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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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freckle1 | @freckle1 | May 18 3:52pm
In reply to @gramma206 "I very seldom have hot flashes. My main side effect is joint stiffness which took several..." + (show)
@gramma206

I very seldom have hot flashes. My main side effect is joint stiffness which took several months to manifest. It's especially bad when I first wake up in the morning. Sometimes I lie awake for a while summoning the strength to move, but once I am up and about moving around the stiffness nearly goes away.

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Same here. But I wonder how much is caused by the AI, and how much by what my parents called BOA - Bloody Old Age. I'm nearly 77. Apparently everyone over 40 has some degree of arthritis. Still have three years to go on anastrozole.

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gramma206 | @gramma206 | May 18 4:39pm
In reply to @freckle1 "Same here. But I wonder how much is caused by the AI, and how much by..." + (show)
@freckle1

Same here. But I wonder how much is caused by the AI, and how much by what my parents called BOA - Bloody Old Age. I'm nearly 77. Apparently everyone over 40 has some degree of arthritis. Still have three years to go on anastrozole.

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Not buying it ;‐)
I am 77 ( married to a now-retired chiropractor ) and had zero of those joint stiffness issues before chemo and letrozole.
I'll blame old age for the arthritis in my thumbs but that's it.

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freckle1 | @freckle1 | May 19 7:26pm
In reply to @gramma206 "Not buying it ;‐) I am 77 ( married to a now-retired chiropractor ) and had..." + (show)
@gramma206

Not buying it ;‐)
I am 77 ( married to a now-retired chiropractor ) and had zero of those joint stiffness issues before chemo and letrozole.
I'll blame old age for the arthritis in my thumbs but that's it.

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So what's the alternative? Going off AIs and just hoping your cancer will not return? In my case, an aggressive grade 3 hormone fed cancer had APPARENTLY not escaped into my lymphatic system, as shown by a PET scan. But there is no way to be certain. It's a known unknown.

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gramma206 | @gramma206 | May 19 7:57pm
In reply to @freckle1 "So what's the alternative? Going off AIs and just hoping your cancer will not return? In..." + (show)
@freckle1

So what's the alternative? Going off AIs and just hoping your cancer will not return? In my case, an aggressive grade 3 hormone fed cancer had APPARENTLY not escaped into my lymphatic system, as shown by a PET scan. But there is no way to be certain. It's a known unknown.

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I meant I wasn't just willing to blame Old Age. I'm sticking with letrozole for pretty much the same reason as you: Stage 3A lobular cancer which was missed on previous mammograms and found this time because of more than 4 cancerous lymph nodes. I'll put up with the stiffness to ward off the monster.

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freckle1 | @freckle1 | May 19 10:48pm

Yes it's not fun. Bit curious why anastrozole seems the drug of choice here in Australia.

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