FEMARA

HLB

Turmeric and boswellia are good for joint pain, and if you take both it works even better than the sum of the two. I'm taking them for cancer but that's what I read about them and the reviews of people who take it say it works great and better than glucosamine chondroitin.

Shrek4

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Galsal

Ahh, have been on htat one.  No help.  Mine is nerve and joint combined.

Januaryice

Early on in this thread there a discussion on prices for Femara. I'm on Femara for two months and getting ready to order my next month of meds. I have a new health plan and have been getting prices using this plan. I can't believe the difference in prices --- CVS with Medco 62.25---Costco with Medco 16.68. I did find out that they use different companies for supply Mylan and Apotex. Has anyone noticed a difference? I'm afraid to change to get the better price and have problems with the new med. I already had to switch from Arimidex because of numb hands. Any help would be appreciated.

Hope all have a great day ))))

HLB

Mine have always come from Sunpharma. I think it would be interesting to compare brand names and SEs. I will start.

Sunpharma - no SEs

Momine

I take Femara made by Novartis Pharma in Switzerland. I think it is the original and not a generic. The brand name is Femara.

I have foot pain on and off, sometimes pretty annoying. Also my hands are stiff in the morning. I had some digestive problems in the beginning, but adding some probiotics took care of that. I have lost bone mass. Otherwise nothing much.

luvmygoats

Januaryice - My pharmacy recently changed to the Apotex brand (made in Canada) from the SunPharma (made in India) which is the one I started with. I'm halfway through the 2nd month on the Apotex brand. I think it actually has fewer fillers than the SunPharma but the smell when you open the bottle will curl your toes. CHEMICAL and it takes a lot to curl my toes, i.e., nurse, chemistry/biology degree/goats. But I put it in my body because with as ER+ as I am I KNOW it is necessary and esp. since I didn't have chemo.

I have the stiff hands/knees and general slowness in the mornings. Memory may be a little worse. I am 60 and recently quit my job, nothing to do with the Femara, just time. Overweight and getting worse but cannot attribute to Femara. Am osteopenic which was b4 BC. Not on anything just yet for it. Declined Fosamax in December. Take my calcium/vit D and take a liquid vit D when I remember it. I used to take the Femara at night but had some insomnia. Take it in the mornings or even midday now. The insomnia comes/goes and seems to be tied to anxiety/worry, doubt it was the Femara. It has never bothered my stomach. I eat breakfast with it as I take in with my Metoprolol which has to be taken with food. And the Metoprolol predates the Femara so the BP problems are not due to it. No SE that at present would lead me to stop. Actually say a little prayer when I take it that we have such a drug. I'll tolerate some SEs in trade. I see really no difference in SEs since I switched brands. Asked my MO why Femara and he gives every other patient Femara so I was that every/other pt. I don't see me changing drugs.

On page 101 Omaz put a list of fillers of different brands. I went to the Apotex website and found theirs. Have heard of many on here on the Mylan brand but no has mentioned Apotex but me.

HLB - I also didn't find anyone else on the SunPharma brand.

Are those quotes for a month or 3 month supply, esp. the CVS quote? I sure hope 3 month supply. The cost my insurance pays has changed greatly over the 8 months I've been on it at the same grocery store pharmacy. Started out $420 (my copay $15) down to $203 in Sept and now insurance paying something like $15.00 even b4 the switch to the Apotex. Boggles the mind, esp. when I saw the $420 (and that is only ONE month supply). Have no clue why the drop in amounts. Pharmacy explained they switched out wholesaler recently so all my prescriptions have changed and that's why the change to Apotex.

Shrek4

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artsee

Also high cholesterol, as the list goes on and on.

Lily55

Wow ee - wonderful.....more SE´s.....

jittersmom

Jaunuaryice....mine is generic Letrozole I got 9 days it was 105.49,with my insurance i had to pay 12.00

now I am waiting to see what SE's I get. I hated Tamoxifen so i am hoping this is better

jacee

Teva Pharmaceuticals for mine. Joint pain is the main s/e. No hair thinning for me.

sgreenarch

Hi, Ladies,



Thanks for all the good info. Read as far back as I could til my eyes crossed. Have a question for you.



Took tamoxifen for 2.5 years, and just switched to Femara two weeks ago. I had joint pain on tamoxifen but it was bearable, especially if I walked or swam. On Tuesday I swam and now have very bad neck and shoulder pain. Can hardly turn my head. Waking me at night. Took Motrin one night, Alleve the next and neither helped. Pain is clearly muscular, not bone related. Diffuse, like the kind of pain you get when sitting at your desk too long. Also muscular pain in my legs. Anyone experience anything like this? Really the worst muscle pain I've had and think it must be related to the Femara.



Re elevated liver function tests, I have had them off and on for a few years. Went through the panic and turned out that an US showed gallstones (can be produced by an over abundance of estrogen, similar story w huge fibroid which caused a hysterectomy in 2008.)



Thanks! Good weekend everyone,

Shari

gardengumby

I buy my letrozole at Costco in Seattle.  The brand name is "Cara", the pill is mustard colored.  Last refill was $18.00 for 3 months - without insurance - which was approximately 1/2 the prior refill.

The SE's I have are:

muscle aches - primarily in my legs/thighs

joint aches - neck, hands, feet, back, knees....  pretty much all of 'em.  (I take boswellia, turmeric, glucosamin sulfate and chondroitin.  As long as I keep this up regularly I'm better - not good, but better)

thinning/stressed hair, broken nails, etc (biotin helped this)

MUCH more and worse indigestion.  For this I take probiotics (and an occasional tums)

fatigue - I take the pill at night and that helps - but I'm really not "happy" unless I get about 11 hours of sleep at night, where I used to be just fine with 7.

lousy memory - which can't be "just" age, as it dropped out at a pretty remarkable rate when I started letrozole

so far no bone loss, no liver problems so far as I know, my cholestrol is a little high, and I have an even harder time losing weight than I used to have.  When I was in the tropics for a month most of the joint/muscle aches disappeared, but the rest stayed with me.

Shrek4

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artsee

Day...please keep us posted as to your results ok?

cfdr

I started letrozole right after chemo ended, so I can't really tell if my cognitive and fatigue issues are from letrozole or long-lasting chemo side effects, but I'm guessing the latter, since they seem to be improving verrrrry slooooowly. I've been lucky in that I have had little joint pain; I do have joint issues (frozen shoulder, costochondritis) but they seem to be unrelated. Of course, there's always the possibility that letrozole could be making them worse. 

What fingernail issues are people having? My fingernails are ridged/warped in both directions, and have white streaks as though they are very scratched and dry. For a while I was painting my nails, but I can't seem to sit still long enough to let them dry.

Scottiee1

cfdr....had those exact nail issues....only one thumb now that is still warped with ridges,

but they continue to be dry no matter what I try. I have been on Letrozole for about ten months. Hopefully your nails will improve eventually.

gardengumby

fingernails are ridged and break easily - though when I'm conscientious about taking biotin they are much better - maybe even back to "normal" though my memory could be playing tricks on me.... 

Shrek4

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calm

I've beenon letrozole made by Generic Medical Partners Inc. for almost a year--I have the same nail issues and have thinning hair. I briefly (2 days only) had achey joints--had some UTI issues otherwise no other side effects--well maybe harder to shed a few pounds--the only side effect I can definitely attribute to letrozole was the aches I had--becasue it occurred about two days after I started the meds. I also believe the thinning hair is from letrozole as I can't think of any other reason. I am sorry to hear about the more serious and painful effects others are having.

KarenLS

Hi Ladies; I have been taking Fermara for the last two weeks; no side effects until this morning, my hands hurt alot!  My breast cancer was diagnosed in stages; beginning with a papiloma in my right breast and advancing through biopsies and mris to idc and ilc.  I have had two lumpectomies and finally a mastectomy in December.  The final pathologist report showed cancers were er and pr+, lymph nodes (6 were removed) clear and no more invasive breast cancer found.  The Oncotype DX could not be done because the tumors were too small and my oncologist has now put me on Fermara.

I am going to see him on Monday but I was wondering if anyone else has the same kind of diagnosis and what was recommended.

Thank you so much!

chrissyb

Karen an AI of which Femara is one is standard treatment for someone who is post menopausal and no chemo required. It is used the same way as Tamoxifen is for pre or peri menopausal women and it will be suggested that you continue it for five years.



Hoping your SE's are few and all manageable.



Love n hugs. Chrissy

KarenLS

Thanks Chrissy!  I took some Tyneol Extra Strength last evening and it helped.  Also, my right arm sometimes goes to sleep in the night; but I read on other blogs that this is another SE.

Linda-Ranching-in-the-mTns

Karen -- It could also just be the position in which you are sleeping -- which changes in relation to aches/pains/surgeries. Try consciously sleeping in a new position - you can even put a pillow under your knees to keep you on your back for a night, and see how that works re your 'sleeping' arm.

I realize that I tend to panic and see each pain/change as a SE -- but when I calmly step back, I think that I actually still have NO SEs so far... only fleeting aches and pains -- just like I always have had, in reaction to stress or over-work, etc.

Knowing that someday I may experience real SEs, or even reoccurrance... I am determined to appreciate every singe GOOD day and whatever GOOD health I currently experience -- to the max!

I am only about 2 months in -- (first 45 days I was on  Letrozole mfg by Teva - purchased at Sam's Club in Santa Fe for $300 !!!! -- switching about 3 weeks ago to Letrozole mfg by Sun -- purchased at Costco for $18 for a 90-day supply!) My insurance does not cover meds... so (once again) for those new to this -- call around to check prices -- you can save thousands per year by choosing the right pharmacy!

Linda

KarenLS

Hi Linda and everyone, Well today I went to see my oncologist for him to see how I was doing on Femara and he told me that since the Onctoype DX test could not be run for me (my lesions were too small), he made the suggestion that I go on 4 rounds of chemo every three weeks for twelve weeks.  I asked why since my lymph nodes were clear and the lesions were 100% ER and PR+ and I am taking Femara, he said 90% I would be o.k. without chemo; but there is the 10% chance of recurrence or spread.

I talked it over with my dh and I am going to reach out to other breast cancer oncologists for their opinions before I make a decision.

Anyone else been in this position?

Thanks and best wishes to you all!

Chrisrenee77

karen- may i ask what size your tumors were? Mine were 2 cms and I did not need chemo/rads. My oncotype score was 7% if I took Femara and 14% if I did not. You have every right to get a 2nd 3rd or 4th opinion if you want. You have to be happy with what you are being told. Good luck with making your decision.

christy

cfdr

My tumor was ER/PR+, node negative, and at 1.1 cm it was thought I wouldn't need chemo at all until the oncotype score came back at 25. If your tumor is even smaller, I'd wonder why your onc is recommending chemo unless there's something else going on, e.g. a tumor grade of 3. Certainly worth asking more questions and/or a second opinion.

Eph3_12

you can see my stats below.  My onc score was high so after being told that I probably wouldn't have to do chemo, the MO & BS both encouraged me to do it after all.  What they didn't know was that I had pretty much decided I was going to do it anyway, no matter the score.  I wanted to throw everything I could at the beast. 

Linda-Ranching-in-the-mTns

The current standard of care is shifting, in large part due to the oncotype test -- and the new acceptance that  that chemo works better with agressive cancers -- but with slow-growing tumors (low oncotyoe) chemo can actually cause more harm than good. 

If your tumors were so small -- were they able to grade them? If so, then it seems odd they couldn't also oncotype them.

I have not heard of this situation before ... and (being a bit cynical myself) I kind of wonder if there might be another reason the oncotype test wasn't done -- like an error by the surgeon in not ordering it to be done... hey -- everyone is human and no one is perfect.

I would definitely get more opinions -- some women feel as EPH does (above - about throwing everything at 'the beast') but chemo is poison whose aim is to kill every new cell in your body -- cancer or healthy. It can have some very detrimental consequences... so there is no sense in rushing to take poision that will harm you -- unless its affects are considered to be beneficial.

Take your time and ask a lot of questions so that you feel comfortable with your decision. 

You might start your own new thread asking the question -- because only Femara/Letrozole women will probably see your question here.

Best of luck

Linda

Best of luck