FEMARA Reviews (LETROZOLE)

Average Rating: 2.5 (1087 Ratings)

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 HORMONAL BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIERS AROMATASE INHIBITORS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

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)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR FEMARACOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 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
 3  estrogen based breast cancer Joint aches and pains, numbness/tingling in hands when sleeping, general fatigue, lowering of body temperature, total loss of sex drive I will gladly deal with the consequences of the side affects of the Femara if I can avoid a recurrence of breast cancer. My biggest problem with this drug is the cost, which is $650 for a month's supply where I get it. At the moment, I have use of a paid prescription card, but before my 5 years of taking it is up, I won't have that luxury, meaning that I may be unable to afford to take it at that time. F 59 10 months
2.5 mg/day 1X day
2/17/2011
 1  breast cancer joints all ached, insomnia, could not stand up properly if seated for a while, hips, knees all ached when in bed thought was going to end up in a wheel chair. no strength in hands felt I was aging really fast I would advise anyone taking this medication to stop and change their tablets it does get better after a while F 58 12 months
20mg 1X day
2/15/2011
 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
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 3  breast cancer Extreme pain in joints, weight gain, memory loss, extreme pain during intercourse. Tired and lazy feeling. Get worn out quickly. Slightly thinning hair, eyelashes and eyebrows are very thin. Took tomaxifen and now femara I hope beyond hope that all the pain and other crap I have gone through have been worth this. F 52 5 years
2.5 1X day
2/3/2011
 1  Stage 2 Breast Cancer HR positive Rather than leaving a leangthy message with my side effects, I will just say that I experianced everything that all of you are complaining about and then some. I was diagnosed and placed on Femara at the age of 37 after haveing a mastectomy. I am now 44 and on complete disability. This medication has distroyed my life. I thought that things would get better for me once I stoped taking it but my problems have only worsened. Minus the brain fog. I can't sit or stand for long periods of time. I have trouble moving and feel like I'm 90 years old. I had to be taken off the medication due to all the damage that It has caused me. My life will never be the same. I have now been off of it for two years and can not function without taking pain medication daily. I'm not sure this medication is worth the long term side effects that don't go away. I will never be able to work again and I am only 44. Why are they not showing data on what the long term effects are from this drug! F 44 6 years
1X day
1/31/2011
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 3  post menopausal breast cancer patie The thinning hair was remedied by Rogaine, so you might want to try that. The weight gain is still with me, but then again, so are the munchies. After about six months I began feeling depressed and for no reason. My medical oncologist insists that this is the best drug for long-term survival, but Tamoxofen didn't have the side effect of depression. The aching joints are much better since joining Curves. I just want to feel happy again! F 53 1 years
2.5mg 1X day
1/28/2011
Email
 3  prevent recurrence of breast cancer So far none. F 54 3 weeks
2.5 1X day
1/28/2011
 2  Breast cancer stage 2 Aching hands, legs, and shoulders. sometimes debilitating. Difficulty griping things and opening jars. Problems started immediately upon taking Femara. Very bad hot flashes though I have already been through menopause. Thinning hair and lashes although joint and muscle pain is definitely the worst of the symptoms. Going to be a LONG 5 years. F 60 5 months
2.5mg 1X day
1/27/2011
 2  To prevent cancer recurrence Joint pain, soreness in hands and feet, sore hips, depression, anxiety, lack of sense of well being. Night sweats, hot flashes, some head aches. It has helped me to read this board, the description of my fellow sister sufferers has made me feel like I wasn't the only one, and that I wasn't just being a wimp. I have been taking hydrocodone to deal with the pain I am having from the expansion process, so I have been masking the pain with that, I think the depression and anxiety and mental and emotional distress has bothered me more than anything! I hate taking pills of any kind, but I think I will have to ask for an anti-depressant to help me through this--my cancer was grade 3 and I am stage 3b so I don't dare not take it--HELP!!!! F 56 90 days
2.5 1X day
1/17/2011
Email
 3  Recurrent Breast cancer F 56
2.5mg 1X day
1/13/2011
Email

Patient History
 5  breast cancer some loss of hair F 68 5 years
1X day
1/12/2011
 4  Tp prevent recurrence of BRCA Thinning hair, loss of eyebrows I have had bad knees, but after reading these posts I wonder if some of my knee pain is not related to Femara. I took Tamoxifen with no side effects for 5 years after mastectomy, chemo and radiation. My 5 years on Femara is now completed and today my oncologist took me off. It will be interesting to see if my hair loss reverses and if my knee pain gets better. I will post again as time goes by. I am sorry so many of you are having these issues. I am 10 years cancer free and feel blessed and fortunate that my side effects seem to be so mild. F 56 5 years
2.5 1X day
1/11/2011
 3  Breast Cancer II Hr Receptive Severe hip & joint pain, difficulty getting up from sitting to standing, tired, difficulty sleeping, weight gain I have always been active. After running or exercise, I experience severe hip pain and back pain. I have hot flashes that are especially bad at night. I'm tired most of the time. I've always had low blood pressure, but it has been creeping higher and higher lately. I can't get to sleep at night and can't stay asleep longer than a couple of hours at a time. I feel like an 80 year old and I'm only 49. F 49 18 months
30 1X day
1/10/2011
Email
 2  BC estrogen receptor positive Leg,foot,hip pain. Stiff fingers. Difficult to get up from sitting or getting out of car.no energy, depressed, frustrated because used to be active F 61 1 years
30mg 1X day
1/3/2011
Email
 3  Breast Cancer Joint stiffnes, hands were very bad and I couldn't hold things without dropping them, etc., weight gain, memory loss, etc. There is hope. I've been off Femara since the end of July, 2010. The biggest change for me is in my hands. They are soooo much better. I still have alot of the other symptoms and my dream of sudden weight loss hasn't materialized, but that could be due to having a hysterectomy and my age. I don't know if my memory is any better-(chemo brain...still have trouble thinking of simple words and names of people I know well, but it doesn't appear to be getting worse...If I'm remembering right;-). F 50 5 years
30mg 1X day
12/19/2010
 2  Breast cancer joint pain, hip, knees, and feet I was on Arimidex for 2 years and my oncologist changed me for a month to see if Femara would be better but the hip pain is worse and I can hardly get up and down from a sitting position. I walk like an old woman. I am thinking of switching back to Arimidex. F 63 1 months
30 mg 1X day
12/15/2010
 2  breast cancer dizziness, muscle burning and aching, joint pain, thin hair, extreme vaginal dryness and bleeding, high cholesterol, high BP, nervousness, heart palpitations, uti, muscle and tendon cramping, depression Femara has made me feel like I'm 90 years old, but apparently the statistics show that it increases your odds of the bc not returning. I want to keep living, so I feel I need to keep taking the pill. F 56 5 years
2.5 1X day
12/13/2010
Email
 4  breast cancer state 1 aggravated arthritis,severe hip and joint pain, hand and foot pain, hot flashes and night sweats Shortly after beginning to take Femara, I began experiencing a lot of hip pain, especially in the SI joint.Like so many others report, I was soon bent over and shuffling like a 90 year old, especially after sitting for any length of time. After several months, my Onc recommended seeing a rheumatologist. He put me on Mobic, which helped, especially with the foot/hand stiffness and pain. Back pain continued, tried physical therapy and finally as a last-ditch attempt saw a pain doc. After MRI and mylogram showed severe stenosis at L4-5, I had minimally invasive back surgery 3 weeks ago, and back pain is miraculously GONE! Maybe the stenosis/arthritis was aggravated by the Femara - my message - don't give up - there may be a solution to your physical symptoms. I feel better than I have in two years. F 63 2 years
2.5 mg 1X day
12/6/2010
Email
 3  BREAST CANCER LEG,KNEE, & HIP STIFFNESS & PAIN; OVERHEATING - CAN'T DO NORMAL THINGS WITHOUT OVERHEATING; SLEEPINESS DURING THE DAY; HAIR HAS NOT RETURNED TO NORMAL - TOP OF HEAD VERY THIN WHY DOES THE DOCTOR ALWAYS SAY "IT IS NOT THE FEMARA" WHEN YOU TELL THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEMS YOU ARE HAVING? THE PAIN IN THE LEGS, KNEES, & HIPS MUST BE ARTHRITIS (SENT ME TO AN ORTHOPEDIC DOCTOR). THE HAIR LOSS CONCERNED MY ONCOLOGIST SO I WAS SENT TO A DERMOTOLOGIST (MUST BE FEMALE PATTERN BALDNESS BUT WHY ARE THE EYELASHES, EYEBROWS, & LEGS ALSO THIN?) I CALL FEMARA CHEMO IN A PILL. I HAD VERY FEW SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE CHEMO & RADIATION. I HAD THE MOUTH SORENESS AND SOME SKIN PEELING ON MY LEFT HAND, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I FELT GREAT. THE INABILITY TO GET AROUND IS THE WORST PART. I AM 57 AND HAVE DIFFICULTY GOING UP STAIRS AND GETTING OUT OF A CHAIR. IF I SIT TOO LONG, I AM SO STIFF I CAN BARELY WALK. BUT I MAKE MYSELF GET GOING AND KEEP WORKING AT IT. I HAVE NOT MISSED ANY WORK AND KEEP ACTIVE. I WOULD LOVE TO GET INTO AN EXERCISE PROGRAM, BUT AM NOT SURE IF I COULD DO IT. I STARTED FEMARA IN 2007 SO MY 5 YEARS IS UP IN 2012. HOPEFULLY, I CAN HANG ON AND FINISH THE TREATMENT WITHOUT TOO MUCH MORE PROBLEMS. F 57 3 years
1X day
12/6/2010

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