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 |
| 2 | Invasive breast cancer | Hot flashes, leg cramps, joint stiffness, "muddled" head, dryness of (gosh!) everything - skin, eyes,mouth, vaginal.... depression, osteopenia, excessive GERD to Barrett's esophagus, weight gain, higher bad cholesterol numbers, elevated blood pressure. | Five years on tamoxifen followed immediately by 3 yrs (so far) on Femara. With a battery of drugs from the chemo injected, to tamoxifen(actually kind to bone mass but nasty for leg cramps) to osteoporosis drugs, anti-depressants - it may be difficult to attribute any side effects to Femara alone. But you can notice differences after taking the drugs over time. Hot flashes, weight gain, depression were all there with the tamoxifen. Most everything else has either appeared or worsened with Femara. The Femara has drastically increased my loss of bone mass and added to the GERD which is now affecting my lower esophagus. One thing certainly leads to another - will try to hold out for another 2 years on Femara to get the most from its ability to stave off breast cancer recurrence, but I'm glad I'm not working, and glad my husband understands how painful this can all be. Weight gain on breast cancer meds is NOT A MYTH!!! | F | 55 | 3 years | 3/27/2008 | 2 | Stage 1 breat cancer | So many I cant name them all. Started out on tamoxifen, it made me terribly depressed. Side effects, weight gain, memory loss, irritablilty, pain in bones and muscles, bad taste in my mouth, hair thinning, somewhat depressed, fatigue, insomnia to name a few. | This was supposed to be better that Tamoxifen but the only improvement is that I am not totally depressed 24 hours a day and I have less hot flashes than with Tamoxifen. | F | 55 | 6 months | 3/20/2008 | 3 | Stage 3 breast cancer, 17 nodes | 20 pound weight gain, severe hot flashes, insomnia, loss of libido, joint pain, feel extremely brittle, no energy, severe constipation. | DX with Stage 3, Grade 3 hormone positive BC at age 43. After two months of neoadjuvant chemo, lymph node disection, segmental mastectomy, four more months chemo, 33 radiation, was put on Femara at age 44 immediately after radiation. Never been on anything other than Femara. Have been taking it for three years, have two more years to go. I have no idea if it is working or not. New study just came out 3/11/08 on Femara saying that it is 61% more effective than Tamoxifan in preventing recurrence. Just keeping my aching fingers crossed that I am doing the right thing about taking this drug. Went from a size 8 to a 14, was walking 4-5 miles every other day with my husband, he was losing weight, I was gaining. I was always slender, could eat anything I wanted, now I've tried every diet and still weigh the same, no matter what I do. Asked my husband for weights for my birthday. I thought my body was going to break in two every time I tried to lift even the lightest weights. I coul | F | 47 | 3 years | 3/12/2008 | 1 | prevent reoccurance | overnight artheritis, numbness hands, pain radiating from elbow to hand, 7lbs 1 month, fatigue-fell asleep while driving!,dizziness, severe joint muscle pain, headaches,depression almost suicidal, swollen feet hands, vision loss, no hair loss, crave sweets to extreme, loss bladder control,cholesterol increased, memory loss, anxious, i dont feel like myself. i went from being grateful to be alive to being so tired of all of this just want to go to sleep and not do anything. | i took birth control 15yrs then prempro 15yrs enough being a guinea pig..i would rather get the cancer again and have surgery this is no life! i feel like an old lady..have to hold on to the sink and wall to get off the toilet..if i sit for more than 5 minutes i cant get up..i fell asleep in the doctors office..when i went over side affects she said stop for a month..i stopped, it has been one month i am very swollen in ankles and hands..still numbness in hands..the information you get when you fill a RX doesnt show anything about joint and muscle ache about side affects or any of the other side affects. i am scared to death to go on tomaxafin (sorry about my spelling). i was laid off my job as paralegal, unemployment ends next week, my health ins $900 month then cobra, feel like i cant go to work with the pain and hot flashes, thinking of dissability but heard very hard to get on it.tired of worrying and thinking!! count me in on the class action law suit. | F | 61 | 4 months | 3/11/2008 | 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 | 1 | breast cancer in 2002 | I was on Tamoxifin for 5 years, ending in May of 2007. My oncologist then put me on Femara. A couple of months ago, I noticed my hair was thinning but my hairdresser kept telling me it was my imagination. It has now been confirmed by my oncoloist and a rheumatologist that it is alopecia. Also, I was having terrible problems with my 'ring' finger on both hands, more so on my left hand. My family doctor said it was 'tringer finger'. I believed him and continued to suffer, as it got worse. By fluke, while my husband and I were in Florida in Janary, I met a women who had the same thing and she told me to check out the website for Femara side effects. I was totally shocked to read about all the problems women were having. I didn't sleep for three nights reading all the reports. When we returned to Toronto (Canada), I immediately contacted by oncologist and told her what was happening to me. She said that these side effects were quite common and took me off the drug for 1 month. We | Can anyone suggest what to do about the thinning hair? My appearance and especially my hair have always been very important to me. I have ordered a wig and I guess will begin wearing it shortly. Also, very important, I have coloured my hair for many, many years and cannot find any information as to whether this will continue to affect my hair thinning out. Any thoughts? Please respond to my email. | F | 66 | 10 months | 3/10/2008 | 2 | prevention of bc recurrence | Extreme fatigue, very sore joints (especially fingers, wrists, shoulders, and knees), 40 point increase in chloresterol level, weight gain, difficulty sleeping due to joint pain, and hot flashes. | I took tamoxifen for about 20 months before having my ovaries out to reduce estrogen levels. At that point, my oncologist switched me to femara. I had been blaming my side effects on a ski trip, a busy work schedule, and so on, all the while wondering why I felt like I was on chemo again. Finally, my increased chloresterol level inspired me to check out side effects from Femara on-line. Having read this web site, I now see that such side effects are relatively common. I see my oncologist this week and will ask to go back to Tamoxifen, which only gave me hot flashes. | F | 44 | 5 months | 3/9/2008 | 2 | Follow-up to stage 3 breast cancer | Extreme joint and muscle pain. Large weight gain, difficulty in losing weight.Felt like an 85 year old, having to peel myself out of a chair in stages, I lost my "bounce" or zest.With chemo I also lost several toenails and experienced numbness in hands and feet. Most of numbness is gone, small amount is probably permanent but bearable. My hair came back much thinner than before. I am going to a hairdresser who uses an ecocolor product which is not caustic and is safer for us. I have been on Femara for one year so far,and I was ready to talk to my oncologist about stopping it until I found a solution! Many women are not satisfied with living with the body they seem to be stuck with. Quality of life needs to be considered, too.We want more from these so-called wonder drugs! | I have solved the extreme pain for me and I hope it works for you! I take 1 extra strength Aleve in the morning with a glucosamine tablet (not even the arthritis strength though I have arthritis) and it works! The anti-inflamation component is the key, since Femara obviously inflames joints and muscles. I have a personal trainer who has researched the weight side effects with me and my age (60) and says that weight loss methods (Weight Watchers)that worked for women over 50 in the past, will not work with us now. I eat "clean" 6 days, have forbidden food (starches and sodium)1 day. I hope it works for me this time.I am exercising 5 days a week,an exercise class in the pool with styrofoam weights two of those days. Water excercise is very soothing on joints and muscles, and can be as strenuous as you want it to be.Drug manufacturers and doctors need to know that quality of life is as important to many of us as life itself. Also, on my insurance that I am locked into because of | F | 60 | 1 years | 3/7/2008 | 2 | Breast Cancer Stage 3 | Pain in hands, feet, elbows, shoulders, hips. Worse in the morning. Trouble sleeping, itchy scalp. I have struggled with depression, not sure if that is related. Hot flashes,sweat profusely, no sex drive. | Very concerned I'm trashing my bones and is it really worth it. I would slug thru it if I thought I'd return to normal after going off Femara. If anyone has gone off the drug and had bone pain, and brain fog go away let me know. | F | 50 | 8 months | 3/7/2008 | 2 | breast cancer stage one, no lymps | joint pain, loss of memory, weight gain. Numbing on right side in the a.m. | Took tamoxfin for 2years and suffered joint pain, but the femera is worse. I am worried that the pain will be permanent. I am considering going off it and taking my chances. I don't know what the risk is. What is the % of reoccurance with out the femera? | F | 58 | 3 days | 2/28/2008 | 2 | Breast cancer/no node involvement | Arthalgia, my hands hurt all the time now & feet hurt all the time; unable to lose weight I have gained; recently have had blurred vison & very dry eyes; trouble sleeping; no energy or strength. | I am considering stopping Femara and consulting with my dr.; I've been taking AIs for 3 years (after chemo and during one year of Herceptin) - has anyone stopped it without replacing it with another AI? I just want to feel normal again! | F | 58 | 3 years | 2/26/2008 | 4 | breast cancer recurrence | horrible muscle and joint pain, "brain fog", vaginal dryness | Six months after completing 5 years on Femara, I am ready for my first half marathon :) All the side effects are gone, I am alive, functioning, and grateful. It was hard, painful, and long but it worked. Of course, I will never know whether it was this medication, my surgeries, the radical change in my life style after second diagnosis, just pure luck or all of the above that saved me. | F | 53 | 5 years | 2/18/2008 | 3 | Breast cancer stg.2-no nodes involv | I took Tamoxifen for 5 years and Femara for 3. I was having joint and muscle pain, asked my oncologist if I could quit, he agreed. All other symptoms could be attributed to menopause maybe (sleeplessness, no libido, hot flashes, forgetfulness, etc.). Shortly after, I started experiencing extreme shoulder pain. Have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and am looking at shoulder replacement surgery and am having to give up my job. Doesn't seem possible to have advanced so fast at the age of 50. I also feel like I'm 80 or 90 years old! I suppose Femara helped in the fact that I am still cancer free, but live with extreme pain every day. Massage helps. | F | 50 | 3 years | 2/16/2008 | 4 | stage 2 breast cancer | aching bones & joints, weight gain - abdomen, osteoporosis. minor side effects - flushes, tiredness, vaginal dryness, dry skin, more sensitive to effects of alcohol- 2 glasss of wine and I suffer. | I take extra calcium, glucosamine and antioxidants and eclasta [iv] once a year for osteporosis and misc antioxidants and fish oil tabs. Some nights it's 10 tablets but I prefer that and seeing grandchildren grow than not taking anything and keeping fingers crossed hoping there is no recurrence. | F | 55 | 1.5 years | 2/15/2008 | 2 | Invasive Breast Cancer | No hair loss or nausea so far, but all the other severe side effects common to all the comments on this site. I used to win awards for my work, but am forced to (I hope) retire early from my enviable job as a managing editor because I can no longer physically or mentally do even a minimally satisfactory job. (My performance has been so poor, and worse by the day, I hope my disability retirement request goes through at all, and preferable before I am fired. Any breast cancer survivors out therehave long term success with alternative treatments such as mistletoe, orienal herbs, etc.? | Ironically, I skipped the standard systemic chemo I was supposed to have in addition to Femara in fear that the chemo brain would put my job at risk. Cymbalta helps immensely, but my pain and brain drain are getting worse all the time and I'm already taking the max dose. My onco has now prescribed Aromasin, so I'll just have to see how traumatic or not that drug will be. I am and want to remain cancer free, so I will do anything that keeps those odds as high as possible. I'm just hoping for anything that doesn't destroy my entire hormonal balance to do so. I'd rather be miserable alive than die...but the question is this: will the cardio effects or obesity or suicide kill me any way? My blood pressure is Stage 2, I'm crying whenever no one else is around, I've had two fender benders and several traffic violations, and soon I will once again be destitute as I am my own sole provider. I'd rather be miserable alive than die...but the question is this: will the cardio effects and obesi | F | 59 | 10 days | 2/15/2008 | 2 | Breast Cancer | Side effects gradually hit me, after almost three years: severe headaches, muscle aches especially in my calves, lethargic, anxiety ridden, sleepless, nausea..........feeling 96 at 46. | Who's to say, a life saver or not. I started taking Tamoxifen shortly after chemo and radiation were done, did not tolerate it well. Was switched to Femara and for two and a half years did not notice many side effects, however......the last six months or so have been terrible. I have always been an active energetic person...Making it through a day of work has been a struggle, the thought of skiing or running frightens me. I feel terrible all of the time, felt better when I had breast cancer, even during chemo. I own my body and have decided to go on a medication holiday. Femara free for the next month and then will re evaluate with my oncologist. Who's to say if I will go back on the meds., it is my life and my body! Life should be a celebration, especially after surving cancer, not a struggle! | F | 46 | 3 years | 2/13/2008 | 1 | Stage Breast Cancer High Oncotype | Debilitating Bone Pain,constant fatigue and "Hot" Hot Flashes | The bone pain became intolerable even with Percocet, constant fatigue and increased hot flashes. BUT there is GOOD NEWS, I went on Clonodine (used for high blood pressure) AND IT STOPPED THE HOT FLASHES.!! So girls, there is hope for eliminating the Hot Flashes. I took myself off the Femara as it was debilating and I will discuss other options with my Oncologist. According to trials, there results are out on the long term effects of Femara. Guess you have to weigh your risk. Love to all of you. | F | 52 | 41 days | 2/11/2008 | 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 | 4 | breastcancer stage3 | Like to find out if anyone has experienced unexplained rashes?...Seems i a mnow getting them ..specially on my head | F | 59 | 2 years | 2/9/2008 | 4 | Breast Cancer | ***Raging*** mood swings, anxiety attacks, bone and joint pain, trouble sleeping and concentrating, loss of libido, dry hair and skin, and vaginal dryness...feel pretty much like my whole body is mummifying at times...turning old and creaky too! | Diagnosed 48 w/IDC & ILC after pathology discovered gross amounts of DCIS w/no lymph node involvement. Prophelatic bi-lateral mastectomy, 6-mo chemo/CMF then started Femara knowing full well of known side effects as advised by Onco. Dying of cancer sucks more than Femara's side effects - even though they can be pretty extensive at times. I would recommend DRINK TONS OF WATER DAILY and stay away from alcohol which makes your liver work too hard trying to process that in addition to all the drugs. Also, we know the drill - EAT RIGHT - fruits, vegetables - it makes a difference. I eat right - I don't hurt so much. Eat crap - feel like crap. Yes, exercise too! I know it hurts, but just WALK if you can - keep moving! The Femara WILL take a toll on your bone density as well, take a calcium supplement. *****Lying dead in a box doesn't hurt your joints or muscles and you don't care if your skin or hair is dry - but I don't think that's your or my end goal. Soooooo, no matter how | F | 52 | 3.5 years | 2/6/2008 |