FEMARA
Comments
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PoseyGirl---Different brands can absolutely cause different SEs. See if you can find out which one you were on before and ask your pharmacy to get you that one from now on. Sounds to me like to might be allergic to the fillers in the new brand. Mention that to your pharmacist and I bet they'll get you the old brand pretty darn quick!
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thanks, ladies...I have had a morning headache for five days. Should I be panicking?
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Posey - I wouldn't panic about the headaches on day 6 but check in with MO if they continue. Do they go away quickly? I know my morning headaches are often accompanied by a stuffy nose. I don't remember where you are from but have seasonal changes already begun and it's really allergies? Have you recently changed how much caffeine you are drinking? I have continued to take the non-drowsy claritin as one of my handful of pills.
I am absolutely convinced that the manufacturer makes a difference in our AI's so keep track of who is manufacturing your generic. Many on the arimedex thread thought Teva was the best generic. Someone (SpecialK maybe), documented side effects on each brand and got her insurance to pay for the non-generic. I haven't been conscious of anyone talking about a preference on femara but that doesn't mean there isn't a difference.
Feel better!
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Taco, thank you for that. It never occurred to me to ask my MO for the non-generic. Doh
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I see MO tomorrow. If he puts me on a different AI I will probably not check in here too often. Good luck to all of you!
Posey, don't stress about SE. Just do all you can to maximize healthy habits. Decrease sugar, carbs and imflamatory foods, exercise, and don't get stressed! Lol, if it were only that easy!
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2Fun- good luck tomorrow! Do come back and let us know how switching AIs goes for you if that’s what happens tomorrow. Your experience may help others!
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sure will!
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Saw my MO yesterday and got a very favorable report. She is keeping me on Letrozole for two more years which pleases me since the most recent research shows that it is just as effective as adding 5 more years. Just grateful I have tolerated this drug extremely well. From now on, I only have to see her once per year instead of every 6 months.
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Hi PoseyGirl
I started taking letrozole in December, and I've had hot flashes and stiff joints (especially knees and hips) pretty much from the beginning and just started with that being-stuck-with-a-thousand-needles about 6 weeks ago. I haven't changed manufacturers. I'll be seeing my MO on Friday and I'll run it past her and see what she thinks. All in all, it's not very pleasant.
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honeybair, that is what MO thought? A total of 7 years? That is encouraging.
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Posey. I am still getting the all over body itching and prickling sensations on the Letrozole. Fortunately it happens only when I get hot/sweaty.... unfortunately I live in the south and before very long the high temperatures along with the humidity is going to be a killer with this kind of SE.
I have noticed a shift in my emotions as well ie: crying over things too easily etc. I sleep well, take in very little caffeine and sugar, eat pretty healthy and I exercise several times a week. My hips do ache but the exercise has helped tremendously. Maybe the emotional thing is something I will just have to deal with huh?
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moodyblues, have you talked with your MO. I wonder if you may be alergic to somethjng in your med. Are there any skin changes when you get itchy? Hives?
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I finished chemo (TC) about 8 weeks ago and had total hair loss but never eyebrows or eyelashes.. Since started letrozole 3 weeks ago, I now have practically no eyebrows or lashes. Can letrozole cause this or is the a delayed chemo side effect. I have some fuzz on top of my head but some of the longer hairs I had on my head have also fallen out. So upset about this since I have to be on it for 10 YEARS and can't imagine no eyebrows or lashes for ever! Anyone out there with similar experience?
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Letrozole (just plain lack of estrogen) can cause some hair loss/thinning. I haven’t heard of losing eyebrows/lashes on it though. Biotin supplements (2500-5000mg day) are what’s recommended in the case of hair loss/thinning on AIs/tamoxifen. I take 5000ng day and the kids has pretty much stopped. A nurse at the cancer center also recommended a product called It Works if the biotin didn’t help. I had chemo for Hodgkin’s lymphoma years ago and some of the side effects were delayed. But it was a different regimen of meds.Perhaps someone else will chime in who did TC and could tell you their experience.
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My lashes and brows fell out a while after TC. Then they grew back and fell out a couple times after that (which is common because instead of losing a couple a day, they all cycle at the same time). They did come back, but are thinner.
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Mudd
I lost my eyebrows and Lashes after I finished Chemo just as you . I though I got lucky when they didn't fall out along with my hair at about a 3 week after chemo and before starting Letrozole. Both came back , lashes are much thinner and brows are thick but so white you really cant see them if I don't use brow pencil
Regards
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Mudd, I did not lose my eyelashes and eyebrows until 6 weeks after my last taxol. I researched and found this is quite common. Eyelashes came back nicely, eyebrows sparse, but were thin to begin with..
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Hi there,
I'm going to start taking Letrozole soon and there are a couple of SE that I'm hoping I don't get; dizziness and eye problems that may prevent a person from being able to drive. Have any of you heard of those happening and effecting lifestyle/work? Much appreciated.
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I had no vision, dizziness issues. Took letrozole b4 bed.
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What sort of eye problems? 6 months before i was diagnosed i got my eye prescription changed then while i was doing taxol my eyesight got worse. My doctor at the time told me that it was due to the steroids that they gave me before the taxol. My eyes were already bad. I didn't know letrozole could cause eye problems. I just started taking letrozole about a month ago.
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2Fun Nope, I get hot and sweaty and then I itch. No hives or any other skin reactions. I go to my MO in several weeks and will talk to him then. I hate AI's!
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I had "significant eye change" with Taxol but have noticed no difference after 6 months of arimedix and six of femora.
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I was looking at some of the more serious side effects with Letrozole. Blurred vision (rare) is among the alleged serious side effects. They go on to say that vision changes would be a reason to get medical attention. Of course, there are other side effects of varying degrees.
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I will chime in. Initially I was on arimidex, then Tamox and switched to Femara. While on Femara my glucose shot up as did my cholesterol and I was put on statins, metformin and Effexor so 4 new drugs in a period of 4 months. I began getting light headed, dizzy and had brief periods of double vision. My MO got me an emergency visit with a neurologist. I asked the neurologist and the MO if it could be all these crazy meds and was assured that they were not the cause and so Mets to brain or clogged arteries in the neck or blood clots were suspect. I can't remember if I got CT scans or MRIs but all was clear. I followed my gut, discontinued all meds except the Femara and weaned down slowly on the Effexor. Within 2-3 days I was fine.
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Do any of you on letrozole have almost constant nausea? It gets a little better some days but most days it's always there. If so, have you found that anything helps it? Or have you gone off the letrozole for a few days to see if it improved and if so, how long did it take to see a difference? I am stage 4 and letrozole is my only med at the moment so I'm reluctant to not take anything as of course I'm worried the cancer will rear its ugly head again. If going off letrozole makes a difference maybe I will ask to try one of the other AI's.
Thanks for any input you have,
Faith (in the future).
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Hi Faith-840, I have been taking letrozol for a month now and i seem to be have constant nausea too - or at least mainly in the morning/afternoon. I take letrozol in the morning so that the joint pains wont bug me too much at night. I am wondering if the nausea is from the letrozol too or if it is just me being stressed about coming to the end of my active cancer treatment. Either way i usually have a pretty strong stomach but lately it just feels yucky. I see my MO next month so i will discuss it with him then. Wish you love and light,
Romy
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I take all my meds at bedtime. However I’ve had to stay up later/couldn’t sleep a couple nights and ended up experiencing some nausea. Guessing it’s the letrozole. Far better to sleep thru it. Have you tried changing up what time you take it?
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I've had a good bet of reflux/heart burn with letrozole and now exemestane.
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Hey All,
Some of us girls on the Tamoxifen thread have been working on a survey for curiosity's sake. Started out mainly to see where everyone was at with side effects. There will be no emails collected, no names, all anonymous. If you have any thoughts on adding to the questionnaire send me a message and I can add it. So far 9 people have responded and once you are done you will be able to view the results.
Thanks in advance.Cheryl
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Faith I take my Letrozole 1/2 hour before bed and I don't experience nausea. I've always taken it at that time because the script said it may cause drowsiness and I didn't want to experience drowsiness during the day.
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