FEMARA
Comments
-
Oh, no, absolutely not. You may want to read a little about the bone density scan on the Internet -- you might find it reassuring. But basically, the scan looks at the condition of our bones and determines if there is osteopenia or osteoporosis occurring. It's important to get a baseline if you're going to begin Femara or another anti-estrogen medication.
And thank you, GrandmaV, for the nice compliment about my Molly.
Take care all.
0 -
Molly, thanks so much. You have saved me a good week of terror. I was too afraid of looking it up. Doc said it was nothing, but I thought he was just fibbing to reassure me. So many things they claim are nothing are a big deal to me.
0 -
I just had a bone density scan last week Momine and it took about five minutes. No pain involved! I didn't even have to change into a gown since I was wearing pants that didn't have a zipper. Easiest test I've had done in this whole mess!0
-
Thanks Barb! I was afraid they would drill into my bones. I asked if it involved needles and my doc said no, but with this weird smile, so I figured it was worse than needles.
0 -
Good afternoon
My PCP did a bone density test on me a couple of years ago, so the MO is using that as a base.
Joan,
I have had 4 back surgeies, 2 of them fusions in lumbar area, (done in early 1980's). They actually take the bone graft from the top of the Iliac crest (bone above the butt cheek area) I have about a 4" scar on each side from the donor site. Good luck!!!
Vickie
0 -
Momine, the bone density scan has been hands down the easiest part of my treatment so far. As Mollydog described, it is non-invansive and quick. When I had mine done, I was like, "that's it???? I drove here for this?" Literally that fast and that easy. Hope this helps.
Also, I have actually lost weight since starting Femara...But watching my diet very carefully.
0 -
Cowgirl, thanks for the info. I hope to maintain my current weight, and it is nice to know that it can be done.
0 -
Just want to add my 2 cents about the DEXA scan. That is such a non-event. I am not sure it even took 5 minutes. But it does provide some very good info.
I lost about 3 poumds within a few days of switching from Aromasin back to Femara. Only about 10 more pounds left to go that just will not come off no matter what. I have not been able to be as active as I was before BC due to back issues and cellulitis infections. Always something. My back surgery just got postponed indefinitely because of a serious cellulitis infection on my radiated breast. Next up is lat flap surgery to bring in some healthy tissue from my back. April 11th. Wil it ever end?
I will try to focus on the fact that I wil celebrate 2 years cancer free next year. I would like to think that Femara has something to do with that. After being back on it for the past 8 weeks, I do not seem to have any side effects going yet. Possibly my anti-inflammatory and pain med from my orthopedic surgeon could be masking some symptoms though.0 -
Hi Ladies,
Well, my onc has agreed I can stop the letrozole and continue taking the vitamin D and calcium & my bone density should hopefully sort its self out! Yippee. I know for some of you this may seem an illogical choice to make but for me it feels right. I will continue to have my check ups for BC as before and hope that it does not come back, there were no guarantees with the Letrozle anyway so I would rather feel like a normal person again and take my chances. I discussed my idea with close family and friends before approaching the onc and they were all in agreement with my decision otherwise I may have reconsidered. Here's hoping that the dreaded C stays away, forever a distant memory that I would rather try and put behind me.
0 -
congrats--- I am reaching the 3 year mark on femara and lupron and may try to negotiate for a "vacation"... my se's are not terrible, but boy I would love to lose this fuzziness in my head!!! Not sure if it is the femara or the lupron. We think I can stop lupron in the fall at the latest-- and I am going to try to make it 4 years on femara--- my onc says off for sure in 2014..... not sure I can wait!!let us know how you feel-we can live vicariously through you!!!!!
0 -
Hi ladies,
I'm Joan811 (my diagnosis month/year) and I see Joan888 - Hi!
I had a question and don't have time to go too far back on the threads...
I was on Arimidex...then had unacceptable SE (chest/vasospasms)...switched after rads in February to Femara.
I still have leftover joint pain from Arimidex but not quite so bad now.
momand2kids - I just read your post and my #1 complaint about Femara is the cognitive impairment better known as fuzzy head. Did you have this from the start on Femara?
I have more emotionally down days on Femara. But the worst is that I don't multi-task very well and my thoughts and plans need to be much more linear - doing only one thing at a time. Sometimes I look at a no-brainer problem like packing and mailing a package and I just don't know where to start.
My MO told me that my thumb, shoulder and elbow pain that started on Arimidex could not be from that drug since I'm not taking it. I disagree.
I just had a wellness visit with a NP and she told me that Femara does not typically cause cognitive impairment. I disagree.
I'd like to hear from anyone who has fuzzy brain.
Thanks,
Joan8110 -
I too have a fuzzy brain but I'm not sure what it is from. I did have chemo in 09 and since then I've noticed that I can't remember things like I used to. I've been on Femara since 6/09 and not until just lately was I able to read a novel. I couldn't remember what I read going back to the book after one day. Now it seems that it is getting better however I still do dumb things. On Monday I was going to my Zumba class which I've been doing for quite a while and when I got there I realized that I was one hour late and missed the whole class.
I guess I won't know what is causing my fuzzy brain until I stop taking Femara in 2014. If it continues after that I'll blame it on the chemo but my husband says that I'm just showing my age.
0 -
I have the fuzzy brain thing going on, too. It's hard to explain, but it is like at times I'm not quite all there--it's almost like I'm an outsider looking in at things. It's kind of a sleepy feeling, but more groggy-like. Anyone else want to try to explain it?
Momand2kids, I'm a bit behind you--wont reach the 3 yr mark on femara till next winter--but sure am hoping that onc will let me go off at the 5 yr mark. I guess now they are saying that with young women, staying on even longer might be in order? I was only weakly ER+, so it sure sucks.
0 -
Content Has Been Removed0
-
About the fuzzy brain, I read somewhere recently that in investigating so-called chemo brain, one team had found that women who had breast cancer reported cognitive problems long after chemo had worn off or even if they never had chemo, leading the researchers to suspect that the cancer itself may lead to fuzzy brains. Lovely, huh? I am sorry I don't have a link, can't remember where I saw it.
0 -
Hi All,
I'm new to this and am jumping in. I've been on Femara (Letrozole) for 7 months now and am progressively getting bone and muscle pain. The fuzzy brain thing has gone away now, but I certainly had it while on Chemo. I did not do radiation as that causes MORE cancer in the future and I've had enough with this. My onco was surprised the last time I was in that my cancer did not come back, because it had spread so severely to my lungs and bones, but the chemo (of which I refused for many months til I was almost dead!) actually whiped it out and the Femara therapy is WORKING to keep it from coming back. I guess I'll just have to deal with the bone pain. I take supplements (calcium, l-lisene, D3 etc) and walk at least a mile every single day. I'm 61 in a few weeks.
Does anyone out there have muscle pain (severe) after exercise i.e. raking yard, lifting heavy things?
0 -
The muscles in my arms seem to be the most affected. They get sore really easily.
0 -
Momine, this might be the article you're thinking of:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/health/research/12mental.html?_r=1&ref=healthI remember reading that, about 6 months before I was diagnosed. Little did I know I would be experiencing it myself!
0 -
Momine- thanks for sharing; very interesting theory.
I have the fuzzy brain and did not do chemo or radiation but have not slept much at all in about 10 months and think the fuzziness might be from that and the Femara. I cannot concentrate to read a book and that was my favorite thing to do. I also have terrible joint and muscle pain especially if I sit still or ride in a car for more than 20 minutes. I am like a creaky 90 year old and I am 48. I have only been on Femara for 3 months so this could be a long 5 years!
0 -
Well Ladies,
Looks like I'm back here again, after further consideration my onc has called me to say I have tocontinue with the Letrozole after all. They have looked over my notes & decided that due to the aggressive nature of my cancer I must continue to take the dreaded L - and now I will receive xgeva shots for the osteoporosis. Whilst I am disappointed at having to take the Letrozole I do appreciate my oncologist's views and therefore I will start taking the meds again from today. I do have to say that for the short time I have been off the med I have felt so much better in many ways but when the onc says "I don't want to be seeing you in 9 months time and the disease has returned" I can take her advice, after all she's the expert not me. It was quite a rude awakening from my dream that the cancer might never return which I guess I had begun to believe for the first time since my diagnosis. It had taken 4 years to get to the point of not thinking about it returning every day but I guess that perhaps I had lulled myself into a false sense of security.
0 -
Jumping in here. I've been on femera since Sept '11. I started supplements in February & now about 8 weeks later am feeling relief from the joint & muscle aches. They are not gone, I still am creeky when getting up, but over all much better. I have been walking, treadmill, bike riding & some yoga & light weight training. I find that after I get going I am much better. I didn't do chem & have some of mthe fuzzy brain. I have 41/2 years left to take this, I hope these supplements keep the aches at bay. Good luck to all!
0 -
tenaj - What supplements are helping? Creeky is exactly how I describe it too!0
-
I didn't do chemo, either. I take a number of supplements which help the aches:
2000 mg curcumin phytosome
1000 mg ginger
1500 mg glucosamin sulfate
1/2 T cod liver oil daily
500 mg quercetin
For awhile I also took cinnamon, but it contributed to constipation (badly) and I was already having enough trouble with that, so I quit the cinnamon.
I walk at least a mile daily as well, and do stretching (yoga), and light weights. The aches are pretty manageable most of the time.
I've been on femara for 5 months. My nails are brittle and break easily, my hair is dry and fairly lifeless. It breaks easily as well. I use very good shampoo and conditioner. None of the supplements I'm currently taking seem to help with my hair and nail issues. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Also, I'm much more emotional since being on the femara - it's possible that's simply a side-effect of this whole cancer process, but it didn't seem like I cried nearly so much when taking tamoxifen, so I'm blaming it on the femara/letrozole. (I'm not really on femara - but rather the generic letrozole (by cara))
0 -
I take calcium with magnesium, vit D3, vit E, fish oil, glucosamine with chondroitin, biotin, multivitamin & vit C.
I also find that I stopped loosing hair like I was, which is why I started the biotin.
Good luck!!0 -
The emotional side to all of this is the lack of estrogen which is what the Femara is supposed to do so yes, indirectly the Femara does cause us to be more emotional.
0 -
Well, I'm glad I clicked on this site today. I'm on Letrozole/Femara and have one year and one month to go. For everyone with the questions on brain fuzz...i think we can blame all treatments we have had. I've always had the joint pains, however since a couple of days ago I have had severe shoulder pain. It seems like Rotater cup pain but don't know since I've never had this problem. Right now I have ice on it. I did some garden work yesterday but didn't rake. I didn't lift anything heavier that I usually do.I've also got an ache in my lumpectomy scar.Maybe I stretched to much I don't know but I'm tired of feeling like this. I can't wait to get off this drug because I feel like some of you. Old before my time.Have any of you dealt with tenderness or sensitivity in the scar area?Also as someone else was saying about car driving, I just got back from 11 hours of driving per 3 days. I wondered if that screwed with my joints. It's pretty stressful especially when you have to drive 75 miles an hour through big cities. Ugh.
Monty...I'm a little confused. Are you saying your cancer did return? I didn't understand that and the Dr. visits in 9 months.
0 -
I am planning to take my first dose of letrozole tomorrow. Just finished a year of tamoxifen. wish me luck!
0 -
I have been on generic Femara for 7 months now and have had zero physical side effects. I have fuzzy brain but do not know if that is chemo induced or from the Femara or from the mental and emotional overload of all of Cancer Land. I am pretty sure my emotional state is not worse since starting the Femara. That got shot to Hell during chemo. I am thinking fuzzy brain may be more Femara.
0 -
Good luck Omaz! I've been on femara a whole two weeks...hehe...
0 -
Good luck girls, I've been on Femara for 18 months now with few if any SE's just a couple that came and went very quickly.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
0
