Is this the Femara? So frustrating

Your mom needs to call her doctor tomorrow. I dont know if its the Femara or if theres something else going on. There is no reason for her to suffer this much.

When I switched from anastrazole to Femara I felt horrible. Here is a list of common side effects. "Common side effects of Femara include hot flashes, hair loss, joint/bone/muscle pain, tiredness, unusual sweating or night sweats, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, weight gain, weakness, flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling), headache, constipation, numbness/tingling/weakness/stiffness in your hand or fingers, or pain in your hand that spreads to your arm, wrist, forearm, or shoulder." I would have her call her MO tomorrow

I switched back to anastrazole as quickly as I could, fewer and less sever side effects. Everyone reacts differently. One that is not mentioned here is I developed vaginal dryness that triggered back and hip pain. A vaginal moisturizer really helped eliminate the back and hip pain.

Every side effect listed for Femara is pretty much the same for all three AIs. Some are commoner than others--helps to read package inserts (or prescribing info on website) for actual percentages. I’m sorry I gave the impression that your mom’s symptoms are due to pre-existing depression or that she even had depression before diagnosis--it isn’t uncommon for the cumulative physical stress of treatments and then withdrawal of estrogen to induce the neuro-biochemical imbalance that causes (or is the hallmark of) major clinical depression, or at least anxiety. It’s not emotional. It’s a hardware, not a software, problem--but should be ruled out first. My MO and most sources list the most common SE’s of AIs (espec. letrozole) as joint pain & stiffness, muscle aches, hot flashes & night sweats, insomnia, weight gain; and less often, hair thinning, lethargy (from the same impaired metabolism that causes weight gain) and gastric distress. But the effects of chemo & radiation--especially gastro-intestinal distress, vertigo and fatigue can’t be discounted--those treatments are recent enough that there are residual side effects. Perhaps the overlay of the AI is intensifying them.