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 Age from youngest to oldest (reviews with no age reported listed first). 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 |
| 5 | Breat Cancer | Bottoms of my feet hurt, depression, dehydration, watery eyes, weight gain, bone pain, muscle pain, loss of libido,bloated feeling in face | I have been on femara for a year and a half and the side effects seem to be getting worse. right now the bottoms of my feet are thing bothering me the most. I am not showing that as a side effect but noticed some of these comments showing foot pain. Although I have these side effects Femara is easier for me to take than tamoxifen. I do feel like I am eighty years old somtimes and I am really tired. | F | 42 | 1.5 days | 7/24/2008 | 5 | Prevent breast cancer recurrence | Vaginal dryness, weight gain | Side effects were not bad and I had no pain or discomfort from the drug. | F | 42 | 5 years | 10/11/2005 | 4 | prevent another BC recurrence | I took Tamoxifen for 2 months and had a recurrence. Started Femara and no side effects for 5 months. Now I have chronic joint pain, feet, knees, wrists, elbows, shoulder, achy fingers, lower-mid back pain and hips. It's better once I get moving with my day. Some headaches. Vaginal dryness and low libido. Some dizziness and upset stomach. Weight gain. I feel like I'm 20 years older. | My doctor tells me it's either Femara or another course of chemo. My husband wants me to endure the discomfort; take ibuprofen to get some sleep. He believes if taking Femarai will keep me alive longer then it's worth the pain. I wish there was something else with less side effects. | F | 42 | 9 months | 2/20/2006 | 4 | recurrence to chest wall | Pain in feet, all joints, vision blurriness, sore in morning, headaches, weight gain (possibly related to chemo and steriods).This also could mean that your body is metabolizing the drug more completely and that it may be working. | To all reading this, yes, this is not a fun drug to be on. It has side effects which can cause pain, but remember, your on this to stop cancer from recurring. Studies show it helps. I am now stage four, and mabye if I was on this at stage 1 four years ago I wouldn't be where i am now. So suck it up girls - it just might be the ticket to save your life. So, yes, I'll take all the pain, especially if I have a chance to see my chidren grow up. By the way, I had my first cancer at age 29(Stage 1) then again at 38 (also Stage 1), and now 42 with Stage 4. Good luck to all and please pray for a cure. | F | 42 | 8 months | 9/21/2007 | 3 | Breast cancer | Aches in bones, shortness of breath, fatigue, tingles in mouth, hands and feet. Sleeplessness, foggy brain, forgetfulness, the shakes. And also sometimes hard for my eyes to focus | Happy to finish this medication after my 5yrs is up. Had breast cancer twice within 5 1/2 years. Age 33 then 38. | F | 42 | 2.8 years 2.5 1X day | 3/19/2012 | 3 | ductile carcinoma Stage II 1 node | Numbness in arms, hands and feet. Joint pain and weekness/soarness of legs, hips & back. Restless legs and arms at night. Very twitchy which i attribute to the nerves being effected. Weight gain twice what it was on tamo | I was diagnosed at age 40, my first mamo. After a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation I was taking tamoxifen for appox. 1.5 years. I decided to be proactive and have my ovaries, uterus and cervix out thinking I could go on the femara and I would feel better. Boy was I wrong. I can't complain because if it lowers my chances of reoccurance or cancer at a new site it is worth it. I have friends that have had first stages of breast cancer with no chemo, raiation or drugs and they are doing fine and 5+ years clean. I also know people that have breast cancer every 10 years and refuse to take the drugs. It all depends on you and your body. There is something to be said for quality of life and it is not great on femara or tamo. I feel like I am crippled when getting up in the morning but it subsides a little as the day goes on. The weight gain is twice what it was on the tamo and can't lose any nor do I have any energy to exercise. I have only just started femara and am hoping it doesn | F | 42 | 6 months | 11/16/2007 | 3 | stage 3 breast cancer | I was on Arimidex up until last night, I was taken off Tamoxifen, could not tolerate, Arimidex gave severe pain, headaches , and other terrible symptoms and now I read this about Femara and I am concerned . Has anyone else switched recently for similar reasons with good or bad results? Please let me know. Thank you | None yet been on 1 day ...Could not tolerate Tamoxifen or Arimidex | F | 42 | 1 days | 11/7/2007 | 3 | Breast Cancer | Yes extreme joint pain. And yes I feel like I am 82 as opposed to 42. Had lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. On tamoxifen for 5 mths and then on femara as I opted to have my ovaries removed. | It is the weight gain that upsets me the most. Every time I get on the scales i have put on more, even though there is less and less going in my mouth. I have 4 young children and a husband, so I keep on taking it. But I have started getting up early and power walking, slowly building it up to 30-40 mins a day. Hope this will help. I am annoyed that this disease has done this to me, but I know that I am lucky to be alive. Never mind I am sure the right food and exercise has to help in the long run. I don't want to stop taking femara, as I never want this disease back again. | F | 42 | 3 months | 12/29/2008 | 2 | breast cancer state 2 | I felt I needed to write more. I was tiered of not being able to think clearly. Had brain fog all the time. could not remember to do things and had to carry a note pad with me and write things down. My shoulders "pop" when I lift my arms over my head. cant sit long, my back and hips hurt. Lost my temper often, cried a lot, Just felt that I had lost control of my life. I chose to have the other breast removed in July. This lowered my odds of reacurance 60% will soon have my ovaries removed also. who knows if I will ever be the same from the damage that this drug has caused, but Im glad I got off it. I was told to be on it for 10 years, only did 6 years. | my hair is very thin, and brittle nails. blurred vision, no sex drive at all (this is hard on a marriage) could not sleep, really bad night sweats that did go away after a year. Have been off since July and the only difference I notice is I can think clearly again. still hurt, and can only sit in one position for 30 min at best. Have to get up and move around or I stiffen up. | F | 42 | 6 years | 11/24/2009 | 2 | Breast Cancer stage 1 | Horrible vaginal burning during intercourse Heart palpitations Stiffness No Libido (whatsoever) | F | 42 | 6 months | 6/22/2007 | 2 | Post 5 yrs Tamoxifen for Breast CA | Muscle spasms in back and chest, pain in breasts, sometimes severe, joint and muscle pain. Severe pain in right leg muscles/joints. Stairs very difficult to climb, especially downstairs. Headaches, weight gain, numbness in hands at night. | After only 2 months, I stopped taking the Femara 21 days ago and the symptoms actually continue and in some cases seems worse. My grandma is more active than I am -literally. I feel awful, but am young and have young children. I am scared to not be "doing anything". My onc. has prescribed me Arimidex but said I'll probably have the same side effects if I reacted this way to the Femara. Has anyone stopped the Femara and become "normal" again? Please email me if you have. | F | 42 | 2 months | 1/7/2007 | 2 | Recurrence after five years | Joint pain especially in feet, knees and fingers. Stairs are especially difficult. Weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings. Like many others I feel like a 90 year old creaky woman. | It seems unfair to have to make a decision about quality of life versus having a life at all. I am afraid to stop taking this drug but am more afraid of how this drug makes me feel. Would I rather have a couple more good years then five years of feeling like this...... | F | 42 | 5 months | 9/21/2006 | 1 | fertility issues | Nausea, headaches, wooziness, mental fog, couldn't remember things and couldn't concentrate | When you can't remember a really funny story told you three days before, where you laughed a lot; when you don't remember that fact that you laughed so hard, that should tell you something is seriously wrong with your mind. I will NEVER take this medication again. I value my ability to think too much. | F | 42 | 5 days 2.5mg 1X day | 4/9/2011 | 1 | post breast cancer | Someone please help me decide! I am 42 years old. I had a lumpectomy 1 year ago followed by chemo and radiation. My doctor has me on Arimidex, which I stopped taking a week ago due to severe joint/tendon pain. I cannot put any weight on my right ankle. The oncologist wants to put me on Femara, but after reading the posts on this website, it sounds even worse. Have any of you had a chance to compare Femara to Arimidex? Please help! | F | 42 | 1X day | 8/9/2010 | 1 | stage 2 breast cancer | at first I could hardly walk, feet hurt so bad. Very stiff upon wakening or sitting too long. Depression, loss of libido sever mood swings. I have to lay down in the car when we drive long distance. after 6 years I stopped taking it and had to file for disability. This drug has destroyed my bones and joints. have to take pain pills to make it through the day now. why are the doctors not telling us about the long term side effects? | 36 when started the drug. 42 now. stopped the drug on my own in July. I walk and move like I'm 90. Have to take pain pills to make it through the day. this drug has destroyed my bones and joints!!! I cant participate in a lot of family activities cuz I hurt too bad. I am taking my chances. would have wound up in a wheel chair if I continued taking it. This drug was destroying my marriage and my life!!!!! | F | 42 | 6 years | 11/23/2009 | 1 | Breast Cancer | I’m so pissed – what a huge disappointment. Even it is a good drug for breast cancer the patients have the right to know. The drug companies are so anxious and greedy to get their drugs on the market so they can make money; they intentionally neglect to make an issue about the horrific side effects Femara may cause. We don’t even know the long term affects from this drug. I was also insufficiently warned about the horrible side effects of Femara. It would have made a world of difference if I was aware of what to expect. More patients may have stayed on it if they were warned because when the side effects start it’s like hitting a brick wall. I thought I was dying or losing my mind and spent so much time and money with rheumatologists and internists doing tests for over a year only to find that this is a result of the Femara. At one point they thought I had Leukemia! The doctors have my complete medical history including all the medications I’m | Novartus shows unethical greed! Please email me for the rest of the story or just email me if you find yourself in the same situation. | F | 42 | 2 years | 11/20/2007 | 1 | Breast Cancer | I would like to know why recent comments are not being posted. I have posted months ago, and over 20 people since me and yet they are not being posted. Why?? | Please get the latest postings up for people to read!! | F | 42 | 4 days | 2/11/2008 | 5 | Breast Cancer-Stage 4-bone mets | aching feet/hands in the morning which dissipates quickly. moderate hip/lower back pain. yoga and swimming seem to help. I have occasional insomnia but is is tough to know if symptoms are from meds or forced menopause in general! | For me, the good of this drug has far outweighed the bad as I have had minimal discomfort overall and my mets have been stable for over 3 years. I very rarely take anything for pain. | F | 43 | 40 months | 6/29/2009 | 5 | Stage 2 breast cancer | Extremely low libido, vaginal dryness, fatigue, very easily irritated and short temper, weight gain, bloated, indigestion, blurred vision, memory loss, insomnia. Yes I feel 100 years old | I have been on Femara for 4 years and I agree the oncologists have very little to say. I feel like they think I am complaining when I tell them about my side effects that concern me. I have one more year left. Since many of you have decided to continue on I will tell you what helped me. Exercise helps with joint pain although I have to admit that it is difficult because I cant seem to loose any weight. Drinking lots of water and watered down cranberry juice and limiting salt intake help with my bloating. I make lots of lists because I forget everything. I use post-its like crazy. I am grateful to be alive but wow this has been a tough road and my poor family has put up with so much. My son says "Mom you are always tired and crabby" That hurts, but I am here and look forward to next year and hope that I can make it up to them then. If anyone has any advise on low libido or vaginal dryness I welcome your suggestions. This part is very hard on a relationship. Much love to you all. | F | 43 | 4 years | 1/7/2010 | 4 | Breast Cancer Stage IV (estogen +) | Weight gain, tiredness, some joint pain and weakness in fingers. | I am writing in response to one who asked about those who began taking femara before menopause. Is your cancer estrogen positive? Mine is and so my doctor recommended that I take femara to strip my body of estrogen. Without estrogen, the cells cannot grow and will slough off and die. Stripping the body of estrogen puts the body into menopause and so we will experience all the same symptoms of post menopausal women including the risk of osteoperosis. My oncologist prescribed zomata for me to reduce my changes of osteoperosis. I take Zomata once a month through a port. The good news is that the tumors in my bones have shrunk. | F | 43 | 15 days | 3/10/2008 |