FEMARA
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HapB--If you google benefits of turmeric, it talks about the natural form being very beneficial. But in capsule form, it doesn't have quite the same bioavailability so you need the black pepper to help get it to your system. I do know that I was told to only take turmeric that already has the black pepper in it which is why I take the Gaia Turmeric. Some don't include it so you have to be careful. I take 1 capsule a day which is 500mg. Works really well for me at that level. If you google turmeric and pepper it will explain how it all works.
As to ginger, I take a 500mg capsule of that a day as well. I buy the basic Nature's Way ginger from Amazon. The price is good and my doctor said most brands work well.
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NotBroken, I will discuss this with my MO when I see her in April. I do hope that she keeps up with current thinking on breast cancer treatments of all types. I suppose if I told her that I would like to remain on the drug for two more years, that she would not object.
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I did not realize that his drug could cause coldness. which i experience almost all the time. I no longer wear sandals in the summer and wear long sleeves year round as well. i am so glad that I have joined this group and am learning so much. My husband and i had to leave a church that we enjoyed because they kept the building way too cold for me to tolerate during the summer months.
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honeybair, I too cannot tolerate the cold or the heat. I never did well in the heat but this intolerance to the cold is something new. I did not know if it was from the chemo, blockers or just old age.
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Hi Shelley, I use Hemp Oil since going on Femara. When I began Femara I was so nauseated...I began in Sept 2017. My nausea increased each week to point of throwing up almost weekly. Constipation got so bad that almost the only way I could go was to use enema! Hemp oil helped tremendously with my nausea and pain and mood! I have tried 3 different companies. Some taste icky and some made me stumble! The one I use now I am a distributor for made by Prime My Body. It has an orange taste to it and I put the drops under my tongue for 30 seconds then swallow. I use it daily sometimes 2x day if my nausea is bad.
10 days ago I was taken off Femara due to constipation and vomiting issues. Just a few days off and I feel my old self! I was even having suicidal thoughts (NEVER had before) and I am on prozac and klonopin even. Feel so much better off Femara but I know my Oncologist will want me to try another AI. Has anyone else had problems with N/V/Constipation on Femara? Curious.
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Hello all. I am new to the Femara/letrozole discussion group. I saw my med onc today and begin letrozole tomorrow. I think I'm more anxious about it than I was for surgery (lumpectomy; removal of 4 sentinel nodes) and radiation (via SAVI). Maybe it's because it's for 5 years, and I do hear and read of so many side effects.
My med onc NP recommended black cohash for hot flashes, if they occur. She also recommended Vitamin E 400 mg once daily; increase to twice daily if needed; and increase to 3 times daily maxium if needed. I had never heard of Vitamin E to treat hot flashes. Anyone? And is black cohash the same as the black pepper (with turmeric) mentioned above?
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Mielli, Everyone is different, and many women have few side effects, but those in that category aren't often on here looking for advice, so this skews the side effects. That being said, some people do have side effects. For most, they are manageable. Mine are not too bad at all.
Jumpship, I have not gained weight on Femera, but I do eat very healthy and exercise every day. It sounds like you are closely watching your diet too. Could you ask your GP to test your thyroid? From my observations here, it seems that thyroid issues are very, very common among those of us who've had BC.
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Mielli: Black Cohash is not black pepper. It does help with hot flashes. I never got hot flashes from Femara but I went through a surgical menopause 20+ years ago due to excessive bleeding. Before that I used Black Cohash frequently for hot flashes.
Jumpship: I never gained weight, in fact I was never hungry on Femara. I had problems with constipation/n/v. I was taken off Femara 10 days ago to get my GI tract working again. So not sure if my MO will want me back on Femara or to try a different AI. If I could just keep my GI working I would be fine with Femara.
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After 6 months on arimedex, I was switched to femora in Dec. Weight has been stable on both AI's and other than 72 year old aches and pains, I feel good. No constiptation or nausea on either drug. Have upped my exercising and given up Starbucks but not much else is different. Everyone responds to AI's differently and my MO is committed to finding the one that works for me.
At my age and with the speed the science of cancer is moving, I figure I'll be taking them for life. I treat my cancer like other chronic conditions. I just pop the Femora in the morning with my blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. Take over the counter pain medication when my joints hurt but I did that before. Don't get discouraged before you start.
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Thank you for your positive reply, KBeee. You're right. Those who have the most side effects will naturally be the ones on this site looking for help! I think you are the first I have seen who said they have not gained weight, which is another positive and important to me. I just read your history below your post and think you have to be an amazing person to have gone through all you have!
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Mielli, I have been on letrozole (generic for Femera) for about 1 year. I am losing weight!
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Mieli--For what it's worth, when I was first diagnosed my MO asked me to not take black cohosh or extra Vit E. He strongly feels that both are estrogenic and encourage BC. He actually said "find a multivitamin with the lowest amount of Vit E that you can." Check with your doctor.
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Lala1, are you trying to lose weight? Or has it happened without other lifestyle changes? I hope it is a happy side effect for you and not an adverse one
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Gkbuser, are you trying to lose weight? Or has it happened without other lifestyle changes? I hope it is a happy side effect for you and not an adverse one! Thank you for sharing
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Lala1, I thank you for that input! I want to do nothing which could work against the letrozole doing what itis intended to do!
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Not really doing much different. Started walking more is all. I am glad about it.
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Mielli- I also have lost weight on Femara. Like gkbuser, I walk more now. I upped my fruits and veggies, eliminated alcohol and cut way back on breads and sweets. I also cut out after-dinner snacking. I don't know if Femara contributed to my weight loss or if I would have lost it anyway with the change in diet and exercise. Best wishes
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honeybair and NotBroken,
I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one. That's usually the case that I am the lone straggler! I was beginning to think that the Femara wasn't working or something (although my oncologist did test my blood and assured me it was.)
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Mielli, I don't have any side effects except I'm freezing this winter. So here's hoping you won't have any side effects.
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Jumpship,
I read that hormone blockers "may cause weight gain" so that told me, "will cause weight gain", so I knew I couldn't afford that. I already needed to lose 50 lbs. Besides being old, obesity was one of the breast cancer risks.
My oncologist even suggested that I enroll in a "weight loss breast cancer study" where somebody calls you once a month to find out what you've been eating and suggests more healthy eating choices...and something else, I don't know...my eyes were glazing over...like that was really going to help, right?!
So I went to the local diet doctor and he prescribed the combination of phentermine and Topamax and I lost 40 lbs. -- 10 lbs. to go. It took me almost a year, but I really did take my time. I could have lost faster, my best friend did, in half the time, but I do love my red wine and carbs. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and Topamax is an anti-seizure drug. Research shows that for some reason Topamax (topiramate) naturally suppresses appetite. Qsymia is the drug produced when these two drugs are combined together and is approved by the FDA.
The rules for my doctor are you have to be under 60 years of age and have a BMI of at least 30. The diet is whatever diet works for you...Low carb, Weight Watchers, healthy diet and exercise, whatever kind of eating you like to use when you want to lose weight.
I'm just sayin'... I don't know why everybody is so afraid of and so dismissive of diet pills, especially under a doctor's care! I had high blood pressure. It disappeared a week after I started the diet. In fact, it got so low, I almost passed out. My best friend still has it, but hers is hereditary and it is under control. I was a skinny minnie most of my life until mid life and until I gained those 50 lbs. Feels great to be NOT FAT and to be my normal self again.
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I am back on letrozole and feeling good. I started the Power of 10 workout 8 mos. ago and have leaned out a lot. Also eliminating most carbs. Lots of fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish, and whatever meat I feel like having. Still drink my Pinot Grigio
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Thank you to all have encouraged me with your "no or manageable side effects" responses! Those who have made lifestyle changes are also encouraging. I've always walked and/or worked out and/or done Pilates/Yoga, but since moving to Florida two years ago, walking has been my only exercise. I want to work on upper body bone and muscle strengthening too. I saw somewhere on this site, I believe, that swimming (with the accompanying arm strokes) is not recommended due to risk of lymphedema. We have a small pool, and I hope that is not true. I had 4 lymph nodes removed, but I know that lymphedema can occur after any nodal surgery, at any time. Has anyone heard anything about restricting swimming? (This part should probably be on a different forum.)
Thanks again, all!
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wabals, good for you! Glad you're feeling good. That's great!
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I was not instructed to avoid swimming. I do a lot of it. 😊
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Thank you, gkbuser!
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Thank you, gkbuser!
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Mielli, hello again!
Just wanted to add that swimming is actually one of the best exercises for those of us dealing with lymphedema, because the water itself adds some compression, and the muscle movement helps stimulate the lymphatics. The trick, as with any exercise, is to start off gently and work up gradually. A gentle breast stroke is a good place to start, and maybe avoid speed racing with a butterfly stroke until you've worked your way up to it!
Enjoy!
BinneyP.S--there's an active forum here at BreastCancer.org specifically for questions about lymphedema, and the gals there are welcoming and knowledgeable--do come join the conversation anytime!
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Thanks again, Binney4! I will direct my questions to the lymphedema forum in the future! Also, no worries about my avoiding speed racing with butterfly stroke. I never did that prior to BC! Lol. But I'm happy to know I can use my arms to swim in the pool in safe ways!
Mielli
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Hi ladies,
I’ve been on Letrazole for about 10 months. In the beginning few months, I had warm flushes and some of the expected stiffness. After some time, the flushes went away.
About 7 weeks ago, I started on a different brand of Letrazole. Is it possible that a different brand could cause side effects? I’m getting warm flushes and chills, a ton of all over body itching, prickling and crawling sensations, and all this last week I awake with a headache.
Why am I dealing with an onslaught of symptoms? Could this happen on an AI...symptoms cropping up months and months in? That’s why I wondered about brand changes....
Thanks so much,
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I have heard that brand changes can make a difference. I have not tried different brsnds, as I am at the whim of my pharmacy supplier.
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