FEMARA
Comments
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nanna, I take Walgreens brand Calcium 1200 mg for bone and colon health with Vitamin D (1000 IU) and Minerals. They are chewable and I usually get them when Walgreens has their buy one get one free sale. I have taken them for a couple of years with no problems. I have trouble with other calcium pills, they bother my stomach but I do not have any trouble with these. Hope this helps
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Thanks jeanieb will pick me up some this week
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RE: weight loss. I had gained about 15 pounds with chemo, instant menopause, etc. I asked my onc. about it and she said that you can lose weight on femara, but it is more difficult than usual.
I was pretty bummed, but in mid June started running. I am not inactive, but walking the dog is more typical for me. This running has really helped me mentally and physically. I have lost 13 pounds from the end of May to the end of August. I did not drastically change my diet - but did REALLY cut down on the amount of treats I was eating (which was plenty).
I realize that running is not for everyone, but I think if you can kick your fitness up a notch, which could mean walking, or using an elliptical trainer at a gym (supposed to be better for knees I think) it will make a difference. I just feel so much better. Since I can see a difference in my clothes I am way more conscious of the food I am eating, where before I kind of felt like oh well - can't lose the weight so why bother.
Anyway - that's what is working for me. Hope you all enjoy the last weekend in August!
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Has anyone else had problems with rapid heart rate. I started on Femara 7 weeks ago and noticed I was getting some weird feelings, being nervy. Last Tuesday evening had some bad news & my heart rate & blood pressure shot up. I spent 18 hours in the emergency dept. & they did every test they could think of but nothing showed a cause of symptoms. My oxygen level was a bit low too. Dx was sinus tachycardia + hypoxia reason unknown. I have also seen my gp and am being referred to a respiratory specialist. I do have hypertension & they have added another blood pressure med that works to bring down the heart rate. All the docs I have seen have discounted any of the meds I'm on being the cause, I'm going to call my onc on Monday to ask if he thinks it's a possibility. So anyway sorry to ramble on but just interested to know if anyone else has come across this.
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jane - your heart problems sound scarey - glad you are getting them checked out. I've been on Femara for about a year now and no heart problems. My blood pressure is even down from when I was on chemo - with no blood pressure meds.
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Once in a while, I find myself having an irregular pulse, but I was pretty sure it was from the herceptin I'm still on, since I had it during chemo as well (and that was way before I started on the AI's) so I don't know. My blood pressure has gone up a little since being on femara, but I was always on the low side before, so it's still well within normal limits.
Has femara caused any of you to have higher blood sugar levels? I had gestational diabetes that resolved itself, but every once in a while I would still check my morning fasting level since it always seemed to be at the higher end of normal. It used to run in the mid 90's, but since starting on femara, it's been pretty consistently in the low 100's (usually about 104). I know that anything over 99 is considered to be "prediabetes" so this has me a bit worried.
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Hello gals,
Have been on femara for 4 mos. now and about 2 weeks ago have noticed thinning of eyelashes and significant hair loss - argh! Am so concerned as I am so happy to have my hair back, very short but I have hair. Also wondering if anyone has osteoporosis and are taking fosamax. If you decide to go off the fosamax, (do not tolerate well), do you then have to switch to tamoxifen since there doesn't appear to be the same amount of bone loss as there is with femara. Always questions? Would so appreciate a response.
Take care all!
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Hi Chico
After femara my hair line receded and was told it is because the lack of estrogen I use Regain(Rogain) off the shelf and am almost normal now but still poor eyelashes. We use Zometa infusions two times a year for osteporosis there are somestudies going on to verify it has cancer prevention effects also.
hh
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Thanks bonnie for responding. So am I correct in assuming that you do not currently have diabetes, but you have noticed that your blood sugar level has increased since starting femara? What can we do about this?
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I started Femara last May (2010) after finishing chemo/rads. I have my last Herceptin treatment this week and I will be able to get my port removed next week if the blood work comes back marker free
Here's crossing fingers. But to the Femara... I had tremendous stiffness with the Femara in the early days. My Onc is so adamant about taking it, he actually told me that in his professional opinion, he felt taking the Femara was more important to minimizing the chance of recurrence that undergoing chemo and radiation combined! (Gee, that makes me feel great!?). So, been doing Femara for 3+ months now, and honestly, I really hate it. I do Yoga classes three times a week and do long hikes on the weekends. The pain is really in the morning when I get up (in my joints), or after I have been sitting for long periods of time. After I get up and move around, the pain diminishes considerably, if not completely. What bothers me the most about the Femara is what the lack of estrogen is doing to my body 
I swear my skin texture has changed dramatically...even my friends are noticing. The moist supple skin is being replaced by dry wrinkly skin, which I guess makes sense as isn't they why women take estrogen supplements? I feel like taking Femara is starting to age me quicker, but perhaps it is in my head, or perhaps it is because of the chemo. My hair is growing in thick, though...so the lack of estrogen does not seem to affect my hair growth? But, it is definitely affecting my skin. Also, my Onc has permitted me to use a low dose of estrogen (Vagifem) in my nether region, as this Femara is kicking my private area almost completely out of commission. Let's be real...suppressing the production of estrogen in our bodies will produce many side effects...and certainly hasten the bone loss process, too... I am also on the Zometa trial (I was found to have Osteopenia right after chemo), so I hope the Zometa will be helpful. Not having any trouble with weight management (but that was never an issue for me before cancer, so, maybe this is why Femara is not affecting me in this way?). Can anyone recommend good doses of Vitamin D and Calcium? 0 -
I went from Tamoxifen (pre menopausal) to Femara. I have been on it for a year now and the side affects are getting worse. You name it, I am feeling it, and feel 20 years older than my age. The worse side affect are the leg cramps at night. I am up for hours with them and going to work on an hours sleep. Has anyone just quit the treatment and felt better?
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My onc has me on 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily and I take 1500 mg of chewable calcium- but Im on the neratinib trial and cant really eat dairy right now
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Hi guys, I am now in the Femara Club. Had too much joint pain with Arimidex, having been on as of Dec. 1 and stopped June 19. I took my first Femara today, will skip a day for each pill, and continue to 15 pills then go back to onc. I am still suffering with the wrist and joint problems in my hands. I am hoping that they subside and will experience less problem on Femara.
I also take Calcium with Vit D. Oscal and Fish Oil 1200. One of my neighbors who is also a BC survivor has been on Femara for 3 1/2 years, could not take Arimidex went to Femara and never had a problem.
Well at least I found another site to visit.
Hugs,
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Hi guys, I am now in the Femara Club. Had too much joint pain with Arimidex, having been on as of Dec. 1 and stopped June 19. I took my first Femara today, will skip a day for each pill, and continue to 15 pills then go back to onc. I am still suffering with the wrist and joint problems in my hands. I am hoping that they subside and will experience less problem on Femara.
I also take Calcium, Oscal with Vit D and Fish Oil 1200. One of my neighbors who is also a BC survivor has been on Femara for 3 1/2 years, could not take Arimidex went to Femara and never had a problem.
Well at least I found another site to visit.
Hugs,
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Hi guys, I am now in the Femara Club. Had too much joint pain with Arimidex, having been on as of Dec. 1 and stopped June 19. I took my first Femara today, will skip a day for each pill, and continue to 15 pills then go back to onc. I am still suffering with the wrist and joint problems in my hands. I am hoping that they subside and will experience less problem on Femara.
I also take Calcium with Vit D. Oscal and Fish Oil 1200. One of my neighbors who is also a BC survivor has been on Femara for 3 1/2 years, could not take Arimidex went to Femara and never had a problem.
Well at least I found another site to visit.
Hugs,
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Thx KristyAnn!
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spoke to my onc and he said while it's not impossible it's highly unlikely that the tachycardia/hypoxia is a SE of Femara. Guess I'll have to wait & see what the specialist has to see. I googled the specialist I've been referred to & he is a specialist physician with an interest in among other things respiratory problems and difficult dx, a bit like House. I hope he can work out what's wrong in a less dramatic way than House
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jane59-less dramatic but perhaps with some flair!
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Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. I was working on my fundraiser event for my American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. It was a huge success!
I can not get caught up with these threads. Hope everyone is doing great. It's been 8 months for me on Femara, and I seem to be doing ok.
Jane59,
Good luck with your tests. Hope it's nothing serious. I'll be thinking about you. Keep us posted.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Harley
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Hi Harley,
Congratulations on your successful fund raiser!! Do you mind me asking what you did? My team is selling Yankee Candles - they donate 40% to charities!! When was/is your Strides walk? Ours (Metro Orlando MSABC) is October 23rd. I'm chair of the Mission Integration Committee for the event - education and advocacy. Got several presentations coming up soon.
Hugs,
Karen
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Got my 1st Zometa infusion thursday. It went well my next will be in March. Only had minor aches and now doing good. I pray the next one does this good.
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I'm switching from Prozac to Effexor to see if it will help with my hot flashes from the Femara. My question is to those of you on Effexor - better to take it in the morning or at night? I take my Femara at night. Pharmacist said Effexor could make you drowsy, so I'm leaning towards nighttime at this point. I start them on Tuesday! Any comments from those of you on Effexor would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Is there anyone out there who has been on Femara for longer than 5 years. I was on Tamox for 3.5 years starting in 03 and have been on Femara since. Almost 7 years seems so long to be taking this. My onc says there are still studies being done, but I wanted to see if my aches and pains would improve so I stopped on my own in June. Are there others who have been on it for this long? Would love to have some responses.
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jto703 - women with a very high risk of reoccurance are often on hormone therapy for 10 years - usually 5 years Tamox and then 5 years on an AI. I went straight onto Femara and my onc said 5 years is the standard time to take it. He said the same as your onc 'that research was going on all the time' and the suggested time may be longer by the time my 5 years is up. There are serious SEs with long term estrogen depletion (which the AIs produce in our bodies) though affecting particularly the heart. I wonder if see-sawing between Tamox and AIs (say year on, year off) would have any benefit for post menopausal women as they can take either, that would give the body a rest from the estrogen depletion full time. All very difficult to get your head around at times isn't it?
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Hi Ladies, I hope you don't mind if I join in your discussion. I've been on Femara now for 13 months and only recently have begun have severe aches and pains, as well as some anxiety. Is the anxiety also a symptom?
As for duration, I've seen the studies -- and my oncologist concurs -- that using a combination of Femara for 2 years then Tamoxifen for 3 years is just as beneficial as being on Femara for the entire 5 years. That's what I intend to do, if I can stand the pain for another 11 months! I am very concerned about the total estrogen depletion of staying on it longer than 5 years.
I was happy with my latest bone density scan, taken 12 months after starting Femara. My bone density had stayed exactly the same as it had been the year earlier.
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Gg08-Bonnie, my oncologist told me I would be on Femara for the next 15-17 years at least or longer, just depends. I also take Zometa, I had it monthly last year after being diagnosed again after 17 years. I started Femara and Zometa in June 2009. After a year I get Zometa every 3 months instead of monthly and I understand that will continue for the next 3 to 5 years and may eventually be able to go once every 6 months. I have been reading some of the other posts and you are the first one I have seen that said they will take it this long. Everyone else seems to be 5 years. I am glad to hear someone else will take it this long, I was beginning to wonder if the oncologist was right. I have never questioned anything he tells me, just figure he knows more than I do:)
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This is the frustrating part of being on Ai's - you get a different answer from different doctors - there is NO set plan because they really don't know the answers even after all the research. Tamoxifen was the standard for so long until the Ai's were produced. So Tamoxifen became the PREmenopausal drug - Ai's the post. Case closed! Now with all the side effects of the Ais - the case has been reopened. Doctors are scrabbling to keep us on some sort of medication so they can say I told you so if we go off and have a recurrence. Is it for covering their butts or is it really for our own good? Is 2 years enough or do you really have to stay on them for the 5 they recommend? I don't think there's a true answer out there or a study that has shown effective results. If anyone can point me in the direction of an exact study that shows being on Ai's ONLY for 5 years stops recurrence - please do! I'm frustrated as hell and want my life back without side effects.
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Texas-357 I have been on Femara for 15 months now and I have more aches and pains than I did before, I did not know if it was Femara related or just old age creeping up on me, I am 58 so not antique yet but some days I feel it. I also have had bouts of anxiety. I thought it was from the recurrence of breast cancer but then I got to thinking about it and wondered if it is the Femara. I was told in June 2009 that it was back and started on Femara within 3 days of being told that and have had anxiety off and on every since. I even wake up in the morning sometimes with my heart racing and being very anxious, it hits me as I am just waking up so I have not even had time to think about anything. I wonder if anyone else has this problem also. I thought as my body adjusted to taking Femara the side effects would go away but it seems to be the opposite.
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wblibrary... I've been taking effexor since dx and always take it with my other meds in the mornings. Maybe I'll try it at bedtime and see if it makes any difference. The femara gives me serious hot flashes and the effexor seems to help with that, but not as much as when I was on arimidex. --bonnie
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I have been on femara now going on my 6th year. I have recently started taking it along with my effexor in the evenings. Don't know that I notice any help with my rest but do find that I have much more energy during the day. Hope this helps.
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