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 Date added. 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 | endometriosis | No side effects for three months except for weight loss, then arthritis especially in hands and feet, carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel, trigger finger, rotator cuff injury, memory impairment of names. At its worst, I could not hold kitchen utensils or grip a steering wheel. It was painful to walk, and feet did not fit in my shoes. Couldn't cry about it...tear ducts stopped working. | The scary side effects gradually disappeared three months after I discontinued femara, except for hand stiffness. I'm hopeful that this too will disappear in time. I give Femara high marks because it worked well and spared me from major surgery, but I wished I'd had more warning about the tendonitis and how to manage it to avoid permanent damage to joints. | F | 53 | 6 months 0.5 mg 1X day | 12/4/2010 | 1 | 2nd time breast cancer | Pain in joints....memory loss...could not articulate the way I had. I thought I was good with pain..but no way, tired of feeling the way I do. Arimdex did not work. Femara was no better..Best cure for me is in Gods hands..what better? :) | so sad that in life the cure for cancer is worse then the cancer itself at times | F | 55 | 4 months 1X day | 12/1/2010 | 4 | recurrent breast cancer in sternum | foot pain when getting out of bed weight gain dry skin patches | Trying to stick with this medication, because I am fighting a recurrence of breast cancer in my sternum area. I'm willing to put up with the side effects as long as it keeps shrinking my tumor enough for doctors to consider surgery. | F | 58 | 6 months 2.5 1X day | 11/30/2010 | 2 | post second occurance of breast can | Hair thinning, hot flashes, slow hair growth, joint pain | F | 64 | 17 months 2.5mg 1X day | 11/18/2010 | 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 | Stage 1 invasive ductal breast canc | Started with nausea and depression with suicide ideations. Nausea does not occur as much now. Taking Celexa for depression. Now often have little stamina and have difficulty walking. Hospitalized recently for being unable to walk and having tremors. Diagnosis was TIA(s), but not sure if this was correct. Saw neurologist today; he said my symptoms are not related to anything neurological. Sometimes extreme pain in middle of spine; backbone hurts much of the time. Trouble sleeping because of pain/discomfort - taking Ambien. Decided to quit my job (at end of this month) because I feel too bad too much of time to work. Feel like and act like my mother who is 86. Depression because I was a very active workaholic, who could run and play with my grandchildren, and now I can't lift them up. Very depressed. | Trying to stay on Femara because I do not want cancer again. I'm trying to accept a much reduced lifestyle in order to stay on medicine. Look forward to when I can quit taking Femara (in about 4 1/2 years!). | F | 61 | 7 months 2.5 1X day | 11/15/2010 | 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 | Horrible joint, bone and muscle pain, swollen joints, urinary burning and urgency, severe hair loss, mental fog, memory problems | My Dr agreed with me stopping drug after 7 weeks because of the severe side effects. Every person I have spoken to who has taken this drug has severe side effects so why does the manufacturer claim that it is well tolerated? and why doesn't the manufacturer make it more clear just how much of a survivability increase the patient actually gets by taking femara? | F | 58 | 7 weeks 2.5 mg 1X day | 11/9/2010 | 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 | Breast Cancer | Took Tamoxifen for 12 months with few side effects, since taking Femara have experienced joint pain, and constant pain in legs both top and bottom. Feel like I have the flu arms and shoulders also ache. Oncologist has put me back on Tamoxifen have not taken Femara for 6 weeks but still having terrible leg pain. Take fish oil and Glucosamine find this helps with joint pain. Hope never to go back on this drug seriously effects quality of life. | F | 52 | 12 months 2.5mg 1X day | 11/7/2010 | 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 | post breast cancer | Horrible pain in my joints, esp. my hands, feet and hips. Severe hot flashes, nausea, general malaise. I felt like I had the flu. I quit after six months in June 2010 and I STILL have severe pain in my hands and feet. My GP said the pain can take up to 1 year to go away. I've heard from other patients that it takes a long time for the joint pain to disappear. | F | 46 | 6 months 20 1X day | 11/4/2010 | 3 | breast cancer | Hot flashes and pain in bones and joints. Also started taking Megared Krill Oil (found at Walmart) for the pain and it's working. I was taking Motrin twice a day but no more, the Krill seems to be working. Now I just need a happy pill. | I would rather take Femara that have cancer again. | F | 59 | 4 weeks 2.5MG 1X day | 11/3/2010 | 1 | post breast cancer treatment | bone, joint & muscle pain, cough, shortness of breath, extreme vaginal dryness, nights sweats, hot flashes, palpitations, can't sleep due to pain. | I was a healthy 65 year old that worked out daily including walking 2-5 miles. Been like this for over 40 years. Pain started within a few weeks after starting Femara and continued to increase. My oncologist told me at about 6 weeks to stay on it and it may subside in 6 months to a year. So I continued in pain. By 3 months I stopped on my own against her wishes. She wanted to come in right away to discuss my decision. It was 2 weeks after I stopped Femara that I saw her and the pain was still going strong. Gave me a new prescription for Aromasin, which stops estrogen also. So I told her I may try it after my pain goes away, according to her was 3 weeks for it to stop. Well, I'm now out 5 weeks and the pain is still here. My quality of life sucks! I now believe this does not go away totally. There aren't any studies showing it doesn't cause permanent damage, because these drugs have not been around long enough to finish a study (10 years) My understanding now is that if you stop ALL the estrogen in your body, it causes bad bone damage, plus harms anything else in you body that depends on estrogen. I can't even imagine what 5 years will do, if 3 months caused all this damage to me. I won't go back on any estrogen inhibitors. I would rather take on the surgery, chemo, and radiation again if the cancer returns. Good luck to any of you strong enough to stay and take your chances with these drugs! | F | 65 | 3 months 2.5 mg 1X day | 11/1/2010 | 3 | Recurrent breast cancer | Very hot at night, some joint pain, more recently very itchy head and some hair loss. | Small lumps which had started to develop have become smaller. | F | 55 | 4 months 2.5mg 1X day | 10/27/2010 | 3 | BC twice, within 2 years of 1st. | Higher cholesterol+more drugs, feet very sore, hands fallling asleep (pins n needles)for no apparent reason. Thirst increase, weight increase. | I am ready to go off this drug. | F | 57 | 5 years 2.5 1X day | 10/25/2010 | 3 | BC 2B | Major joint pain in knees, fingers, elbows, feet. Knuckles at bottom of fingers in left hand pop out of joint after I've been sendentary, tightness in chest/rapid heart beat, hot flashes several times/day, some worse than others. The worst ones start with a feeling of nausea and/or anxiety. | How would you know if it works? As bad as chemo was, I didn't have any pain. I actually thought the pain was residual from the poisoning (chemo) until I was talking to a lady who is also taking Femara and told me about the pain. After reading these comments, I realize it is definitely the Femara. | F | 50 | 4 months 2.5 mg 1X day | 10/25/2010 | 4 | Stage II BC | All the stiffness, joint aches, etc. that everyone has described. To the previous post: Although "we" are happy that your experience with Femara seems to be on the other end of the spectrum, it seems like this site is not the place to possibly | "diminish" the side effects that the rest of us are feeling. This drug is hell but we need to take it for our survival. Keep posting ladies, we are all are learning from your remedies for the awful side effects. | F | 50 | 1.5 years 2.5mg 1X day | 10/23/2010 | 4 | Stage II Breast Cancer | Hot flashes, muscle cramps | I was on Tamoxifen for a yr which caused joint stiffness and pain, muscle aches, hot flashes, thinning hair, trigger fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome, fatigue and wt gain. Then I wasd switched to Arimidex for a year had same symptoms with constant intolerable foot pain. I was switched to Femara as suggested by my GYN doc and the symptoms are definately better so far at least. | F | 51 | 45 days 30 mg 1X day | 10/23/2010 | 1 | cancer | Never had any aches or pains before taking Femara, changed almost immediately after starting the drug. I stopped taking them after 3 months, I was feeling like a cripple. | F | 56 | 3 months 2.5mg 1X day | 10/23/2010 |