Nervous about switching from Letrazole to Exemestane

@blair01
I was on Letrozole and switched to Exemestane.
For me the Exemestane was better.
The Letrozole side effects were crippling me.
I got off Letrozole after about 3-6 months.
Theres no one size fits all.
Chemistry varies, etc.

I have been on exemestane for years, my side effects have gotten worse over time. They are mainly acid reflux and most upsetting an increase in migraines ( frequency & duration) my oncologist doesn’t think there is a relationship between the migraines & the meds but if you do some research you know there is a direct connection between hormones & migraines. So if you are headache prone it have heartburn-think twice. Hope this helps. PS I am taking some time off from exemestane to see how I feel.

Thank you so much for your reply! This does help...

Hi! I was on Letrozole for a year and a half and experienced really bad back pain, and stiffness in my hands and ankles. MRI on my back ruled out further cancer or anything else causing the pain. My oncologist suggested the same as for you — a two week holiday from Letrozole before trying Exemestane. I had the exact same reaction and was terrified to try something new. She assured me I could go back on Letrozole if I didn’t like the side effects of Exemestane, or even switch to Tamoxifen. I gave it a try, and low and behold, everything that bothered me improved and I didn’t suffer anything new that was bothersome. Still get some back pain from time to time, but not to the extent that I did previously. If you have the option to go back on Letrozole, it might be worth a shot, trying the Exemestane. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It makes me feel better knowing someone had the same thought process as me!

Hi, I recently took a 6 week washout period from letrozole, and then started exemestane about a week ago. The last 2 nights I awoke with excruciating Charley horse in my right quadricep. The pain and muscle swelling lingered into the daytime hours, making it difficult to even drive.
Has anyone else experienced these terrible leg cramps?
I'm terrified to go to sleep tonight!
It makes the unpleasant side effects I had while on letrozole seem mild, and I am debating going back on letrozole.
Thank you for any guidance!
Xo, Harkey

Hi! Harkey:

I am so sorry that you've suffered such a painful experience after taking the Exemestane medication for one week:( It broke my heart to imagine that you are terrified to go to sleep because of this event!

Unfortunately for me, I have limited medical knowledge and have never taken Exemestane that I can't offer any help based on personal experience. Please contact your physician immediately, at the very least to make certain there's no other significant issues of your health that might cause this.

Best wishes to you all on the journey ahead!

I used to have horrible Charley-horses in my calves when I would try to sleep. Magnesium fixed that for me. When I get a canker soar in my mouth, a B-100 vitamin fixes it in one day. An orthopedic surgeon told me about my cure for canker soars. Wishing you the best❤️

This is my second time (20 years apart) taking exemestane. For me, leg cramps decreased ( also started magnesium), hot flashes-drenching hot flashes, sleep issues, fatigue, bone pain at times, hair thinning are more of a problem and were the same 20 years ago. I will stick with the drug ( it plus chemo & radiation kept the cancer at bay for + 20 years).

I had that problem with anastrozole. What might help is getting electrolyte mixes there are different brands. They are powders that you mix into your own water. I drink one in the evening and one in the morning. Some brand names are: Hydration, Nector, Drip Drop. They range in price around $1 a sleeve.