 10 people (10%). You might have one or more of them.
Hot flushes and sweats
Pain in joints or bones
Tiredness and weakness (fatigue)
Increased levels of cholesterol
Occasional side effects Each of these effects happens in more than 1 in 100 people (1%). You might have one or more of them.
Skin rash
Headaches
Dizziness
Generally feeling ill (malaise)
Feeling or being sick
Swelling
Loss of appetite
Indigestion
Hair thinning
Diarrhea
Constipation
Vaginal dryness
Lowered interest in sex
Mood changes
Breathlessness and cough
Loss of bone strength (osteoporosis)
Vaginal bleeding
Muscle pain
Weight gain
High blood pressure
Tummy (abdominal) pain
Rare side effects Each of these effects happens in fewer than 1 in 100 people (1%). You might have one or more of them. Nervous disorders
Difficulty sleeping
Changes in sensation
Eyesight changes
Red, sore eyes
Faster heart rate
Stiff joints
Trigger finger
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Breast pain
High temperature (fever)
Taste changes
Dry mouth and feeling thirsty
Weight loss
Urine infection
Above list cut and paste from http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/drugs/letrozole-femara/side-effects
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Reyepsf - I think exercise and keeping your weight under control are most important. They can combat many of the most common side effects, including joint pain and stiffness, high cholesterol and bone loss. Others swear by Claritin (without the decongestant) as a way to prevent joint pain. Turmeric may also help, but get your doctor's approval before taking either turmeric or Claritin.
There was a paper that came out a few years ago showing that low Vit D levels for patients on AIs are correlated with bone and joint pain, so be sure to get enough VitD in your food or through supplements.
The new guidelines for BC patients also recommends bisphosphonates as a way to prevent recurrence for some early stage cancers, and will also help minimize bone loss due to AIs. Talk with your oncologist or the PA in your onc's office. They may have other suggestions.
You may not experience any significant SEs. I have been on Femara for about 18 months. My hair is thinning and I have insomnia, which I treat with melatonin, but my cholesterol is good and I have not experienced any joint pain yet.
Best wishes on your journey!0 -
Reyepsf, exercise, weight control, a Mediterranean diet or similar, i.e. fatty fish, whole grains, lots of veggies.
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have any of you taken a break from femara w Lupron? I had been on both
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has anyone had to use Lupron to get into menopause and then gone back off of it? I was taking femara for six months with Lupron
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I have arthritis in my hands and knees, so I already had joint pain. It's somewhat worse on Letrozole, although not intolerable. Something I use, that seems to work for me, is 2-3 drops of rosemary essential oil diluted with a little coconut oil. Rosemary is an anti-inflammatory. Moving as much as possible helps me with stiffness, too. I agree weight control and diet will also help with any cholesterol increase (I don't have it.)
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ovel Therapeutic Target Discovered for Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer
Mount Sinai researchers identify new protein in a common subtype of breast cancer which can potentially offer more effective therapies for the future
NEW YORK, NY – November 17, 2017 /Press Release/ ––Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a protein that can be targeted to suppress growth of a common type of breast cancer known as "estrogen receptor positive" (ER+), including ER+ cancers that are resistant to standard treatments.
The protein, tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6), is an enzyme molecule that is highly expressed in multiple tumor types, including prostate, ovarian, and breast cancers. It can promote cancer cell survival and growth of ER+ breast cancer cells. The study, titled "PTK6 regulates growth and survival of endocrine therapy-resistant ER+ breast cancer cells," was published in an online study today in NPJ Breast Cancer.
"Never before has PTK6 inhibition been shown to inhibit growth and induce cell death of ER+ breast cancer cells, including those resistant to standard treatments for this subtype such as tamoxifen," said Hanna Irie, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) and Oncological Sciences at The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and senior author of the study. "We are excited and gratified by these remarkable results, which could lead to a new way to treat these drug resistant metastases of ER+ breast cancers and/or prevent their metastases in the first place."
According to Dr. Irie, the research is especially important because it supports the potential therapeutic value of targeting PTK6 in ER+ breast cancers, which constitute the most common subtype of breast cancer. Approximately 65 percent of all breast cancers express the estrogen receptor (ER +) and/or the progesterone receptor (PR+). One in eight women in the United States has a chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer and an estimated 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2017.
Standard treatments for ER+ breast cancer are endocrine therapies such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. "Endocrine therapies are still the most effective medical therapy for this subtype of breast cancer, and the end goal is to inhibit growth and/or kill ER+ breast cancer cells," said Dr. Irie. "However, some breast cancer patients still develop metastatic ER+ disease despite these common endocrine therapies, so newer treatments are very important and necessary to kill endocrine therapy-resistant cancers."
"This is a truly exciting discovery for the field of breast cancer," said Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute. "This breakthrough could lead to more effective therapies for women with this very common subtype of breast cancer and be the therapeutic target that the drug companies have been waiting for."
This work was supported by a Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research Grant, as well as Baylor College of Medicine, which made key research contributions.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation.The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and is in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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2fun, utis when I started on femara. Now 2 years in and they have stopped
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stella, did you treat each uti? Can I ask if you have your uterus/ovaries?
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HapB, it took about 3weeks for blood pressure to normalize most of the time. I still have a few days where it is higher than it should be.
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HapB, I too had heart issues on Herceptin (Ejection Fraction decrease). I am 3yrs out from my last Herceptin... it took about a year, but I am released from the cardiologist... hang in there!
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i am currenly on lupron and femara both. I have not attempted going off the lupron.
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Marijen, fascinating article. Thank you for sharing
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Kbee you’re welcome.
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grandma, our cases sound a little alike. ILC Oncotye score 9. No BC in my family at all. 3 small masses on mammogram confrmed by MRI final path was 10 foci largest was 1cm so they staged it at a 1. I am on zoladex and letrozole.
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Gkbuser- we are similar! I hope you are doing well on Femara. I see you are in Zoladex. I am post-menopausal but had my ovaries removed in October to lower risk.0
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grandma3x - doing ok. The usual aches and pains. Going to u of Iowa sports medicine on Monday for my right shoulder pain. Had my 1st mammogram and ultrasound since radiation. Recently and so far so good. I try to think positively that I am cured and it will never come back! How are you doing?
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Hi group,
I am experiencing a lot of pain in my wrist lately on side I removed my breast and had radiation. It is constant and the pain is pretty bad. Have a hard time lifting things at times. At work I do type a lot so I was thinking it had to do with that combined with letrozole that I have been taking since about 1 year (of planned 10 years) but feeling a bit scared at this point. Did anyone here experience pain in the wrist? Thankful for some advice. I guess I could contact my doctor but felt I should wait and see since I am not ready to go threw yet another scare of mets at this point. Hope to hear it is due to letrozole....
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Gkbuser - I'm doing well thank you! We put up our Christmas tree today, which always lifts my spirits
Kattis - I think that mets in your wrist would be very unlikely. It's my understanding that they would occur first in bones closer to your breast, like ribs, spine, scapula, etc. Perhaps you have carpal tunnel? Or it could be from the Femara. Sending hugs.0 -
I have a lot of joint pain.I assume it's from femara. Both thumbs esp. I saw a hand PT/OT for splints
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