FEMARA

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Tonlee- if you continue to feel this way you need to talk to your dr. It sounds like this might not be the drug for you.

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Tonlee- if you continue to feel this way you need to talk to your dr. It sounds like this might not be the drug for you.

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited April 2012

    Ginger,

    It may not be the right drug.  But since I felt the exact same way during chemo..I think it is likely lack of estrogen....and there's no remedy for that...is there? 

    I baked a dozen oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, ate them ALL, and now I feel better....functional at least. 

    Obviously I can't use sugar every day...so I'll shake it off... or I won't....Undecided

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  • Seashellie
    Seashellie Member Posts: 152
    edited April 2012

    Omaz, thank you so much for the information! That's exactly what I've been looking for. Haven't studied it yet but going to right now. Sure do appreciate it! And I'm not happy about the red dye in the pink ones, either...

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Tonlee-the lack of estrogen is a tough one for sure but I have always believed chocolate can make everything better.LOL. Hang in there and come back here for support.

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited April 2012

    Chocolate is a good thing as are nuts. I keep extra-dark chocolate around and in the afternoon I have a square of that along with a small handful of nuts. It is good for you and always lifts me a little.

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  • cfdr
    cfdr Member Posts: 549
    edited April 2012

    I don't miss estrogen at all. I suffered from horrible menstrual cramps for decades, as well as migraine. Migraine eased up a lot after menopause, and with letrozole I've actually been headache-free for weeks on end...first time since I was a child. I also feel much more emotionally even-tempered...not dead or dull, just not hyperemotional. Of course the Lexapro may help with that too.

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited April 2012

    I feel much better this morning....so hopefully this is something that will just come and GO!

    And I am for anything that can be cured with chocolate.

    Thanks ladies....

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  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited April 2012

    I gotta say, I took the accord version of letrozole this morning and completely forgot about it, seems to have not bothered my stomach!  Here's hoping it stays that way - yay!!

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited April 2012

    Tonlee, chocolate cures everything. Everything, I tell you! ;) Glad you feel better.

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  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 7,305
    edited April 2012

    Omaz - could you tell me what kind of effect other letrozole brands have had on your stomach?  I've got terrible indigestion that I've been blaming on the letrozole, but my onc says she hasn't had anyone else report that as a side-effect.  My husband thinks it could be the curcumin that is affecting me - but I'm convinced it's the letrozole....  (maybe I should eat more chocolate Smile)

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  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited April 2012
    garden - I started with the mylan and it upset my stomach. Did that for a week, took two days off to get the accord generic brand and started that today. So I only have experience with the two. I am liking this one better so far.
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  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 7,305
    edited April 2012

    Thanks - and good luck with the new one.  :)

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  • stephN
    stephN Member Posts: 284
    edited April 2012

    I've got the achy joints, but one of the hardest things to deal with is the fatigue.  I sleep at night, but I'm so sleepy all day.  I feel like I could sleep for hours.  Is this normal?  I felt kind of like this during radiation and it turned out I was depressed in addition to the normal fatigue of radiation.  I thought I was over it.

    Ladies?  Any experience here?

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  • weety
    weety Member Posts: 1,163
    edited April 2012

    stephN,

    If you go back to page 83 on this thread, you will read all about me asking practically the same question.  I never figured it all out,though, and yes, I still have it.  Let me know what you think after reading it!

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited April 2012

    Steph and Weety, I am only a few weeks into femara, and I thought the fatigue was left-over rad fatigue, but maybe not.

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  • cfdr
    cfdr Member Posts: 549
    edited April 2012

    I started taking letrozole immediately after my last chemo cycle, so I never had a break from fatigue. I've been chalking up my fatigue to still recovering from chemo, but it could be the letrozole is contributing as well. I seem to sleep OK, but I feel "out of gas" a lot, and have trouble focusing on tasks.

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited April 2012

    Just a quick note on fatigue. 

    I've learned there can be many reasons for it....but if you took radiation, next time your at the Doc, have them check your thyroid.  Even though my thyroid didn't take a direct hit, radiation pooped it out (it was barely working before rads tho).

    My RO said a LOT of women get scatter on their thyroid which slows it.

    One of the biggest symptoms (besides not being able to lose weight) is fatigue.  For me, chemo and radiation fatigue had NOTHING on fatigue caused by underactive thyroid.

    Just wanted to throw that out there....its a simple blood test :)

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  • artsee
    artsee Member Posts: 1,576
    edited April 2012

    Hi ALL, Well, tomorrow is another dreaded 6 month exam. I get so nervous for some reason. Some questions for all of you.

    I get warm flushes sometimes at night and sometimes it seems my HEART starts beating harder at that time. Does this happen to any of you? My achy body, makes my mind wander about what is wrong. I found an extra bottle of Femara and am using it up along with the Letrozole that I have been taking since it went Generic. Do you think it matters mixing the two? I'm coming up with all kinds of things to help me figure out why I feel like crap. Would appreciate any comments.

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  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited April 2012
    artsee - Good luck on your appointment tomorrow!
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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited April 2012

    Tonlee, thanks for the heads up, makes sense.

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  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 7,305
    edited April 2012

    I know I'm somewhat more tired than the "normal" me, but not to a terrible extent.  Tamoxifen was FAR worse for me.  When I was on tamoxifen all I wanted to do was sleep. I'd get home from work and go straight to bed. 

    On Letrozole I aim for a good solid 8 hours a night - mind you, I never actually GET 8 hours a night because I'm either aching too much to actually sleep restfully, or I'm having a hot flash and throwing the covers off...  I didn't have radiation, so can't blame anything on that....

    Good luck on your appointment, Artsee - I'm sure everything will be just fine!!!

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  • slousha
    slousha Member Posts: 312
    edited April 2012

    Hi artsee,

    Are you taking two pills of Femara every day? Why? Please, speak about with your Onc!

    Best wishes!

    Usha

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  • artsee
    artsee Member Posts: 1,576
    edited April 2012

    No, I'm not taking two Femara....I dumped my Letrozole and Femara together and I take one a day as it comes out of the container. Just wondered if it mattered from day to day which you take. They are supposed to be the same.

    Yes, I will mention it to my Dr.

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited April 2012

    Garden,

    I had to take my Tamox at night for exactly the same reason!  It was like taking a sleeping pill. 

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  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Member Posts: 13,369
    edited April 2012

    Been on Femara from day 1.............have the joint aches, but then again I take nothing for it.........probably aspirin, aleve, or tylenol might help, just don't want to take another pill

    Got permission to take Femara, and not the generic..........did not want to take the chance of any worse SE's, so bit the bullet, and am paying out the ass for it.

    I think $171.00 every three months.............that goes up when I reach the gap/donut hole, which happens in the last 3 months of the year..............then its over $200.

    I hate this shit.

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  • stephN
    stephN Member Posts: 284
    edited April 2012

    I read the pages about your sleepiness, weety.  I am sleepy all day.  When I work on the computer I can barely stay awake.  Today, I decided to close my eyes for ten minutes to see if it would help me stay awake for the rest of the afternoon and I woke up two hours later.  It's real fatigue and it's really frustrating!  

    I said I was going to take this without complaining.  Sigh.  I hope it gets better like some people have said it does. 

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  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited April 2012
    TonLee - another positive day for the accord letrozole, no tummy trouble.  I had a LOT of sitting yesterday though, meetings during the day and a 2 hour dance performance (teenagers) at night.  I had foot and calf cramping, which i rarely have.  I think with the loss of estrogen I have to exercise pretty much EVERY day to keep things working.  Wish my stubborn knee and foot discomfort would go away!  I attribute that to chemopause/anti-estrogens too.
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  • weety
    weety Member Posts: 1,163
    edited April 2012

    Steph, Yep, that's me!  I'm a kindergartener teacher and there are times during the day that I practically fall asleep while teaching.  When I'm doing a calm, sit-down activiity such as small group reading or individual assessing, sometimes I find myself nodding off.  Even the kids have noticed it--they say "Mrs. xxx, are you sleepy?"  Geez.  And it's not age--I'm only 41.

    I've noticed it goes in cycles throughout the day.  If I can get through the drowsy cycle (I'm guessing it lasts about 30 min) then all of a sudden it's like the curtains open, the sun comes in and wah-lah, I'm fine again.  It's very strange. And it really does seem to go away like that in a instant.  Suddenly my mind is just clear and alert again.

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Weety- that is me too! I am a preschool teacher and nodding off is NOT a good thing! I think the lack of estrogen causes us to feel much older than our age. I am trying to do some kind of exercise for 30 minutes every day. Even if it is slow walkIng; I think it helps my creakiness and my sleep.

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