FEMARA

gardengumby

Vicks - it looks like you and I started at the same time.  My fatigue has lessened somewhat, but the leg pain can be fairly debilitating at times.  Like Eph - I take mine in the evening.  Lately, I've started experiencing a lot of anxiety and waking in the middle of the night.  I'll be glad when I can stop...

Vicks1960

Gardengumby,

That makes 2 of us who will be glad when we can stop this merrygoround.  I have been taking mine in the mornings.

Let's hope and pray that it does the job it is supposed to do!!!!  I am glad for the good medical treatment I have been receiving!!!!.

Vickie

Chrisrenee77

Vicks and gardenbumby- i started off taking mine in the morning but by 10am i was ready for a big nap. So i was told to take it at night with my effexor for hot flashes. well the two of them together kept me up for about 1 week. Went back to the Onc and she then suggested Effexor in the morning and femara at night. I have slept like a baby ever since.  Would definitely suggest taking it at night. that way when you get the SE of the fatigue you are already sleeping and it doesn't become bothersome.

Bookwormtoo

I hit the drug store yesterday and loaded up on magnesium glucosamine and vitamin D. I am hoping the magnesium will help with the joint pain. My arthritic knees are now really achy but the pain my wrists and fingers is new. I am grateful for all of the coping suggestions that I found on this site. 

Galsal

No chemo nor rads here.  Fatigue is so big.

Chrisrenee77

yeah no chemo/rads here either.

Galsal- do you take your Femara in the morning or at night?

nanna

Has anyone had trouble with glaucoma since on femara. I have been dealing with this after the 1st year on femara. Did not have problem before starting the femara.

luvmygoats

Nanna - I had glaucoma b4 BC.  Asked my MO, my optometrist and my glaucoma doc if Femara worsened it.  My optometrist is BC aware as his wife is BC survivor.  All 3 said no.  It seems pretty stable, only been on Femara since June but glaucoma since 2007.  Now in general I think vision is worse.  Beginning cataracts, too but I'm 60.

Chrisrenee77

nanna- When I went last year for my annual vision check. I was told to make sure that I go in every year for a check up. I was also told that I would need to make sure that I get my eyes dialated every visit. Also, that with us having had BC that we are more likely to get glaucoma. I swear this damn disease has us coming and going. Waiting for the next drop in the bucket at every turn.

Galsal

Chrisrenee, I take it at night.  Was I told to?  Nope.  Know from reading on here. 

I agree, had my annual eye exam and told the Dr that I'd had BC since the last visit.  She was very glad I was there, that eyes needed to be checked quite well because of that.  That wasn't even a private eye clinic but the VA Hospital.

sbelizabeth

Month eight for Femara for me.  At first I wrestled with joint pain in my hips, knees, and hands.  Maybe I'm just getting used to it, but with exercise (walking and cycling) and stretching, it's better.  Sure I'd prefer to NOT take it...but I'm not crazy about the alternative.  Not willing to risk it.

cfdr

I take my femara at night. I sleep well (though long: 9-11 hours/night) but have fatigue on and off throughout the day.

Have not had glaucoma, but I do have a problem with excessive tearing in one eye. When I go for a walk, it tears so much that the inside of my glasses gets splattered with tears. Not sure why it mostly happens outdoors, I'm guessing that the air movement irritates it even in a mild breeze.

gardengumby

cfdr - I need much more sleep since starting femara.  Where I used to get by perfectly well on 7-8 hours of sleep, now I need 10-11.  When I was talking to my MO about the muscle pain I experience (and didn't when on vacation in Hawaii) I attributed the lack of pain to the heat, but she suggested that it might be related to fatigue and that I should try to sleep the same amount.  I told her that I'd have to be in bed before I got home from work to get the same amount of sleep... .  One of the reasons I'm going to retire this year.

auntienance

Cfdr, I have the same problem with the tearing. Weird.

Momine

For me, the tearing dates to taxotere chemo. It has gotten much better, but still starts up once in a while.

gardengumby

Interesting - I had no chemo, but I also tear up all the time.  I never thought of it as yet another side-effect.

Vicks1960

I too have had a lot of tearing too.  Went to the opthamologist last summer and he said I have 'dry eyes' and told me to use eyedrops.  He gave me a sample and I am able to buy it otc at Walmart.  He said, that as we age, our eyes tend to water a lot, but no longer have something (I don't remember what he called it) .  Eyes are much better since I started using the drops several times a day, as needed.

Vickie

Galsal

I do have the dry eyes but had that before dx'd with BC.  Also already had Rosacea although now I have Occular Rosacea too.  I was surprised to find that there's some preservative-free artificial tears at Wally World. 

cfdr

I did read that taxotere can cause scarring of the tear ducts. Seeing my opthalmalogist next month and figure I'll ask her about it then. The oncologist certainly don't want to hear about any more side fx.

conniehar

Hi ladies -

Anyone have issues with yeast infections on Femara?  I am just 90 days into this and feel like I have one.  I haven't had one in 10+ years!  I was on Tamox for 5 years prior to Femara with no issues.  Just wondered if it could be due to the meds.

Thanks!

Momine

Connie, yes, the estrogen-suck can make you prone ot yeast. Take pro-biotics.

Odd with the dry eyes. I was told this at some point. I tried the artificial tears, but I am too chicken to put things in my eyes.

cfdr

The lack of estrogen causes vaginal dryness, and I'm guessing that could make you more prone to yeast infections. I use coconut oil as a nightly moisturizer...much cheaper than replens or any of the others on the market.

Vicks1960

Galsal,

The drops prescribed are Systane Ultra.  (One of Walmart's private label one has same ingredients) The pharmacist told me about it and it is MUCH cheaper..

Vickie

Eph3_12

conniehar, I got what felt like urinary tract infection after being on Femara for about a year & half.  I added cranberry capsules to my daily handful of "stuff" and that has taken care of that feeling.

conniehar

Thanks ladies - it seems a bit better today so I will keep an eye on it!  I did think it was a UTI at first but really no burning during urinating so don't think that is it.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Bookwormtoo

 I have been on lezotrole for about a month and started with the SEs about a week ago. Every day they are worse. This morning I felt like I'd been hit by a truck and barely made it to my teaching job. I'm 64 and well past menopause so I thought that the SEs would be a bit easier but menopause was nothing like this. I am going to give it until Monday and if I stiill feel like this I'll call my onco. Do the SEs level out or can I expect them to remain so debilitating? 

Momine

Bookworm, mine evened out with exercise.

Scottiee1

Wow....bookworm.....we are twins...lol....same age .....still,teaching also...same dx...same treatment.



I've been on Letrozole for a year now ....my S/E include hair thinning, diarrhea, and the occasional ache...... all in all not bad. Please be patient because I believe you need to give it another couple of months for your system to adjust. If you can exercise, it helps tremendously. Hang in there.

Chrisrenee77

Bookworm- that's how my first couple of months were. After that, I have had no complications. As Scottie said give it a while longer. After 1 week your body has not adjusted to it. Hope all your SE's subside quickly.

Scottiee- Hello! hope you and Jo are enjoying your trip.

Bookwormtoo

Scottiee: It looks like we are in the same boat! I have an appointment with the PE teacher at school who is also a personal trainer. We have a weight room/training room here at the HS so she is going to give me a few exercises. People here have been incredibly supportive but I have been pretty cool about everything until now. I sailed through rads. and didn't expect this.  Does anyone think that the generic version, letrazole, has different SEs than Femara? My insurance company automatically gave me generic.