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← Return to Letrozole for 10 months, I started having mild left flank pain. Ideas?
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Letrozole for 10 months, I started having mild left flank pain. Ideas?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Nov 11, 2025 | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
I have been on letrozole for 9 months. I have some joint pain in hips and knees. I find exercise helps - primarily stretching and then moving. I ride an indoor bike and walk and do yoga. The cold weather makes it worse. I have been told once your body adjusts it gets better but I don’t know. I have good and bad days so the discomfort seems to come and go. I know Letrozole is the best AI for invasive lobular cancer.
I would encourage you to discuss it with your oncologist to see if they think trying a different AI would be in your best interest.
Replies to "I have been on letrozole for 9 months. I have some joint pain in hips and..."
My medical oncologist who just retired said that I could not take 1) tamoxifen as I was at risk for blood clots.
2) I can’t take Anestrozole as I had a severe allergic and rare reaction with it with one tablet.
Both legs tingled at muscles both above and below outer legs for 20 seconds and then both legs gave out entirely. Grabbing onto the bathroom sink save me from falling. Next day my pulse was 150
with a 20 ft. walk . Told to stop.
3) Letrozole destroyed the muscles and joints in my legs after 2 1/4 years.
With both legs, the muscles would give out at any time.
Reached a point at Orthopedic urgent care where I could not walk.
Was taken off Letrozole for a months in July because of this and at Urgent Care at end of September.
Have lost muscle strength in both legs and have to have Total knee replacement surgery in both legs.
Need to build up muscles both before and after surgery.
Was supposed to go on Exemestane in October.
Both retired medical oncologist and new one advised against that.
Choice was to be in a wheelchair and not able to walk, risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and hand arthritis with taking Exemestane and being totally immobilized and in pain from AI and knee osteoarthritis or being able to walk.
Crazy choices….But what good is it to further destroy your muscles and bones in knees and perhaps hands with Exemestane or at least be able to walk and have some quality of life and not depend on others?
I see new medical oncologist this month to see what safety plan I can be given.
I have PLISC stage 1B and am at the 3 year mark of surgery.
It is pre-cancerous and rare.
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@wews doc wants to take me off Letrozole for 2 weeks but is that even long enough? Not sure what to do walking seems to help also trying yoga to see if that helps! I’m not young but feel about 95 right now! lol thanks for info