FEMARA
Comments
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weety- This pdf is from the Femara webpage under prescribing information.
http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/product/pi/pdf/Femara.pdf
Paragraph 12.1 and 12.2 deal with the estrogen suppression occuring with .5mg. If you read through it all, yes, the results with 2.5mg are better. For me, I felt it was the best I could do for now.
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Weety and Jacee,
I have just cut mine in half too!!!! It has only been a couple of days but I needed to do something. The pain was too much for me and I have only been on Femara for 16 months. Please keep me posted on your levels and what your Onc's have to say. I go Feb. 18th and I will report in.
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Jacee and ktmimi2,
I was always on 2.5mg dose of Femara. I am surprised to hear that the drs. are prescribing any other dose except 2.5 mg... strange...
I was switched back to Tamoxifen because the Femara caused 'significant' bone loss...
Hmm...
Harley
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harley44- My Onc didn't prescribe a different dose, I made the decision to cut the pills in half on my own. It wasn't his recommendation. But, I told him I couldn't continue at the dose I was on.I asked him if it would be better to take a whole pill every other day, or a half a pill every day. He thought it would be good to get the same dose in my system every day. I don't want to give the impression that it's OK to take 1/2 a pill. It was just what I decided to do on my own .....rather than not take it at all.
Joni
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Thanks, Jaceee, for the links. I read the paragrahs you mentioned, but it looks like cutting the dose in half still provides ample estrogen suppression--you had said that it was not as good--maybe I'm not reading the right part. Where did you find that info? All I see is the part that says anything over .5mg suppressed estrogen serum levels, but it doesn't say how much. Thanks for taking the time to help with this!!! I also need to add in that I'm only "weakly" ER positive. Am I doing all this estrogen suppression for nothing? It's making me dizzy just thinking about it all. It goes around and around and around in my head, and I can't stop worrying and thinking about it!
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weety- you can scroll down to Table 16 and see some comparisons between .5mg and 2.5mg doses. Like you said, you are still getting more than double the .5 dose. I know how hard it is to not worry about it. My tumor was 97% ER + so estrogen suppression is very important to me!! We just have to do the best we can do . I may try to go back to a full pill at some point. My joint pain is so much better. We all have to do what is best for us.
I'd be interested to know what your Onc's say about reducing the dosage.
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I have to say I really do not like the way Femara makes me feel however I do not like my chances with a cancer that is ER+ and it coming back. but I take a lot of vicodin everyday for the last two years and I see no coming off any time soon.
is anyone still working with the pain or SE from it, I had to stop working and I just got awarded Soc Sec
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Diane
Vista Ca.
Kerry and other women out there. Ive been taking Femara since 2007. I blend in the morning 1 Tbls. ove flaxseed oil with two bananas choc. syrup 2 cups ove fat free milk. get out and walk jog run or go roller bladeing. come back and sing karaoke. or shop, keep busey. I work at the grocery store in the evening stocking shelves faceing shelves part time, raise two boys husband.Try to rest 1 Hr. before work. I feel good some hot flashes so far so good. I have a abe lounge I use and a gazel ski bike I use every day In the living room for tone.
Good Luck
WRITE back
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I, too, have always been on 2.5 mg...........going on 6 years. The worst SE is the feet feeling like they will crack when I first get up sometime.....at least now.. That started after the 5th year. But, it just takes a moment of walking around to make it better. I have said before and will say it always...........I had 14/32 nodes positive......and am NED for the 6th year. Hot flashes and sweats have always been bad. I just feel that the benefits outweigh the pain. I exercise but not a lot. I do try to keep active but have a job that gives me a lot of time of inactivity. I just want to say that you have to decide what your priority is. If this little yellow pill has saved my life for the past 6 years and can continue to do so............nothing else need be said. This is a personal decision and only you can figure out what is best for you. There are things you can do to counteract the SE's. You can only figure that our for yourself. Best of luck and God Bless!!!!
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Hi Girls, My femara is 2.5 also and I, like Jaycee, decided, ON MY OWN, to cut the pill in half. So far, I feel soooo much better. I can actually put my underwear on without lifting my leg myself. Each of our SE's are similar yet they effect us in different ways. I have NO hot flashes, NO VaJ.J. dryness, just horrible leg/bone pain which doesn't allow me to walk down my stair like a normal person or walk my dog for more than 15 minutes without pain. When my fingers were starting to curl as I woke up in the morning, I knew there just had to be something else I could do. They were crazy stiff like every other bone in my body. So.....I know I have asked you all this: Have you investigated the Natural Aromatase Inhibitor called: MYOMIN ? The key word is Natural with NO side effects. I have all my paperwork to bring to my ONC Feb 18th. I will pass along any info he relates to me. Like you, I don't want this to re-appear on my other side or anywhere else in my body but........my quality of life sucks right now. I am a very active woman and I eat healthy but if I keep taking pills to aleviate each side effect, then they will reek havic on some other part of my body. I can't live on Vicodin, advil, colace, etc each day. I want to go the Natural way if it is doable. If the MYOMIN will keep my estrogen levels where they should be for the next 4 years, yahoo!!!!! Please let my know if you have any info on MYOMIN.
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I think maybe the only way I (we) can find out if the 1/2 pill is suppressing enough estrogen, is to have a test done. I had one done right before starting femara, but at Kaiser the test isn't sensitive enough and my results came in at "less than 12." A lot of good that test did for me. I'm wondering how I would go about (on my own since Kaiser won't allow outside facilities) getting a more sensitive test run. I guess I could check my level on the whole dose and then check it a few months later on the 1/2 dose. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about this?
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weety-my estrogen level was the same as yours, only they said <50 and it was as low as it could be. I know I could have it broken down to the different types of estrogen and get a better idea. I know you can order hormone testing through www.lef.org type in hormone testing in the search box.
Just not sure I want to pay for that right now. Maybe when tax refund comes in
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thanks!
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Have any of you experienced vitreous humor tearing of the retinal part of the eye since taking femara? I just experienced that--apparently there is a link between the liquefaction of the viterous humor and lack of estrogen. So one more SE to add to my huge list! I am going to look into the MYOMIN--could it be a natural alternative with no SE? I am thrilled to read all of your responses--sometimes I feel all alone out here in the world--I also have joint pain, numbness, dry skin, eyes, fingernails breaking, hair not growing, etc etc etc, oh, let's don't leave out night sweats and hot flashes and being awake every night!!!!
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And weight gain! I cannot lose anything and I was way down before this stupid pill, now I have gained 15 -the Femara 15 over 2 years. Heading to Mexico thursday and taking a F holiday as well.
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Hi everyone. I thought I had overcome my wrist and hand problems with PT. However, I now cannot hold a pen or pencil without severe pain and it is an effort for me to write. Has anyone else gone through this???? I can type, it hurts, but easier that writing. Again, I was on A first since Dec. 09 and switched to F in Oct. 2010.
Thank you.
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I depend on the computer because my handwriting is almost illegible. I can't hold a pen worth a darn becuse my knuckles hurt and my fingertips are numb from the taxotere treatment.
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I hadnt noticed difficulty writing because I use a computer so much- but I am taking a class this semester and we had a written test last night and realized how painful it is to write for a while with a pen/pencil. Im going to talk to onc next month about being tested and possibly trying the 1/2 pill methodology.
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Hi everyone, due to my inability to write and hold a pen or even anything light in my right hand, my onc. has now suggested I go off Femara for 10 days to see if pain and discomfort subsides. I do have pain in both hands, but right hand is severly worse.
I am also to see a rheumoid arthiritis doctor. This is because I did have some hand problems before cancer.
Thank you for responding. I have no idea what to expect after the 10 days are up. This was my only s/e from Femara.
Hugs,
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Hi Girls! Been on F since Sept.... Bad knee pain today....The last few days I have felt very angry... I will bite your head off? Is that one of the SE? It's almost 4 in the morning... SO you know how I am doing in the sleep department.
Donna
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I would think the angry is part of it. I have knee pain this morning too. I feel like it attacks our weak areas when it comes to the bone and joint pain. I hurt my knee 7 years ago and I have also twisted my ankle several times. Those and my back are the areas that hurt the most.
I have no problems sleeping. I am very thankful for that. I have added 400mg of motrin to my night time medicine. Might have to start taking some during the day to if my back and knee don't ease off.
Wishing you a pain free day.
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Went to Rheumotologist this morning. Dr. called my poblem with wrist/hand tendonitis which I have had in the past pre-bc. Received cortisone shot and have to wear a patch and splint. Hopefully this will help me. I am still going to take the 10 days vac from F as the onc. said
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hope the shot's the fix Ronna
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OK Ladies I haven't posted in a while but I just need to vent - I am sicked & "tired" of the fatigue thing. I cannot believe that by 10am I am quite literally falling asleep at my desk, and I mean falling. I struggle to keep my head up and my hands on the keyboard, often I have to go sit in the washroom and battle the feeling until it washes over me. It lasts about an hour or two then I guess I get through the pain barrier and return to feeling normal, whatever that feeling is. I know it's the Femara - I have tried not taking it for a day and even that short break makes a difference. I used to take it at night but then I couldn't sleep so I switched to taking it in the am but now I have the fatigue problem. I am 2 years into taking this and I thought I had gotten tolerant of the side effects but then it throws something else at you, I can stand the aches and pains as I have a high pain threshold but this fatigue is really bogging me down. I need to be alert at work and I find this a real battle.
OK rant over, thanks for listening, it' s great to have somewhere to come and rant and know people will understand.
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GaynorI, have you taking melatonin at night so that you have a much deeper sleep? Femara kept me awake at night, so I also started taking it in the mornings. I am wondering if it's still not letting you have a sound enough sleep. One melatonin tablet knocks me out in about 1/2 hour and I don't budge until morning. Plus it is safe, and I've read some studies that say it's actually beneficial for BC patients.
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I was on an anti depressiant to help me sleep. MO said I could cause an increase in appetite boy did it. I decided not to take it any more because all it did was help me gain 10 lbs. Started taking melatonin and it has really helped me getting rest at night. I to get tired during the day but try to stay active when I get home after work I rest, going to start walking at least 30 min a day as recommend by my Dr.
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Gaynor1-I'm a proponent of taking Femara at night-when I took in the day, I was like you - falling asleep at my desk-I was going home everyday @ lunch & taking a power nap. I switched to night time & I take the Femara & an OTC sleep aid & I'm out! I know you said you did the night time trial, but you might want to try again, now that you have been doing day time for a while & just see if it's switched out!
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Could someone tell me how to take meds. All at once or a little at a time. I am on femera and blood pressure meds. and vits. and anxiety meds and baby aspirin a dayand I don't know if I should take all at once or all through the day , afraid the femera will get mixed up with all the other,
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Could someone tell me how to take meds. All at once or a little at a time. I am on femera and blood pressure meds. and vits. and anxiety meds and baby aspirin a dayand I don't know if I should take all at once or all through the day , afraid the femera will get mixed up with all the other,
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jrnld28 I take my HCTZ & lisinipril along with multivitamins in the AM. I take my atenolol, simvistatin, metformin & femara just before bed. I only do that because the PCP says to take the metformin @ night & I didn't want to take it all at the same time. The femara works better for me taking it at night.0
