FEMARA

Jean, sorry to hear about your progression.  I guess Femara, like all other AIs don't work for everyone but hopefully you will have success with the Megace - that's not a drug I have heard of before.  Please let us all know how it goes?  Gaynor

Jean, so sorry about the added stress you are experiencing. Nobody wants to hear that.

I was so hoping Femara was my little miracle pill and for everyone that takes it as well.

Jinky, can't answer your Femara quandary, but as to the problems down below... Femara did seem to constipate me at first, but I've had no trouble whatsoever since I started taking curcumin at my naturopath's suggestion (6000 mg per day).  Seems like the curcumin helps keep things moving along beautifully (in addition to all the other supergroovy stuff it does).

~lulubee 

Hi Jinky,

 I suffered from major constipation going through chemo then on to Femara.  Last year I had emergency surgery for a twisted bowel and after that for a while went the other way but now have bouts going either way, differs day to day.  At least this means if I can't go for a couple of days I know it won't last too long, LOL.  For me the lack of energy and "chemo brain" are worst - I used to have such a good memory but now I am often lost searching for words etc.  I also find that I do not handle stress/pressure nearly as well as I used to, not sure how others find this? I prided myself on my ability to multi task, now if I don't write things down I am not guaranteed to remember even important things, and pressure at work makes me feel like crashing on occasion.  Good job life at home doesn't have nearly as many pressures, thank God.  For now I will continue to take the little orange pill, I have a young friend who was recently diagnosed with mets and this made me rethink whether or not to stop taking Femara.

artsee -- I had the same elevated liver reaction to a prescription medication - Doxycycline for a stupid tick bite.  Doubled my liver enzymes and caused anemia too in addition to Diverticulitis event.  Drs put me through alot of stress saying it was due to the medication.  They are now back in normal range again.  One agreed it was the medication reaction.  Totally agree it is very difficult to be stress free now.......

artsee, I am so sorry.  And I DO understand.  I switched to letrozole for six weeks and it kicked my derriere.  

I posted a few days ago in the Hormonal Treatment for Stage IV forum about switching back to brand Femara after having big problems with generic.  (As in, I had to have an echocardiogram for tachycardia that set in within a week of switching to the generic, among other problems.  Bad reaction.)  I called the oncology patient navigator at my hospital and asked her to appeal my case to my insurance company for me -- I figured she knew what to do and I was sure I did NOT.  She and my oncologist handled it -- and the insurance company granted the appeal.  

All that to say, if you keep having new issues with the generic, you might ask your oncologist what kind of advocacy/support is available for helping you submit an appeal to your insurance.  You just never know till you try!

 ~lulubee

Ladies.........I have heard a lot of women are having problems with the generic Femara after going on it, and off of the brand...............I called Novartis and told them about this, and they confirmed all things are not equal with the gene4ric, and the Brand, but working for a Pharma company I already knew that..

Anyone who can't afford Femara, or doesn't have pharma coverage, call,the manufacturer, who is Novartis.........ask them about their "access to care" program which is  a program that pays for the Brand name drugs of anyone who can't afford the payments...............plead your case, tell them you are getting severe SE's from the generic, and you may be able to get your Femara from they "free of charge"................It is worth a shot............goodluck.

I've had constipation from chemo and then Femara. After nearly 2-1/2 years on Femara, it hasn't improved so I am taking a fiber supplement daily. I hate the side effects of this drug especially the pain. I used to love playing the piano but it's too painful now. Cancer just keeps on taking.

I paid $261.00 for a 3 months supply of Femara (from Aetna's warehouse).......it is.  Originally they told me that the generic would be $60.00 a month, and the Brand Femara would be $90.00 a month..................for the extra money it was worth it to me to stay on Femara..................I didn't want to take the shit to begin with, so since the SE's are some but not horrible, I don't want to change.

I plan on finding out the phone number for Teva who makes the generic, and also for the FDA to tell them about all the complaints women are making about their product................if they are never told, how can we complain.

Just google the manufacturer, and yo will be able to get their number..............working for a Pharma company for 15 years opened my eyes to what patients can do to change things..............................do nothing, and nothing will change...............complaining to each other is a good thing, since it brings out the problem for all of us, and makes it known.............................not telling the authorities means all we have done is talked amongst ourselves...................get on the phone ladies....................there is power in numbers.

Like i said Teva, makes the generic........................FDA should be easy to find................let's get this ball rolling.....

I do not understand the difference in pricing between insurance companies.  I have not paid more than $40.00 for 30 day supply on Femara and $10.00 for the generic.  I am with Cigna.

Cigna does not write insurance in Pa.......................They only write in certain states..........don't know why, but that is it..............maybe if you pick and choose who you want to insurance in what state it changes the cost................who knows.  Actually they only write in about 8 states

The reason Insurance Companyied don't write policicies in certian states is because each state sets up their own rules that insurance companies who write in that state must follow.  This is why it is important that we don't allow selling across state lines. The insurance companies would just all go to the states with the least regs.  We would all end up without the protection of our states dept of insurance when it comes to fighting with our insurance.  Much the same way all the credit card companies moved to North Dakota because they had the most favorable laws.

Here is my question with taking the generic.....anyone having symptoms similar to UTI's? Severe vaginal dryness? I thought I was getting a bladder infec/UTI but it turns out that the drugs have drained me dry dry dry. I didn't have this with the Femara but now with the generic I am having issues. I did get some estrogen cream to relieve the irritation but I have to be so careful as not to use it often. Is anyone else having this? I have heard that the generic drug can be different each month, in that in comes from different manufactures and the chemicals could vary with every prescription. Anyone heard this? I have been on Femara since Oct. of 2009 and experienced bone pain but no dryness.

Since switching to Letrozole I noticed slight headaches and my hair seems to be coming out more that Femara. Both are a s/e it seems. I'm not liking it. 1 1/2 years to go........

Monty...I was watching Dr. Oz and the Gyne on the show says to use Progesterone cream down SOUTH....she says it helps. Don't know if you can get that over the counter or not. Seems when you take drugs that happens and your Libido goes out the window.

I haven't posted in a long while and have been trying to catch up a bit.  I am glad to see that I am not the only one suffering worse SE's on the generic.  Judyb... I have gotten very stiff and painful thumbs and general weakness in my hand strength since switching.  I have to wait for my DH to open the simplest jars and packages.  Not to mention that my whole body has gotten pretty stiff and my hair is definitely thinning.  My last 90-day presription of letrozole was manufactured by Breckenridge.  I am going to try calling MEDCO and see if they will switch me back to Femara since they are the ones that made the switch to generic.  If that doesn't work, I will put in a call to my ONC.