FEMARA Reviews (LETROZOLE)Average Rating: 2.5 (1087 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare FEMARA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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More on FEMARA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR FEMARA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 2 | breast cancer stage 0 | I have experienced the heavy sweating and sleeplessness that others have commented on. The biggest problem however is the joint and muscle pain in hips, knees and ankles. I am really crippled up. | I quit taking the drug about 6 weeks ago. Within two days of stopping the pain left my knees and ankles. Still having seriously debilitating hip pain that gets worse as the day progresses. Had no hip or leg pain before starting Femara. About to try Arimidex at the doctor's urging even though similar problems reported. Because my cancer was stage 0 in situ and I required no further treatment, I will have to consider my next decision as a quality of life issue. | F | 68 | 5.5 months | 12/28/2009 | 1 | Stage 1 Breast cancer | I ache all over, I am nauseated,my hair is thinning, I have sweats, I am seeing a doctor next week because I have carpal tunnel and cannot sleep and I feel depressed. A recent blood test showed elevated liver enzymes. My doctor took me off femara for one week while he had my liver evaluated. I felt better - then he put me back on and I feel miserable again. If I have to be on for 4 1/2 more years, what kind of quality of life is that? | F | 68 | 5 months | 12/16/2009 | 1 | Stage 1 Breast Cancer/Estrogen Pos | Dibilitating pain in lower back, hips, legs, wrists and thumbs. Developed 4 painful trigger fingers, weight gain, insomnia, hot flashes. Became very lethargic. A once active woman, I turned into a very old lady in a matter of weeks. I had difficulty walking, sitting and could barely climb stairs, get in and out of vehicles,etc. The Good News! After being taken off Letrozole as well as Anastrozole, I was put on Tamoxifen. It changed my life! All my bone and joint pain disappeared within weeks. I feel re-born. I still have the weight gain and insomnia to deal with but they are secondary to the horrible pain that limited my daily life. Thank you to my Oncologist for working with me to help resolve the pain issues I endured for one year. The old me is back!!😊 | Do not suffer in silence. Speak to your Oncologist. | F | 68 | 1 years | 6/21/2015 | 1 | metastatic breast cancer | Depression, lethargy, imsomnia, back pain, night sweats, extreme weight gain, inability to think. | No such side effects from Anostrozole. | F | 68 | 5 months 2.5 | 9/25/2015 | 1 | stage 2 | Severe joint pain, trouble standing after sitting for 20 min weight gain, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, hair thinning, sweating trouble sleeping, no energy, lethargic. | Have taken since May 2010 quality of life is getting worse, seeing my oncologist tomorrow have made up mind to stop taking and see if problems get better. | F | 68 | 5 years 2.5 | 10/1/2015 | 1 | BC 2, grd 3 vascular invasion | Hot flashes,nausea,loss libido, vaginal dryness - can deal with these. At 5 weeks pain developed hip and all down bones in leg. Worsened until could not walk without excruciating pain. No sleep because of pain, impossible to exercise. Stopped at 8.5 weeks. Began herbal complex for inflammation and pain. 'Herbs of Gold - Pain Eaze' (Devil's Claw, Boswelia,Ginger,Tumeric, Black Pepper). Worked immediately, within 1 week walking regularly and doing weights. Agreed to try Arimidex - big mistake! Pain back immediately, stopped after 2 weeks and more than 2 months later still have pain. This time, hips, bones in legs plus toes. Now switched to 'Totally Natural Pain No More' as it also has MSM and Glucosomine to repair damage done by drugs - improving, walked today with minimal pain. Warning! Pain is our bodies way of saying something is seriously wrong. I couldn't get out of a chair! Make your own decision but do your homework. Femara/Arimidex was supposed to give me 6-12% better survival | I will not take any more Aromatase Inhibitors and will keep on with my research and experimentation. I just had my 12 month breast check - Ultra sound as I refused a mammogram and all is clear. I had a very poor prognosis originally and took responsibility to change what was out of balance.I researched and started some natural interventions before I had surgery (over 1/2 kilo and 22cm removed + 22 nodes), reluctantly had radiation, refused chemo. My surgeon said I was 'unbelievably fortunate' when he read the results after surgery (he expected the worse as my tumor had doubled in two weeks) - I agree but credit some of that to the protocols I had already started. For me Femara and Arimidex are not worth it. Check out Iodine supplementation on 'Breast Cancer Choices.org'. Do whatever works for you but listen to your body if it is in pain - ask why? | F | 68 | 8.5 weeks 2.5 1X day | 11/5/2010 | 1 | BC 2, grade 3 | Brain dead...can't spell! I am finding it hard to concentrate. | Oops! I meant to say I think what is going on is a form of 'Osteomalacia' - not Malacacia. | F | 68 | 1X day | 11/8/2010 Patient History | 1 | BC stage 2, grade 3 | Most of those mentioned and extreme pain. | Adding to my post 11/5/2010. Options I researched that may help: I have 6-12%? better chance of cancer not returning in same breast with Femara or Arimidex. Compare this to: Moderate exercise 5x week = 50% increase in survival. Adequate levels vitamin D3 = increase of 60-77%. Aspirin = increase of 50%, natural anti-inflammatories are even better. Anti-estrogens:'Chrysin' works as well as the aromatase inhibitors. 'DIM', iodine and melatonin act as anti-estrogens. Women who have BC often have lower levels of Iodine, C, E, Selenium, D, Melatonin, and Omega 3's. All are vital. There is help out there, you don't have to suffer and you can still keep yourself healthy. No doctor could tell me what was causing the pain. My theory,'Osteomalacia' (basically,rickets)-loss of estrogen may interfere with production of D leading to softening of the bones and pain. Try D3, Omega 3's, natural anti-inflammatories. | F | 68 | 8.5 weeks 2.5mg 1X day | 11/9/2010 | 1 | breast cancer | Pain in joints and muscles, severe osteoporosis, loss of hair, extreme fatigue, brain fog, neuropathy, Raynaud's disease, weight gain | Look at the chemistry Femara is made with!! I feel like a guinea pig for the pharmacuetical companies. There is no justification for the price of this drug. I have quit takeing it and looking forward to being pain free and have some energy to have some kind of a normal life. My radiation oncologist told me if you have breast cancer go to France or Italy as they have a success rate with drugs they have there that FDA will not approve here! | F | 68 | 4 years 2.5 MG 1X day | 3/25/2011 | 5 | Stage 4 Breast Cancer, Estrogen Pos | No side effects | My cancer markers decreased to the normal range within 4 months of using Femara daily and monthly infusions of Aredia. Have stayed stable for nine months. | F | 69 | 9 months | 3/7/2009 | 4 | breast cancer | terrible aches and joint pain, thining hair, diarrehea. colesterol went up and terrible fatigue | Going to the gym and working out for at least an hour three times a week fixes the pain in muscles and joints but did not help the fatigue. It is a constant push every day to keep moving. | F | 69 | 4 years 1X day | 2/6/2011 | 4 | breast cancer HER2 | I have some sleeplessness at night, but seem to nap easily so since I do not work, it's ok. I have had some shoulder, neck and hip discomfort, but tried acupuncture for the neck and it worked great! I am now having chiropractic and acupuncture for the hip and it is helping. I do not have fatigue as some people have had and haven't noticed thinning hair. Overall, I am satisfied with the drug. | F | 69 | 1 years 30 1X day | 7/20/2011 | 3 | Prevent reoccurring breast cancer | Stiffness in legs and knees. Sometimes shoulders hurt. Can't remember names of people | Constant hair loss, burning soles of my feet so I can't walk. No sleep unless I take something. | F | 69 | 5 months | 10/31/2015 | 3 | breast cancer prebentative | Extreme joint pain, fatigue, insomnia. Scalp dryness with severe itching and flakiness. Never had this problem until taking this med. | F | 69 | 26 weeks 5mg | 12/3/2017 | 3 | 2000 lumpectomy | 1st 5 yrs post op + tamoxofin; now 3 1/2 yrs w/femara. Didn't put 2+2 together. Have very painful feet & shins, lots of bone, joint & tendon pain in whole body. Vaginal dryness resulting in bleeding; dry eye, insomnia and severe diahhrea. | Associated all aches and pains with aging process. Seen 2 geriatric gyns, 2 othomologists re: pain/eye dryness. Been fighting diahhrea, evaluated for colonitis, worms, every possible gastro problem, considered gallbladder removal, stomach ulcers, ankle and leg tendinitis. Have been diagnosed with severe decreasing bone density problems - happening over 2 yrs (was okay before Femara). And now I find that I'm on an average with other Femara patients. Go figure. Just have 1 1/2 yrs to go but leg and foot pain is increasing. As suggested by others, will start taking drug with food, will start taking muscle/ligament strengthening supplments and hope to tough this out. Thanks for all the info from others; I was beginning to think I was aging pretty rapidly and would feel this bad until the end. | F | 69 | 3 years | 11/10/2009 | 2 | Breast cancer stage 2a | Fine for a year. Then bad nightly insomnia, fatigue, forgetfulness, brain fog very bad, repeated genital yeast infections, went from osteopenia to osteoporosis. I have learned it only cuts my real risk 8 percent. My risk without it is 15 percent.. And 7% even with it. I quit recently and am feeling so much better. I need to live a real life, not spend my last years miserable. | Some seem to do fine, but cutting off estrogen affects brain, bones, heart, tissues, joints, and more. I think it is not a benign drug. Hope someday for better treatments. | F | 69 | 2 years 1X day | 6/9/2022 | 2 | Stage 1 ductal cancer - no lymphnod | I was taken off Femara after 1 year due high bood pressure. I was normally 116/75 and it climbed to 190/95. I had slight memory loss, was dizzy and some bone pain. Prior to this I was on Arimidex for 8 months but experienced sever joint pain, walked like I was 90 and had memory loss. Now my doctor has put me on Aromasin which I will start today. I am running out of options except to just "deal with it". | F | 69 | 1 years 30mg 1X day | 5/6/2011 | 2 | Breast cancer | Very bad back pain and very very tired all the time. Also have knee pain that started this week. | I am afraid taking this drug and what it is doing to my body.I am more afraid of this then the cancer coming back! | F | 69 | 18 weeks 2.5 1X day | 11/18/2010 | 2 | precancerous tumor 12 yrs after BC | Vaginal dryness, Dupretren's contracture, foamy urine, blood test found protein leaking into my urine, elevated blood pressure, increase in LDL and recently a high glulcose level. No sweats or bone & joint pain. | Started it after a precancerous tumor was found in my right breast. This was about 12 years left breast was removed with Stage 1 cancer. No chemo or other treatment except 5 yrs of Tamoxifen. The proteinuria with elevated blood pressure, LDL & glucose levels really have me worried. Am considering stopping Femara to see if problems disappear. May be causing too many potentially dangerous health problems. | F | 69 | 3 years | 11/3/2006 | 1 | Stage 1 cancer - post mastectomy | Hot flashes, fatigue, extreme joint pain, cholesterol increased, dry cough, angina, insomnia, anxiety, irritability | The side effects leave me with no quality of life. Until Femara I was an extremely active person who did two miles a day on a treadmill. I'm in too much pain and too tired most days to exercise which I need to do because of CAD and borderline high glucose. I have a stent and have not had angine for five years until Femara. I am stopping it today and will work on my immune system with acupuncture, supplements and exercise. In research I've done, it is only "thought" that femara will reduce the chance of the cancer popping up somewhere else when lymph nodes are clear. I don't think my chances are any less by focusing on my immune system and I'll be able to feel good and enjoy life again. My oncologist only told me about hot flashes and joint pain. No mention was made of all these other side effects. I really feel I should never have been given it due to my heart issues. | F | 69 | 7 months | 1/4/2010 |