Letrozole/Femara

Dianao62

Hello,

My name is Diana. I have been on Letrozole for some time and cannot seem to get adjusted to it. The side effects are really intense. Does anyone else feel the side effects as much as I do? I am trying to deal with it as much as possible but I cannot seem to shake the feeling of being fatigued and achy all the time. I feel as though I am an 80 year old woman. Would love to hear your story and/or remedy on how you dealt with these side effects.

Thanks.

Hopeful82014

Hi, Diana - welcome to BCO. I hope you find what you need here.

I've been on AIs for 2.5 years, starting on Femara, then Aromasin, then back to Femara. The changes between AIs were an attempt to deal with similar side effects. I've had it easier with Femara the second time around and I think this is a fairly common experience.

Many women do cycle through all three of the AIs before finding the one they feel most comfortable with. Others find that different generics have fewer side effects (for them) apparently due to different fillers used by different makers. You might ask your pharmacist about going that route. (Some MOs dismiss that as a possible cause of side effects.)

Some people find acupuncture helpful, others have gotten relief from aches with glucosamine or boswellamine. Unfortunately, it's very much a trial and error process and it can take time and $$ to arrive at any conclusions - helpful or otherwise.

There is a thread dedicated to Femara on this board and another to AIs in general. You may find some useful ideas browsing through those.

Being caught between the absolute imperative of staying on treatment and the struggle with side effects is frustrating and discouraging. Good luck finding something that helps.

Dianao62

Thank you Hopeful for your response.

ndgrrl

Hi,have you thought of trying a different Ai? I had horrible joint pain while on Arimedex and felt 80,but I did better on Letrazole. Each is a little different. I am currenly on letrazole but my dexa scan has shown I have some bone loss after 10 months and my colesterol is going up- so not sure what my next step is at this point.

Dianao62

I think there is one other AI that I can take. I just feel awful. It is getting very depressing. I guess I should not have stopped the Lexapro but I am gaining so much weight on all these meds.

mustlovepoodles

I'm sorry to hear of so many women having trouble with their AI. I've been on Femara since Mar 2016 and so far, no side effects. Sure, I have joint pain and aches, but I have had arthritis for many years. I don't think the aches and pains I'm feeling are any worse, other than my left knee. That's been hurting for a long time and suddenly got a lot worse last month--just had a knee replacement for that. But I don't really think the Femara is the issue. My cholesterol and other blood work is fine and my weight is the same (too high, LOL).

Nancy618

I've only been on Femara for 3 weeks and I'm a mess already.

I have had problems with sleep for years, since menopause. I took a low dose amitriptylline for years before it finally wasn't working anymore. In March, my PCP put me on hydroxizine. I took half or a quarter of a 50mg pill and it did wonders!!! Finally, able to go back to sleep when I woke during the night and slept 7-8 hours. First time in YEARS I had any energy, a clear mind, and felt refreshed every day.

Enter Femara: my sleep is HORRIBLE. Now, when I wake in the middle of the night, I feel jittery, like every hair follicle on my arms is moving, and I lie awake for long, long periods of time before falling asleep, only to wake around 5am, unable to go back to sleep. I'm averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night, my brain is totally fogged, I'm crying at the drop of a hat, and my mood is horrible. I warned my husband that I am not responsible for what comes out of my mouth!!! I've tried to exercise, but I'm so tired, I can barely stand upright. This morning, I stood in my bedroom looking at my shoes and I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do with them. I burst out in tears and wanted to crawl back into bed and just not face the day. And this is all after just THREE WEEKS????

My hip pain/stiffness is worse, the hot flashes are tolerable but not fun, and my reflux has been acting up.

I shot a message to my MO this morning with my frustrations. He probably thinks I'm nuts and impatient. I guess I am impatient, but honestly, I can't live life this way because it isn't living! I'd rather not take any AI and take my 9% chance for recurrence.

Kicks

I've been on Femara (then letrozole when the genetic became available - several different brands) since Feb 2010. No SE issues with any of them.

We are each unique.