FEMARA Reviews (LETROZOLE)Average Rating: 2.5 (1087 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare FEMARA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 |
More on FEMARA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR FEMARA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | Stage 2 breast cancer | Stiffness and insomnia but I figured the trade off to keep my extremely estrogen positive cancer away was worth it. | F | 55 | 10 years 2.5mg day | 12/7/2011 | 5 | Stage 4 - Metatastic Breast Cancer | Bone and joint pain, hot flashes, back pain, headaches, wrinkly hands, vaginal dryness, fatigue, osteoarthritis, short term memory issues, difficulty focusing. Diagnosed w/ BX in 94' then metastisized in 97'. Took tamoxifin for 3.5 year after the first diagnosis and then famera for 9 years after the second. | Nine (total of 13) extra fabulous years that I wouldn't have otherwise. Over the past couple of years, then pain is intensifying. Need to switch or to stop taking famera. Would like to hear from someone who has taken it long term and then stopped. | F | 49 | 9 years | 3/2/2007 | 3 | stage 2 breas cancer | In the beginning the side effects were tolerable. It was better than cancer. The weight gain, headaches, hot flashes, fog brain,. My dr wanted me on it for the rest of my life because my cancer was aggressive. My dr retired and I now have a young female ono doc. First thing she did was take me off Femera. She said that there are studies of long term effects of bone loss. I have been having alot of hip pain and just chalked it up to being arthritus. My body has arthritus all thru it thanks to chemo and radiation. After my annual scans, the doc found a spot on my lower spine. Not sure what it is. I have to go for an MRI to find out what it is. What ever it is I think that I am going to have to deal with this pain forever. I didn't know side effects to femara was bone loss. | I think femara did what it was suppose to do in the beginning. I am 9 years out and I think that Femara had something to do with it. I'm alittle upset because my original doc never said that long term could cause bone loss. I read about the person that is 44 and can't work anymore because of femara. I feel sorry for her. I am a very active person, and I don't know how things are going to turn out. I think that I will have to deal with this pain. | F | 57 | 9 years 2.5 mg 1X day | 8/9/2011 | 5 | Stage 4 metastatic BC/bone mets | Still having bone pain, especially lower back and pelvis area, but that's also where I had radiation due to mets. All other symptoms have receded, or have become more easy to handle. Have actually been on 8 and half years. | Hi Folks! Just wanted to continue to encourage those of you who are still on Femara. You will find my previous comments from a year ago here--dated 4/24/09. Still in complete remission! Yahoo! Most of the side-effects are due to Femara actually working. It's not the drug that's the problem, it's the lack of estrogen. Catch-22 still, I'm sorry to say. Still rating it a 5! Continued Best Wishes to All in our common struggle for survival! XOXO | F | 55 | 8 years 25mg 1X day | 4/2/2010 | 5 | Breast Cancer | Muscle aches, joint pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, knee and leg pain. Hot flashes, insomnia and feel fatigued | Femara helps out a lot but my quality of life has changed a whole lot since I been taking Femara. Can't walk a distance or climb stairs because of the muscle and joint pain that I experience from taking Femara | F | 62 | 8 years 2.5 mg 1X day | 8/11/2020 | 4 | adenosarcoma in endometreosis | Severe joint, bone pain, headaches, nausea, nightsweats, blurred vision, insomnia, chills to roasting in matter of minutes, tiredness, etc | I have a rare form of cancer as my endometriosis is outside of the uterus. Had hysterectomy/ooperectomy 20 yrs prior to cancer diagnosis. I have had numerous surgeries for endometreosis I have gone as long as 8.5 yrs in between. Thus far I've gotten by for 7.5yrs. I'm on this med for life but am at the point of deciding if quality of life that I'm currently experiencing is worth taking it. | M | 56 | 7.5 years 2.5mg 1X day | 7/13/2012 | 5 | Breast cancer | Initially no side effects. after six years I blamed my weight gain on this med. I had become lethargic and down-hearted.Cancer responded well to this and other chemotherapy: cancer numbers receding. Taken off Femara three months ago. Energy level and general disposition are improving. | F | 68 | 7 years 30 1X day | 6/10/2014 | 4 | Stage 1 breast cancer. | Am going through severe joint swelling, pain and serious fatigue and chills. Have had muscle aches in past. | I was so sick for 6 weeks recently. Went to Rheumatology specialist. As of this moment all tests are not back. I really don't believe it is Rheumatoid Arthritis but was wondering if any of you had the tests and if they were abnormal. Am going off Femara for a two week trial---but I want to give it up permanently. It has to make any joint pain worse. | F | 72 | 7 years | 3/5/2009 | 4 | Breast cancer | joint pain, hair loss, insomnia, sweating, weight gain,gerd,high cholesterol,bone loss, dizziness, fatigue | hated taking it, made me feel 90 years old. difficult to get up and start moving. But, I am still NED after almost 10 years. | F | 57 | 7 years 2.5 mg 1X day | 9/2/2010 | 4 | Stage III BC | I have joint pain, newly in arms, hands, fingers. Also elevated cholesterol in the past 1.5 years. Severe back pain and also bone loss. Vaginal dryness is also a side effect I have. | Most of the negative side effects have been in the past year and a half. My doctor hopes I can tolerate Femara for up to 10 years. Not sure I can handle another three but I will take the pain vs a return of the cancer! I do have an infared sauna and that helps with the pain some. I am a 13 year survivor. | F | 60 | 7 years 2.5 mg 1X day | 11/2/2011 | 3 | breast cancer | hip pain, constipation | taking femara for past 7 years, when taking femara you need to take boniva for your bones as femara causes osteoporosis. thinking about quitting femara, any suggestions if i should quit after 7years or after 10? | F | 50 | 7 years 1X day | 3/6/2011 | 3 | Post mastectomy | Worked for 7 years with minimal side effects--or so I thought | Had a massive joint/muscle "attack" Jan., 2009. Was in severe joint pain, with swelling. I felt very ill (actually bedridden) for 5 days. Oncologist told me to stop Femara immediately. Had a work up with a rhematologist who immediately diagnosed me with RA. She now does not believe I have it. It's a year later. I have had no flare ups since I stopped the Femara. I do have osteoarthritis, but specialist is amazed at my complete recovery. Had this reaction with Lipitor also. Oncologist is convinced it was from the Femara....so is arthritis specialist. I have not had a cancer recurrence in 7 years, so it must work---but I could not live like I was last Jan. | F | 73 | 7 years | 1/22/2010 | 5 | ESS | I had to go off because of the joint pain and tendonitis. I am wondering how long the pain stays with you after you stop taking it? I was told 3 to 6 months. Anybody? Like to hear comments on how long it took to get back to normal and for pain to recede. I am off it close to 3 months and still have pain. Nothing seems to help it, only time. | It worked perfectly well and did what it was supposed to do, suppress the estrogen in my body and keep me stable which it has done for over 5 years. Anyone taking it more than 5 years with mets that are stable? | F | 70 | 6 years | 1/26/2009 | 5 | Metastatic stage 4 BC | I've had most of the same problems with Femara that the rest of you brave breast cancer survivors have had, including the eye difficulties. However, except for the bone pain, my side effects don't seem to have been as severe as some of yours. Due to other health problems, it's difficult for me to nail down what symptoms go with what. My biggest complaints are with weight gain and bone pain. | My breast cancer diagnosis was 7 and a half years ago. Femara has helped to keep me here for over 6 years, when I was originally told I only had 6 months! I've been on it longer than most folks because it continues to help me. I also have an IM injection of Faslodex once a month, which was started about one year ago. They are the only chemo therapies I continue to take. Just had a dexascan, bone scan and a CT scan last week and was told the results were "better than normal"! No signs of cancer or any other abnormalities anywhere! I've learned to deal with the side effects--either I'm so used to them by now or they have lessened, as I don't feel like I need to give it up. I do know the hot flashes have lessened a lot. The bone pain can be difficult to handle at times, but I can't help but think that it's still better than having cancer in my bones, which is where I had mets. I don't like the weight gain, but I do beleive it's still better to be fat than dead! Love and Hugs to all!! | F | 54 | 6 years | 4/24/2009 | 5 | breast cancer | I know the side effects can be very bothersome - but I have been on this for 6 years - I agree taking b vitamins and glucos. and chondrointin will help tremedously - taking a nap I have found lately is something I find I am needing to do more often (I am 59) - weight gain (drives me crazy) I am beginning on Monday to go to the gym with my neighbor - I'm excited to see if this helps - I believe it will - I pray and thank the Lord for it - good luck to all. I considered going off of this because I cannot really afford anymore - I'm trying to find help with purchasing this (any suggestions on prescription help out there?) | F | 59 | 6 years | 7/16/2009 | 4 | for endometrial stromal sarcoma | I am taking it for uterine cancer with positive hormone receptors. The pain after 5 years is unbearably brutal. It is in neck/shoulder blades/upper back,hips/buttocks/knees. I didn't gain any weight on it which was good. I had to stop taking it the last 6 weeks because of the pain. I think it is working so well, I have no estrogen left in my body, thus all the pain. I have no choice because I have lung nodules and they kept them stable and I had no new growth in any other part of my body. | Femara is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it works so well but a curse to have to live with unrelenting pain that doesn't go away. It has been 6 weeks off. I emailed Novartis about this and they sent me a form letter. Nothing accomplished. Is there another answer to reduce the pain? | F | 73 | 6 years | 12/24/2008 | 4 | stage 1 breast cancer | I have had a lot of the same side effects - bone aches - dizziness, memory loss, blurred vision, low libido , dry cough, thinning of hair - dry skin and hair | I have just taken my last femara pill yesterday - I never read the side effects for 4 years - I guess I just wanted to see if I noticed anything - of course I did. I made sure I always took my vitamins - fish oil, b complex, calcium with D etc. I knew - I could tell I needed these - and was faithful. I don't think oncologist want to say much for fear most will give up. I am grateful this pill is out there and wish you all the best - hang in there - take your vitamins - walk - do fun things - take naps if you have too. God Bless email me if you would like to talk. | F | 59 | 6 years | 1/12/2010 | 4 | to stop the reoocurrance of breast | aches,joint pain, no lebo | F | 64 | 6 years | 1/24/2010 | 4 | Stage IV with mets to bone | Bone/joint pain like most everyone else. Starting to experience blurred vision, mind fuzziness and dry/itchy skin. I've been on this medicine for a long time and doctor wants me on until it stops working. Currently, I'm still able to go to work everyday, but some days are harder than others. | This drug can cause numerous side effects. Most of them are manageable, but some can be brutal. Each person handles things differently. Several years ago, there wasn't as many options out there. Until they find something better, I guess this is what I have to do. | F | 60 | 6 years 2.5 1X day | 2/13/2015 Patient History | 4 | Breast Cancer Stage 2 | HAIR LOSS, sore hand joints and hand swelling, heart skips a beat sometimes, vaginal dryness and atrophy | Wow! After finding this site I now feel better. Was on Tamoxifen for 5 yrs and then Femara for 6 years. I took my last one a couple of days ago after finding this site. I want to believe Femara helped because, yes, I have been cancer free since 1999. I initially experienced hair thinning after a few months on it. I started using men's Rogaine which helped. I discontinued that after a couple of years. Now, my hair has really started thinning and my scalp tingles like when I lost my hair on chemo. (I did start back on the Rogaine which takes a few months to start really working.) So, I hit the internet and after perusing this sight decided my almost 6 years on Femara was enough. What a tough decision, though. I used to joke that I "lost my grip" after cancer because taking off jar lids, etc. is almost impossible. At 47 I had arthritis in my fingers and general soreness. I also noticed my heart having a "hard" heartbeat a few months ago and even went to a cardiologis after my general practitioner heard it skip a beat after I told him about how I could feel my heart beat funny. They are both just watching it for now. But I feel like I am in a 70 year old body. Always been healthy, exercise, non-smoker and keep weight down. Can't imagine how I would feel if I hadn't gone into this journey already very healthy. Hope I feel some relief and my hair stops falling out now that I've stopped the drug. My oncologist gave me the option to end at 5 year | F | 52 | 6 years 1X day | 2/18/2011 |
FEMARA (LETROZOLE): This medication is used to treat certain types of breast cancer (such as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer) in women after menopause. Letrozole is also used to help prevent the cancer from returning. Some breast cancers are made to grow faster by a natural hormone called estrogen. Letrozole decreases the amount of estrogen the body makes and helps to slow or reverse the growth of these breast cancers. FDA Approval Date: 1997-07-25 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)