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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I've been on Letrazole since February 2019. I developed hot flashes almost immediately. The joint/muscle pain began shortly after. One day it was so excruciating, I was in the bed all day. I'm fatigued most days. The pain is concentrated in my hips, legs and hands. Yoga, Mindfulness and Acupuncture help. Recently I have been experiencing nausea and diarrhea symptoms. Not sure they are related to the medication. I'm keeping track when something happens. It's been a journey. Ups and downs.

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@tammyp

I've been on Letrazole since February 2019. I developed hot flashes almost immediately. The joint/muscle pain began shortly after. One day it was so excruciating, I was in the bed all day. I'm fatigued most days. The pain is concentrated in my hips, legs and hands. Yoga, Mindfulness and Acupuncture help. Recently I have been experiencing nausea and diarrhea symptoms. Not sure they are related to the medication. I'm keeping track when something happens. It's been a journey. Ups and downs.

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@tammyp
I've just been on letrozole for 1 1/2 months. By any chance, have you tried taking the pills in the evening? I find I'll wake up in the middle of the night with some sweats, but go right back to sleep and if I don't then I ready my Nook books for a bit and then fall asleep. I'll have a few hot sweats in the day, but not bad. The aches and pains aren't great but not as bad as when I took anastrozole. I do take 5,000 units of vitamin D which has helped the joint pain...I started with 1,000 after first speaking with my oncologist and gradually moved it up. I do have some nausea and sometimes diarrhea, but the chemo touched off diverticulitis and anastrozole did as well but that's in control now. Am having Zometa infusion in a few weeks and have heard that helps with some bone pain. I hope you start feeling better soon.

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@tammyp

I've been on Letrazole since February 2019. I developed hot flashes almost immediately. The joint/muscle pain began shortly after. One day it was so excruciating, I was in the bed all day. I'm fatigued most days. The pain is concentrated in my hips, legs and hands. Yoga, Mindfulness and Acupuncture help. Recently I have been experiencing nausea and diarrhea symptoms. Not sure they are related to the medication. I'm keeping track when something happens. It's been a journey. Ups and downs.

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I was on letrozole for over a year. Miserable. I switched to exemestane and it is much better. Last year I started feeling pretty crummy on it so I took a week off. It reset my body and went over 9 months with few symptoms. Just now getting a few back. My doc said a week off would be fine and if it made the drugs easier to live witb to do it once a year.

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@cathyhand

I was on letrozole for over a year. Miserable. I switched to exemestane and it is much better. Last year I started feeling pretty crummy on it so I took a week off. It reset my body and went over 9 months with few symptoms. Just now getting a few back. My doc said a week off would be fine and if it made the drugs easier to live witb to do it once a year.

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Yay for you! Good news.

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You might speak with your doc about exemestane. All have side effects but she said that for some people the exemestane is a little easoer on the joints. There were abd still are days that I just throw up for no reason, feel as though I have the flu, deep feeling of being unwell, it is frightning but then it goes away for a few days and I know it is meds. Life afyer bc is just like that. The reset was a miracle for me. It eventually comes back but for a while better. Good luck

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francine, This is my first time out here on this site having just been diagnosed with IDC stage 4 in April of this year. I started Ibrance/Letrizole last month and have had no side effects from either, no nausea, nothing. I feel very fortunate. Just wonder if it might kick in as treatment progresses.

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Started Letrozole yesterday

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@vivianvance

Started Letrozole yesterday

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@vivianvance, had you been on any other drug before Letrozole? Please keep us posted about side effects.

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@mom23boys

francine, This is my first time out here on this site having just been diagnosed with IDC stage 4 in April of this year. I started Ibrance/Letrizole last month and have had no side effects from either, no nausea, nothing. I feel very fortunate. Just wonder if it might kick in as treatment progresses.

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Welcome new members @mom23boys and @vivianvance
@mom23boys You may also be interested in this discussion where members are talking about stage 4 breast cancer, some of who are taking Ibrance
- Metastatic breast cancer: Anyone else? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/metastatic-breast-cancer-to-the-bone/
Do you really have 23 boys?

Vivian, what type of breast cancer were you diagnosed with and what treatments have you had?

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I'll have to figure out better how to navigate the site, but thank you Colleen for the link to Metastatic BC. I didn't see any 2019 posts and wonder if there is a link to more recent discussions. Also, No, I don't have 23 boys. I am a mom "to" 3 boys, 29, 22 and 16 and 3 grandkids ages 12, 9 and 7.

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