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Letrozole: When will I start feeling/seeing side effects?

Posted by francine6829 @francine6829, Mar 8, 2019

I started taking Letrozole (Femura) about a month ago. When will I start feeling/seeing side effects? what are the main side effects you have? Does anyone not have any side effects?

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windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 22 2:55pm

@anjalima I took brand name Femara (letrozole) though at the end I found one generic manufacturer whose version didn't bother me.

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anjalima | @anjalima | Feb 22 3:04pm
In reply to @windyshores "@anjalima I took brand name Femara (letrozole) though at the end I found one generic manufacturer..." + (show)
@windyshores

@anjalima I took brand name Femara (letrozole) though at the end I found one generic manufacturer whose version didn't bother me.

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I’m able to get Arimidex for 60.00/month vs 25 for generic. I’m much happier on the brand but if I needed to go back I could manage the original ACCORD. Which manufacturer was ultimately good for you?

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melanid | @melanid | Feb 23 7:47am
In reply to @ellerbracke "I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've taken Letrozole now for almost 3 years,..." + (show)
@ellerbracke

I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've taken Letrozole now for almost 3 years, with no major side effects at all. From time to time I have some joint or muscle pain, but with stenosis, sciatica, piriformis issues, and overdoing it with yard work, that may be totally unrelated.
However, I just checked my prescription bottle, and saw that I am on 2.5 mg once every day. I will look into research on this, and discuss the dosage with my oncologist during my next visit.

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I did my research on letrozole. And the 2.5 mg is the standard dosage. Didn't matter if your 200 lbs or 100 lbs, 20 years old or 100 years old. The half life is around 48 hours so it is possible (just my thought) that a person could take it once every 48 hours and you would still have 50 percent of the medication in your system. If you don't take it at all the medication lasts in your system up to a week. So🤷. I wonder if they have done any studies on this dosaging. I don't know why there are not more options on this.

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windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 23 9:08am
In reply to @melanid "I did my research on letrozole. And the 2.5 mg is the standard dosage. Didn't matter..." + (show)
@melanid

I did my research on letrozole. And the 2.5 mg is the standard dosage. Didn't matter if your 200 lbs or 100 lbs, 20 years old or 100 years old. The half life is around 48 hours so it is possible (just my thought) that a person could take it once every 48 hours and you would still have 50 percent of the medication in your system. If you don't take it at all the medication lasts in your system up to a week. So🤷. I wonder if they have done any studies on this dosaging. I don't know why there are not more options on this.

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@melanid my doc was fine with alternate days. I imagine you need a "steady state," so maybe every 48 hours doesn't achieve that-? I continued with full dose and am curious if anyone who did alternate days had a decrease in side effects.

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edwendt | @edwendt | Apr 13 8:40am

i've been on it now a couple of months since my mastectomy and I feel nauseous all the time. i've tried taking it with lots of water, food, not with other meds i take etc-but the nausea doesn't change.
anyone else feel nauseous?

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heatl1 | @heatl1 | Apr 14 12:44pm
In reply to @edwendt "i've been on it now a couple of months since my mastectomy and I feel nauseous..." + (show)
@edwendt

i've been on it now a couple of months since my mastectomy and I feel nauseous all the time. i've tried taking it with lots of water, food, not with other meds i take etc-but the nausea doesn't change.
anyone else feel nauseous?

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Hey, edwendt! Kudos to you for doing your best at protecting yourself, even through non-positive side effects! 1st, each person's body will likely react differently to any drug, so remember that your experience may not be exactly like mine. I took Letrazole for 5 years after lumpectomy and radiation. It made me nauseous, also. I finally found 2 things to be true for me: 1st, if I took it before bed, on a full stomach, the nausea was much dimmenished. 2nd, after a period of time (couple of weeks, maybe?) the nausea seemed to lessen and go away. I encourage you to continue to do the best you can, and to seek help if it becomes too much. Hugs and best wishes to you on your journey!! God bless you!!

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 17 5:23pm
In reply to @heatl1 "Hey, edwendt! Kudos to you for doing your best at protecting yourself, even through non-positive side..." + (show)
@heatl1

Hey, edwendt! Kudos to you for doing your best at protecting yourself, even through non-positive side effects! 1st, each person's body will likely react differently to any drug, so remember that your experience may not be exactly like mine. I took Letrazole for 5 years after lumpectomy and radiation. It made me nauseous, also. I finally found 2 things to be true for me: 1st, if I took it before bed, on a full stomach, the nausea was much dimmenished. 2nd, after a period of time (couple of weeks, maybe?) the nausea seemed to lessen and go away. I encourage you to continue to do the best you can, and to seek help if it becomes too much. Hugs and best wishes to you on your journey!! God bless you!!

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Hi @heatl1, I wanted to pop in to say "welcome". Such great tips for others dealing with letrozole and nausea.

I look forward to getting to know you. It sounds like you might be finished with treatment. When were treatments done for you? How are you doing now?

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