FEMARA
Comments
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Texas, have you taken anything for the neuropathy? I had the same problem with my fingertips. Started taking L-Glutamine (500mg) at bedtime, and the neuropathy disappeared after a couple of months. It might work for you!
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Texas357 - Such a good feeling to finish rads. Started Femara on Monday - so far so good. Hoping no SEs or if I do not until after Christmas.
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Kerry lamb - (and other ladies here...) I too follow same regiment. green tea, black tea, Vit D, Fish oil etc. Exercise is a must and all kinds of it, swimming best over-all, soaking in a hot tub too releaves a lot as well as hot tubs and general strteching daily. If you can dance, dance, flexibility helps. Glutacosmeine (sp) will help as well. I personally decided to stop my Femara, been on it almost 4 years and nothing but problems and major SE's. I experimented on myself and it seems now two months out of being off it, my hair is thickening, super healthy, soft and my skin radiant. Back pain, etc. very very minimal....no depression, no mood swings, no nothing, only better, but each of us are individuals and you need to consult your onc, I only did what I wanted to do for myself, because my bone tests and scans and cancer markers are all well under what they would be concerned about, so personally, I'll do what I have to to be comfortable and happy...Pain very minimual, as I changed pillows too, a Sobakawa Cloud Pillow has aligned me and I'm feeling grand. Sure we all have aches and pains daily, older age, what our bodies have been thru is enough, but learning to do more for ME and relax then ever!
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Jo, the fatigue from Rads is MUCH worse...for me, I don't realize how tired this makes me, til I stop taking it for a week or two (due to upcoming surgery, etc). If you ever did sprints, then added ankle weights...I can still do the sprint but it's slower and harder.
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rseaw22 - Tell me about the fatigue from rads. It was horrible. I am just a little over 2 weeks post rads and I am starting to feel more energy. Thought it would never quit.
Started Femara last Monday and had to stop it today. Got too nauseated and dizzy - just like Arimdex. Called my onc. He is out of town for the next two weeks, so will set up an appt to see him when he gets back. Guess I will have to do Tamox. Wouldn't even think of starting that until after the holidays anyway.
Since my BC surgery on Aug 30, all kinds of things have gone wrong. Surgery follow ups were fine and no problems there. The rads and meds have been a nightmare.
I just want to feel good for once. Almost can't remember what that is like.
Yea, I am whining a bit. Just so frustrated. Looking forward to 2011 and a better year.
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Jo, the good news on the fatigue from the rads is it does get better. Use the next weeks to keep recovering and deal with your next choices when the Onc gets back. It's an amazing 3 month journey - you need time to mentally get ready for this next phase. For me, surgery was the easiest part - Rads the hardest, and now the long mental strain of Femera/Tamoxofin. Enjoy the holidays!
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rseaw22 - Your journey sounds just like mine. Surgery was a piece of cake - mostly due to my amazing surgeon and his angel of a nurse. They have been there for me through it all. Rads really sucked. Have tried two AI's and both are not going to work for me. The past 4 months has been on heck of a roller coaster ride. It does give me so relief to know I don't have to think of any more treatment for the next couple of weeks. What I really need right now is a whole lot of sleep.
The rads fatigue is getting better. Finding more and more energy everyday. The holidays is tiring anyway and I am trying to pace myself. Glad I have a short work week.
Have a Wonderful Holiday Season
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rseas22- you got it re the Hormone therapy. The whole treatment and especially the SEs seems to be trivialised by the doctors - my GP said, after he had just told me that I had cancer, 'if you are lucky you will only have to have some surgery and take a pill for 5 years' - sounded so easy... Coming up two years on Femara for me on April 1 - excellent April fools joke every year!
I didn't do rads but the fatigue from Femara has been pretty significant - I feel tired all the time but the worst is the lack of stamina when I am exercising or have long days at work.
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Hey ladies,
Had a bad day today - woke up this morning with muscles so sore and painful, especially shoulders, upper arms and lower back. Started Femara this past May and seemed to be doing ok until about 6 weeks ago. Called my oncologist a few weeks ago and he told me to go off for about 1 week to see how I feel. Went off for 2 weeks and muscles and over all wellness started to feel better. Then went back on for 5 days and whamo, hurt so much this morning I just sat and wept. Called oncologist back and he said to go off and come in next week to decide which other drug, tamoxifen etc. I feel so discouraged and don't know how a lot of you ladies stay on these drugs. I will try tamoxifen, but if I feel the same, I will be packing it in. Can't spend the next 4 1/2 feeling like this! I was diagnosed with stage 1, grade 2/3, her2neu+, weakly estrogen positive. Have 3 more herceptin infusions left. I don't know what I can expect to hear from you gals, guess am wondering if anyone been in the same boat and of course to vent! Thanks everyone...take care.
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I was on Arimidex for a year and then switched to Femara because of side effects from the Arimidex. The aches and pains from Femara were pretty bad for the first 3-4 months and I was about ready to call it quits when things started to get better. I don't have nearly so much pain now and feel fairly decent, so am glad I gave the little yellow pills a chance.
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My aches and pains come and go; it's the thinning hair and other side effects that are a daily reminder.
Chico1: you've got to do what's best for you.
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You are right, Texas -- Femara has different SEs in different people and the severity has a huge range, so Chico1 and others using this drug have to decide what's best for them based on their own experience.
I'm happy to tell you that, beginning this month, my hair is no longer thinning and is almost back to normal! Fingernails are a different story -- still very fragile and seem to split and break if I look at them wrong. Also have mild osteopenia that showed up in last week's Dexa scan, so there is definitely a price to pay for taking Femara, but it gives me a much better chance of avoiding a recurrence. My onc told me from the beginning that an AI would be the most important part of my treatment to keep the cancer from returning, so I'm going to take this little yellow pill for 5 years and then see what is recommended.
Have a good day, ladies.
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Well this is my 2nd year on femara. I have 3yrs to go yeah! It has been rocky sometimes i still have aches and pains sometimes but, some days better than others. I take one day at at time.
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I am taking a self-granted week off of femara- I was hurting so badlyl in the knees, ankles and hands/wrists- I always had some achiness but with the shopping and standing on my feet cooking it became unbearable. At this point I will probably go back on and tell the onc what I did when I see her- the only other time I remember being this achy was before they built my vitamin D back up!
It will be 2 years in January since I started femara!
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To you ladies whose hair is thinning, I take 5000 Biotin a day and it has stopped coming out completely. I have a question about trigger finger; does is last long or come and go after a while? Also the tips of my fingers on my left hand are numb and tingly. This has only been doing this for app. a month. This trigger finger sure does hurt.
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gauleyeagle - sorry don't get trigger finger but I get the tingly hand and fingers especially when I am driving and my hands are in one position for a long time and in bed at night. More on the right hand than the left. Didn't notice it until I had been on Femara for about 6 months and it isn't any better or worse now at 20 months.0
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Mollydog (from 12-15 post),
I too have early cataracts. I'm 58. Had an opthamologist tell me 3 years ago that I had them, and would need surgery in 6 months. I ran fast from him. I still haven't had cataract surgery since, I've seen two other good opthamologists who both agree I'm about a 4 out of 10 in need of surgery, and to wait until I feel my eyesight in any one eye is getting to be a problem, like with driving. One even said I wasn't bad enough yet for insurance to qualify it for coverage. They say continue to use opticians to get best eye sight correction I can get, and I could do just fine for some time (years).
I have no reason to think my cataract issue has any connection to my BC... but then again, the heel bone is connected to the ankle bone, which is connected to the leg bone....
Glad I found this forum. I've started Femara about 10 days ago. Noticed one middle finger 'firing off' when using the mouse. Glad I read about 'trigger finger' here!
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I'm in the "cateract" club also - been aware of it for several years and have been on Femara since Oct. 1 so I don't think the Femara had any effect. My thyroid r/x had to be increased and I do think this was an effect. My joint pain has been minimal and never strikes the same place 2 days in a row - usually disappears after several minutes. I am amused to find out that some of you young gals in your 50's ( not in any way to be unsympathic to your pain) say that you feel as if you are 90. I am 70 and cannot imagine what I would feel like at 110 ! I pray that all of us have a great 2011 !
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hi there, my first time here. I just wanted to add that I had early cataracts from Bc drugs and I had surgery in both eyes- all paid for by my insurance. And it was a miracle surgery that lasted 15 minutes! i chose the vision I wanted to be the best ( the distance from my computer screen and music stand-I am a professional flutist) and now I never need contacts or glasses except for driving and movies. Don't let cataract surgery scare you. Unbelievable what they can do these days. JS
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hi there, yes I have had the same exact responses. I was on Tamoxifen for about 4 yrs then switched to femara and then to aromacin.. both made me hurt a lot, joints, muscles, etc. so I went back to to tamoxifen 2 months ago, but no change yet. I won't do those AI's any more. Good luck with yours.. I think tamoxifen is easier for me in any case. JS
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julscol - welcome. Just a note to let you know that until you reach 50 posts you can only post 5 times in 24 hours. You can however Private message as much as you like by clicking on a person's name and then clicking on the Send member a private message words at the top right of the page.
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have you tried the estring? it helped me a lot. and doctors find it safe. I used to think I would never have sex again, and now my sex life is back to normal. libido is tough, but once I jump start it I can usually remember why sex is worth it. hope this helps.
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Kristy, you mentioned building your Vitamin D up? How much do you take daily? Can you elaborate on this a bit please. By the way, I went to my GP regarding the ringing in my ear - he thinks it is related to an inner ear infection so am on antibiotic to see if it will clear it. I just went through my first real paranoia that the big C was back - ugh. I had my 6 month visit with Onc and forgot to complain about Femera
I guess that gives me my perspective......0 -
To you gals running from cataract surgery---don't!! I had both my eyes done and this is the easiest surgery there is. Your eye is completely numb when you go in for the actual surgery--I watched the cataracts being peeled off. Amazing. And, with my last surgery, had the most minimal anesthesia that you could have; because, this let me get out faster so I could get my coffee!!!
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I take 2000 units daily of D3 now- a year ago I was on 1000 per day and my levels were not increasing so the onc put me on an 8 week series where I would take a mega dose once a week for 8 weeks- it was prescription and I believe it was D2. Apparently Vitamin D is like a tank- once it gets empited it is hard to refill so the idea is to top the tank and then keep it full.
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I am also having problems with my D levels. I am currently taking 4000 units a day. During chemo they had me taking the prescriptions one too. They were fine this summer then fell again,
I have been on Femara a month now. No new side effects so far. I did have a hot flash in Church but taking my coat back off worked. lol It didn't go unnoticed either.
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Hi girls! Happy New Year to you all!!!! I hope 2011 treats you well and you have a great year.
Been on the Femara for two months now and I can't believe how good I feel! No aches, no pains and energy like I haven't had in such a long time. By taking it a night I am even sleeping very well which is definately an improvement for me as I usually have real problems in that area. My moods have lifted and even my DD's have commented that I am more like my old self before the BC reared to ugly head. I am sooo happy that this med is doing good things for me and I truly hope that nothing upsets the way I feel now as I really don't want to return to the way I felt on Arimidex........
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Hi
Have you seen the note on the main bco board about AI's vs. tamoxifen? They did a panel about the risk of cardiac events on AI's--apparently slightly higher than tamoxifen. I would past it here but of course I cannot find it again. Anyway, my onc was on the panel and everyone on the panel said they would be talking to their patients about the AI's and each patient's particular risk. I don't think I have any cardiac issues, but I am really looking forward to having the conversation in May about this drug-- I am coming up on 2 years and wondering if maybe I can take a break....even though the SE's are not terrible, I would love a reprieve!
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I've been on Femara for 1 1/2 years and do have trigger fingers however they come and go. Today I have one but have had up to three.
I wanted to wish everyone a healthy new year.
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Chrissyb,
It was really nice to read your post about how good you feel! Congratulations and I am truly happy for you.
I have read so much bad stuff about Femara and since I know that I need to take it in the future it's nice to read about someone who feel good while taking it!
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