FEMARA
Comments
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I plan when I run out of my Femara (brand) to try the generic, but if anything gets worse then what I already have, I'm back to the "brand"..................There is something to be said for quality of life................I do know many who have switched, and either got SE's when they had none. The SE's they had got worse, and then there are those who saw no change.........................I will base what I take on my quality of life whichever I am on at the time.....................some things are just worth the extra money.......................Mine is a bit over $200............have never had to pay more then that..............
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Ducky..you are right. If you feel that badly, I think anyone would pay the price. I didn't get all that much worse....but one day is better than the next too. I have to blame a lot on this fr---ken weather. Damp, cold,damp. Who wouldn't stiff right?
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Artsee...........yes the weather does play a huge part in your body doing great or not so great...........we all know what they say about the barometric pressure cause already sore parts to hurt more...............plus age.................
You said that your SE's when you began the generic didn't get all that much worse................so they did increase, even though it wasn't that much.
This is what I have heard from others...........keep in mind.........the compounds of a generic have to be same as the "brand", but the "fillers" do not................sometimes that is what makes the difference between no SE's, and increased SE's................
It can be as little as the dye they use to color the pill.................
So I would be interested to know what SE's you already have from the A-I, and how did they increase if at all.................I like to spend money like everyone else, and do not appreciate having to spend it on drugs, for my survival................so anything saved would be a blessing..............I had thought of giving it a try for possibly a month or two, to see if I nothice a change.............if not, then I probably could switch, but if anything gets worse...................I would just spend the extra for the little more comfort................ .................................something else I found out today..................Generic companies do not give their Dr's samples..........................never knew that..............my BS told me that today when I was there for my 1 year check;up..................Imagine worked for a Pharma. Co., and never knew that the competition did not give out samples.....................hahahahahaha......well as they say "you learn something new everyday"...........
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You were speaking of 'dyes'. This month when I picked up my Letrozole the color went from 'pink' to 'ta'. When I asked about the color change they said it depends on where they get it from. (spoooky) Anyway, my joint pain in the fingers got worse when starting the generic and also
the knuckles are getting bigger. I feel like I have hands of a 90 year old.
Lower back pain got a little worse and certain muscles bother me when I flex them. Oh my....
I tried to get a month of samples because we are going to AZ for the month of March but the nurse said they don't get samples anymore, so I have to call my pharmacy and have them fax the scrip out to AZ.
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Artsee,
You might check with your dr/pharmacist, to see if they will give you enough to take with you.
Before we left home (snow birds) my MO gave me enough pills to last until we get back home.
VIckie
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I actually called Novartis to inquire about their Patient Assistance Program...........I was told............we don't give our Femara in the assistance program................I was shocked, but they call the shots.
I worked for a Pharma company for 15 years, and there was not a drug that we manufactured that we ddi not have in our Access to Care program (that is what we called it)..............so I pay the co-pay required.............now Arimidex manufactured by Astra Zeneca is given out for free (if you qualify)................but I won't switch...............I know I am right about the SE's of the generic AI's..........you never know from one month to the next which one your gonna get, its whatever they send that month.................so each month, you could be experimenting with another generic................and each one could have a different SE problem.................or none............................its a crap shoot...........but they are not exactly the same as the Brand.....................exact means everything is the same.........apples to apples.............when your using a different dye, or filler, that is not exact..................
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My insurance company refuses...says it's their policy to only allow 30 days. So I said screw em and I'll have to get more in Arizona. It's a 30 min. drive to Costco just like here where I live. The savings is worth the drive.
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Artsee, so sorry not responding back to this thread, also dealing with "I HATE MY IMPLANTS ISSUE".
I now have back issues along with the knee problems. I do know that after taking some new xrays at the spine dr's office I am loaded with arthritis. Always had it in parts of my body, but now it is more severe. I am taking an MRI tonight, want to see what my lumbar spine is doing. My dexta came out perfect when that was done. I do not know whether my problems are my going to the gym too much to do zumba or the meds. I was on Arimidex which destroyed me, plus everyone telling me to see a "shrink" because of my personality change. Started Arimidex in Dec. 09 in June of 2010 tood a break because of the severe side effects, started Femara in Oct. 2010 and have been on it ever since. All in all I have a better "quality of life" with Femara than Arimidex.
I am now on generic too, love the $17.00 a month although my onc will give the real pills.
So after trying to stay off threads, I am back on with my bc sisters who understand. Thank you.
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We are our best 'listeners'. It actually is comforting to know other have the same problems and it's not the dreaded disease coming back to haunt us. I had always heard that Arimedex is the worst. My Onco asked me if I wanted to try that one if I wasn't happy with Femara or it's generic and I said nooooooooooooooooooooooo way Ray!
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Hi Ladies......................have a friend on Arimidex, and gets along better then I do.........says she has no SE's, but complains about her finger joints swelling and hurting.............says her feet hurt when she walks first thing in the morning..............says her hair seems thinner,............says she has aches and pains.................so I said to her...............that is the SE's of your AI.............she said.......................no its not........................I said .........read your insert that the Pharma company gives you................or the one that comes with your script from the Pharmacy.............she said "oh I never read those.............I throw them out...............if I did, I would imagine I had all the SE's..........................thought..............ok, enough said...................I have been on Femara (brand) since July 2011.............SE's but nothing I can't handle.............no hot flashes, which is a blessing, but then again going through the "change" I never got hot flashes either.............Might take a chance on a 1 months supply of the "generic"..........we'll see.
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I've never taken the brand name - started out on the generic by Mylan which was pink. Then (I get mine at Costco, too) they switched to the generic by Cara which is tan. I've been on it for about 4 months. The SE's I have:
hot flashes (which I really don't mind, because I hate being cold)
occasional dizziness
sore muscles - especially in my thighs, and most especially when cold
arthritic spots are more painful
fuzzier thinking than I'm used to, more difficulty remembering things
more moody. My feelings get hurt much more easily, I cry more easily, my ups and downs are more extreme.
I noticed that when Costco changed from Mylan to Cara that the SE's I was adapting to had a "reset to zero" and the SE's got worse. They have now diminished again. I also, though, take a ton of supplements. I have noticed that when I don't take my 2000mg of curcumin per day that my body aches more.
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hello ladies,
Reading all of your stories about the SE's of the AI treatment is making my head spin. You are all so brave to continue to fight. I'm supposed to start taking the pill in a couple of weeks and ?????????? I don't think I can handle it. Five years is a long time. You all have my respect and admiration.
I will try to cope on the AI, Don't want to make a decision without at least trying.
maureen
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Yet you tell your doctor you don't want the generic you want the name brand and what do they ALL say: "it's the exact same thing". Like I mentioned earlier, doctors get very little training on medications and their side effects.
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I still have the ear ringing. I went to the ENT today and he said that I have lost my hearing in that ear. He doesn't know if it will be permanent? He's starting me on prednisone
to see if it will help. I hate steroids! They make me feel crazier than I don't know what! Just nuts! Anyway, we'll see.0 -
Ladies, at least give the AI a try.........you can always stop.............I take Femara, and have approval from my MO, to continue even though my insurance doesn't cover it anymore........I got permission from them to take it, but it is a lot more expensive then the generic.
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ToManyCocktails: I love your "pic". Funny, That is how I am. Don't know when next outburst will be. But again, as I said, for me personally, Femara worked out much better than Arimidex. Each person reacts a different way. Most of all $16.00 is the price I can afford, even if its generic. I figure it this way, if the Big C wants to come back, it will anyway.
Hugs,
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ToManyCocktails: I love your "pic". Funny, That is how I am. Don't know when next outburst will be. But again, as I said, for me personally, Femara worked out much better than Arimidex. Each person reacts a different way. Most of all $16.00 is the price I can afford, even if its generic. I figure it this way, if the Big C wants to come back, it will anyway.
Hugs,
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ronqt, my husband says that the whole family may be living in the backyard while I'm on the prednisone!
The chemo meds ain't no joke! (((hugs))) Hang in there! 0 -
MOOD SWINGS..HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THEM? OF COURSE....THEY ARE BAD..SOMETIMES I SCARE MYSELF ABOUT HOW I REACT TO CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
ANYONE ELSE FEEL LIKE YOUR NOT THE SAME PERSONALITY AT TIMES?
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Artsee, I know I'm not the same but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don't suffer fools gladly anymore. I am more honest about my feelings and I try not to postpone getting out and doing. Have a good day.
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hi ladies, it is so great to find this discussion board still up and going, and so helpful. i have just finished five years of tamoxifen after radiation, lumpectomy and chemo, and never would have made it thru treatment without the sisterhood i found here. knowledge is power!! and now, much to my shock, my onc has told me that - if i want - i can take femara for 3 years. i thought that i had eached the end of the road and i could finish putting this behind me. he is not recommending femara, just suggesting it as an option. i have read up on it, and the literature says that it is beneficial, yet he says that only 1 % breast cancer pts have a recurrence after 5 years tamoxifen (also said that other oncs report a higher rate). reading this discussion of SEs has given me a lot to think about...........thank you all!
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Merlette. Not every one gets all or any of the SE's from the drug but they do get the SE's from lack of estrogen which can be mistaken for a drug SE.
I just edited to add the things that were dropped by my phone....bad phone!.....lol
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Merlette..If your Dr. isn't really recommending Femara I wouldnt hink it is beneficial to you. It depends on your diagnosis. I for one, was NOT a candidate for Tamoxifin because my tumor was Estrogen fed. I had to take it because Femara keeps estrogen from forming in our bodies.
I was Er+,Pr+ Her -. What was yours? It sounds like he's trying to appease you.
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Merlette- I had also been told that I could take tamox for 5 years and then follow it up with Femara for a few more as added insurance. But I ended up having an oopharectomy so the dr put me straight onto Femara. I guess if you decide there is added benefit you could always try it and discontinue if the SE are too bad. Good luck with your decision.
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Hi all! Just wanted to check in cause I haven't been in here for quite some time. I need to hear from my "sisters" about side effects from Femora. I started taking it in '09, after chemo & radiation. I've always had pain in both arms. But since Dec., the pain in my legs has been unbearable. To the point where I could not walk. I did some research online & took myself off Calcium w/D. I read that it can cause all kinds of problems. It did help, but now the leg pain is back and I can't stand it.
Do any of you have this pain? If so, is there anything that is helping you? Thanks, Helen
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Helen...I for one do not have pain in the legs. I would suggest you see your Dr. to put your mind at ease and maybe he can recommend relief. Good luck.
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Hi Helen,
I have leg pain...severe leg pain and pain in feet and low back. Been on Femara since Oct. 2009. In Jan, 2011 my Onc switched me to 1 pill every other day. It helped. Then.....the lovely Generic came in last June and along with it, worse feet pain. I was also taking vit D but had to stop as it gave me chest pain. I feel terrible each and every day. I am so tired of it. Originally, before Generic, I was having so much low back pain that I tried an Acupuncturist and it helped so much after the first visit. I am feeling so bad again that I am thinking of returning to her. I really want off these meds to get my body back but I still am scared to go for it. Every once in awhile, I will take a half of Vicodine at night. I know that these Generic pills have "fillers" which seems to be the culpret of SE's. I think the fillers do more harm to your health than the bocker portion of the med. Early on, I was so bad that I would wrap heating pads on my legs at night. I still do that on occassion also. I know it could be worse....I tell myself but this is no picnic either. Take care!
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Ladies, I went on a self-imposed sabbatical for 6 wks off Femara. Since re-starting on 1-1-12, I have much less joint pain & in general I feel better, I'm even losing a little bit of weight (altho I'm being super careful about what I'm eating!) If my aches, pains & general feeling off returns you can bet I'll do another vacation!
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Artsee, in answer to your question, who am I with mood swings - sometimes I go off the wall and as I am screaming and having a fit, I personally think I am nuts (along with everyone around me).
I also have developed some leg and back pain, but I believe I can really attribute it to pushing myself in the gym. I don't know when to stop. - so I blame it on the meds. Again, Arimidex did not work for me. I really appreciate being put on Femara.
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I am terrified of Femara
I started the drug in May 2010 (correcton for gardengumby!...thank you!!) and within days had the awful stiffness (painful to walk upon awakening, significant reduction in tendon flexibility, etc.) . Here's the scary part...when I took my bone density test in June 2010, I had a T score of -1.8 in my pelvis...a month ago, a dear friend gave me a bear hug...found out 2 weeks later I had one rib fractured in 2 separate places (doc was scared CA had come back due to rib pain, but was able to rule out recurrence is CA by bone scan). That was the happy news...no recurrence. However, he sent me for a bone density scan and he called me last Tuesday to advise that for the first time in his medical practice, he has never ever seen a score as alarming as mine. Now it is -4.9. Yes, -4.9. I stopped the Femara immediately as it is presumed it is leeching my bones. Now I am being tested for Multiple Myeloma as there is a slight concern (due to the significant and unusual amount of bone loss) that Femara could cause it...we will know in a few days. I sure hope not. I am currently undergoing a myriad of other tests to determine the extent of damage this drug has caused in just under 2 years. I have expressed my concerns over the benefit (60% reduction in recurrence is really an exaggerated % when you are looking @ the actual study). I will know more in 1-2 weeks. Biggest problem is that I am already deemed ineligible for Lilly''s bone density drug (which is supposed to be amazing for someone in my predicament of significant bone loss - I am 48 years old, with the bone density that is "worse than any 90 year old" patient my doc has ever seen.
I wanted to stop Femara about 2 months after I started it...but docs x3 told me that in their "professional" opinion, it was more important to take Femara than the chemo and rads I went through. So, I trusted them and toughed it out, taking it every day for 22 months. Now look @ me...less than 2 years later... What a mess I am. Femara has destroyed my bones and I don't know how much can be repaired/restored? Why my docs did not order bone density scans annually on such a bone leeching drug until I got a rib fracture, when Femara is KNOWN to cause Osteoporosis, is beyond me.
Demand annual bone scans if you dare to take this drug, please!0
