FEMARA
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Hi ladies,
Should be possible that younger ladies need hormonal therapy for longer, because they should live 20 - 25 or 30 years still more!!!
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Shelby, wow congratulations on keeping with the Femara for the 5 years - go girl. May you continue to life live cancer free. Hope any lingering SEs subside quickly and you continue to live a long, healthy an enjoyable life!!!!!!
Have a good weekend everyone.
Gaynor
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slousa: I just turned 68... unfortunately, don't think I could possibly fit into the "younger ladies" category. Infohh: My lymph nodes were clear, like yours, so maybe you're right.0
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gingerstx....my onc has kept me on the femara for move than 5 years due to the number of nodes involved...14/32
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Hi Gingerstx,
LOL, I'm 71 and am hoping to finish Femara after 5 years, but one of youngest Oncos at our Institute of Oncology answered to a lady complaining about Femara extension, they must be treating her in the way to survive at least 20 years... joking apart, meaning it could be that the extension healing is giving a prolonged protection from recurrence... (sorry, English isn't my native language).
Sincerely greetings
Usha
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Slousha: Good for you to be finishing up soon! Nice to know I'm not the only elder in this discussion group! :^) After being a heavy smoker, eating all the wrong foods, and never exercising during her life, my mom was almost 94 when she died of old age. Before my BC diagnosis I'd always assumed I would live that long too, because my lifestyle had been much healthier! Ha! Maybe that extension would do it for me though, eh?
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Well my husband picked up my Femara prescription last night and I am disgusted to say that the makers of Femara are not honoring the June 15 date of the coupon. I am even more disgusted that my insurance is no longer honoring the $30 copay for it. I had to pay $97 for it. CVS want take it back and fill it with the generic either because I have taken three. There fault they didn't have it in stock and gave me three until it came in.
I sure hope next month that the generic copay comes in a lot cheaper. I can't afford to pay that much more on my meds.Still have knee and finger pain. I am always tired too. Other than that, I feel like I am trying to put my life back together unsuccessfully most days. The heat here is so horrible and it's not summer yet.
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Has anyone switched from femara to generic arimedex. Are you having any problem with switch?
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I'm filling my prescription for generic Femara tomorrow and was just wondering if anyone is taking just a half dose? I was on Tamox for 3 months and was one of the 1% that got a blood clot and I'm terrified to take the Femara. Are there any studies that show that taking less works as well as taking the prescribed dose? I know, silly question but there's a study that was done that showed that taking just 1mg of Tamox and not the prescribed 20mg works just as well.
Terri
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I haven't seen any studies on half dosage. I've always wondered why doctors don't do before/after estrogen level tests.
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infohh...I recently stopped femara after almost 4 years (did tamoxifen for 2) standard procedure. I too was nervous coming off and thinking why not just stay on. I so have pre-ost. and also arthritis has develpoed in my knees so staying on could have made that worse. Also about 6 weeks after stopping my period returned! My onc said no way so a bunch of tests were ordered, pelvic ultra sound and blood work. Blood work shows I am still post menopausal and all test showed everything healthy down below. Theory is that my 41 year old body was trying to start a cycle. Why wouldn't it,I am only 41. It does make me nervous though, what if my body suceeds and I start to cycle and build estrogen again. Thinking oopherectomy might be in order.
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I just got my Femara refilled using the coupon (making it only $10) for the last time since it expires this month. I'm anxious to know how much the generic will cost me.
Also, I thought I should share with you some results. I've been taking femara for 4 months in order to shrink my tumor before having surgery. I just got the results comparing an MRI from last week to one in January. The size of my tumor went from 1.3 x 1.3 cm to 0.7 x 0.9 cm. There is new evidence (in the news this week) that Femara might be helpful in preventing tumors from developing in the first place. Some women don't respond to this treatment, but for others there is proof that it works.
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Terri.....hello friend!!! I have been taking a half dose of Femara (1.25mg) for a year now. My s/e's were horrible on a full dose. Severe joint pain. I just couldn't do it! My Onc of course would rather I take a full dose, but understands that quality of life is important. If you go to www.femara.com then scroll down the page and click where it says for full prescribing info click here. It will take you to a pdf document. Paragraph 12.2 talks about there being full estrogen suppression achieved with doses of .5mg, which is even less than 1/2 a pill. I asked my Onc about taking one pill every other day, but he thought it would be better to have some in my system every day. My joint issues are much better. I might someday try a full dose again, but not for now.
Sorry to hear of the blood clot. Hope you are doing great otherwise.
Joni
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Sherri, that's such positive news. Thanks for sharing!
Joni, I'm going to look up that study info. I'd love to be able to reduce the dosage!
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Joni, I answered you back yesterday but now I don't see my post! Strange. I looked up that info on Femara and I think that I'm going to start off with a 1/2 pill a day and see how that goes. I read that even as little as .1mg cuts the estrogen but they suggest at least .5mg. I'll start off with 1.25mg and let you know how that goes. I'm sorry to hear that you have such terrible SE's but at least now you can function better and aren't in such pain. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I hope you are doing well, It's so nice to see you on here - seems like our June thread was ages ago!
Hugs,
Terri
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While we are all wondering about this or that, I wonder why the docs don't ever run the blood work to see what our estrogen levels are at any given point in time. Mmmmmm......maybe that's too straightforward & simple, you think?
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Norma Jean, my ONC tests for estrogen every six months along with progesterone, thyroid, CEA and CA125. What he doesn't test for is Vitamin D but I'm going to try to get him to test for it when I see him next week. I think it's very important for our Vit D to be at least 80.
Terri
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Well ladies it has been nice knowing you and all the great advice you have given me. My Dr. has decided to change me to a different AI. I have to finish my Femara that I have...darn I just filled it last week. Then I stop for one week and start the new one. I am hoping I will have less pain on it. It is all worth a shot. This week my fingers hurt to even be flat on my pillow at night. I told him I could deal with the knee pain but not my fingers hurting so much. Good luck to all and I know I will see you around the boards.
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Good luck Kitty. What alphabet soup do you try next?
Anyone having frequent urinary tract infections since starting Femara?
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Hi Eph I was starting to have some issues but I started taking 1000mg of Cranberry every day and increased the amount of water I was drinking and the problem stopped. That was about three months ago and it has not returned.
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so the 1000mg of Cranberry is a pill Crissy? Man, they put everything in caplets these days. I got some OceanSpray this afternoon, but called PCP (& got antibiotics) cause it was hurting! Not abdominal pain, just peeing pain-hate it! Sorry if that's TMI
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Eph, the Cranberry drinks are full of sugar so that's why I take the pill as I find the sugar, beside not being good for the waist line actually helps to feed the bug. The Cranberry tabs are available from the health food stores here so I would assume that it would be the same there. Hope the pain goes soon for you as the anti-b's kick in.
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I also take the cranberry pills. They have really helped me as well. I can find them at the local walmart.
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I will be trying Armidex next. Hope it works with less joint pain.
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Hi, haven't been on this thread in a long time.
Two month ago I asked my Pharmacist when Femara was going generic and he said he hadn't heard anything. Do you know for sure and do you have a date when it is to happen? Every time I get my prescription the Phamicist always ask " do you know how much this drug cost?' Geez, yes, I know I buy it every month and thank goodness for insurance because this is ridiculous. It's Not fair for us or the Insurance companies. $ 565.00 is crazy.
I have Osteoporosis and arthritis but my joints in my hands give me the most problems. Yoga helps a lot. Doc says I'm done with the drug in May od 2013. No longer because they don't see an advantage in more than five years.
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The generic came out around 1st of may
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artsee, I asked the pharmacist last week if I could have the generic for Femara and she said sure but she would have to order it. I asked why I hadn't been given it before and she said because I didn't ask for it. 0
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my560sel....
Doesn't your onco do a CA27.29 also? Last week got the answer to my question about testing the estrogen.............answer please !! .............was it would be pointless as I have no estrogen while on the aromatase inhibitors. Mmmmm........I would think this fat I have accumulated around this belly would produce some.
Usually I have a full metabolic panel with CEA, CA27.29 and I remind them about the Vit. D. Out of curiosity I think the next one done I will ask for the estrogen & progesterone to be done also. Have heard for years that the CA 125 was not reliable enough. Okay maybe "they" have improved it but at some point I am going to slow down the frequency of all this testing. Some things will not change quickly and I am tired of doctors offices !! Rant & Rave !!!
Everyone have a great day.
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Is anyone experiencing more aching in your joints since starting Femara? Is this a known side effect?
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It is a known SE and quite common Rohanna. A lot of women take glucosamin and fish oil to ry to alleviate the joint pain. Some say the joint pain will subside with time and others that it gets worse.......it's a very individual thing so hang in there and hope that your will fade with time.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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