FEMARA

Mama, I can second all your complaints and at times when around folks who do not get it...lordie but seem to think I should be doing all the same things as before all this junk started!

I used to work a full day, run to the gym in time for a spin class, add a bit of weight training, stop for dinner with a pal and get home after nine each night, wake up the next day and do it again.

lordie, still go to the gym after work, not doing spin now, aches and pains?  how do you figure out what is causing it?  I had muscle pain in my left leg for 3 years and complained to the onco who said not!  Actually, she was correct as when I finally talked to my PCD, we realized it was a statin reaction, switch and much much better

but the balance issues and such are scaring the pants off me now, who do I complain to and do I stop the Als?  not yet but...

Mamma have you tried taking it at night? I also had the mega tiredness and changed taking it at night and I have had no trouble since.



Love n hugs. Chrissy

I confess that I would be fearful of stopping the meds (for me that is aromasin these days) as well and feel like I am so lucky to have gotten away without being told to do chemo 

the tiredness, gee right now I am trying my darness to figure out if I can afford to retire, I am 63 but really need to work till 65 for health insurance.  Can not believe that work stress is helpful to me at this stage

Omaz,

Onc never mentioned removing ovaries.  Recently went back for pap as was fine down there.

Terri

i have always taken the letrozole at night, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. there are ladies at my church who are so spty and in their 80's who get around better that i do. i don't really sleep all that well anyway, b/c of knee pain and stiffness, and neuropathy in toes and fingers left over from chemo. plus, i have to wrap the affected arm nightly due to lymphedema, and it's like a big deal just to turn over in bed!! i keep hoping that some of this stuff will go away when my 5 yrs are up, 2014, nov, here i come!!

Thanks Chrissy!  I'm going to get some Bosweilla and try it

Good info!

I only started letrozole on April 1 of this year and so far have done pretty well, mild hot flashes, some stiffness on getting up, once up can get around just fine.  Then yesterday I had the mother of all hot flashes.  My face turned red, eyes felt as though they were bugging out, started to feel faint and it took 30 minutes to cool down.  Does anyone have suggestions on how to cope with this?

Nanna, I had some problems with numbness in my fingers. Not sure if it was neuropathy from the taxotere or from the femara or a bit of both.

Recently I realized that I was probably anemic, so I started taking feroglobin, an iron supplement syrup that also has a bunch of B-vitamins of various kinds. After a week, my hands had also improved noticably. So you may want to try some B-vitamins. 

Hi Vicks I haven't had major nose bleeds but I have had nose bleeds. Prior to being on Femara I never had nose bleeds so I'm guessing it could be a SE.

Check with your onc.



Love n hugs. Chrissy

Does anyone here know if losing toenails is a SE of letrozole?  I was switched from Tamoxifen in April to Letrozole and since then I have lost 2 toenails. Now I have a swollen toe that is making walking difficult. Have already been to a podiatrist and had xrays which didn't show any type of fracture. Now going for an MRI. My docs seemed stumped and so am I.

since i had chemo, some of my toenails are really weird, like peely, and some of my toes have neuropathy, kind of tingly. i try to keep nail polish on the odd looking toes, as we wear sandals here most of the year!

Hmmm, I've been on Femara since Sept 2010 and have had toe and fingernail issues beginning with chemo before I went on Femara.

Now all of my nails are very hard, yet brittle.  If I let my fingernails get any white on the tips, they break off.  If a toenail gets a fraction past the nail-bed, it will just lift off.

My Dr has checked and I don't have a fungal problem.  She just suggested to keep them very short, which I do.

So maybe it is due to the Femara as when on chemo my toe and fingernails just all fell off - ha, like my hair!

Ginger, maybe it is the lack of estrogen.  My skin is dry also but hair is fine.

Sadly, femara has also taken away my desire for one on one with my dear husband.  Luckily, he understands and says it's ok, but in fact it is NOT ok with me.  I miss those special times.  Maybe that's why I am such an ball of emotions most of the time? 

in regards to fingernails - mine were breaking much more than they had in the past.  I started taking biotin (8000 mcg per day) and that has helped immensely.

in regards to closeness - IMHO it's really important (as Usha says) to keep it up - even on days when you may not feel a lot of desire - once things start up, the desire comes as well - and to be honest, even if there isn't a lot of desire, knowing that you are pleasing your husband and helping him feel close to you can be a real intense pleasure all of itself.