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 | Breast Cancer - stage 1 Er/Pr pos. | ANXIETY is the biggest side effect for me. I missed about a weeks worth while transitioning prescription and felt SO much less stress. I have only experienced mild joint issues, but have had the trigger finger in my ring fingers and hammer toes on middle toes. *** Scares me that bone density scan has come back with negative numbers. Issues other than the bone loss for me are the complete lack of libido and vaginal atrophy/dryness (sex? forget it!). This has affected my marriage in a big way. I also have fatigue and this strange sensation I get in the evenings. Not quite like a hot flash - kind of a tingly,fuzzy,claustrophobia feeling that starts in the breast area and radiates outward. I do have night sweats, but they are managable. Constantly feel like I dont sleep well. I also have trouble focusing (mentally) and my work has suffered badly as a result. I have a job that requires a lot of time critical work and multitasking and I am always behind. Feel like I am in a haze alo | I had lumpectomy with no node involvement. Followed with chemo and radiation. Oncologist had me on Tamoxifen for 1 year and then switched me to Femara because it was showing such tremendous results in the trials. With the Tamoxifen, I was having such bad hot flashes that I was given Celexa to stop the hot flashes - worked, but the "anti-depressant" made me depressed! I am into year 2.5 on Femara and just celebrated my 4 year survivorship! I seem to tolerate it well and the side effects are bearable. I am willing to take this medicine for the 5 years - but am seriously concerned about the bone loss! I am also seriously concerned that the fatique and mental dullness side effects will cost me my job. Overall - I rate the Femara easier to take than the Tamoxifen. BEST WISHES AND PRAYERS TO ALL OF YOU SURVIVORS! | F | 47 | 2.5 years | 4/21/2009 | 3 | Stage 2B Breast Cancer | Nausea, bone pain, muscle pain, pain in lower right back to hip, hair loss, foot pain, muscle spasms (cramps), difficulty getting up out of a chair after sitting for some time, forgetfulness, night sweats, diarrhea. Feel like twice my age. Vaginal dryness but we use K-Y gelatins, and this helps. My husband is very understanding. | Chemo, Radiation and Tamoxifin for 5 years, switched to Femara 3 months ago. Many symptoms experienced with Femara, started when I was taking Tamoxifin. Symptoms worsened with Femara, (ie. Pain and Hair Loss). Nausea and diarrhea new with Femara. I continue to take the drug because of fear of recurrence. But I have not felt like myself since I was diagnosed 6 years ago. | F | 50 | 3 months | 4/13/2009 | 1 | stage 1 breast cancer | Nuclear hot flashes, and crippling polyarthralgia. All of my joints are painful. | I have taken Femara since July '08. My joint pain has increased since initiation of the drug. I am a physical therapist, so it really interfers with my job.I am getting used to the hot flashes,Effexor is helping, but my heart rate is ~ 130bpm. I took a 2 week vacation from Femara and my pain level decreased substantially.I would rather have total mastectomies than take the Femara if it meant I didn't have to take Femara.(I had a lumpectomy). I am back on Femara (until I see my oncologist again. Oh yea the pain is back. | F | 50 | 8 months | 4/9/2009 | 2 | breastcancer treatment | Aching ends of fingers, aching feet to point of hobbling.Sweating, depression. | This drug is the last of three forms of cancer treatment I have received. First chemo, then double mastectomy - neither of these were as bad as Femara. | F | 53 | 5.5 months | 4/7/2009 | 2 | Breast Cancer | hot flashes, severe joing pain, especially in my hip, knees, and back. | F | 53 | 3 weeks | 4/6/2009 | 1 | Breast Cancer | I was on tamoxifen for 3 and a half years. My doctor switch me to femara because of the type to tumors that I had. Tamoxifen had some side effects but nothing like femara. As soon as I took the pills I had severe hip and knee joint pain. Also I was having to have my glasses changed every six months. I thought for a while that I was losing my mind. My doctor told me that what I was experiencing was all in my head and that femara did not have any major side effects. I could not even walk up the stairs in my home or read the papers that I had to grade. I would not take this med. again. | F | 57 | 18 months | 4/2/2009 | 3 | hormone receptor positive breast ca | weight gain that i can't lose, extreme hot flashes, aching joints | It's hard to say if this medicine has helped. But i haven't had a reoccurance so I can't complain! I was on about my 3rd yr of taking Tamoxifen when the Femara trials proved so outstanding that my oncologist started me on it instead. The hot flashes have been as bad or worse than w/Tamoxifen and I swear they get worse each year! The weight gain seems to have hit a plateau. I started taking Pilates 4 years ago and it has helped enormously w/joint pain. I started taking Paxil w/Tamoxifen to help with the hot flashes and now take Effexor. I can't say that it helps the flashes that much, but probably helps me deal with them better. With Effexor, i never have trouble sleeping — unless i miss a does — and i'm sure it helps with any depression. Overall, i'm very thankful that this drug is available! I definitely have a "love/hate" relationship with it! | F | 57 | 3 years | 3/30/2009 | 2 | Breast Cancer | Mainly bone pain & stiffness - Felt like I was very very old | Had lumpectomy, chemo, & radiation followed by 2 years Tamoxifen. Next route was Femara, which initiated bone pain, which was distressing as I was in a clinical study and received the drug for free. Oncologist suggested switching to Aromasin, not in clinical study - Wow, very expensive ! What do you do... I am having trouble with what I call Iguana Eyes, which is itching and inflamation of eye margins and eyelash follicles. Eyelashes never developed correctly after chemo. They'd grow in badly, itch, fall out, etc. Eyelids now itchy and irritated. Try to wash them gently several times a day with baby shampoo. Read up a little - could be something called Blepharitis, s'pose I should go to dermatologist, too spendy, going to try to fix it myself. Anyone else have this? | F | 50 | 180 days | 3/30/2009 | 4 | stage1 breast cancer her positive | hot and cold flushes, weigh gain | no major side effects | F | 57 | 3 years | 3/26/2009 | 4 | Stage IV breast cancer | Initially had joint pain but it went away after a few months. Have had weight gain which I cannot get rid of, even with regular exercise and watching my diet. Other than that, my only complaint is the high cost of the drug. Please, when is there going to be a generic?!! | F | 63 | 3 years | 3/26/2009 | 1 | stage 1 breast cancer | very bad pain in hands and feet ,tired all the time ,weepy,just a general feeling of awful | F | 57 | 1 days | 3/25/2009 | 4 | Breast Cancer L Mastectomy | Been on for 4 years, one year to go. 15 LB weight gain in 1st 3 months, have high cholesterol now and all weight has settled in waist and sides. UGH! L-o-n-g haul. | Very dry skin, intercourse is impossible due to vaginal dryness. | F | 50 | 4 years | 3/21/2009 | 1 | Breast cancer Stage 2 | Excessive weight gain, hot flushes and depression | F | 55 | 18 months | 3/16/2009 | 3 | Breast Cancer | Hand & Wrist pain & stiffness. Vaginal Dryness. | I have been taking FEMARA for just on 2 yrs after Lumpectomy in October 2006 followed by 6 wks of Radiation. The side effects have been a gradual progression over the last 6 months and are located in the hands and wrists which is quite severe and making my everyday life a struggle. I will be seeing my Oncolongist in April and will be asking about my chances of recurence without FEMARA. Do not know whether another 3 yrs on this drug will make the condition any worse. The irony of all of this is a drug that hopefully will save ones life, can also reduce ones quality of life by its side effects. | F | 65 | 2 years | 3/12/2009 | 2 | Beast Cancer Stage 1 | The first month and a half was awful. Hot flashes every hour, day and night. I was not getting any sleep. After the hot flashes came the chills where I could not get warm. Suffering from knee and finger joint pain. I cry easily and get irritated easily. | My lumpectomy was in October 2008. When I started Femara in January, I had to go back to work full time. By the end of the work day I was so exhausted I just wanted to go home and collapse. When the hot flashes hit me at work, I couldn't think and it caused me lots of stress in meetings and co-worker interactions. My general physician prescribed Ambien and that night I slept 3 hours straight! Then I was up every two hours. But this is an improvement. My blood pressure is very high now(166 over 104). Recently started amlodopine for blood pressure and somehow this has helped my hot flashes and has given me more energy almost immediately! Still suffering from knee and joint pain but it is easier to cope with that when I can get some rest. I have one or two days a week that wipe me out completely, but I seem to be okay the next day. I'm not so depressed but still fatigued, especially by Friday. I have joined Curves and I'm trying to have the energy to go there after work, but it is | F | 59 | 3 months | 3/11/2009 | 2 | Stage 1 breast cancer | Hot flashes, night sweats, crippling joint and muscle pain, muscle weakness, pathologic weight gain, sleep disturbances, constipation | In addition to breast cancer I have MS, the hot flashes exacerbate the MS symptoms. The biopsy did not reveal any cancer cells outside the tumor, there was no lymph involvement, and my oncotype DX test results indicate an 11% recurrence rate. Even if my results were less favorable I don't think I could consider continuing with this medication. It is a quality of life issue. Survival is wonderful but not if you spend your time hoping tomorrow will bring blessed relief. I see my oncologist tomorrow and it's not open for negotiation. My compliance with Femara has seen it's end. I'll close with the one and only positive in my Femara experience, my hair has become wavy. | F | 54 | 6 months | 3/10/2009 | 1 | breast Cancer | All the normal ones- headache- joint pain- depression, weight gain- 18 pounds! I also have just developed eye problems- am curious if any one else has this.. dryness-----hot flashes | Has any one a suggestion for the weight gain- it seems to be just in the stomach area---I run 3 miles at least 3-5 times a tweek and lift weights etc.. I can't loseit! Also, anyone else experiencing eye problems???? | F | 50 | | 3/9/2009 | 4 | Metastatic Breast Cancer | I have pain in my hip and knees.I had to have surgery on my thumb and wrist this year for tendonitis. At times I feel like an older woman when I get up after sitting or in the morning. I have had weight gain which I hate! I go to the gym and try to watch what I eat. | My breast cancer came back after having a simple mastectomy in 1985. I thought I was cured but little did I know. I have been taking femara for 26 months and generally feel good once I get going. I continue to work and take care of a family. I hope it continues to work. I also take herceptin and a steriod every week which might account for the weight gain too. No one said it would be easy! | F | 59 | 26 months | 3/8/2009 | 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 | 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 |