FEMARA

One of the most common fillers are lactose---Teva uses less of that in theirs, which seems to have something to do with the SE for many women. The Arimidex thread is full of the discussion on TEVA vs other generics.

Cut out gluten for almost a year. Didn't help . Guess I will try lactose and sugar next

Would love to hear from anyone on Femara who has to start taking Prolio for osteopenia? I am so afraid of getting this shot! I'm already having issues with joint muscle pain and I cannot tell if it's from my arthritis, Femara or both. Now another med that causes joint/muscle pain! The onco went right to Prolia, did not discuss the biophosphate type meds, I'm wondering why now. I think I need to meet with her before the shot to talk about options but would love to hear from those of you who are on this particular combo? Thanks!!

cbaird99. I wasdiagnosed with osteopenia many years ago. I started on fermara in February 2015 and was sent for a bone density test in August 2015. My osteopenia remained in two areas but went to a -2.5 in mice lower spine which is the beginning of osteoporosis. My oncologist sent me to and osteoporosis specialist who put me on the generic for Actonel once a month. There was no mention of putting me on the once a year alternative. After I took my first Pill I had diarrhea for a week. She told me to take it the next month and see if I still have the same symptoms and if so she would recommend going on are Reclast???not sure of the spelling. I did take the pill and I only had diarrhea for two days so maybe I'm adjusting to it. Mentioned it to my oncologist and he didn't like the idea of the once a year injection. I get muscle aches and joint pain from the actonell as well as the fermara don't know which is from which and as always I worry about it being something else.

I just started femara 4 days ago and experienced bone pain w/in an hour. Will it get better? Bone pain was my primary SE from chemo and Neulasta injection.

I was recently dx with osteoporosis in my lower spine and osteopenia in my hips.....about 9 months after starting Femara. I didn't have a baseline so I don't really know if the Femara was a contributing factor. I was dx with osteopenia about 10 years ago so I was probably well on my way to osteoporosis. I really did not want to take another medication in addition to Femara so I searched for an alternative. I have been doing OsteoStrong about 2 months. I have noticed reduced hip pain so far. I go once a week for about 15 minutes and do 4 weight bearing machines. Their claim is that these exercises will increase bone density by 7.7% in one year. I can't attest to that since I've just started but i'll try anything to avoid another prescription. I also do yoga a few times a week and walk on the weekends.

Nash, very interesting! Which machines do you use?

Ms Pharoah, I hope that's correct because that's what I do!

((Hugs)))

Nash et al,

I was diagnosed last week with osteoporosis (forget osteopenia, blew right by that!). I'm only 44 but on Femara, Lupron AND prednisone, all of which destroy bone density. I'm a little miffed that none of my docs thought to check my bone density until now, after almost two years on these hateful drugs.

I'm quite active but mostly just running. I guess I need to get a strength training program going. My BFF who's not my doctor but is a great doc recommended the annual shot for the osteoporosis. I'm waiting to see what my PCP recommends...

Does anyone have diet/nutrition advice? I've read to reduce salt, increase protein, dairy and other sources of vitamin D and calcium, and .... reduce caffeine. I love my coffee but it leaches precious calcium from the bones .... sigh, does the world really need to take away my last comfort?!

On another topic, I've been taking fish oil (wild Alaska salmon oil - the best!) and I think it's mitigating the bone pain. And maybe helping keep my brain from being complete and utter mush. I recommend!

alaskamamma....HI! I was born in Anchorage Alaska! Always wanted to go back as I was just a baby when we moved. Diet will help with bone loss but not near as much as weight bearing exercise. I love OsteoStrong because it is monitored and targeted to the areas I need. I don't know how wide-spread the facilities are. It was founded here in Nashville by a doc who was helping his aging mother. I have been wanting to add fish oil to my regime mostly for dry skin...due to lack of estrogen. What brand are you using and can you get from Amazon?

the OT has me wearing gloves to bed. keeps the heat in and my hands don't hurt quite as much when I wake up!

Alaskamama - Thanks for that. I'll mulled it all over. I probably just need to suck it up. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Chloesmon - Interesting about the gloves. I wear a right hand splint to bed and it feels great.

I lived in Alaska from from when I got married at 24 till about 30 when we moved back to CA. Nash---were you born at Providence Hospital? Seems like everyone was. I had my daughter there in '84. Alaskamamma is right, you should visit. It is unique and overwhelmingly beautiful. I regretted leaving many times when I was stuck in SoCal traffic or tired of so many people. I had a hard time adjusting at first and would really stress on the number and speed of cars on the freeway. Funny huh? I lived in Fairbanks and Wasilla. You should visit the Kenai Penninsula. Take the train or drive the highway north from Anchorage through Denali National Park up to Fairbanks.

I am not familiar with Southeast AK but I did drive out of Alaska via the Alcan Highway. That was a memorable roadtrip. The Yukon and B.C. are beautiful too. Maybe Aug-Sept on the chance you could catch some northern lights but not too cold yet.

Yay! There’s an OsteoStrong center in Schaumburg--about 45 min. away in the NW suburbs (dangerously located near IKEA and Woodfield Mall). If I cant get out there daily, I do have a treadmill and stationary bike. My FP advises that for every cup of caffeinated coffee I drink I add some calcium-rich food (whole sardines & canned salmon--eating the bones of both, greens and lattes, anyone)? And for hand arthritis, he says I need to get back to practicing guitar daily, starting now, to keep my fingers limber; and to be vigilant about wearing gloves or mittens whenever the wind-chill dips below 40F. He confirms my knees should be fine, as they’re made of titanium and plastic with no cartilage or bone to erode, but to be careful about avoiding falls (use a cane or trekking poles in snow & ice even if I’m not hurting)--and to let someone else shovel snow. If I do attempt X-C skiing I should do it on grass only, not on sidewalks. Meanwhile, when I told him I switched from Tums to calcium citrate (800mg/day), he said that’s what he was about to suggest. But once I start Femara, I should raise that to 1200mg. Two “petites” with every meal--not just breakfast and dinner or bedtime snack. Tried the full-size ones, and I kept choking on them--even when I split them, the rough edges catch in my throat. Even the “petites” are tough to swallow, and I lose a couple every day to coughing them up when they get stuck. Might switch to the chewables, but considering a single dose is four wafers they can get pretty expensive. I get 2000 IU of D3 from my supplement and 500 in my multi; and I take 500mg of magnesium at bedtime, plus 200 in my multi.

I wonder if my friend who just fell out of bed her first day at long-term acute care and broke her femur was on a bisphosphonate. (She’s petite, but medium-frame and olive-skinned; she was a smoker >50 yrs). Because of her emphysema and pulmonary hypertension, she can’t have it surgically reduced and pinned, so all they can do is keep it in an immobilizer and her non-weightbearing and heavily pain-managed....in hospice, unfortunately. I’m terrified of ending up like that--I already had an iliac crest fracture 18 yrs ago when my surgeon dug a little too deep when harvesting bone to patch together my shattered tibia (from my being hit by a car).

Alaskamama, thanks for the link

As to stuff like green tea, curcumin, and antioxidants in general, how long after cytotoxic therapy (systemic like chemo and local like radiation) is it safe for us to take them? After all, the point of such therapies is to promote, not prevent, oxidation because free radicals are basically the catalyst for cells--especially cancer cells--to be damaged to the point where they can’t proliferate. Hormonal therapy is a little different, as it seeks to starve estrogen-dependent cells either by blocking the receptors or eliminating the estrogen.