Femara

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newter
newter Member Posts: 4,330
edited June 2014 in Life After Breast Cancer
My Onc would like to switch me from Tamoxifen to Femara and I was wondering about side effects.

Thanks,
Newter
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  • biondi
    biondi Member Posts: 223
    edited August 2007
    I WAS ON FEMARA FOR 6 MO. WENT OFF IT BECAUSE OF SEVERE JOINT, MUSCLE, PAIN AND BONE LOSS. LOSS OF HAIR, FATIGUE,DEPRESSION, BLADDER PROBLEMS. FEMARA IS KNOWN TO BE HARD ON BONES..I NOW HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS IN MY SPINE.
    MY EXPERIENCE, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT THOUGH, HOW WE TOLERATE THESE AI'S.
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  • neva4
    neva4 Member Posts: 16
    edited August 2007
    I am on Femara now for 5 months after having the reactions that biondi had while on falsodex.I too have osto and some arthur that i got while on Toxal still have joint pain but not as severe.

    My pain killers are my friends.
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  • silvergirl9114
    silvergirl9114 Member Posts: 381
    edited August 2007

    I guess everyone is different. Switched from Arimidex after 16 months. Hips and knees were killing me, couldn't close my hands in the morning they were so stiff and lost 4% bone mass in that short time. Went from +2 (Way over the top for a 60 year old woman) down to -2.3 in the femural head. Osteopenic at this point and take Actonel to keep it from escalating---if that doesn't do the trick then it is potentially on to Zometa. They switched me to Femara and I'm happy as a clam. Have arthritis in my spine but I had that before.

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  • sschmidt
    sschmidt Member Posts: 178
    edited August 2007

    I am tolerating it fine. A little achy but it is worth it.

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  • nycmom
    nycmom Member Posts: 61
    edited August 2007

    I switched from Tamoxifen to Femara also because studies suggested it. I never felt any problems on either.

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  • nofear123
    nofear123 Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2007

    I was switched from Tamoxifen to Femara as part of a study. I had not had a menstrual cycle in over a yr. and my dr. believes the Femara is a better course of treatment. Needless to say, I started having periods again and now I am back on Tamoxifen and have taken 1 of the Zolodex (3 month) shots. I will probably not take another round of it though because I am extremely dry. The ony difference I had while on the femara was the joint pain was a lot worse....especially in my knees, feet, and hands.

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  • newter
    newter Member Posts: 4,330
    edited September 2007

    Do you remember how long it took for the joint pain to become noticable? I have been on Femara for about 2.5 weeks and I have not noticed anything yet.

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