Side Effects From Femara

Hi...I have been taking Femara for almost two years now.  I had stage 2 breast cancer.  I am very grateful that this pill is available to me....but I havn't felt the same since I began this therapy!

I have cramps and stomach trouble

I can't sleep at night

My hips ache most of the time

If I am not feeling chilled...I am breaking out in sweats!

I get cramps in my legs as well as achey feet....Is there anyone else out there who is experiencing what I am?  I would love to go off the pill...but I am so afraid that the cancer will come back!  Has anyone tried taking the femara less often...perhaps every other day?
Hoping to share some opinions!
Murphy

 

On 6/19/2008 Kaseys Grandma wrote:

Hi...I have been taking Femara for almost two years now.  I had stage 2 breast cancer.  I am very grateful that this pill is available to me....but I havn't felt the same since I began this therapy!

I have cramps and stomach trouble

I can't sleep at night

My hips ache most of the time

If I am not feeling chilled...I am breaking out in sweats!

I get cramps in my legs as well as achey feet....Is there anyone else out there who is experiencing what I am?  I would love to go off the pill...but I am so afraid that the cancer will come back!  Has anyone tried taking the femara less often...perhaps every other day?
Hoping to share some opinions!
Murphy

 

Femara stops or lowers estrogen levals over the years doctors and researchers have theorized that menopause is a kind of estrogen deficiency syndrome. No one knows for sure. Estrogen’s primary role during a woman’s reproductive years is to prepare the uterus to receive a fertilized egg, but researchers have shown that estrogen does much more than this. Red clover Iv heard  may help also taking antyoxidants and staying away from any Sugary food and drinks. will help your body fight the cancer Femara (letrozole tablets)may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women.as was told by another lady on another sit You prob all ready know  It fights breast cancer by inactivating an enzyme known as aromatase. This prevents the enzyme from supplying the estrogen that allows certain types of breast cancers to grow and survive.

One of the best known of the low estrogen symptoms is bone loss or osteoporosis. Until studies linked estrogen replacement therapy to serious health risks such as blood clots and strokes, it was often recommended to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Lack of estrogen inhibits the body’s ability to absorb calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to effectively absorb calcium. Sun-screen which is necessary to protect the skin may also inhibit the body’s ability to activate vitamin D found in food. For this reason the North American Menopause Society advises that a vitamin D supplement may be necessary. The latest USRDA suggests that vitamin D supplements are probably necessary for anyone over the age of 50.

Researchers at the University of Melina in Italy, investigating alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy believe that isoflavones from red clover may be effective. Isoflavones are a type of plant estrogen and there is evidence supporting their use to treat other menopausal symptoms, so these scientists decided to investigate their effects on the skin. They concluded that supplements containing red clover isoflavones increased skin elasticity, collagen content and thickness, reducing the signs of skin aging, believed to be symptoms of low estrogen levels.

The body is able to absorb calcium most efficiently when iron, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin C are present as well. Thus, a daily multi-vitamin containing adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, as well as vitamin D, provides the best insurance that a woman’s bones will continue to receive necessary amounts of calcium. Specialized health supplements designed for women containing plant estrogens, as well, may be even more effective, as the increase in dietary estrogenic compounds may counteract the symptoms of low estrogen levels that occur when the ovaries stop functioning. you will have to see your doctor about getting off it hopes this helps cheers

Hi - I was on femara, aromisen and arimidex and could not tolerate any of them.  Had such several leg and hip pain I could barely walk.  Evenutally had major achilles tendon problems and spent 3 mos in physical therapy.  So my onologist switched me to tamoxifen and other than hot flashes, I am doing very well with this drug.  Good luck.  Jenny

 

On 6/19/2008 Kaseys Grandma wrote:

Hi...I have been taking Femara for almost two years now.  I had stage 2 breast cancer.  I am very grateful that this pill is available to me....but I havn't felt the same since I began this therapy!

I have cramps and stomach trouble

I can't sleep at night

My hips ache most of the time

If I am not feeling chilled...I am breaking out in sweats!

I get cramps in my legs as well as achey feet....Is there anyone else out there who is experiencing what I am?  I would love to go off the pill...but I am so afraid that the cancer will come back!  Has anyone tried taking the femara less often...perhaps every other day?
Hoping to share some opinions!
Murphy

Your side effects are not uncommon - in fact, from what I've been seeing on the internet, they seem to be more the rule than the exception.

 You might get relief from switching drugs, if your dr is willing to work with you to find something you can tolerate, and if you have the patience and adequate insurance coverage to go through that process.

You might also get relief by adding herbs/natural foods and supplements, but I urge you to be EXTREMELY careful if you do so, especially if you continue the prescription drug.  While research has identified some herbs that will enhance the action of anti-estrogen drugs and decrease side effects, many natural substances commonly used for hormone replacement therapy can cause serious problems in combination with both aromatase-inhibitors and estrogen-blockers.   At the very least, natural hormone replacers can negate the action of the prescription drugs, giving the cancer free rein to do what it wants.  (e.g. Grape seed has been shown to help with some drugs, resveratrol is very controversial, as is red clover. Most of the researchers/drs opinions that I've read put SOY at the top of the "stay-away-from list.)

If you can't get on to a more tolerable drug, and want to try to stay on the  Femara, take some time and do some extensive research on line about herbs and supplements that 1) act as aromatase inhibitors, 2) act as estrogen blockers, 3) work to build up bone and muscle health and relieve arthritis pain.  (You may not have arthritis, but many of the natural compounds that help with arthritis pain will help your joint pain, as well as containing powerful anti-oxidants that will fight the cancer.  e.g. garlic, up to 1500 mg a day.  The odorless tabs work great, or you can put garlic oil caps in the freezer - the oil thaws once it reaches the colon where it is absorbed without causing all the burping, etc associated with garlic. ) 

Good search items are "herbal alternatives for breast cancer treatment" and "complimentary alternative treatment for breast cancer."  If you encounter language you don't understand, do a search on that language - many, many sites out there that break down medical terminology into layman's language.  Takes time to ferret out, but well worth it to understand what you're reading.  Also try to verify information on herbs and supplements by checking one site against others.

Once you've gotten started better educating yourself about what herbs/ supplements and natural foods  can do to alter the body's production and use of estrogen, then you can talk to your doctor about adding them to your daily routine.  He/she may already have patients who use natural additives to improve treatment and overall health.  If not, ask them to refer you to a naturalist, an osteopath or homeopath or naturolopath, a nutritionist, or whoever is available in your community and that your doctor feels he/she can work with to get you to a point where you can comfortably continue the Femara.  This referral may or may not be covered by your insurance, but would be well worth the cost of self-pay if it helped you find supplements that would help you comfortably stay on the Femara, or that might have some chance of continuing to fight the cancer if you have to go off the Femara.

Alternative supplementation might also be a good idea with the other drugs available, but again, use caution and make sure to get your dr's approval for whatever you take.

 Good luck, and hang in there!!

 

Hi, I was diagnosed in 2003 with ER+ node negative breast cancer.  I was on Tamoxifen for about 2 1/2 years.  I became post menopausal and switched to Femara and have been on that for about 2 1/2 years.  While on Tamoxifen my worst side effects were very severe hot flashes, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.  Once I changed to the Femara, the hot flashes subsided but I still had fatigue.  I did have what I would call hot flushes and I could be freezing one minute and break out in a sweat the next.  It was difficult to get dressed in the mornings because I would sweat so badly.  I felt like I could take 3 or 4 showers a day.  I began developing pain in my hands and fingers which progressed throughout most of my joints and finally in to my feet.  I felt like it was making me old before my time.  I'm 53 and I got around like a 90 year old, it was bad.  After the drive to work or sitting at my desk, I could barely get up and walk.  Once I got going, it was better but seemed I was in pain most of the time.  I am certain now that the Femara was causing it.  I went for my 6 month check up 2 weeks ago and my oncologist said that I could stop taking it.  I'm already beginning to have more energy and the is not nearly as bad.  My doctor said that I should feel a whole lot better after being off the med for a month or so.  I'm 5 years out now and so very thankful!   

I have been on Femara for 1 year now. I have hot flashes pretty darn bad,feet,bone and joint pain. I had a bone density test done to see how my bones are dong since I went on the Femara and I have lost bone in my back 5.8% since 1 yr ago. My cholesterol is 232 my LDL and HDL are all out of whack....I am now haing to see a cardiologist for my cholesterol and a endochronologists for the bone loss... All this really stinks...

i was diagnosed with breast cancer 2/06 had a partial mastectomy and oophrectomy(removal of ovaries) then radiation followed by chemo i was started on aromasin and took it for about 5months my joints ached so bad at night i would wake up with such severe pain in my elbows and fingers ,i felt crippled most of the time and i was only 45 i was worried what i was going to feel like when i got older ,i talked to my oncologist and we decided to try me on arimidex it took awhile but this seems to have worked for  me that severe pain stopped. i still have some pain but not untolerable and i developed osteopinia which i take fosamax for, except for the hot flashes which are pretty untolerable and i hope they subside in time(anyone have a replay to that)its absolutley better than having cancer. my prayers are with all and their families who have battled this disease

mary

Hi..........

I have been taking Femura for about a year and I can't relate to any of the problems people have described here.

I am 58 now.

 Had a hysterectomy in 1996 and decided to have both ovaries removed at the same time.

So I basically went through menopause on the operating table.

 Zometa infusion was affecting my kidneys so I now take - Bonefos twice daily.

I also have a Herceptin infusion - 3 weekly.

Heather

 

I was diagnosed with estrogen positive breast cancer in 2004. I was 46 years old, so it's been 4 years without reaccurance. Yeah! I thought I was safe because as far as I know it doesn't run in the family neither my mother or two older sisters ever had any problems. It took me completely by surprise, so now I'm convinced no one is safe. I started out with tomoxifen because I was pre menapausal and that was my only choise. I had horrible side affects on that. A year after my lumpectomy doctors decided to take out my ovaries because I kept getting ovarian cysts and I think they were afraid one of them would become cancerous at some point because of my past history. So now I was instantly post menopausal which in itself let me tell you is a bang on the system and they swithced my meds to Arimidex. This med was worse than the tomoxifen, it made me feel like a tin lady. I ached everywhere. I couldn't take the pain any more after a year on this so they swithced me to Femmara which I find to be the lesser of 3 evils. I still feel achy all over but it's more tolerable. I can't wait till the day comes (one more year) when I can be off all meds and start feeling like a 50 year old, well I'll be 51 by then, instead of a 90 year old, but I do often wonder if once I'm off  medication will cancer show it's ugly face again. I guess I can only hope and pray not. I consider myself one of the luckier ones because I caught my cancer early before it spread to my lymph nodes so I only had to endure surgery, actually two becuse the first one didn't result in clear margins, 6weeks raidiation and HRT. No Chemo. My heart goes out to those who have to endure that. Actually my heart goes out to all breast cancer patients. By far the best medicine is a positive attitude, good nutrition and exercice. I know it's hard but I truly believe that's what works.

Hello

Yes I know about the stomach cramps they get really bad and heres what happens to someone that never took pain medication or any drugs and now I am on prevacid,lortab,phenergan,flexeril,to try to ease the severe problems but it is better than the cancer coming back.But in todays world if you take pain pills you are bad well they need to take the Femara for awhile and have their breast cut off and 18 inches of their colon removed and throw up.I dont mean to be negative there is just some really ignorant people out there.So I am making it and god is helping me.

Prayers and Love

Linda